Odd incomplete date on a Russian SKS

[.30/06 FTW]

Looks like a shadow of a 5 beside the visible 5!

Looks more like a 3 to me.

 

[wbaad]

The hand stamped ones were 1949 to early 1950, so I'm guessing 1950

 

[Magellann]

It looks like there may be a very faint #3 stamped to me.

 

[EL34/6L6]

1956 Tulas will have a blank top cover, and a small star on the side of the receiver.

 

[catseye72]

Looks like a shadow of a 5 beside the visible 5!

That's funny, I thought it looked like a 6.

 

[CZ_Brno]

Looks like a 6 to me too. Instantly picked it up.

 

[bobdbldr]

That is pretty cool, maybe they started to stamp their 56 models and decided not to!! Might be able to bring it up with pencil rubbed over paper or rub it with chalk!

 

[mikerock]

Unfortunately everybody that Really knows are probably dead, but I am sure an expert will be along shortly.

You should start buying lottery tickets

 

[The Kurgan]

That is pretty cool, maybe they started to stamp their 56 models and decided not to!! Might be able to bring it up with pencil rubbed over paper or rub it with chalk!

I think it's a parts bin cover. Perhaps Tula made a number of "195_" covers, and expected the assembler to stamp the appropriate date after assembly. I am convinced more than ever that post 1955 (and perhaps 1955 itself), were assembled from a large inventory of parts, as that Soviets packed up and shipped the Tula tooling to China in early 1956.

 

[bobdbldr]

I think it's a parts bin cover. Perhaps Tula made a number of "195_" covers, and expected the assembler to stamp the appropriate date after assembly. I am convinced more than ever that post 1955 (and perhaps 1955 itself), were assembled from a large inventory of parts, as that Soviets packed up and shipped the Tula tooling to China in early 1956.

Yea but you can see the other number!! It's worth millions I tell ya!! seriously it is kinda neat, like you say they are prob parts bin guns and they decided it to time consuming and irrelevant to date them!

 

[Kevt28]

Is that the same sks that Lever has on their website? It's only 300 bucks!

 

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

Factory mess ups in the automotive world is worth a lot of money. Like an all original Dodge Dart that was meant to have a 318 from decoding the VIN number but Dodge accidentally put in a 340 with the block number matching to the car. Not so sure about the SKS world yet. All we can say for sure is you have an interesting SKS with an unknown manufacture date. They're may or may not be added collectors value to it in 10 - 30 years from now because of the mess up.