Having read through Curtton's post regarding SKS dating, I now know my SKS is a "Frankenrifle." It's a refurb with parts from (it seems) all throughout the 50s. Most of the numbers match, except for the magazine. It's my very first firearm and I bought it as a shooter. It works very well in that respect - reasonable accuracy, immense fun to shoot. And I think it's gorgeous, even with the coarse milling and "cheap" laminated stock. The guy at the store seemed to think the laminated stock made it somehow less desirable than a solid birch stock - madness!
Some pictures:
I call her "Svetlana." Note the ###y laminated stock and the blued bayonet - from what I understand, these are clear indications of a refurb.
Laser-penciled serial on the gas tube, and blued bayonet blade.
Receiver top shows a 1950 manufacture date from the Tula armory. That's probably a refurb stamp above, but it doesn't quite match the decsriptions I've read.
Milled step on receiver. Plus about half a dozen inspection stamps. Milling is quite rough.
Inspection stamp on the foregrip, left side.
Serial on the ###y laminated stock.
Trigger guard and magazine. Note the mismatched number on the mag, and more ###y lamination. How is that not way more awesome than boring old solid birch?
Modern laser-etched markings under the gas tube. The diamond with the three letters is also laser-etched in a few other places...
... such as the right side of the receiver (also note big square lug on receiver top in background) ...
... and the bottom of the bolt.
I'm guessing this means the bolt has been inspected several times. The firing pin is spring-loaded, not free-floating.
Bolt and bolt carrier. Millwork is really rough and unpolished all throughout this rifle, but you can really see it on the bolt carrier.
Cleaning kit and tools.
Bayonet lug is early-style.
I'll be honest, I can't tell if the barrel is chrome-lined or not. It doesn't catch the light at the muzzle in this photo, but it holds a high polish when I look down the bore. I'm not sure how new the barrel is, and I've read elsewhere that non-chromed 1950 barrels are rare. Any guesses?
Thin metal bar welded to the pivot on the follower - apparently the preferred method of pinning the capacity to 5. I imagine it would be slightly better if the numbers on the mag matched the numbers on everything else, but that's fairly common from what I understand.
It came with three stripper clips, the shoulder strap shown in these pictures, a single-spout oil can caked in cosmoline, two leather-like vinyl ammo pouches (instead of one ammo pouch and one oil-can pouch), and an instruction manual in Russian. Probably the best $199 I ever spent.
Some pictures:
I call her "Svetlana." Note the ###y laminated stock and the blued bayonet - from what I understand, these are clear indications of a refurb.
Laser-penciled serial on the gas tube, and blued bayonet blade.
Receiver top shows a 1950 manufacture date from the Tula armory. That's probably a refurb stamp above, but it doesn't quite match the decsriptions I've read.
Milled step on receiver. Plus about half a dozen inspection stamps. Milling is quite rough.
Inspection stamp on the foregrip, left side.
Serial on the ###y laminated stock.
Trigger guard and magazine. Note the mismatched number on the mag, and more ###y lamination. How is that not way more awesome than boring old solid birch?
Modern laser-etched markings under the gas tube. The diamond with the three letters is also laser-etched in a few other places...
... such as the right side of the receiver (also note big square lug on receiver top in background) ...
... and the bottom of the bolt.
I'm guessing this means the bolt has been inspected several times. The firing pin is spring-loaded, not free-floating.
Bolt and bolt carrier. Millwork is really rough and unpolished all throughout this rifle, but you can really see it on the bolt carrier.
Cleaning kit and tools.
Bayonet lug is early-style.
I'll be honest, I can't tell if the barrel is chrome-lined or not. It doesn't catch the light at the muzzle in this photo, but it holds a high polish when I look down the bore. I'm not sure how new the barrel is, and I've read elsewhere that non-chromed 1950 barrels are rare. Any guesses?
Thin metal bar welded to the pivot on the follower - apparently the preferred method of pinning the capacity to 5. I imagine it would be slightly better if the numbers on the mag matched the numbers on everything else, but that's fairly common from what I understand.
It came with three stripper clips, the shoulder strap shown in these pictures, a single-spout oil can caked in cosmoline, two leather-like vinyl ammo pouches (instead of one ammo pouch and one oil-can pouch), and an instruction manual in Russian. Probably the best $199 I ever spent.
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