New Chinese SKS

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

I just picked up this late production Chinese SKS today. This guy lost the cleaning rod, and the screw that holds the bayonet on. I got an extra cleaning rod I found while out hunting a few seasons ago so I'm using that. Only thing that sucks about it is the finish on the rod is different from the rest of the gun. I also found a Tapco 5/20 magazine near the cleaning rod at the same time as well as a Remington 597 magazine. Cool find aye? Anyways, I made a post about this before like a month ago asking if anyone has an extra bayonet screw in the GVA (Greater Vancouver Area). Some people pm'ed me saying they have the screw but I have since lost/deleted me inbox.





This is a late production Chinese SKS from Factor 306 with Chinese characters "56 Style" on the receiver. Stamped trigger guard, stamped, folded, and welded, magazine hinge, pressed & pinned barrel, no lightning cut on the bolt carrier, and two piece gas tube. Something I find strange about the gun though is the grey trigger group and magazine. The serial numbers are matching just I've never seen the trigger group and magazine not have matching finish with the rest of the gun.



















Tried the tapco mag to see how it would look and work. Looks okay and fits really well. I won't use it as of now but I'll hang onto it anyways.



So this is the gun in almost all its glory. Just need the screw for the bayonet. The bayonet lug is threaded so it takes the screw and is not pressed and pinned in.

 

[johnny the boy]

Try Lever Arms they have some parts also try Marstar.

 

[Grawfr]

It looks great! Does it shoot good? Accurate?

 

[6MT]

I just sold my 1981 unfired example. Pretty cool!

 

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

It looks great! Does it shoot good? Accurate?

Haven't tried is yet. This deal was a month in progress. I'll get it out probably this weekend to try it out.

I just sold my 1981 unfired example. Pretty cool!

I had a mid production Chinese SKS that was also unfired. I sold my entire gun collection to pay off debts so now I'm slowly building everything back up but being patience and waiting for really good deals to pop up like this one.

 

[fenceline]

1981 sks? What was the first two digits of the serial number?

This 16 is a 1971 by sks files dating.

 

[ShotgunNut]

Haven't tried is yet. This deal was a month in progress. I'll get it out probably this weekend to try it out.



I had a mid production Chinese SKS that was also unfired. I sold my entire gun collection to pay off debts so now I'm slowly building everything back up but being patience and waiting for really good deals to pop up like this one.

I remember that. And you bought that awesome 308 semi with the rest? What rifle was that again?

Nice Sks! Btw.. Really nice buy. I found a fresh Russian 55 not long ago.

 

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

1981 sks? What was the first two digits of the serial number?

This 16 is a 1971 by sks files dating.

I don't go off of serial numbers and dates. I go, Early, mid, and late production Chinese SKS. This one is a late production.

 

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

I remember that. And you bought that awesome 308 semi with the rest? What rifle was that again?

Nice Sks! Btw.. Really nice buy. I found a fresh Russian 55 not long ago.

Famae 542.

The fresh Russian SKS are starting to pop up again lately. All I was seeing was heavily refurbished rifles. I even saw one with a rotten chamber to the point where it wouldn't even chamber a round.

 

[fenceline]

I don't go off of serial numbers and dates. I go, Early, mid, and late production Chinese SKS. This one is a late production.

Check out sks fIles dot com. You can date prettyuch any chinese sks by serial number. They have researched it well.

The 16mil is a 71.

 

[6MT]

1981 sks? What was the first two digits of the serial number?

This 16 is a 1971 by sks files dating.

26, this one...

I was lucky enough to score the following.

It is (as close as I can tell) a 1981 example with the serial number in the 26th million (260003XX). The arsenal stamp is the triangle with the number 405 inside of it. So, it was made at a small unknown arsenal somewhere in the north of China. This example has a miss mash of different era parts, which was the norm outside arsenal 26, from these smaller factories. It has the mid to late wooden two piece gas tube. The rear sight has the number 3 at the bottom of the grid. It has the sling swivel on the bottom of the butt stock. It has the medium sized barrel lug (it is not the pinned barrel). And of course, it has the spike bayonet.

The condition is absolutely beautiful. I found out today, that this rifle was a brand new unfired, unissued example. The previous owner had only fired 40 rounds of non-corrosive ammo through it. The wood is almost flawless. The internals are, as you would expect, like factory new. The piston, action, bolt and carrier are just as they were when it left the factory. It still had some cosmoline in the trigger group and on the inside of the stock.

Cleaning it was a surprise when I sprayed some wipe-out down the barrel, and after 10 minutes ran a patch through. It came out pretty much clean. So, I picked up my boroscope to have a look at the barrel. It was spotless and again, brand new.

Just sold it last week.

 

[fenceline]

26, this one...

I was lucky enough to score the following.

It is (as close as I can tell) a 1981 example with the serial number in the 26th million (260003XX). The arsenal stamp is the triangle with the number 405 inside of it. So, it was made at a small unknown arsenal somewhere in the north of China. This example has a miss mash of different era parts, which was the norm outside arsenal 26, from these smaller factories. It has the mid to late wooden two piece gas tube. The rear sight has the number 3 at the bottom of the grid. It has the sling swivel on the bottom of the butt stock. It has the medium sized barrel lug (it is not the pinned barrel). And of course, it has the spike bayonet.

The condition is absolutely beautiful. I found out today, that this rifle was a brand new unfired, unissued example. The previous owner had only fired 40 rounds of non-corrosive ammo through it. The wood is almost flawless. The internals are, as you would expect, like factory new. The piston, action, bolt and carrier are just as they were when it left the factory. It still had some cosmoline in the trigger group and on the inside of the stock.

Cleaning it was a surprise when I sprayed some wipe-out down the barrel, and after 10 minutes ran a patch through. It came out pretty much clean. So, I picked up my boroscope to have a look at the barrel. It was spotless and again, brand new.

Just sold it last week.

Very cool. Highest I've heard was 25 mil (80). That one was tempting on the EE.

 

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

Just sold it last week.

Look at the grain on that wood especially from this camera angle. I've never seen one with that nice of wood.

I just got the bayonet on mine last night. I still don't have the proper screw but I was looking though my tool box when I found a left over Ikea furniture wood stud. It was a tight fit so I hammered it in, cut it so its flush, and then coloured it black with a sharpie marker. When I get the proper screw I'll replace it.

 

[mozambique technique]

I lost my spike bayo 20 years ago and recently picked up a replacement at Lever. I'm sure they can sell you the screw you need.
Your wood looks a lot better than mine that I bought new in the early '90's for $75.

 

[CaribooBC]

I have an extra screw somewhere, if I can find it I will send you a PM for your address. I bought a Chicom earlier this year that was missing its bayo, but the screw was in place. When I bought a bayo, it came with a screw as well.

 

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

I have an extra screw somewhere, if I can find it I will send you a PM for your address. I bought a Chicom earlier this year that was missing its bayo, but the screw was in place. When I bought a bayo, it came with a screw as well.

Thank you very much!

 

[fiddler]

I've had several late model (consumer) Chinese SKSs, None of them had a screw, it was a rivet instead. It was probably drilled out if there are no threads. However that said, I did the a fix with the same problem by shaving down a cotter pin/lug head until it fit by putting it into a cordless drill and ran it on sandpaper until it fit. I can easily take it on or off without using tools, and it is very secure and doesn't rattle.


Late model (consumer) Chinese rifles were more or less made with the same parts as military rifles, and used the same machines to make them. Many parts were left over from military production. Parts were made all over the country in separate factories and were generally only assembled in a couple of secure places. Firearms are illegal for the Chinese citezen to own thus no factory workers knew where all the parts were made, nor could any worker sneak some away from the factory to assemble at home. Some places only produced magazines, others, barrels, sights, and yet in other places they made stocks and straps. The factory stamp is place of assembly , rather than actual part production. Even the infamous Factory 26 never made all its own parts nor consistently used components from the same places. While some may feel this information is speculative, I worked with an elderly Chinese gentleman who was in the Chinese military as a young man whos job was to secure pick-ups and shipments to military institutions, firearm parts as well as most other military products.


Lots of rumors about how the Chinese made things, and they prefer nobody knew its business. While some individuals feel the consumer models were inferior, I have one I purchased new in the early 80s and its still going strong with tens thousands of rounds down range. Never had a problem and shoots as good as it did from day one.

 

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

My rifle is threaded for the bayonet.

The Chinese were only prohibit from owning guns some time in the early 80's. It was pretty free before. Though I guess it's possible they made parts in several different factories and then assembled them in only one.

My wife is Chinese from China so I'm just going off what's she says.

 

[fiddler]

My rifle is threaded for the bayonet.

The Chinese were only prohibit from owning guns some time in the early 80's. It was pretty free before. Though I guess it's possible they made parts in several different factories and then assembled them in only one.

My wife is Chinese from China so I'm just going off what's she says.

Your rifle was made previous to the 1980s and was of military surplus. Most post 1980 models (late model) sks rifles had riveted bayonets and newly produced parts to complete assembly with surplus parts. These were remodeled in a number of ways and sold as consumer and sporting rifles. The SKS-D and Rancher models are a few of these mentioned. They were also modified to fit drum and AK mags during this time.





Free ownership of firearms was largely restricted or prohibited since the forming of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949. Although some were permitted for hunting and dangerous animal purposes, sporting use was heavily declined. Military style rifles such as the SKS were partitioned from what was deemed sporting or hunting use firearms. I'm sure many people born before 1949 may recall free ownership.

 

[Loose-Cannon]

6MT

Can you please post pics of the serial and arsenal stamp? We have only recently see ONE other 1981 /26\ gun.... Thanks