Am I missing something?

[Flammenwerfer]

So, today I noticed a ad for a SKS on another site(wait, there are other sites?)...that's not surprising there are a lot of them out there. The thing that perplexed me is the guy says it is a WWII Serbian SKS. I was under the impression that even though they were designed in 1943 they didn't go into production until late 1945.....

I'm not super well versed in russian semi auto rifles and their history other than my 74 variants....anyone have any knowledge, thoughts or literature?

It's possible this guy is uninformed, but it's also possible that I am.

 

[davis211]

I've read about this before- most folks say no.

Quote from another forum:

"I have a copy of Guns and Ammo Surplus Firearms from 2005 with an article on the SKS. It states that a preproduction SKS run was completed in the spring of 1944. The carbine was tested under battlefield conditions by elements of the First Byelorussian Front Army during its sweep into Eastern Germany."

Hard to prove either way I think.

 

[Flammenwerfer]

I agree, it's hard to find conclusive information either way. I just thought I'd ask to see what others new....I guess in my thinking, I could see the Russian army testing them on a small scale during the war...but it wouldn't seem that they'd be issued or even produced by Serbs then.

I've read about this before- most folks say no.

Quote from another forum:

"I have a copy of Guns and Ammo Surplus Firearms from 2005 with an article on the SKS. It states that a preproduction SKS run was completed in the spring of 1944. The carbine was tested under battlefield conditions by elements of the First Byelorussian Front Army during its sweep into Eastern Germany."

Hard to prove either way I think.

 

[woodstock]

"only used by Joe Stalin on Sundays" .....

 

[57tr6]

Wonder if it had a date on it?

 

[parolebear]

At least he was closer than the last guy that I dicussed SKS's with. He had a Norinco paratrooper (Cowboy Companion) for sale on another site (God forbid). It was listed a WWII era SKS built in 1944 and issued by the Chinese. I quietly PM'ed him that he might need to doublecheck his info. That I was under the impression that the Chinese did not built the SKS until 1956, the military ones did not have a light birch stock, the paratrooper was not built for the military. (I also thought the Russians did not release them until 1945). He wrote back that I was crazy and trying to cheat him out what he knew was a super valueable gun. My answer was Good Luck on the Sale. However, Y'all PLEASE help me to remember "No good deed goes unpunished" LOL

 

[Flammenwerfer]

At least he was closer than the last guy that I dicussed SKS's with. He had a Norinco paratrooper (Cowboy Companion) for sale on another site (God forbid). It was listed a WWII era SKS built in 1944 and issued by the Chinese. I quietly PM'ed him that he might need to doublecheck his info. That I was under the impression that the Chinese did not built the SKS until 1956, the military ones did not have a light birch stock, the paratrooper was not built for the military. (I also thought the Russians did not release them until 1945). He wrote back that I was crazy and trying to cheat him out what he knew was a super valueable gun. My answer was Good Luck on the Sale. However, Y'all PLEASE help me to remember "No good deed goes unpunished" LOL

I've Pm'd this particular guy several times with simple questions about dates, markings, etc.....no answer. I'm not surprised, sometimes folks make mistakes and it's hard for them to admit it.

 

[Targetmaster]

A limited number were used by the Russians in 1945 (testing, I assume) There's a book out there somewhere on the battle of Berlin (can't remember the name) which shows several Russians holding SKS's ..

 

[bronco7766]

I've Pm'd this particular guy several times with simple questions about dates, markings, etc.....no answer. I'm not surprised, sometimes folks make mistakes and it's hard for them to admit it.

I saw the the same ad... the rifle pictured is obviously a Yugo M59/66. The seller either was told bad info, got his story mixed up, or is full of it...