@@Triangle26 I just found your videos. Wow, what a treasure trove of information. I've recently been revisiting my Russian SKS and have purchased a couple of Chinese Type 56 models. Rediscovering why I was rather fond of the SKS decades ago, and you've helped me understand some things I was either clueless about or a bit "foggy" about, to say the least. Thanks!
It’s like making a boxing video and Muhammad Ali approves the message lol. Hickok45 is a legend, the guy can hit the gong with a slingshot blindfolded.
I hope your channel blows up and gets the attention it deserves. Not that your videos are extremely entertaining because when I watch one, I feel like I’m sitting in a lecture. You have put a lot of effort into these videos and I have learned a ton. Way to go man. So cool that Hickok took the time to recognize your efforts to educate people on a rifle that a lot of us love, but know very little about. Thank you 🙏
Well then… another bit of great information. As you may know, I just recently found your channel and I’m studying my SKS after owning and having fun with it for about three decades. As mentioned in another comment I sent to you, my serial number is 1202xxx which makes me think it’s a 1967 production. It’s marked Norinco China and Poly USA ATL GA. It’s also marked SKS 7.62x39. It appears that the sides of the receiver had been surfaced milled just barely enough to remove the arsenal stamp. There is faint remnant of a triangle and possibly the Chinese characters that would ID the type. All my serial numbers are matching and in the proper locations compared to what I’ve learned so far. This one is in great condition and I continue to enjoy it more and more. Thanks.
I wish I had one of those ribbed plastic gas tube covers. Would love to see it contrast with my wood stock, and yes I own a Type 56. Love this channel!
You are very good at explaining something that’s a bit complicated for me. I’m simply elated that I even got my mine taken apart, cleaned, and put back together 🎉 You solved the other puzzling questions such as, the date of manufacture. You also brought to light the most fascinating and funny question that I didn’t think much of until you started to explain it - what is Norinco? I’m loving the nostalgia of it all. Thanks
I agree with so many comments below you really need more subscribers than what you got so we have to get the word out there. It is so. Much info that you give us about these SKSs and it's funny because people think oh SKS that's just another military rifle but when you dig down into it like you do we find out hey it's a very special military rifle and still is! Thank you so much for the time that you take to explain stuff to us is very easy to understand in very useful thanks again! And oh yeah I'm subscribed now!
Great video and information as always brother. I hope you don't mind, I posted a link to this over on the Reddit app, in the SKS subreddit. This is the second or third one that I've linked over there, and I hope it draws more eyes onto your work over here.
I have a 1980's " Norinco" SKS that I bought new in a factory " Norinco " box.... BUT..... Mine is really weird . It was factory fitted with a detachable AK magazine. Besides that everything else from the cleaning kit in the handle to the cruciform bayonet is pure SKS. I would love to hear any info on this rifle.
It sounds like you most likely have an early "SKS-D". These were the first Chinese commercial imports to be factory converted to accept AK magazines, and while some of them have additional odd features, the early ones are pure SKS in every way except the magazine conversion. It should also be noted that "SKS-D" is an informal marketing term, not an official model designation that was stamped on the rifle. It's a niche item but very desirable to some collectors, and certainly commands a premium over run-of-the-mill military examples.
your 1979 M21 seems similar to the /26\ one that I have with a pinned barrel with the 1800xxxx serial number. I thought mine was from 1973 based on the serial number, and I figure the Made by Norinco stamping was just re-used, and Norinco is just the exporter, but I have no bassis for that information.
Great Channel! I was confused a bit on the Norenco SKS I have when I first got it. That’s because the stock is carbon fiber (haven’t seen another like it yet). But the main weapon was manufactured in 1969 at SA 296. A total of 450k made in 1969 of which mine falls isn’t the 186,000 group. And all serial numbers match. Mine is a carbon fiber straight stock. I’ve seen similar with collapsible stocks, but not another straight stock. It also has the raised scope mount, bipod and sling. And my SKS has an extended forestock compared to those I see.
I have a Norinco branded SKS-D ( I think, I’m not clear on the difference between an SKS- D or M). It cannot accept stripper clips (no groove) and cannot support a bayonet. AK magazines fit well and lock up securely. It feeds very well and is a fun shooter. Any information about the difference between the type D or M would be very appreciated. I enjoy the channel. Keep it up!
The SKS-M is marked with an "M" on the receiver, which refers to the "Monte Carlo" style sporting stock that they were imported with. They also have 16.5" barrels and modified short gas systems. The SKS-D *is not* marked with a "D" on the receiver, and aside from the no-groove bolt carrier and modified feed system are otherwise indistinguishable from standard Type 56 Carbines. I hope that helps!
Do you have a video about chinese paratrooper SKS's that take a AK mag with being aftermarket modifications. In other words they came built to accept the AK mags.
@@clarkabrpi3428 Unfortunately not. At some point I hope to make a video on the SKS Sporter, which is a 16” gun which takes AK mags from the factory. Prominently featured in the recent Netflix movie “Land of Bad”. Haven’t gotten my hands on one yet though!
My rifle is marked Norinco, Pomona CA, and has matching numbers of W1032. According to your other video it would be a 1960? This is a very informative video!!
That is correct, assuming it also has the features expected of a 1960 (blade bayonet, triangle 26 marking, *no* Chinese model designation, etc). I should also note that we are not *positive* that "W" prefixes correspond to 1960, it's theoretically possible that it was actually made in 1959. I think 1960 is far more *likely*, but the point is that it hasn't been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Definitely one of those two years though.
Mine is a rectangle aresenal with the three military characters but says Norinco on it back towards the back of the reciever and "ONT CA" which I'm assuming is Ontario, Canada when it came across the ocean. The serial number puts it in 1977-1978 for year of manufacture.
So funny enough - “ONT CA” is not Ontario Canada, as logical as that sounds. Ontario, *California* was the headquarters of “China Sports International”, a prominent Us importer. In fact, I don’t believe there are any Canadian import marks, as I don’t believe they are required by Canadian law.
@@Triangle26 Oh, that's right. I think I learned it was California a long time ago but lost track of it. lol. This was the first gas operated rifle/carbine that I ever bought and I'm not getting rid of it either. lol. It's chicom cousin is a Russian Saiga made in what appears to be 2009 and it has been converted back from the import configuration since before I got it. The only thing I had to fix was where someone drilled out the trigger rivet a bit too wildly and the hole was large and out of round. We had the machinist at the gun shop I worked at (and bought the AK from before then) make a bushing to fill in the void. Feels good now - no trigger pin wobble. lol.
Yea, honestly that’s the most common pronunciation in the States as well. I think “nohr-in-coh” is technically the correct pronunciation (based on the pronunciation of North Industries Corporation), but I could be wrong.
Yea, many people advise caution with the “non-corrosive” marked Norinco ammo, as apparently they didn’t get it right 100% of the time. I’ve always had good results though. Also, some of it is steel core and is capable of crazy penetration.
It depends on exactly what you have. “Commercial Type 56” is a bit of an oxymoron, because Type 56 is a military designation. So if it’s actually a Type 56, it might not be commercial at all. There are a lot of possibilities, but if you give me a brief description of your rifle and tell me the serial number (feel free to use X’s for privacy, ie “120XXXX”). I just need to know the first 3 digits and exactly how many digits follow.
I'm also a happy type 56 owner myself and am happy seeing more people buying them. In Florida, we have very relaxed hunting regulations which allow centerfire rifles to be used with 10 round mags, making this a perfect all-around shooter.
I'm picking one up on Tuesday, it's a "Para" version. I've been wanting an SKS for the last 15 years ever since I first saw my grandpa and daddy's SKS's when I was 7.
This video is what made me pick up a commercial conventional 1960 sks that says made in China by norinco on it on the import marks from CIA but has no factory marks. It wasn't in the original stock but the rest of the gun is numbers matching. Thank you very much sir!
My uncle, from Pittsburgh , used to call all refrigerators "Frigidaire". As in " please grab me a beer out of the Frigidaire." Kleenex, Dixie Cups, and AR- 15s. Americans will use a Brand Name to cover a whole type of similar products, if the brand name has wide enough name recognition. Who made the Fridge that my uncle kept his beer in? General Electric. In some European countries, the word Browning is synonymous with automatic pistol. For some reason.
Excellent content. I own two M-21's and several SKSs imported by Kengs (KFS). Conventional thought in the community is that these Chinese Type 56's are superior in overall fit and finish - or at least generally more desirable and command a higher value. What say ye?
I’m pretty much with conventional thought on this one. I agree with the perception that M-21’s are categorically above average in terms of overall fit and finish. I don’t necessarily believe that this reflects a formally raised production standard, but rather it may simply be that they happened to be made at the best factories (296 and 416) during some of the better eras (mid 1960’s and late 1970’s). Indeed, *at the least* an M-21 will always be more desirable and carry a higher value than an otherwise identical Type 56 Carbine. They are relatively rare, and they have a really neat story associated with them, which is that they were produced for the explicit purpose of providing deniable military aid. In summary, it’s extremely cool that you have two of them. The most I have ever personally paid for an SKS was a little over $800 for my own 1979 [0296] marked M-21, and it’s become one of my favorite pieces in the collection. They are an extreme cool and often overlooked part of the Chinese military SKS story. I hope that is helpful, as always thanks for watching and commenting.
It sounds like you may have a ban-era rifle which had the bayonet lug removed for “safety”. Unfortunately, replacing a missing or ground down bayonet lug/front sight block assembly is not an operator level task. Finding the correct part it easy, but installing it will likely require professional assistance.
Hey thanks for the rapid reply. Yeah been looking at videos to replace it. And yes looks very involved. Oh well I will just roll with it. Picked up for $450 all matching numbers sighted in well at 50 meters shoots great. Broke it down cosmoline all gone cleaning rod and kit are both present. I do need a sling but other than that good to go. Thanks again.
It has to do with the June 1989o of the pro democracy movement and the weeks long occupation of Tian An Men Square. After weeks and weeks of this occupation the CCP sent in the Army with tanks as back up and killed an unknown number of people. Commonly known as The Tian an Men Massacre. Because the PLA was making cash selling guns in the USA President Bush banned importing Chinese guns and Ammo. Importers saw this coming and brought in GOBS of ammo, magazines, AKs and SKSs. I was getting SKS stripped clips of 10 rounds for $1.89 back then. Here in California the ATF thought one import company had an illegal shipment of 7.62 ammo. They invited the media to film them raid the place. It turned out to be a few typos on the documents. They had to give all the seized ammo back. It was an ENTIRE RAIL ROAD BOX CAR of ammo. All that ended in June of 1989. Some people think thousands were killed by the Army that night.
My guess is the "Made by NORINCO" marking probably had more to do with US import law than anything China was doing. If not, why aren't the ones imported to Canada marked the same? On mine, I can tell different stamps were used for the US importer's name and location, versus the rest of the import mark.
That's possible, but I'm not sure it's the case. I've seen plenty of Canadian rifles with the same Norinco markings, I think it has more to do with when they were exported rather than where they were headed. My personal theory is that the markings were placed primarily during the earlier years of importation, in order to create brand awareness. If western consumers saw "Made In China By Norinco" on high quality military rifles made 20 years before Norinco existed, they might reasonably assume that all Norinco branded merchandise was made to the same high standards. I'm not positive though!
I ended up with a Norinco brand rifle with a bakelite stock. I'm curious about whether or not it is one of those falsely marked. It has a triangle with what looks like a G or a 6 in the top half with the whole character following the shape of the triangle, and the bottom half has what looks like a 602 that also follows the shape of the triangle. It has a serial number that starts with 1, and says Norinco SKS 7.62X39 CHINA, and below that there is some stamping that is too faint to read, and is partially covered by the stock, and what looks like a capital C with an upside down V. Any info would be appreciated.
Most likely falsely marked. If you give me the first two numbers of the serial number and the remaining number of digits (ie 17XXXXX) I can probably tell you more. Does it have the three character Chinese model marking?
@@rotisseriebear5394 Got it. That serial number format strongly indicates 1973 production, meaning your rifle was almost certainly manufactured 7 years before Norinco even existed.
Thank you, @@Triangle26 I heard someone refer to a bakelite stock as a "jungle" stock. I really like it. It was totally random that the only one the big box retailer had in stock was bakelite. I previously didn't know such a thing existed. I wasn't even in the market for an SKS, but my buddy practically made me buy it at the point of his bayonet, and I'm glad he did. Now I want one with trench art, and one to put in some kind of pistol grip stock. I'll be catching up on all of your videos.
Won't happen. " Norinco officials " were caught selling weapons directly to gangs in California hence the ban on Chinese direct imports. The ammo would have to first be imported to a friendly state for like 50years before it would be eligible to be imported here. The Chinese SKS's we are getting post 93 ban are predominantly coming from Albanian arsenals.
@@ricdandel1145 Yep, you pretty much nailed it. The law is 20 years rather than 50, but other than that, I couldn’t have summarized it better myself. I mean I guess one day many years from now we might get it imported from some African nation that sat on it for 20 years, but hard to know if there would even be a market for that.
This is a matter of some debate. I have not seen definitive documentation one way or another - so take this with a grain of salt: I, among many others, am of the opinion that DP *most likely* indicates that the rifle was intended for delivery to Pakistan, and that DB *most likely* indicates intended delivery to Bangladesh. Without going into great detail, there is a decent bit of evidence supporting this theory - but it ultimately falls short of conclusive.
Very good information. What I learned is that Norinco is to make money by the PLA (to a larger extent the state) and for the PLA. Their purpose is to turn huge stockpile of outdate military equipment, hastily-made small arms (for WWIII), spare parts and tooling to foreign currency that China desperately needed during the 80-90s.
@@chrislang5659 I appreciate it. If your Type 56 Carbine has a 7 or 8 digit serial number, spike bayonet, and the three character Chinese marking on the side - I think it’s pretty safe to assume it’s a ‘76.
@@chrislang5659 I’ve had to buy a few Chinese spike bayonets over the years, and I’ve always found eBay to have good deals. You can usually find them for right around $50 delivered, including the mounting collar and screw.
I personally do not - but I don’t turn my nose up at them either. They are cool rifles, and if money way no object, I’d love to have a few. But generally when I have enough money to buy a new SKS, there are is always going to be another military variant I am more interested in adding to my collection.
@@Triangle26 totally get it. I bought a sporter as a budget friendly alternative to an AK in MA and it’s made me want to collect traditional SKSs. To your other videos, if you want a rifle for personal protection, a modern AR is always a better option. SKSs just have a cool place in history
They have not always been historically legal for *import* but they have almost always been legal for assembly and ownership. Obviously, individual municipalities may have their own laws, but overwhelmingly the answer to that question is “yes”.
This is a bit of controversial question, because Chinese military manufacturing infrastructure is basically an elaborate shell game. There are hundreds of coded arsenal marks which have been observed, many of which are still not "deciphered". My personal opinion (based primarily on modern accounts published in Chinese language academic magazines), is that there were approximately 25 production facilities in China capable of producing finished SKS patterns.
The best way to describe Norinco is they were set up and run by the Russians then handed over to the Chinese after 1956 with Russian training. That's why they don't suck.
@@Triangle26 Keep in mind China only lets us know what they want us to know. They create nothing and they steal everything. The Chinese SKS is a Russian creation. The design, tools, factory, everything. Then they handed it over to the Chi coms. Those are facts that no one can dispute. Maybe English and history aren't your best subjects.
Hey I bought a 1953 Russian Tula about an hour ago (I know not at all in the scope of this video) and it has someone’s name (presumably) carved in the finger groove of the stock My question is under what conditions could this happen? Like who on earth would allow their soldiers to carve their names in a military rifle?
It’s a great question, and there are really quite a few possibilities. One possibility is genuine “trench art”, which is a pretty well established phenomenon in which soldiers exposed to prolonged combat are typically able to get away with equipment personalization which would not be tolerated in garrison. Even US forces do this, maybe not with rifles, but certainly on other mission sensitive equipment. It’s not unusual to see “unauthorized” art on armored vehicles and helmets “in-country”, in a way that would never be tolerated in CONUS. Another, and probably more common explanation, is simply the fact that some countries have *really* poorly disciplined National Guard / Reserve elements. Sometimes it a funding issue, sometimes it’s a corruption issue, but either way it’s not unusual to see rear echelon, part-time units in some countries that have absolutely zero “military bearing” and basically just graffiti everything they are issued, weapons included. With something like a Russian SKS, trying to decipher the name can tell you a lot about the history of the rifle. Many names, slogans, and symbols can be geographically pinpointed pretty easily.
In terms of quality comparison, an example is the Type 54 (also M20) used in Vietman vs. later "Made by Norinco" M54 pistols, including its variants like M54-1, 213, TU-90. They works just fine and reliably, however the built quality is noticeable worse compared to those those military counterparts which were made before the Norinco ever exists. The double-stack 9mm Tokorev is a joke, similar to SKS-D, SKS-M etc.
Very useful information!
Holy smokes! Thanks so much Hickok, you truly made my day. Merry Christmas.
Hopefully more folks will know that your channel is the definitive source for all things SKS!
@@Triangle26 I just found your videos. Wow, what a treasure trove of information. I've recently been revisiting my Russian SKS and have purchased a couple of Chinese Type 56 models.
Rediscovering why I was rather fond of the SKS decades ago, and you've helped me understand some things I was either clueless about or a bit "foggy" about, to say the least. Thanks!
@@hickok45 Merry Christmas!
It’s like making a boxing video and Muhammad Ali approves the message lol. Hickok45 is a legend, the guy can hit the gong with a slingshot blindfolded.
I have an SKS made in 1976. It too is marked Norinco. you really put in the time sorting this stuff out. Great video, very informative.
Triangle26 if the ONLY source of SKS information that I can confidently take in as fact; EVERY single time!
Thanks, friend!
Holy smokes, very comprehensive. Love the info delivered in a neat little package. Keep up the great work!
Underrated, im here from hickok45, you are so underrated
Thanks friend, I sincerely appreciate it!
Hikcock is over rated
I hope your channel blows up and gets the attention it deserves. Not that your videos are extremely entertaining because when I watch one, I feel like I’m sitting in a lecture. You have put a lot of effort into these videos and I have learned a ton. Way to go man. So cool that Hickok took the time to recognize your efforts to educate people on a rifle that a lot of us love, but know very little about. Thank you 🙏
Excellent review and definition of the "Commercial" SKS by Norinco.
Thank you!
What a fascinating video. I never did get that 49 sks, it was a scam. You deserve the Godfather45's recognition, the content is excellent.
Great video on an interesting topic that definitely needed to be clarified for people
Well then… another bit of great information. As you may know, I just recently found your channel and I’m studying my SKS after owning and having fun with it for about three decades. As mentioned in another comment I sent to you, my serial number is 1202xxx which makes me think it’s a 1967 production. It’s marked Norinco China and Poly USA ATL GA. It’s also marked SKS 7.62x39. It appears that the sides of the receiver had been surfaced milled just barely enough to remove the arsenal stamp. There is faint remnant of a triangle and possibly the Chinese characters that would ID the type. All my serial numbers are matching and in the proper locations compared to what I’ve learned so far. This one is in great condition and I continue to enjoy it more and more. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge of the subject and the weapon.
I found your channel a few days ago and love the content. I am learning so much more about the SKS pattern rifle, thank you.
Excellent summary and info. thx!
Thank you!
Look who finally figured out Chapters... way to go!
Great breakdown and well explained
Well, this answers some MORE questions LOL. Great video, thanks again!
Love that i found this channel. I bought my first SKS about a month ago, my first rifle to be in fact. So far I love it
Awesome. Thanks so much for watching, and glad you are enjoying the rifle. It’s a great first rifle.
I wish I had one of those ribbed plastic gas tube covers. Would love to see it contrast with my wood stock, and yes I own a Type 56. Love this channel!
Awesome. Sometimes they pop up on eBay and GunBroker for decent prices!
Great video ,in depth ,and well spoken.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Nice video. Time to make one about how poly tech fits in.
Good call!
You are very good at explaining something that’s a bit complicated for me. I’m simply elated that I even got my mine taken apart, cleaned, and put back together 🎉 You solved the other puzzling questions such as, the date of manufacture. You also brought to light the most fascinating and funny question that I didn’t think much of until you started to explain it - what is Norinco? I’m loving the nostalgia of it all. Thanks
Thanks very much for watching and commenting. I'm glad you got something out of these videos, and more importantly that you are enjoying your SKS!
Freaking excellent info guy!! Big props!!
I agree with so many comments below you really need more subscribers than what you got so we have to get the word out there. It is so. Much info that you give us about these SKSs and it's funny because people think oh SKS that's just another military rifle but when you dig down into it like you do we find out hey it's a very special military rifle and still is!
Thank you so much for the time that you take to explain stuff to us is very easy to understand in very useful thanks again!
And oh yeah I'm subscribed now!
another banger, I appreciate it.
Thanks Sir I appreciate your videos. 👍🏼
Great video and information as always brother. I hope you don't mind, I posted a link to this over on the Reddit app, in the SKS subreddit. This is the second or third one that I've linked over there, and I hope it draws more eyes onto your work over here.
Hey thanks bro, I really do appreciate that 👊
Dam. I’m as old as Norinco. (Factory Bear here. On my work phone.) 1980 was an awesome year! 1994 was even better.
Same born 1980, spent summer 1994 at a Red Sea beach house. But then PLA built military factories over there.
@@stoegerstewie8351 I spent most of my summer vacations on the Black Sea.
I have a 1980's " Norinco" SKS that I bought new in a factory " Norinco " box.... BUT..... Mine is really weird . It was factory fitted with a detachable AK magazine. Besides that everything else from the cleaning kit in the handle to the cruciform bayonet is pure SKS. I would love to hear any info on this rifle.
It sounds like you most likely have an early "SKS-D". These were the first Chinese commercial imports to be factory converted to accept AK magazines, and while some of them have additional odd features, the early ones are pure SKS in every way except the magazine conversion. It should also be noted that "SKS-D" is an informal marketing term, not an official model designation that was stamped on the rifle.
It's a niche item but very desirable to some collectors, and certainly commands a premium over run-of-the-mill military examples.
He says a lot of words, long sentences, interesting stuff. I learned a lot. 🧐
your 1979 M21 seems similar to the /26\ one that I have with a pinned barrel with the 1800xxxx serial number. I thought mine was from 1973 based on the serial number, and I figure the Made by Norinco stamping was just re-used, and Norinco is just the exporter, but I have no bassis for that information.
Dude your info is awesome and on point.
The name scared me but the guns were perfect!!! Weapons thight clean very well made
Excellent video, presentation and content. Thankyou
Very informItve
Great Channel! I was confused a bit on the Norenco SKS I have when I first got it. That’s because the stock is carbon fiber (haven’t seen another like it yet). But the main weapon was manufactured in 1969 at SA 296. A total of 450k made in 1969 of which mine falls isn’t the 186,000 group. And all serial numbers match. Mine is a carbon fiber straight stock. I’ve seen similar with collapsible stocks, but not another straight stock. It also has the raised scope mount, bipod and sling. And my SKS has an extended forestock compared to those I see.
I have a Norinco branded SKS-D ( I think, I’m not clear on the difference between an SKS- D or M).
It cannot accept stripper clips (no groove) and cannot support a bayonet.
AK magazines fit well and lock up securely. It feeds very well and is a fun shooter. Any information about the difference between the type D or M would be very appreciated. I enjoy the channel. Keep it up!
The SKS-M is marked with an "M" on the receiver, which refers to the "Monte Carlo" style sporting stock that they were imported with. They also have 16.5" barrels and modified short gas systems.
The SKS-D *is not* marked with a "D" on the receiver, and aside from the no-groove bolt carrier and modified feed system are otherwise indistinguishable from standard Type 56 Carbines.
I hope that helps!
I love sks videos.
Do you have a video about chinese paratrooper SKS's that take a AK mag with being aftermarket modifications. In other words they came built to accept the AK mags.
@@clarkabrpi3428 Unfortunately not. At some point I hope to make a video on the SKS Sporter, which is a 16” gun which takes AK mags from the factory. Prominently featured in the recent Netflix movie “Land of Bad”. Haven’t gotten my hands on one yet though!
Top notch stuff and my go to source for all things SKS
Great channel
My rifle is marked Norinco, Pomona CA, and has matching numbers of W1032. According to your other video it would be a 1960? This is a very informative video!!
That is correct, assuming it also has the features expected of a 1960 (blade bayonet, triangle 26 marking, *no* Chinese model designation, etc). I should also note that we are not *positive* that "W" prefixes correspond to 1960, it's theoretically possible that it was actually made in 1959. I think 1960 is far more *likely*, but the point is that it hasn't been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Definitely one of those two years though.
Mine is a rectangle aresenal with the three military characters but says Norinco on it back towards the back of the reciever and "ONT CA" which I'm assuming is Ontario, Canada when it came across the ocean. The serial number puts it in 1977-1978 for year of manufacture.
So funny enough - “ONT CA” is not Ontario Canada, as logical as that sounds.
Ontario, *California* was the headquarters of “China Sports International”, a prominent Us importer. In fact, I don’t believe there are any Canadian import marks, as I don’t believe they are required by Canadian law.
@@Triangle26 Oh, that's right. I think I learned it was California a long time ago but lost track of it. lol. This was the first gas operated rifle/carbine that I ever bought and I'm not getting rid of it either. lol. It's chicom cousin is a Russian Saiga made in what appears to be 2009 and it has been converted back from the import configuration since before I got it. The only thing I had to fix was where someone drilled out the trigger rivet a bit too wildly and the hole was large and out of round. We had the machinist at the gun shop I worked at (and bought the AK from before then) make a bushing to fill in the void. Feels good now - no trigger pin wobble. lol.
Good information
Very informative thank you.
Video suggestions history of Romanian sks,
And or different Sks load bearing equipment.
Thanks for watching, and for the suggestions. Those are great ideas 🙏
Interesting way of your pronunciation of the name
Up in Canada we pronounce it ner-ring-co
Norinco
Yea, honestly that’s the most common pronunciation in the States as well.
I think “nohr-in-coh” is technically the correct pronunciation (based on the pronunciation of North Industries Corporation), but I could be wrong.
Couple weeks ago found out norinco makes ammo too. Picked up a box of non corrosive 7.62x39 but the cartridges look kinda dirty
Yea, many people advise caution with the “non-corrosive” marked Norinco ammo, as apparently they didn’t get it right 100% of the time.
I’ve always had good results though. Also, some of it is steel core and is capable of crazy penetration.
BZ! Required viewing - by SKS newbies, and in particular, a hekkuva lot of the long-time aficionados of this ChiCom platform.
How do I find out when a commercial Type 56 was made? Thank you for any help, and all the information.
It depends on exactly what you have. “Commercial Type 56” is a bit of an oxymoron, because Type 56 is a military designation. So if it’s actually a Type 56, it might not be commercial at all.
There are a lot of possibilities, but if you give me a brief description of your rifle and tell me the serial number (feel free to use X’s for privacy, ie “120XXXX”). I just need to know the first 3 digits and exactly how many digits follow.
I'm also a happy type 56 owner myself and am happy seeing more people buying them. In Florida, we have very relaxed hunting regulations which allow centerfire rifles to be used with 10 round mags, making this a perfect all-around shooter.
I'm picking one up on Tuesday, it's a "Para" version. I've been wanting an SKS for the last 15 years ever since I first saw my grandpa and daddy's SKS's when I was 7.
Good job
This video is what made me pick up a commercial conventional 1960 sks that says made in China by norinco on it on the import marks from CIA but has no factory marks. It wasn't in the original stock but the rest of the gun is numbers matching. Thank you very much sir!
My uncle, from Pittsburgh , used to call all refrigerators "Frigidaire". As in " please grab me a beer out of the Frigidaire." Kleenex, Dixie Cups, and AR- 15s. Americans will use a Brand Name to cover a whole type of similar products, if the brand name has wide enough name recognition. Who made the Fridge that my uncle kept his beer in? General Electric. In some European countries, the word Browning is synonymous with automatic pistol. For some reason.
Great examples - it's always funny how that works. I knew some Iraqi's who called *all* rifles "FNs". Funny how that is the word that stuck.
Excellent content. I own two M-21's and several SKSs imported by Kengs (KFS). Conventional thought in the community is that these Chinese Type 56's are superior in overall fit and finish - or at least generally more desirable and command a higher value. What say ye?
I’m pretty much with conventional thought on this one.
I agree with the perception that M-21’s are categorically above average in terms of overall fit and finish. I don’t necessarily believe that this reflects a formally raised production standard, but rather it may simply be that they happened to be made at the best factories (296 and 416) during some of the better eras (mid 1960’s and late 1970’s).
Indeed, *at the least* an M-21 will always be more desirable and carry a higher value than an otherwise identical Type 56 Carbine. They are relatively rare, and they have a really neat story associated with them, which is that they were produced for the explicit purpose of providing deniable military aid.
In summary, it’s extremely cool that you have two of them. The most I have ever personally paid for an SKS was a little over $800 for my own 1979 [0296] marked M-21, and it’s become one of my favorite pieces in the collection. They are an extreme cool and often overlooked part of the Chinese military SKS story.
I hope that is helpful, as always thanks for watching and commenting.
@Triangle 26 Thank you for your thoughts on the M-21!
Question, what is proper direction of recoil spring? Have seen it installed both ways. Does it matter?
It does matter, although it will *usually* function either way. The correct orientation is with the squiggly end forward, inside the bolt carrier.
I was able to get a Russian Tulla SKS cheaply because the seller lists all sks's as "Norinco" unless it's a yugo.
I'm trying to add a bayonet to a Norinco sks but I'm confused. I think I am missing the actual lug to
Attach the bayonet to on the barrel. Any ideas.
It sounds like you may have a ban-era rifle which had the bayonet lug removed for “safety”.
Unfortunately, replacing a missing or ground down bayonet lug/front sight block assembly is not an operator level task. Finding the correct part it easy, but installing it will likely require professional assistance.
Hey thanks for the rapid reply. Yeah been looking at videos to replace it. And yes looks very involved. Oh well I will just roll with it. Picked up for $450 all matching numbers sighted in well at 50 meters shoots great. Broke it down cosmoline all gone cleaning rod and kit are both present. I do need a sling but other than that good to go. Thanks again.
Might be video worthy to explain the reasoning behind the Chinese import ban. I know a little about it but not much.
They were selling arms directly to gang members including RPGs and full autos iirc.
That'd be nice
It has to do with the June 1989o of the pro democracy movement and the weeks long occupation of Tian An Men Square. After weeks and weeks of this occupation the CCP sent in the Army with tanks as back up and killed an unknown number of people. Commonly known as The Tian an Men Massacre. Because the PLA was making cash selling guns in the USA President Bush banned importing Chinese guns and Ammo. Importers saw this coming and brought in GOBS of ammo, magazines, AKs and SKSs. I was getting SKS stripped clips of 10 rounds for $1.89 back then. Here in California the ATF thought one import company had an illegal shipment of 7.62 ammo. They invited the media to film them raid the place. It turned out to be a few typos on the documents. They had to give all the seized ammo back. It was an ENTIRE RAIL ROAD BOX CAR of ammo. All that ended in June of 1989. Some people think thousands were killed by the Army that night.
My guess is the "Made by NORINCO" marking probably had more to do with US import law than anything China was doing. If not, why aren't the ones imported to Canada marked the same? On mine, I can tell different stamps were used for the US importer's name and location, versus the rest of the import mark.
That's possible, but I'm not sure it's the case. I've seen plenty of Canadian rifles with the same Norinco markings, I think it has more to do with when they were exported rather than where they were headed. My personal theory is that the markings were placed primarily during the earlier years of importation, in order to create brand awareness. If western consumers saw "Made In China By Norinco" on high quality military rifles made 20 years before Norinco existed, they might reasonably assume that all Norinco branded merchandise was made to the same high standards. I'm not positive though!
The chicom was vastly underused. Why? I have no idea.
I ended up with a Norinco brand rifle with a bakelite stock. I'm curious about whether or not it is one of those falsely marked. It has a triangle with what looks like a G or a 6 in the top half with the whole character following the shape of the triangle, and the bottom half has what looks like a 602 that also follows the shape of the triangle. It has a serial number that starts with 1, and says Norinco SKS 7.62X39 CHINA, and below that there is some stamping that is too faint to read, and is partially covered by the stock, and what looks like a capital C with an upside down V.
Any info would be appreciated.
Most likely falsely marked.
If you give me the first two numbers of the serial number and the remaining number of digits (ie 17XXXXX) I can probably tell you more.
Does it have the three character Chinese model marking?
@@Triangle26 18xxxxxx, Spike bayonet, No Chinese characters. all serial numbers that I saw so far are matching.
@@rotisseriebear5394 Got it. That serial number format strongly indicates 1973 production, meaning your rifle was almost certainly manufactured 7 years before Norinco even existed.
Thank you, @@Triangle26 I heard someone refer to a bakelite stock as a "jungle" stock. I really like it. It was totally random that the only one the big box retailer had in stock was bakelite. I previously didn't know such a thing existed. I wasn't even in the market for an SKS, but my buddy practically made me buy it at the point of his bayonet, and I'm glad he did. Now I want one with trench art, and one to put in some kind of pistol grip stock. I'll be catching up on all of your videos.
I wonder if one day we may be able to get the new 5.8 ammo surplus.....
Won't happen. " Norinco officials " were caught selling weapons directly to gangs in California hence the ban on Chinese direct imports. The ammo would have to first be imported to a friendly state for like 50years before it would be eligible to be imported here. The Chinese SKS's we are getting post 93 ban are predominantly coming from Albanian arsenals.
@@ricdandel1145 Yep, you pretty much nailed it.
The law is 20 years rather than 50, but other than that, I couldn’t have summarized it better myself.
I mean I guess one day many years from now we might get it imported from some African nation that sat on it for 20 years, but hard to know if there would even be a market for that.
Any info on a Norinco sks "d" 1988 ?
What if it's says Act III Greensboro N.C. after the Made in China by Norinco?
Then it was imported into the United States by Act III in Greensboro North Carolina.
What does db and dp mean?
This is a matter of some debate. I have not seen definitive documentation one way or another - so take this with a grain of salt:
I, among many others, am of the opinion that DP *most likely* indicates that the rifle was intended for delivery to Pakistan, and that DB *most likely* indicates intended delivery to Bangladesh.
Without going into great detail, there is a decent bit of evidence supporting this theory - but it ultimately falls short of conclusive.
Very good information. What I learned is that Norinco is to make money by the PLA (to a larger extent the state) and for the PLA. Their purpose is to turn huge stockpile of outdate military equipment, hastily-made small arms (for WWIII), spare parts and tooling to foreign currency that China desperately needed during the 80-90s.
Can I send you pictures of my SKS to help me identify it?
Absolutely. “triangletwentysix@gmail.com”
My SKS says made in China by Norinco. First four digits are 2100. Any good way to date the firearm?
I have a video which should help you be sure, but *probably* 1976.
th-cam.com/video/qWUwe6AHGDg/w-d-xo.html
@@Triangle26 thank you sir! Pretty sure I saw the video, however I'll watch again and sub!
@@chrislang5659 I appreciate it.
If your Type 56 Carbine has a 7 or 8 digit serial number, spike bayonet, and the three character Chinese marking on the side - I think it’s pretty safe to assume it’s a ‘76.
@@Triangle26 yep, 8 digits, three characters however missing the bayonet. So the question is, where do I get a bayonet?
@@chrislang5659 I’ve had to buy a few Chinese spike bayonets over the years, and I’ve always found eBay to have good deals.
You can usually find them for right around $50 delivered, including the mounting collar and screw.
As an sks purist and collector, do you own an sks d or m?
I personally do not - but I don’t turn my nose up at them either. They are cool rifles, and if money way no object, I’d love to have a few. But generally when I have enough money to buy a new SKS, there are is always going to be another military variant I am more interested in adding to my collection.
@@Triangle26 totally get it. I bought a sporter as a budget friendly alternative to an AK in MA and it’s made me want to collect traditional SKSs. To your other videos, if you want a rifle for personal protection, a modern AR is always a better option. SKSs just have a cool place in history
Are bayonets legal on norinco’s
They have not always been historically legal for *import* but they have almost always been legal for assembly and ownership.
Obviously, individual municipalities may have their own laws, but overwhelmingly the answer to that question is “yes”.
Thanks, and thanks for the video’s amazing in depth knowledge of the sks
In the late 80s you could get mismatch SKSs (used) for 80$
How many military arsenals built sks in china?
This is a bit of controversial question, because Chinese military manufacturing infrastructure is basically an elaborate shell game. There are hundreds of coded arsenal marks which have been observed, many of which are still not "deciphered".
My personal opinion (based primarily on modern accounts published in Chinese language academic magazines), is that there were approximately 25 production facilities in China capable of producing finished SKS patterns.
My 1965 Triangle 26 Type 56 is marked "Made in China by Norinco". I thought that in this sense, Norinco is the exporter.
Never understood the difference between NORINCO and POLYTECH
I HAD 2 OF THEM ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!! BETTER THEN RUSSIAN
/26\.... Now I know "Norinco".... waiting for briefing (or reply) on "ChiCom" and "PolyTech" Sks.... good day.... sammy
ChiCom - Chinese Communist
The best way to describe Norinco is they were set up and run by the Russians then handed over to the Chinese after 1956 with Russian training. That's why they don't suck.
@@wsbill14224Every single detail of that is incorrect.
@@Triangle26 Keep in mind China only lets us know what they want us to know. They create nothing and they steal everything. The Chinese SKS is a Russian creation. The design, tools, factory, everything. Then they handed it over to the Chi coms. Those are facts that no one can dispute. Maybe English and history aren't your best subjects.
Hey I bought a 1953 Russian Tula about an hour ago (I know not at all in the scope of this video) and it has someone’s name (presumably) carved in the finger groove of the stock
My question is under what conditions could this happen? Like who on earth would allow their soldiers to carve their names in a military rifle?
It’s a great question, and there are really quite a few possibilities.
One possibility is genuine “trench art”, which is a pretty well established phenomenon in which soldiers exposed to prolonged combat are typically able to get away with equipment personalization which would not be tolerated in garrison. Even US forces do this, maybe not with rifles, but certainly on other mission sensitive equipment. It’s not unusual to see “unauthorized” art on armored vehicles and helmets “in-country”, in a way that would never be tolerated in CONUS.
Another, and probably more common explanation, is simply the fact that some countries have *really* poorly disciplined National Guard / Reserve elements. Sometimes it a funding issue, sometimes it’s a corruption issue, but either way it’s not unusual to see rear echelon, part-time units in some countries that have absolutely zero “military bearing” and basically just graffiti everything they are issued, weapons included.
With something like a Russian SKS, trying to decipher the name can tell you a lot about the history of the rifle. Many names, slogans, and symbols can be geographically pinpointed pretty easily.
How curious. Send Triangle a pic of it, I bet he can help you identify what it says.
Same as the AK-47, when we all actually have semi-auto versions of the AKM, not 47s
In terms of quality comparison, an example is the Type 54 (also M20) used in Vietman vs. later "Made by Norinco" M54 pistols, including its variants like M54-1, 213, TU-90. They works just fine and reliably, however the built quality is noticeable worse compared to those those military counterparts which were made before the Norinco ever exists. The double-stack 9mm Tokorev is a joke, similar to SKS-D, SKS-M etc.
It's a fixed ten round gun do a video on why it can't be imported anymore?
Norinco stands for China North Industries.
China (Nor)th (In)dustries (Co)rporation, yes. That’s why I included that information in the video.