Question for the SKS experts about markings and dating

[Ebola]

I just picked up a new to me SKS. It has no stamps on the receiver cover. I can tell it is a Tula by the tiny stamped star and the 4 digit serial number followed by a backwards "N". The backwards "N" is really a Russian "I" according to my quick google check. This indicates I have a letter series SKS manufactured in 1957. Now 1957 seems kinda late as I have read SKS manufacturing was stopped at the Tula plant in 1955. So my question is, is this sks manufactured in 1957 or was 1957 the year it was refurbished?

Picked it up at Crappy Tire. All numbers are matching.

 

[bobdbldr]

I just picked up a new to me SKS. It has no stamps on the receiver cover. I can tell it is a Tula by the tiny stamped star and the 4 digit serial number followed by a backwards "N". The backwards "N" is really a Russian "I" according to my quick google check. This indicates I have a letter series SKS manufactured in 1957. Now 1957 seems kinda late as I have read SKS manufacturing was stopped at the Tula plant in 1955. So my question is, is this sks manufactured in 1957 or was 1957 the year it was refurbished?

Picked it up at Crappy Tire. All numbers are matching.

The popular thoughts these days is that the 56,57 and 58 were assembled from remaining parts, who knows maybe Russia didn't give all their mills away to china in 56. These years can have birch or laminate stock non refurb. Fun and relatively cheap to collect!

 

[ljones]

The thought on this is the fact that the Makarov pistols had similar D, I, K markings corresponding to confirmed 56, 57, 58 dating of production for those pistols. It is a best guess speculation that the same applies to the Russian SKS production. 56 was the year that the Russians gave their tooling for SKS production to China. It has been speculated that production continued possibly at other arsenals other than Tula during those years from the left over parts that had already been produced. So it is a matter of what theory you subscribe to. But nothing has been officially confirmed.

 

[05RAV]

I just picked up a new to me SKS. It has no stamps on the receiver cover. I can tell it is a Tula by the tiny stamped star and the 4 digit serial number followed by a backwards "N". The backwards "N" is really a Russian "I" according to my quick google check. This indicates I have a letter series SKS manufactured in 1957. Now 1957 seems kinda late as I have read SKS manufacturing was stopped at the Tula plant in 1955. So my question is, is this sks manufactured in 1957 or was 1957 the year it was refurbished? Picked it up at Crappy Tire. All numbers are matching.

I have exactly the same "letter series" "И" (an English “I”) laminated SKS that according to experts was manufactured in 1957 (see pic). Mine doesn't even have a stamped star and has no markings on the dust cover. Furthermore, there is no arsenal marking of any kind that would indicate where it was refurbished. I purchased it from Westrifle nearly a year ago as a "refurbished" SKS. The SN is all matching.
I'm inclined to believe that those SKS's were, indeed, assembled from remaining parts as bobdbldr says. However, I don't quite understand when exactly they were refurbished. The barrel bore on my SKS was absolutely immaculate when I purchased it. It's obviously chrome lined. Bluing is also nearly perfect. It looks to me that the barrel is brand new, replaced at the refurbishing stage. A few other parts also look new. In general, it is a very good shooter.

I bought the laminate one primarily for shooting but then I had a second thought and decided to keep it for a while as a sort of a collector item. Therefore, two weeks ago I bought a typical 2014 MOLOT refurbished SKS, barbeque paint, just for shooting for $224. It’s not all matching but looks not so bad (see pic). Also, it shoots very well.

 

[Hightrailtracker]

very nice , keep them apart at night or you will end up finding more SKS's in the house .............