Russian SKS Tula Serial Number Question. Found a 1951 Tula SKS with all matching serial numbers of 'HK1'. Google was no help.(to me at least). _____ 'I learned in. The rifle in that auction was a arsenal refinish rifle. Which had a renumbered stock. Probably not really a good deal at that price.

The Chinese did a good job of keeping their secrets in regard to production numbers, arsenal numbers and year of actual production. I too believe that Chinese SKS rifles were made for military spec regardlress of time or date or place of production. They did make production and cost expedient changes over time and resorted to more stamped components and pinned barrels and even a stamped receiver. Mamy of the early para type rifles were fashoined from older production rifles. Some were ex Sino-soviet rifles. There were also late production para rifles as well. Dating a Chinese rifle is somewhat problematic although the 56 plus first digit or two of serial does seem to work for the most part.

More definitive dating is by features eg., long barrel shoulder, screw vs pin barrel, milled vs stamped trigger guard, bolt lightening cuts etc. Some may have mixed parts to further confuse the issue. This inability to lock down a date along with possible political issues may have contributed to the Chinese SKS not being declared a Curio & Relic unlike other SKS rifles from other countries. The Chinese did a good job of keeping their secrets in regard to production numbers, arsenal numbers and year of actual production. I too believe that Chinese SKS rifles were made for military spec regardlress of time or date or place of production.

They did make production and cost expedient changes over time and resorted to more stamped components and pinned barrels and even a stamped receiver. Mamy of the early para type rifles were fashoined from older production rifles. Some were ex Sino-soviet rifles. There were also late production para rifles as well. Dating a Chinese rifle is somewhat problematic although the 56 plus first digit or two of serial does seem to work for the most part. More definitive dating is by features eg., long barrel shoulder, screw vs pin barrel, milled vs stamped trigger guard, bolt lightening cuts etc. Some may have mixed parts to further confuse the issue. Painter adobe crack.

This inability to lock down a date along with possible political issues may have contributed to the Chinese SKS not being declared a Curio & Relic unlike other SKS rifles from other countries. That seems to be the consensus in the collectors world. But most if not all of the pinned barrel ones are commercial, they did that to speed up production. I have an SKS with a Triangle 416 factory code. From the serial number, it was made in 1974. The barrel is pinned, spike bayonet (not riveted), milled trigger group (serial numbered), and a dark stock (serial numbered).

A date of 1974 would seem 'pre-commercial'. That is sometimes the unreliability of the serial# dating system. It does not always apply when rifle features are taken into account. Some feel that only arsenal 26 rifles followed this dating system and others arsenal serial numbers are not in the same format. It may never be known. Again, I believe that the vast majority of SKS rifles were built to military spec.

Some early and some late and whether they were sold to the USA or Pakistan or whomever I do not think the Chinese cared. Not so sure on the M or D type models.

Obviuosly by then the stocks and neutered bayo lug were export (read USA) inspired. Bbut then again these could have been an attempt to update the design but were not really viable to military sources as the cost of production and the AK rifle were already in abundance. Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:42 am Post subject: Re: stamped reciever SKS Mr. Krink wrote: Would this help?

1963 Stamped Receiver Chinese SKS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks! Do you own it? How did you arrive at the date? While this one does show handling marks, it looks mostly unused to me. Wonder if any saw actual use, or were they experimental, only a few made?

Doesn't look to me that it would have saved much time in manufacture, but I know next to nothing about machine work. WOW Thanks again!!

Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:42 am Post subject: Re: stamped reciever SKS Mr. Krink wrote: Would this help? 1963 Stamped Receiver Chinese SKS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks! Do you own it?

How did you arrive at the date? While this one does show handling marks, it looks mostly unused to me.

Wonder if any saw actual use, or were they experimental, only a few made? Doesn't look to me that it would have saved much time in manufacture, but I know next to nothing about machine work.

WOW Thanks again!! Yes it is mine, kinda like my Holy Grail until I can find a Korean, Viet, or E. Serial number is 7002xxx.7(1956+7=1963; serial# 002xxx) The stock is non-matching to the serial on the gun BUT, the stock is unique to stamped guns so it just got switched from another stamped gun. A regular SKS stock for a milled gun will not work on it. It has to have special cuts to fit the uniqueness of the stamped receiver. It has a few nick and dings on the wood but the bluing is 99% or better.