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Russian Issue SKS?

bpost
My SKS has a star on the receiver cover, inside of the star is an arrow pointing towards the muzzle. Under the star is 1954r. I bought it several years ago and it has the bayonet with it. The left side of the barrel next to the receiver has what looks like a sycle and hammer or possibly a cresent and some sort of thing. The serial number is AN3**8. I've put about 100 rounds through it and it shoots well. Is it Russian made and what is the value of it?
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5 comments

Date Votes
  • hatchettman
    It is a Russian Tula sks made in 1954, check for value on some GB auctions, and value depends on condition, and if all serial # match.Also look and see if it is stamped CCCP on the left hand side of the receiver above the wood, if it is , it is a true russian!!
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  • Pearyw
    I would check some of the serial number lists on the Russian SKS rifles. I bought 2 KBI imported SKS rifles several years ago that were suppose to be Russian. After I checked the serial numbers, I found that they were both Chinese with Russian receiver covers. I think that they did this because the importation of Chinese rifles had been banned. I don't know what I did with my serial number list that I got from an issue of Shotgun News several years ago. It listed all the serial number ranges of all SKS rifles. As I remember, all Russian SKS rifles had all numerical serial numbers. They did not have letters in the serial numbers. I would verify that fact as I could be wrong.
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  • bobinwis
    Good evening,

    The date info mentioned by Pearyw came from the 3rd January issue of Shotgun News in 1998. It was excerpted from Kehaya and Poyer's book on 'The SKS Carbine' by North Cape Publications, reached online via(www.northcapepubs.com). It is a very interesting book. Serial numbers on Russian, Chinese, and Korean firearms are wrapped in secrecy of their military archives and not easily obtained. This book contains the Cyrillic alphabet and examples of how it was used. They also have a book on the AK-47.

    The Soviet system is a common European system starting over each year and limiting the number to 4 or 5 digits maximum. It was prefixed with a letter or two from the Russian Cyrillic alphabet. The letter was converted to its sequence in the alphabet to get the prefix to format the full number. Unfortunately, our keyboards don't print Cyrillic although at times it may look like it.

    Is it possible that the number in your posting may be the importer's assigned number? Check the right side of the barrel just behind the front sight for the importers name/addr. in very fine print. The arsenal's serial number could be on the rear of the receiver cover, magazine floorplate, left side of receiver, bottom of trigger guard, top of bolt, maybe electric pencilled on the butt plate, and on the left side of the stock. Original bolts will be black, not shiny (done by importers). If the serial number on the stock has been xxxxxx'd out and restruck with the number on the receiver, etc, it has probably been reworked by the arsenal. There should be a matching box with a diagonal line through it corner to corner on the right side of the stock. It's about 1/2" square and is the factory 'rework' stamp. If it was overhauled, the stock may have been sanded and some markings erased. Other stamps on the barrel, side of receiver, bolt, etc. are possibly various inspector marks.

    Hope this sheds some light on what you have.

    Happy Holidays, Bob
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  • bpost
    Thanks All,
    All the serial match in every location except on the bayonet, the bolt is black. The stock does indeed have sanded over dates of 1952 and 1953. My serial # is imprinted on the stock. The importers name behind the front sight is illegible but the next line says "7.62X39 SKS Russia". In any event, it sure seems to be made during the depths of the cold war in a country one of our finest presidents called the "evil empire", that empire no longer exists.
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  • bobinwis
    It is possible that the importer was CAI, Inc, St. Albans Vt which was or is Century Arms and, I believe, they now are at a different location. I have one of their SKS's and you need magnification to read it. Sounds like all the parts have common numbers but the stock may have been replaced. That's pretty good, overhauls were done at the arsenal. If you like the SKS and see one where everything matches up, grab it. They are hard to find. The ones made at the TULA arsenal (the logo on yours) were very well made. On an original stock, the arsenal mark is also stamped onto it.

    Happy Holidays, Bob
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