Is this correct? I've read several differing accounts but from what I understand.
1) Sino-Soviet guns had a Tula marking and a low serial number (No factory stamping)
2) 1956- Early 1957 (Ghost Guns) Were seen as the first true Chinese SKS. Serial Numbers up to the early 200,000's but no factory stamping.
3) 1957 The Arsenal 26 marking begins to appear.
4) 1959-1960???? The letter guns appear prefixed with Latin letters.
This is the part where people seem to disagree......Some think that these are a variant of the Sino Soviet's and some think that they are just a new numbering system.
http://chinesesks.weebly.com/dating-the-chinese-sks.html
http://chinesesks.weebly.com/26-progression.html
• Early to mid 1956: Soviet Sino Guns, S/N 0001 to ~2000.
• 1956 – to at latest, April 1957: Ghost Guns, S/N ~2000 to ~213,700.
• Early 1957: six digit /26\ marked guns, S/N ~213,700 to at least 348,996.
• Late 1957: 2 million /26\ marked guns, S/N ~2,350,000 to at least 2,422,810. There may be an overlap between the six-digit /26\ and these.
• 1958: 3 million /26\ marked guns, S/N ~3,000,001 to at least 3,234,000. First observation of the stock side sling swivel.
• 1959: Letter Prefix /26\ marked guns, S/N prefixes A to ~K, no L yet found. First observation of large (1/4” tall x ~1/4” wide) font.
• 1960?: Letter Prefix /26\ marked guns, S/N prefixes ~M to Y, no Q or Z yet found. These guns could theoretically be lumped with the 1959 letters, and 1960 could have been a very light Type 56 year. There is really no hard evidence pointing one way or the other, though I would lean towards major disruptions in Chinese Type 56 production as the Sino-Soviet split was entering full swing and China could no longer rely on easily getting barreled receivers supplied from the USSR. This also can give additional meaning to the Chinese ideograph markings seen on the 1961 built carbines as they were now fully Chinese built.
• 1961: 6 million /26\ marked guns, S/N ~6,000,001 to at least 6,015,612. First observation of the五六式 stamp.
1) Sino-Soviet guns had a Tula marking and a low serial number (No factory stamping)
2) 1956- Early 1957 (Ghost Guns) Were seen as the first true Chinese SKS. Serial Numbers up to the early 200,000's but no factory stamping.
3) 1957 The Arsenal 26 marking begins to appear.
4) 1959-1960???? The letter guns appear prefixed with Latin letters.
This is the part where people seem to disagree......Some think that these are a variant of the Sino Soviet's and some think that they are just a new numbering system.
http://chinesesks.weebly.com/dating-the-chinese-sks.html
http://chinesesks.weebly.com/26-progression.html
• Early to mid 1956: Soviet Sino Guns, S/N 0001 to ~2000.
• 1956 – to at latest, April 1957: Ghost Guns, S/N ~2000 to ~213,700.
• Early 1957: six digit /26\ marked guns, S/N ~213,700 to at least 348,996.
• Late 1957: 2 million /26\ marked guns, S/N ~2,350,000 to at least 2,422,810. There may be an overlap between the six-digit /26\ and these.
• 1958: 3 million /26\ marked guns, S/N ~3,000,001 to at least 3,234,000. First observation of the stock side sling swivel.
• 1959: Letter Prefix /26\ marked guns, S/N prefixes A to ~K, no L yet found. First observation of large (1/4” tall x ~1/4” wide) font.
• 1960?: Letter Prefix /26\ marked guns, S/N prefixes ~M to Y, no Q or Z yet found. These guns could theoretically be lumped with the 1959 letters, and 1960 could have been a very light Type 56 year. There is really no hard evidence pointing one way or the other, though I would lean towards major disruptions in Chinese Type 56 production as the Sino-Soviet split was entering full swing and China could no longer rely on easily getting barreled receivers supplied from the USSR. This also can give additional meaning to the Chinese ideograph markings seen on the 1961 built carbines as they were now fully Chinese built.
• 1961: 6 million /26\ marked guns, S/N ~6,000,001 to at least 6,015,612. First observation of the五六式 stamp.
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