1952 Russian sks

[brsmith724]

Hello I'm new to this site i was referred by a person who goes by the name goofy anyways i was wanting to know some of the history of my 1952 Russian sks i took some pics of the stamps i was told may help figure out some of its history

[goofy]

Hi brsmith724 Welcome to TFF!!!
Some one will be along to answer your questions.
This is a friend of mine So to all that can answer his questions Thanks!!
He is concerned about making changes to his sks so he brought it up to the shop and I took a look at it.
It is in great cond. and he needs some history of it He has changed the stock(but has the original) and is worried about messing up the value by making changes.So I told him about TFF and all the great people and knowledge here.
As he stated this is a Russian sks in great cond.It did not look like it was used in combat it does not have the used look on the stock or metal. The bore and action is tight.He wanted to know it's value and if possible some history.I told him I think the stamp of the CDI swan VT is a import stamp but I am not sure.
This is out of my field so it is up to you all to help him.
If you need more pic. just tell him.I told him to take pic of the stamps that I thought would help but there are other ones on the gun but they looked like inspection stamps.
Thanks
Mike
brsmith put up a couple of pics. of the hole gun this could help.

[brsmith724]

Ok here it the sks with orignal stock

[brsmith724]

and here is some stamps with baking soda to show them better

[Rampant Colt]

C.D.I is the firearm importer (Classic Distributors INC)

Swanton VT 05488
(802) 868-3715

Leave it in original condition. Do all of the numbers match?



More useful information may be obtained here:
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=77478.0

[brsmith724]

yes all numbers are matching

[goofy]

Not bad;) I thought they were the import marks.Now if we can get some one who knows tell you it's value and anything about it.:) Someone here should know.
Mike
I went to the site that Rampant Colt put up and that gives allot of info.
Thanks Rampant Colt!!!:thumbsup:

[brsmith724]

yes all numbers are matching the only part that is odd is the gas tube it seems to be scratched in not stamped

[brsmith724]

Awesome thanks for the feedback now should i Leave it in original condition because of value or opinion??

[Rampant Colt]

Awesome thanks for the feedback now should i Leave it in original condition because of value or opinion??
You're welcome. Because of value. You can fit it up with an aftermarket stock from several different companies that will ensure you don't somehow damage the wood.

PS--nice rifle!!

[brsmith724]

thanks. i took off the stock and a lot of original parts and wrapped them with silica packets and replaced them with tapco parts. nothing Ive done so far cant be reversed

[brsmith724]

This is what it looks like today

[TRAP55]

The SKS was produced and/or adopted by a host of combloc countries. The Russian made originals are only surpassed in value by the rare N. Korean version.
Your rifle was re-furbished by the markings, as most were, but there are some that were "unissued". Yours looks to be in excellent shape, and would bring on average about $400+ depending on location. A clean example like yours can and will, bump up to the $600 mark on the auctions.
During the re-furb, later model parts may have been used as replacements. This website will show you how to ID each part right down to the correct cleaning kit. JMO, keep it original, a Russian SKS is not loosing any value. If you want to have a "tacticool mall ninja" shooter, get a Yugo SKS and put the Tapco stuff on it. ;)
http://www.yooperj.com/SKS.htm

[brsmith724]

Well that's not bad news thanks but I'm not into the yugo sks id rather have a paratrooper any ideas on the cost of one?

[TRAP55]

There's two types of "paratroopers" both made in China for the US market, until they were banned. The first ones are a standard SKS cut down, then came the SKSS with a short gas tube unique to that model. Either variation will run about $450.

[brsmith724]

ok do they hold their value like the russian?

[TRAP55]

Being there won't be any more imported, yes.

[jack404]

Ok sorry for taking so long

the ( in the original pics is of the Tula ( plant Number 9 ) works but no badge from tula ... and it also has a Chi Com stamp ( the box with a line through it is the chinese character for china )

how it got the chinese marks i dunno but its a chinese armoury stamp the crossed chinese sword stamp next to it is PLA

theres been a number of border classes between Soviets and china over the years

maybe it was one russia sent Via china to Cambodia and VN ? but the chinese kept , then later sold ..

lotta maybe's , but its new to me


do you have good close up pics o the top of the receiver cover ??


pic's to explain the Tula badge ( this one also has the factory rebuild markings )

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh10/Locutus-of-Borg/Tula%20SKS/SKSArsenalMarkings.jpg

look at the first character of this chinese Made SKS the character is the word for china

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/Russian_50_007.jpg


and below your pic see the china symbol ?

[TRAP55]

Jack, the box with line is the Russian refurb mark, did China use it too?

[jack404]

eeeeeeeer they had one , i'll check , back in a sec .. think its different

[jack404]

Ok two books two sources , i trust the later, he did import a huge number back in the old days


10. REFURBISH.
China did not mark their refurbs. The quality of the refurb work can vary widely, Some were done really well and others were done poorly.
Some parts were replaced with whatever was available at the time. No thought was given to whether it was the wrong production class. Nothing went to waste.

Only through observation could you tell the difference.
eg: different finish, poorly done refurb will have grinding and filing marks.

This from the gent at the old EEA

Some Chinese SKS's were refurbished, which included scrubbing the receiver and stamping new serials. Most of those would have a spike bayonet, pinned barrel and have import marks.
It has a spike bayonet, import marks and as I remember a pinned barrel.

[brsmith724]

So are you saying my gun has china parts on it?

[brsmith724]

here is more i found

[brsmith724]

and thats it i think

[miner1436]

Nice SKS, 100% Russian. These Russian imports were usually issued for a short time, and replaced very quickly by the AK47 in the mid 1950's. They were then stored in a warehouse and refurbished in the 1970's, and then imported here in the 1980's. All those small stamps you see are Russian proof stamps, added during the manufacturing/assembly process. They mean different things, many of which are unknown, some around the barrel collar are final powder tests and point of aim factory tests, but most are just inspection/ factory stamps. Yours may be a non-refurb because of the lack of a refurb stamp, and a bolt carrier "in the white", does the stock have a lot of proof marks around the cross bolt area, and is it serialed to he gun?

Also, Jack, the box with the line you refer to in the 2nd picture you posted is actually a Russian serial number prefix (ф), it has the English sound of "F" and (ю) having the sound of YU respectively which the imported stamped below if due to a requirement of importers not being allowed to have Cyrillic prefix's in the "official" recorded serial numbers upon importation, an AFT regulation.

[brsmith724]

yea all numbers are matching r0 1869 on every part except the gas tube and piston witch looks like it was scratched in

[brsmith724]

so do you think this is a referb or orignal?

[miner1436]

That electro penciled gas piston and gas tube is factory original, if the stock is serialed to the gun and there are no X'ed out numbers or faint marks from a refinish under the stock varnish then it is probably an original non refurb. A good majority of the Russian SKS's are re-furbished and there are not many original non-refurbs out there, so it's a rare find for sure if that is the case. If it were mine I would leave it in original condition because of the scarcity of these originals and the value of it. Look for proof marks on the stock and post pics of them if you can, that will tell for sure if it's original.

[brsmith724]

well orig. marking or not it looks like crap!!!! "the gas tube" Here are some pics of the stock

[miner1436]

Looks like a replacement stock, it could be they only replaced the stock on it, or maybe it's a refurb lacking marks, hard to say.

[brsmith724]

yea that's what i figured so aside from that everything seems to be original?

[TRAP55]

Also, Jack, the box with the line you refer to in the 2nd picture you posted is actually a Russian serial number prefix (ф), it has the English sound of "F" and (ю) having the sound of YU respectively which the imported stamped below if due to a requirement of importers not being allowed to have Cyrillic prefix's in the "official" recorded serial numbers upon importation, an AFT regulation.
The box with the slash, under the Tula star and above the date is what we were talking about, it has nothing to do with the serial number, it's the arsenal acceptance mark that the rifle has been refurbished, nothing more.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh10/Locutus-of-Borg/Tula%20SKS/SKSArsenalMarkings.jpg

[miner1436]

I believe he was referring to the Cyrillic character looking similar to the Chinese character for "china", and it does look very similar:
Character to the left: http://www.chinese-symbols.com/chinese-symbols/c/china.gif

[brsmith724]

true he put the pics one on top of each other showing the marks

[grcsat]

Just my two cents, If the ser. no is scratched on to the gas tube, then it is regaurded as a arsinal rebuild. Which is perfectly fine in my opinion. And still worth buyng.

As for value, they are going to be going on sale at Wholesale Sports (Canada) for about $180. in the next few weeks.

This is one of those things thats called ----locatin,location---that determines the price.

These rifles should not have any import marks stamped on them.

[brsmith724]

Ok look im not looking to sell this i just wanted some history about it and to make sure i dont ruin a collector item

[brsmith724]

in other words if there is a million out there just like mine then ill mill it to take ak47 mags

[miner1436]

It says here hand stenciled gas tubes are not evidence of a refurb:
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=77478.0

I think it might be an early refurb where only the stock was replaced, the value is probably around maybe $400-475 depending on who sees it.

[brsmith724]

ok so its not really worth keeping it orig.

[grcsat]

brsmith724

If the sks is still being imported to the US. ,then go for it. If they are not being imported, then find an old beater and go best.
Remember that it is your location that determines part of the value and not how many were made.

[brsmith724]

yea thats true even if its not worth a ton of cash its still a nice rifle and i wouldnt part with it im the second owner of it my uncle got it in the late 70's when it was packed in cosmo

[jack404]

Nice SKS, 100% Russian. These Russian imports were usually issued for a short time, and replaced very quickly by the AK47 in the mid 1950's. They were then stored in a warehouse and refurbished in the 1970's, and then imported here in the 1980's. All those small stamps you see are Russian proof stamps, added during the manufacturing/assembly process. They mean different things, many of which are unknown, some around the barrel collar are final powder tests and point of aim factory tests, but most are just inspection/ factory stamps. Yours may be a non-refurb because of the lack of a refurb stamp, and a bolt carrier "in the white", does the stock have a lot of proof marks around the cross bolt area, and is it serialed to he gun?

Also, Jack, the box with the line you refer to in the 2nd picture you posted is actually a Russian serial number prefix (ф), it has the English sound of "F" and (ю) having the sound of YU respectively which the imported stamped below if due to a requirement of importers not being allowed to have Cyrillic prefix's in the "official" recorded serial numbers upon importation, an AFT regulation.

The box with the slash, under the Tula star and above the date is what we were talking about, it has nothing to do with the serial number, it's the arsenal acceptance mark that the rifle has been refurbished, nothing more.



Miner , your spot on in the later pics i can see the triangle around it

that symbol is also the ideo gram for China ( or what ever they call the bloody things) the Cryillic has it as a character too , but only in a circle , and check the markings for PRC mausers and broomhandle mausers they had the china mark in a circle , but never a triangle as that was the soviet mark ..

Trap no i did say it looked like a china stamp it is the same character

but the later pic's show the triangle and that the soviet stamp 100%

it did not make sense so asked for more pic's , now we know , i guessed wrong ..

:)

[brsmith724]

so jack whats your take on this rifle?

[TRAP55]

Miner , your spot on in the later pics i can see the triangle around it

that symbol is also the ideo gram for China ( or what ever they call the bloody things) the Cryillic has it as a character too , but only in a circle , and check the markings for PRC mausers and broomhandle mausers they had the china mark in a circle , but never a triangle as that was the soviet mark ..

Trap no i did say it looked like a china stamp it is the same character

but the later pic's show the triangle and that the soviet stamp 100%

it did not make sense so asked for more pic's , now we know , i guessed wrong ..

:)
Jeeze, I think I'm two steps behind, the Norinco got tossed in the mix, and I was chasing my tail.:o Carry on.:)

[BD1023]

Looks like a replacement stock, it could be they only replaced the stock on it, or maybe it's a refurb lacking marks, hard to say.

Looks original to me. Appears to be an Artic Birch stock.




Yours may be a non-refurb because of the lack of a refurb stamp, and a bolt carrier "in the white", does the stock have a lot of proof marks around the cross bolt area, and is it serialed to he gun?



I agree ,I don't believe that rifle is a refurb. I also believe that rifle would start at $500.