Everyone says matching serial numbers is what to look for when buying an sks. What do you mean by that exactly? Do you mean, all the stamped components are matching? I notice on some parts there is a lightly scribed serial number also... is it important that these match the stamped parts as well?
What do you mean "matching serial numbers" on an sks?
- Thread starter cdncowboy
- Start date
What if some components are missing a s/n? As an example, I have an sks that does not have a s/n on the stock. It appears to be original without any refinishing. Also, I have seen some gas tube's without any scribed s/n... and some internal parts without any scribed s/n... Are the ones that seem to be missing a s/n in places where some have them (not stamped parts), are these sks's to avoid from a collector's perspective?
- Location
- East of Home, West of the Rest
If they are missing serial numbers where serial numbers should be, it isn't all matching.
Chinese didn't force match parts. If you have a Chinese SKS with no serial number on the stock, it is probably a refurb. They didn't mark refurbs.
Chinese didn't force match parts. If you have a Chinese SKS with no serial number on the stock, it is probably a refurb. They didn't mark refurbs.
- Location
- East of Home, West of the Rest
Check the sticky thread above in this forum regarding the Russian SKS. Lots of details there.
Truly "all matching" rifles are hard to find. Generally to be all matching they need to be found as un-issued. Even the butt-plate should have an electro-pencil serial number and the gas system. This electro-penciling is original. There are many matching rifles, but the butt plates have been refinished (light re-furb) or the stamped parts are all matching but the metal has been refinished so the electro-penciling on the gas system is missing. All the parts on the above two variations are probably original to the rifle, just they went through a refurb (light to moderate) so they are missing some truly "all matching" serial numbered parts. Sometimes the butt plates were re-finished simply due to some minimal wear on the butt plate in an arsenal rack, so the minimal refurb may just be some dabs of paint on the butt plate.
The other place people don't check is the bolt/breech block, when you take it apart, many rifles have mm firing pins etc, but because the cocking handle is matched to the rest of the rifle many people never check the smaller components to see if they are matching.
More heavy refurbs usually have the tell tale signs of the refurb stamp on the stock or top cover.
The other links will help too.
The other place people don't check is the bolt/breech block, when you take it apart, many rifles have mm firing pins etc, but because the cocking handle is matched to the rest of the rifle many people never check the smaller components to see if they are matching.
More heavy refurbs usually have the tell tale signs of the refurb stamp on the stock or top cover.
The other links will help too.
- Location
- East of Home, West of the Rest
That one has extra markings outside the normal serial number standard for Russian markings. It is an oddity in itself as it has excessive dating. Standard practice was to not add the serial number to the butt plate.
Okay, after taking my collection out of the crate and examining rifles built from 1949-1955/56 with 1953 & 1954 Izzy SKS's examples as well. All rifles are un-refurb'd except for for my 2x 1949 rifles and 1x 1953 Izzy. Despite being unrefurb'd, some rifles have small paint dabs on high point wear on butt plates due to storage wear. It appears as if Tula started serial numbering their butt plates with electro penciling in 1954 and that this was not an anomaly. The only rifles I have 1954-Post that don't have electro penciling on the butt plate were minor refurbs where the whole rifle and wood matches but they decided to paint or re-finished the entire butt-plate (Still all matching rifles, but these examples without the electropenciling went through a greater refurb process and are 'less' original as they are technically not all number matching for those years/make).
