My first SKS, question about manufacture date

[raider929 31]

So I picked up a Chinese SKS this past weekend. There's a gun show next weekend and I had decided I was gonna get an SKS if the prices were right but I didn't like my odds with it being the first show around here since the election. I was perusing a local guns classified website this weekend and saw someone had put a Chinese SKS up for $300 near me, all numbers matching and it came with 100 rounds of Wolf ammo. After looking at some pictures I figured I'd jump on it as that was a pretty reasonable price compared to the last few gun shows I've been to.

 

I'm glad I did, this thing seems to be in very good shape. Barrel looks almost unfired to me, no rust/pitting and very clean looking. The wood is in very good shape as well, a couple minor nicks but no major scratches or cracks.

 

As I was looking it over at home, I did notice a couple things that I found odd. There's no manufacturer markings that I can find, just this Made in China engraving:

No Chinese lettering like I've seen on other Chinese SKSs.

 

It also has a 5-digit serial and what appears to be a lower-case n on the sight leaf (Russian lettering maybe?):

Same serial shows up on the back of the receiver cover and bottom of the trigger guard. The trigger mechanism is milled, another sign that it is an older gun.

 

I took the stock off (which has no serial at all on it anywhere) to look for markings on the barrel and elsewhere on the receiver, the only thing I could find is this marking close to the serial that either says "3D" or "30", hard to say:

 

There are also a couple of upside-down "2"s on the barrel, didn't take pics of those.

 

It also has a blade bayonet (no serial that I can find), which from what I've read means it's an earlier Chinese model as they switched to the spike-style later:

 

I'm not an expert on SKSs, all I know really is what I've read the past few days since I bought it. Most signs point to it being an early (1960 or earlier) Chinese SKS, but I'm not sure. Most postings I can find show an English letter before the serial on similarly dated guns, mine is just 5 numbers.

 

I'm primarily concerned with how it shoots which I will find out soon, but it would be cool to know when this thing was made.

 

Anyone have any ideas about when it was made?

[akastormi 617]

Here's the site to answer all your SKS questions.

If I'm right it was 64-65 they went from blades to spikes

Cant date anything without the serial #

[raider929 31]

Sorry bout that, the pick with the sight leaf shows the serial on top of the bolt carrier but it's pretty blurry. Serial is 46927.

[akastormi 617]

Sorry LOL

Forgot the tag

 

http://www.yooperj.com/SKS-24.htm