Chinese SKS redo

[Mongo59]

I purchased this mid 1960's Chinese SKS or type 56 carbine from a fellow INGOer with the promise of a total redo w/ pics back in mid January.

Yesterday I drug it out of isolation and started the cleaning/degreasing/bluing process. I also cleaned/striped/steamed the stock.

He posted in his add that it was 'full of cosmoline' and he wasn't just a woof'n. I quite literally got two handfuls of cosmo out of this thing. All the internals are in excellent shape, the finish was mostly gone and it has characters added to the wood I wish to preserve. (Note that steam WILL take out depressions as long as the fibers remain intact but WILL NOT lift anything 'cut' into the wood.) This will be pic heavy after I get all of them posted. What you see in the first days picks represent about 4.5 hours of work.

 

[Mongo59]

 

[Mongo59]

As far as the characters go I have no clue. For all I know it is the name of his favorite pig he shot with the durn thing. If anyone can add insight it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mongo59]

 

[Mongo59]

 

[Mongo59]

Before

 

[Mongo59]

After

This shows that it was made at arsenal 26, the three characters were added starting the second year of production and the serial starting with '11' puts it after 1966. It has the short lug and two piece gas tube so it has to be later than 1966 but before 1970.

 

[Mongo59]

The whole barreled action

I am not happy with the mag cover and will add color to it sometime today. I had to service my wife's car in the middle of all this so I got tired. To all you out there that think bluing is hard and time consuming, the pics of the receiver before and after are literally 5 minutes apart from each other. (Also notice that I have a very forgiving wife to allow this mess in her kitchen.)

 

[Mongo59]

The wood after the steaming process (Interesting fact, the Chinese made the stocks out of Catalpa wood)


The steam lifts up all the loose fiber ends while lifting the depressions that can be brought out, but as you can see it doesn't do anything to the cut fibers. I plan to block sand with 400 to smooth and get rid of the fuzzies but I am not sure if I will go back natural or stain before a tung oil finish.

 

[BE Mike]

Was this a Viet Nam vet bring back?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Nice work! Looks like one of those Chinese by way of Albania rifles. I got one too awhile back and it looked about like yours with the carvings and especially with all the cosmoline. First patch I ran down the bore pushed out what looked like a really long nightcrawler of grease.

 

[Mongo59]

Was this a Viet Nam vet bring back?

No, it is import marked. I do not think the seller would have parted with a documented bring back, those are sky rocketing.

 

[Mongo59]

Nice work! Looks like one of those Chinese by way of Albania rifles. I got one too awhile back and it looked about like yours with the carvings and especially with all the cosmoline. First patch I ran down the bore pushed out what looked like a really long nightcrawler of grease.

View attachment 152311

Hey, I recognize that thing! My wife wasn't home, but I pushed those out here in her kitchen. If she knew it I might have had to eat it...

 

[stocknup]

I don`t think there is a better rifle for the money. Lots of Love for the SKS ......
One cannot own too many of them . What a fun project .

 

[stocknup]

The whole barreled action
View attachment 152305 View attachment 152303
I am not happy with the mag cover and will add color to it sometime today. I had to service my wife's car in the middle of all this so I got tired. To all you out there that think bluing is hard and time consuming, the pics of the receiver before and after are literally 5 minutes apart from each other. (Also notice that I have a very forgiving wife to allow this mess in her kitchen.)

Are the ear plugs on the table used to muffle your wife`s screams ........
I doubt my wife would be so forgiving ......

 

[Mongo59]

Are the ear plugs on the table used to muffle your wife`s screams ........
I doubt my wife would be so forgiving ......

You noticed they are handy. Never can tell when they will be necessary...

 

[Mongo59]

Nice work! Looks like one of those Chinese by way of Albania rifles. I got one too awhile back and it looked about like yours with the carvings and especially with all the cosmoline. First patch I ran down the bore pushed out what looked like a really long nightcrawler of grease.

View attachment 152311

Did you find out any history on yours? I can get all the info on manufacture and such, it would just be cool to know where they had been and what they had been doing.

 

[Mongo59]

Stock is lightly sanded and stain applied. I decided to go dark as the lighter it is the more character shows and it has plenty of character already.

The stain dries if you blow on it so I have already added the first coat of Tung oil before typing this. The stock sucked that up like a fat boy without a spoon at a dessert bar. I do not plan to make it shine just preserving. If it gets too glossy I will switch to BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil). Once done with the wood preserving I will add some blue to the metal and reassemble. I should have about 6-6.5 hours in it when done.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Did you find out any history on yours? I can get all the info on manufacture and such, it would just be cool to know where they had been and what they had been doing.

Here's my original thread on my restoration.

Beater SKS

AIM recently had "X-grade" (beater) Chinese SKS rifles for $299, so I went ahead and ordered one. I used to have a Yugo 59/66 but sold it. It was bigger and heavier than the Chinese. I liked it okay, but probably sold it to fund something else. The beater arrived Wednesday and man, was it...

www.indianagunowners.com

johntheplinker had some good posts on the history of these rifles and how they wound up in Albania from China (#28). In post #55, he interpreted a couple of the carvings in the stock.

 

[Mongo59]

Here's my original thread on my restoration.

Beater SKS

AIM recently had "X-grade" (beater) Chinese SKS rifles for $299, so I went ahead and ordered one. I used to have a Yugo 59/66 but sold it. It was bigger and heavier than the Chinese. I liked it okay, but probably sold it to fund something else. The beater arrived Wednesday and man, was it...

www.indianagunowners.com

johntheplinker had some good posts on the history of these rifles and how they wound up in Albania from China (#28). In post #55, he interpreted a couple of the carvings in the stock.

Your rifle is probably 1 or 2 years older than mine and made in the same factory.