how did you come up with the year being 1975?
Posted on 02/23/2017 6:36:32 PM PST by Celtic Conservative
Ladies and gents, i think I've lucked out. Every year at this time when my tax return comes in I treat myself to a new firearm. Last year it was a snubby revolver. This year I found myself a Chinese SKS in pristine condition. The bore is spotless. The stock is clear and unmarked, the weapon functions flawlessly. I did some net research and it seems to have been made for the Chinese PLA, circa 1975. Just a really nice piece. But then I noticed something. With every other com-bloc weapon I've ever bought the importer has either laser etched or roll stamped the company info on the weapon. This one has no import markings anywhere. NONE. And I took it apart for cleaning and inspection and I still couldn't find any. Is it possile this is a bringback? It seems too nice for that but the lack of any import markings makes me wonder. I'll continue to research it but at this point it's a bit of a mystery.
Pre-89 import?
Possible. Markings indicate a manufacture of ‘75 and certain particulars indicate manufacture for military issue. Pre ‘89 imports weren’t required to mark their weapons?
CC
PICTURES!
WE WANT PICTURES!
;-)
I’d say you lucked into one that got left in a corner, unfound for a while, maybe. I got a used one in 1986 from the era as yours with Chinese marks. Went bang every time. Ammo for it was cheaper back then, though...
Parade weapon ?
During Vietnam, semiautos of foreign manufacture could be tagged and carried home and the SKS was a popular find. We used to find caches of crates ofweapons along river banks and sometimes under houses and they would usually be in factory-new condition and full of cosmoline. We made great money by cleaning them puppies up in half barrels of gasoline and then carrying one at a time conspicuously in Danang until a sailor or an airman offered a kingly sum to take it off your hands.
Then we'd go back to our truck and get another to carry around.
Weapons picked up in combat were usually in rugged shape. The VC almost always removed the bayonet (they rattled) and the stocks were dinged and scarred and rust usually covered all exposed parts. Interestingly, some of the Chinese SKSs were unmarked with any Chinese lettering but used English and Russian lettering to disguise their origin and the had "No. 21" marked on the side of the receiver as their designation.
To show what a prized souvenir they were, I had one I had captured on me when a helicopter crash-landed in our artillery position. The crew exited the plane as it burned and as they did, the enemy force that shot them down attacked our position - in broad daylight! We were firing back at them vigorously and while I was fully involved, one of the helicopter crewmen came up to me and asked if he could buy my SKS!
I told him to "wait until the fight's over..!"
I’d love to, but I’m posting from a 3rd generation kindle keyboard. Maybe tomorrow when I can get the fire to a wifi source.
CC
I’ll be waiting right here.
;-)
That’s a hell of a time to be haggling! Thanks for the comments, and your service.
CC
Could be, it sounds all spiffy! Wonder if it has a blade or a spike bayonet? They took them off the later imports, I read. Bastards! Mine was a spike, probably a VN bringback, beat up but still battleworthy.
Spike bayonet. Pinned, not riveted. All numbers match, no grind-offs. Stock numbers match as well. I’m thinking this was unissued before it came over here. I’ve seen the ones that are coming back from China as surplus. They are rode hard and put away wet.
CC
how did you come up with the year being 1975?
Net research. From an enthusiast web board. The serial # falls in the 20 million range. That plus the arsenal stamp ( characters in a triangle ) equals manufacture of 1975 according to a chart put up there.
CC
arsenal 26? mine was built in 1963
this is the absolute best site i have found for S/N research
http://chinesesks.weebly.com/dating-the-chinese-sks.html
What’s a tax refund?
Many of the Argentine Mausers with ground-off crests were sent as material aid to various rebel groups in neighboring countries, who the Argentines didn't want to be directly linked to supporting, hence the removal of the crest.
Arsenal 636. From what I’ve read 636 is one of the preferred arsenals ( after 26 ). And that is the exact same website i used to date mine.Still shaking my head over the complete lack of import marks. It’s essentially the same as it came out of the factory. Weird.
CC
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