SKS-FILES FORUM

SKS Carbines => Unaltered SKS Rifles => Chinese SKS (Military) => Topic started by: Boris Badinov on October 24, 2021, 08:17:31 AM

Title: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Boris Badinov on October 24, 2021, 08:17:31 AM
Are these 17th year guns, or 1991 commercially repurposed pieces? (Note: these are barreled actions only, AFAIK)

Anyone have a factory 666 carbine with the same three digit prefix?




(https://i.ibb.co/481MkB0/Screenshot-20211024-053718-Chrome.jpg) (https://ibb.co/QPDn0sx)



(https://i.ibb.co/tsjqLch/Screenshot-20211024-053650-Chrome.jpg) (https://ibb.co/LtjxN6P)

Title: Re: Year of Maifacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Greasemonkey on October 24, 2021, 10:16:20 AM
I can't see the post at the site you posted..... but do I have /666  :)  I'd guess not a 1991..

https://clone.sks-files.com/index.php?topic=4697.msg52626#msg52626
Title: Re: Year of Maifacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Boris Badinov on October 24, 2021, 10:42:07 AM
Oops. Forgot the photos.

Editing op now.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Year of Maifacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Boris Badinov on October 24, 2021, 10:47:15 AM
It's definitely an odd serial formula for 666.

I was thinking it might be a month/year prefix formula similar to  9 - 17 (i.e. September, 1972)
Title: Re: Year of Maifacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Greatguns on October 24, 2021, 11:19:49 AM
To my, not so good eyes, it appears the font on the Chinese characters is different on GM' receiver than on Sabinerat's. Most noticeable in the last character.
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Boris Badinov on October 24, 2021, 11:39:26 AM
666 was also a low output facility-- fewer t h an 10,000 rifles per year.

The serail data page is very limited for /666\. However, if 917 is the date prefix, 21k -24k rifles is around five times the known annual production for /666\.

Could "91 72" be a four digit dating prefix?. If so the implied production totals wouls be right in line with what we know of /666\ capacity.
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Greasemonkey on October 24, 2021, 11:54:46 AM
My gut says... It's a 17year, the 9 was added after the fact, like suffixes and prefixs China was known to use.  Be interesting to see what RM comes up with. I say the 9 was added, simply because that factory had such low output. I doubt it was producing in 1991. Another thing is, if it is a 1991, where was it stored, a swamp, bottom of a barn, or ??? It's looking alot more like 50, than it is 30 years old.

And if there is that high of production, why are there still... so few.. they are few and far between..

Like I said... Be interesting to see what mythical photos RM digs up out of his bits and bytes of info..
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: running-man on October 25, 2021, 11:04:38 AM
I'd tend to agree with GM.  1724382 & 1721704 on both of those with the 9 added sometime before import is what my vote would be.

There is unfortunately very little information on this arsenal and few examples are documented.  We don't even have any year 17 examples for them, so we have to go off what we do know.

There is a year 15 gun from this arsenal that is 151666X serial number:
(https://i.ibb.co/NnnT31s/151666x-receiver.jpg) (https://ibb.co/2YYZ68y)
While I can't really make out the last number, it's clear that this gun is after #16,660 in this series.  Year 17, two years down the road could easily have had an additional 8k guns made, so the 24k guns isn't out of the realm of possibility even though many other years appear to have been very low production.

One of the reasons I think the 9 was added later is the spacing between the 五六式 and the S/N.  Look at these examples and then look at the OP photos:
(https://i.ibb.co/SQrBq41/1201340-receiver.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/fx387wH/1203133-receiver.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/1KvBrsj/1401084-receiver.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/2Kq15XB/1402110-receiver.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/X3dVgMq/21001458-receiver.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/vZ5YmVC/23000202-receiver.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/NtfBf9D/24019775-receiver2.jpg)

There is a good even spacing there even though the year 20+ guns that spacing decreases a bit.  The OP photos look squished together badly, remove the 9 and they would look the same as those above.
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Boris Badinov on October 27, 2021, 11:24:44 AM
Thanks for the photo lineup, rm.

I dug around a bit, and found a 25th year 666, too. It had a '0' stamped between the characters and serial.

Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: running-man on October 27, 2021, 12:12:54 PM
Oh yeah? Would love to see it.  I really hadn't paid attention to how few examples we actually have of this arsenal even though the year codes span 12+ years!
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Boris Badinov on October 27, 2021, 01:05:10 PM
Quote from: running-man on October 27, 2021, 12:12:54 PM
Oh yeah? Would love to see it.  I really hadn't paid attention to how few examples we actually have of this arsenal even though the year codes span 12+ years!
here ya go!

Scroll down on the page for the photos:


https://www.gunauction.com/buy/14503430
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: running-man on October 28, 2021, 10:32:47 AM
Thanks!

That was a beautiful gun.  $350 in '17 was probably on the high end, but man is that a steal today.

That gun has a leading digit (0) in the S/N too, just like the leading 9's in your OP.  There's certainly a pattern there.  thumb1
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Greasemonkey on October 28, 2021, 11:11:25 AM
One thing I have noticed.. the one I have seems to have a bunch of use and wear consistent with field use after looking at most of the other /666 rifles. It does display a few of the characteristics of the IC variant.. I guess it's plausible..  think1


Quote from: running-man on October 28, 2021, 10:32:47 AM

That gun has a leading digit (0) in the S/N too, just like the leading 9's in your OP.  There's certainly a pattern there.  thumb1

So, on top of using letter prefix and suffix on the serials... they used numbers as well..  there never was a definitive reason brought to the table for the letter prefix/suffix... there were so many variables, no one thing or trend truly stood out.
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: running-man on October 28, 2021, 03:09:55 PM
Didn't the /666\ Worm had (is that the one you wound up with?) have a super early CAI ST A VT import stamp?  I remember that Mitch was certain that gun was an IC based on his research but it was so different in arsenal and S/N from the typical year 8 and 12 /26\ guns with laminate stocks and dual bayo slots commonly considered IC guns that the idea never gained much traction in the community and he never pushed it all that hard.    dntknw1
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Greasemonkey on October 28, 2021, 06:10:21 PM
It is the one Mitch had..
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers here is another one
Post by: sabinerat on December 04, 2021, 09:18:58 PM

(https://i.ibb.co/Vq1T8Mc/EA2-A8353-9343-4-E68-B234-08847921-A701.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CHcQFV3)

(https://i.ibb.co/NK9xk9K/A5-EF917-F-768-C-4556-A395-5-DDF27-BCF126.jpg) (https://ibb.co/M7cnjc7)

(https://i.ibb.co/5GQcFJS/94-E1-E63-D-037-F-47-E3-A9-B5-313-C910-D531-D.jpg) (https://ibb.co/DzBKpjv)
At
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: sabinerat on December 04, 2021, 09:21:21 PM
The guy I bought these from said he bought these around 1991
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Greatguns on December 04, 2021, 09:35:10 PM
Quote from: sabinerat on December 04, 2021, 09:21:21 PM
The guy I bought these from said he bought these around 1991

Hey Sabinerat, welcome aboard. Good to see you here, and yes I'm the same Greatguns as over on the AK-Files. :)
FYI, that last barreled receiver you just posted up is also a 1957(mid year)
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: sabinerat on December 05, 2021, 12:53:43 PM
yea thought I was putting up a pic of a 666 from my phone here is the 666

(https://i.ibb.co/fH5RHqz/image.png) (https://imgbb.com/)
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: sabinerat on January 06, 2022, 09:43:22 PM
would this be a ghost sks GB 920416293
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Boris Badinov on January 06, 2022, 09:52:24 PM
Quote from: sabinerat on January 06, 2022, 09:43:22 PM
would this be a ghost sks GB 920416293

No. That would be a 1992 commercially repurposed  carbine.

Possibly a scrub and restamp, or newly assembled rifle made up of leftover, OEM parts

Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Worm on January 25, 2022, 11:41:52 AM
Quote from: running-man on October 28, 2021, 03:09:55 PM
Didn't the /666\ Worm had (is that the one you wound up with?) have a super early CAI ST A VT import stamp?  I remember that Mitch was certain that gun was an IC based on his research but it was so different in arsenal and S/N from the typical year 8 and 12 /26\ guns with laminate stocks and dual bayo slots commonly considered IC guns that the idea never gained much traction in the community and he never pushed it all that hard.    dntknw1

I’m pretty darn sure that /666\ I sold GM was an IC. That import mark doesn’t show itself often & the wear n’ tear + the red replacement stock give me them IC vibes. That gun is one of the coolest SKSs I’ve touched. Awesome patina & deep /666\ strike. GM, if you ever sell, I want her back. Haha
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: running-man on January 25, 2022, 12:45:38 PM
Hey Mitch, long time no see!  :P  Do you still have any SKSs left?

Asking if GM is going to sell a gun is pretty close to blasphemy I think.  You'd better beg for forgiveness and maybe buy something he suggests as a small token of appeasing him.  Otherwise he's liable to go into full enabler mode and we simply can't have that around here these days!  chuckles1
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Worm on January 25, 2022, 01:42:00 PM
Quote from: running-man on January 25, 2022, 12:45:38 PM
Hey Mitch, long time no see!  :P  Do you still have any SKSs left?

Asking if GM is going to sell a gun is pretty close to blasphemy I think.  You'd better beg for forgiveness and maybe buy something he suggests as a small token of appeasing him.  Otherwise he's liable to go into full enabler mode and we simply can't have that around here these days!  chuckles1

Haha yeah, I’ll never see that gun again  :P

Nope! No SKSs left unfortunately. Moved back over to AK’s. I’m sure the bug will bite me again in no time. Hope all is well RM!
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Bob_The_Student on January 25, 2022, 02:27:06 PM
Quote from: Worm on January 25, 2022, 11:41:52 AM
Quote from: running-man on October 28, 2021, 03:09:55 PM
Didn't the /666\ Worm had (is that the one you wound up with?) have a super early CAI ST A VT import stamp?  I remember that Mitch was certain that gun was an IC based on his research but it was so different in arsenal and S/N from the typical year 8 and 12 /26\ guns with laminate stocks and dual bayo slots commonly considered IC guns that the idea never gained much traction in the community and he never pushed it all that hard.    dntknw1

I’m pretty darn sure that /666\ I sold GM was an IC. That import mark doesn’t show itself often & the wear n’ tear + the red replacement stock give me them IC vibes. That gun is one of the coolest SKSs I’ve touched. Awesome patina & deep /666\ strike. GM, if you ever sell, I want her back. Haha

I was in love with that SKS. I would've bought that thing a split second. I drooled everytime I saw your account photo.
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Greasemonkey on January 30, 2022, 01:20:11 AM
Work outta town and get outta touch with reality for a few weeks, Mitch shows up and ya'll loose your fricken minds..  rofl  start talking about GM selling.. :o  heck is wrong with ya'll, did ya slip on ice and hit your heads.. brain freeze..  rofl2

Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Worm on January 30, 2022, 09:16:22 AM
Quote from: Bob_The_Student on January 25, 2022, 02:27:06 PM
Quote from: Worm on January 25, 2022, 11:41:52 AM
Quote from: running-man on October 28, 2021, 03:09:55 PM
Didn't the /666\ Worm had (is that the one you wound up with?) have a super early CAI ST A VT import stamp?  I remember that Mitch was certain that gun was an IC based on his research but it was so different in arsenal and S/N from the typical year 8 and 12 /26\ guns with laminate stocks and dual bayo slots commonly considered IC guns that the idea never gained much traction in the community and he never pushed it all that hard.    dntknw1

I’m pretty darn sure that /666\ I sold GM was an IC. That import mark doesn’t show itself often & the wear n’ tear + the red replacement stock give me them IC vibes. That gun is one of the coolest SKSs I’ve touched. Awesome patina & deep /666\ strike. GM, if you ever sell, I want her back. Haha

I was in love with that SKS. I would've bought that thing a split second. I drooled everytime I saw your account photo.

Sorry brother. I’m sure GM will sell it to you if you ask politely  :))
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Worm on January 30, 2022, 09:16:51 AM
Quote from: Greasemonkey on January 30, 2022, 01:20:11 AM
Work outta town and get outta touch with reality for a few weeks, Mitch shows up and ya'll loose your fricken minds..  rofl  start talking about GM selling.. :o  heck is wrong with ya'll, did ya slip on ice and hit your heads.. brain freeze..  rofl2

How you been bud?!  :)
Title: Re: Year of Manufacture? 0dd /666\ serial numbers
Post by: Bob_The_Student on January 30, 2022, 07:39:20 PM
Quote from: Worm on January 30, 2022, 09:16:22 AM
Quote from: Bob_The_Student on January 25, 2022, 02:27:06 PM
Quote from: Worm on January 25, 2022, 11:41:52 AM
Quote from: running-man on October 28, 2021, 03:09:55 PM
Didn't the /666\ Worm had (is that the one you wound up with?) have a super early CAI ST A VT import stamp?  I remember that Mitch was certain that gun was an IC based on his research but it was so different in arsenal and S/N from the typical year 8 and 12 /26\ guns with laminate stocks and dual bayo slots commonly considered IC guns that the idea never gained much traction in the community and he never pushed it all that hard.    dntknw1

I’m pretty darn sure that /666\ I sold GM was an IC. That import mark doesn’t show itself often & the wear n’ tear + the red replacement stock give me them IC vibes. That gun is one of the coolest SKSs I’ve touched. Awesome patina & deep /666\ strike. GM, if you ever sell, I want her back. Haha

I was in love with that SKS. I would've bought that thing a split second. I drooled everytime I saw your account photo.

Sorry brother. I’m sure GM will sell it to you if you ask politely  :))

The rumor is that GM sells guns like RM collects Mosins.  nea1