I had some time this afternoon to make some observations on the Chinese, Egyptian Contract SKS. These were thought to be contracted by Egypt from China's Jianshe Arsenal in the mid to late 1960's. The ones that were issued in Egypt where identified by white painted characters on the right side buttstock, according Yooper John (http://www.yooperj.com/, click "SKS", scroll to p.11).
Mine is a twelve million serial range '68, factory /26\, and does not appear to have been issued. It is import stamped from CAI.
After some extensive searching on SKS Boards and Gunboards, members have referenced that those being built in 1965 have a blade bayonet, and in 1968 and 1969 with the spike bayo. The '65 versions have bolts in the white, and the later versions have blued bolts. They all have double-crossbolt laminated stocks with the later versions sporting bayonet cuts for both a blade and a spike. Some have laminated handguards and others don't. My handguard is the Chinese chu wood.*
* Since this post, others on Gunboards have confirmed that both original Chinese and Russian refurb hardwood stocks were also used.
My laminated stock is obviously of Russian origin. As you can see, it initially had a cleanly cut blade bayonet inlet, and then was roughly cut for the spike bayonet. I also compared it directly to my two other Russian laminated stocks, and found all three to have 46 plies - alternating dark and light colored wood.
bayo cut
trigger recess
wrist, Egyptian on left
horizontal laminate plugs on forearm underside, Egyptian on left
refurb stamp on both, Egyptian on bottom
BBQ refurb paint on buttplates, Egyptian on left
I have no doubt that my stock was purchased from Russia to complete the gun for the contract specs. I don't have a 1965 Egyptian Contract stock with the blade bayo version to compare, but I would invite some input, pictures, analysis and comparison to Chinese laminated stocks on this subject if possible.
After the stock comparisons, this is where the similarities to the Russians ends. My gun is obviously a short barrel collar Chinese with blued bolt, unlike the black painted bolts of the Russian refurbs.
Egyptian on left
And it is one very fine looking gun!
Any and all discussion on this topic is welcome. There really aren't a lot of details known on this particular configuration of the SKS. My surfing revealed maybe a dozen or so other known specimens from members of both forums that I searched. But I'm sure there is much more to learn. **
**A serial number range is being developed for the '68 production and it appears thus far that at least 21,000 were produced .
Thanks for looking.
Mine is a twelve million serial range '68, factory /26\, and does not appear to have been issued. It is import stamped from CAI.
After some extensive searching on SKS Boards and Gunboards, members have referenced that those being built in 1965 have a blade bayonet, and in 1968 and 1969 with the spike bayo. The '65 versions have bolts in the white, and the later versions have blued bolts. They all have double-crossbolt laminated stocks with the later versions sporting bayonet cuts for both a blade and a spike. Some have laminated handguards and others don't. My handguard is the Chinese chu wood.*
* Since this post, others on Gunboards have confirmed that both original Chinese and Russian refurb hardwood stocks were also used.
My laminated stock is obviously of Russian origin. As you can see, it initially had a cleanly cut blade bayonet inlet, and then was roughly cut for the spike bayonet. I also compared it directly to my two other Russian laminated stocks, and found all three to have 46 plies - alternating dark and light colored wood.
bayo cut
trigger recess
wrist, Egyptian on left
horizontal laminate plugs on forearm underside, Egyptian on left
refurb stamp on both, Egyptian on bottom
BBQ refurb paint on buttplates, Egyptian on left
I have no doubt that my stock was purchased from Russia to complete the gun for the contract specs. I don't have a 1965 Egyptian Contract stock with the blade bayo version to compare, but I would invite some input, pictures, analysis and comparison to Chinese laminated stocks on this subject if possible.
After the stock comparisons, this is where the similarities to the Russians ends. My gun is obviously a short barrel collar Chinese with blued bolt, unlike the black painted bolts of the Russian refurbs.
Egyptian on left
And it is one very fine looking gun!
Any and all discussion on this topic is welcome. There really aren't a lot of details known on this particular configuration of the SKS. My surfing revealed maybe a dozen or so other known specimens from members of both forums that I searched. But I'm sure there is much more to learn. **
**A serial number range is being developed for the '68 production and it appears thus far that at least 21,000 were produced .
Thanks for looking.
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