Craig67 said:
eos ,
could you explain the dating process . I guess simonov.net is not correct on how to do this .
Thanks ,
Craig
A general rule (applies to /26\ production and
most other factories) - Exceptions abound with the smaller factories:
Note design feature info applies to carbines with all original serialed parts. As in any army, it's customary to replace a damaged part with any on hand that work, regardless of when it was made.
1) Individual Carbine number is counted from the right. Usually 6 digits with zeros representing place markers when number is under 100,000 - zero in 6th position ie 099,999 is sometimes omitted on carbines made at the smaller factories.
2)Year designator begins with 1956 as year zero. 1956 itself did not use this system - see "Sino Soviet" carbine at Simonov. net.
The first carbine of 1957 would be numbered 1,000,001. Year 10 is 1966, first carbine would be 10,000,001 etc.
When there is a conflict between year designator and carbine features
(early, mid or late) as in the case of the one in question in the post, assume the dropped 6th place zero. and use the first two digits as year designators. A late carbine with spike bayonet, stamped trigger guard, smooth bolt carrier body, stamped gas tube etc but numbered 1898475 would be year 18, carbine # (0)98475. Zero in brackets is dropped.
- spike bayonet was not adopted until 1967
- stamped gastube and trigger guard 1967/68
- no other factories but /26\ until after 1968/69. Possible exception - experimental stamped receiver carbines from 0138 circa 1963. 0138 later went on to produce type 2 milled receiver carbines with pinned/press fit barrels. /26\ only produced type 1 receivers with threaded bbls.
Let the design features be the primary guide in dating non /26\ carbines