Updated Izhevsk SKS family pic
Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2012 9:52 pm
I've never seen a non refurb Izhevsk in person from either year of production, but I generally try to grab up any Izhevsk I find. I got a new '54 refurb the other day and thought I'd update the family photo. The first 4 on the left are '53 Izzies, the next 6 are 1954's. All refurbs. The new rifle is 4th from the right:
Other than some nice wood grain in the stock, its pretty unremarkable. One interesting feature is the added piece they used to complete the bottom of the buttstock, its almost black. Just to its right is my first ever rifle, which also has the added on finishing piece. In some light, the add on can't be seen - the Russians usually tried to match colors at least a little from the examples I've seen, so the dark brown add on is fairly unique in my experience. The add on itself is fairly common on hradwood stocks.
4th from the left is a laminated '53, and it is one weird rifle. The mag is an EP'd replacement, while all other number match. I wish the Soviets had numbered the barrels, because without the Izhevsk receiver cover this could pass as a '51 Tula. Has 45° gas block, early bayo lug, early non sprung safety and early gas block.
Each of the '53s has a different receiver! Check em out, from left to right:
Standard late model receiver,same as all the '54s
The radius on the next one isn't bevelled off under the bolt, its still sharp. It also has an early style, numbers matching safety:
On the black bolt, the corner was ground off flat and not smoothed:
And the laminate one, which screams "Look at me! I'm a '51 Tula!"
Other than some nice wood grain in the stock, its pretty unremarkable. One interesting feature is the added piece they used to complete the bottom of the buttstock, its almost black. Just to its right is my first ever rifle, which also has the added on finishing piece. In some light, the add on can't be seen - the Russians usually tried to match colors at least a little from the examples I've seen, so the dark brown add on is fairly unique in my experience. The add on itself is fairly common on hradwood stocks.
4th from the left is a laminated '53, and it is one weird rifle. The mag is an EP'd replacement, while all other number match. I wish the Soviets had numbered the barrels, because without the Izhevsk receiver cover this could pass as a '51 Tula. Has 45° gas block, early bayo lug, early non sprung safety and early gas block.
Each of the '53s has a different receiver! Check em out, from left to right:
Standard late model receiver,same as all the '54s
The radius on the next one isn't bevelled off under the bolt, its still sharp. It also has an early style, numbers matching safety:
On the black bolt, the corner was ground off flat and not smoothed:
And the laminate one, which screams "Look at me! I'm a '51 Tula!"
, dang that's alot of Izhevsk SKS's, very nice 
