Romanian SKS...?

sksfemme · 03-11-2008, 03:26 PM

Hi everyone, I'm new. My name is Jia - yes, I'm female - I know that's a bit of a rarity. I'll be 20 in May. I'm a college student and a bookseller at Barnes and Noble as well as a church pianist. I also am a volunteer storm spotter for the Amateur Radio Emergency Services, call KI4REC.

I'm admittedly new to the gun world. I've been shooting my boyfriend's Glock chambered in .22 - I have weak wrists due to some prior damage. Anything bigger than 9mm is physically painful to shoot. (And to think I want a Colt 1911 in 45GAP... har har.) I enjoy shooting very much, and hopefully I'll be able to shoot the Mosin Negant my boyfriend owns.

At any rate, I just bought my very first gun today - it's an SKS I picked up in a pawn shop for about 160 bucks. The numbers on the receiver(?) -are BC-4185-1958, and then 4185 on the bolt. However, there are two numbers on the stock, 4185, and then BC-1263 on the other side. The tip of the barrel is marked with a number "1". Stamped on the side of the barrel is the following - MDL 56.7, 7.62X39, (caliber markings, I think), and then Cugir, Romania C.A.I. ST. ALB. VT.

Anyone tell me anything about this rifle? I've looked up things on the interwebs, but I've been able to gather precious little about this gun - there's all kinds of information about the Chinese, Russian and Yugo variants, but otherwise... nada on the Romanians except that they're hard to find in the US.

Thanks much in advance!
-Jia

damage855 · 03-11-2008, 03:31 PM

some pictures would help.

sksfemme · 03-11-2008, 03:32 PM

I can do that. Give me a moment.

SwedeSteve · 03-11-2008, 03:48 PM

You have a Romanian Model 56 SKS, chambered in 7,62x39. Manufactured at the Cugir Arsenal in Romania. It was imported by CAI, Located in ST Albany, VT I believe.

firebird45331 · 03-11-2008, 06:42 PM

congratulations, excellent deal

Philip · 03-11-2008, 06:49 PM

"I enjoy shooting very much, and hopefully I'll be able to shoot the Mosin Negant my boyfriend owns."

yeah, you shouldnt have any problems with a nagant or other long guns, if it's just the wrists that are a problem, since most of everything hits your shoulder

sksfemme · 03-12-2008, 08:28 PM

My digital camera wouldn't get up too close, but here's the gun. The stock is a little beat, I was thinking of refinishing it, but I don't really know... I'm afraid of losing the stamps - there's one near the back of the bolt cover(?) that's a triangle with a G or a C in it, and it's covered in cosmoline. I'm afraid if I strip down the finish, I'll lose the marking... The wood is very pretty in the light though, and I'd like to show it off. Opinions? Oh yeah, in this picture, the bayonet is apparently installed upside down! Eeek. We fixed that.

marion57 · 03-12-2008, 09:03 PM

nice looking SKS!
Get some stripper called KutZit you paint it on and take a plastic scrapper and scrap the finish off put some more on and wipe off with a rag no sanding needed .. then use Tru oil for a nice finisg you wont lose any markings..

Zephri · 03-12-2008, 09:42 PM

Nice sks

imo: I think the finish looks great the way it is, it gives it character.

squirrelbaster · 03-12-2008, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zephri

Nice sks

imo: I think the finish looks great the way it is, it gives it character.

+1 i agree

PONTIACDM · 03-13-2008, 05:08 PM

I wouldn't refinish it, I love the way it looks as is.

Cyrano · 03-13-2008, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwedeSteve

You have a Romanian Model 56 SKS, chambered in 7,62x39. Manufactured at the Cugir Arsenal in Romania. It was imported by CAI, Located in ST Albany, VT I believe.

Close, Steve. CAI is Century Arms Inc., located in St. Albans, Vermont.

It sounds like the bolt at least is matched to the rifle and not a force-match. $160 for it is a fine deal indeed. Haven't seen anything that good around here in ages. No Romanians at all, and the local shops want $350 for Yugos still buried in the cosmoline. Be sure to get some SKS stripper clips; it makes loading so much easier.

I'd use mineral spirits and brass brushes to clean it. Check on YouTube; there are videos that will help you. As far as losing the cartouches, provided you don't sand the stock they should still be visible. Be sure to unscrew the rubber buttpad before you start cleaning. Rubber does not react well to mineral spirits or paint stripper.

If you're worried about shooting the boyfriend's Mosin, don't be. Do what Steve advised me to do and get a slip-on or lace-on recoil pad. It reduces the perceived recoil by about 80%, down to almost nothing. Just be sure you're wearing ear protection when you shoot the Mosin. They speak with, shall we say, great authority.

And welcome to the forum. There are lots of folks who are SKS and Mosin shooters, including Steve and me, who hang out here.

Philip · 03-15-2008, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sksfemme

My digital camera wouldn't get up too close, but here's the gun. The stock is a little beat, I was thinking of refinishing it, but I don't really know... I'm afraid of losing the stamps - there's one near the back of the bolt cover(?) that's a triangle with a G or a C in it, and it's covered in cosmoline. I'm afraid if I strip down the finish, I'll lose the marking... The wood is very pretty in the light though, and I'd like to show it off. Opinions? Oh yeah, in this picture, the bayonet is apparently installed upside down! Eeek. We fixed that.

doesn't look upside down, seems to me that if you turned it around it wouldn't close. then again, mine is a yugo, and they have a different bayo clasper method thingy. (even if it was the wrong way, mine is only sharp enough to cut toilet paper (with its weight =) ), so no worries there =)

sksfemme · 03-16-2008, 12:16 AM

Thanks for all the useful advice and the warm welcomes. Hopefully I'll be able to get shooting this upcoming weekend. Real excited to see what the thing can do.

GlockMeister · 03-16-2008, 12:49 AM

Here are links you should bookmark to 2 other websites, besides this one, that are very good, helpful and useful for those that have SKSs,AKs amd a host of other rifles.

Collecting and Shooting the SKS Carbine - Disassembly and Reassembly

The Box O' Truth - Ammo Penetration Testing
At this site, the box o truth, make sure to check out the educational area also. Very helpful stuff there as well.

Happy shooting SKSFEMME.

Mooseman684 · 03-16-2008, 01:42 AM

Welcome aboard Jia...From another Ham...KL1DA !
Rich

sksfemme · 03-18-2008, 02:47 PM

I've decided just to strip the cosmoline off the SKS and leave the finish as is.

Thanks for the advice!

squirrelbaster · 03-18-2008, 03:30 PM

good choice! that is the same as i did. im happy with my choise and it think that you will be happy with yours!

Apollo Morelos · 03-29-2008, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sksfemme

My digital camera wouldn't get up too close, but here's the gun. The stock is a little beat, I was thinking of refinishing it, but I don't really know... I'm afraid of losing the stamps - there's one near the back of the bolt cover(?) that's a triangle with a G or a C in it, and it's covered in cosmoline. I'm afraid if I strip down the finish, I'll lose the marking... The wood is very pretty in the light though, and I'd like to show it off. Opinions? Oh yeah, in this picture, the bayonet is apparently installed upside down! Eeek. We fixed that.

Keep it as it is, unless you want to replace the stock with Tapco.

simpleman601 · 03-29-2008, 08:42 AM

Nice sks. Its good to know there are more ham radio operators on here that like guns. - Im W5AJB

03-11-2008, 03:26 PM	#1
sksfemme Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 6	Romanian SKS...? Hi everyone, I'm new. My name is Jia - yes, I'm female - I know that's a bit of a rarity. I'll be 20 in May. I'm a college student and a bookseller at Barnes and Noble as well as a church pianist. I also am a volunteer storm spotter for the Amateur Radio Emergency Services, call KI4REC. I'm admittedly new to the gun world. I've been shooting my boyfriend's Glock chambered in .22 - I have weak wrists due to some prior damage. Anything bigger than 9mm is physically painful to shoot. (And to think I want a Colt 1911 in 45GAP... har har.) I enjoy shooting very much, and hopefully I'll be able to shoot the Mosin Negant my boyfriend owns. At any rate, I just bought my very first gun today - it's an SKS I picked up in a pawn shop for about 160 bucks. The numbers on the receiver(?) -are BC-4185-1958, and then 4185 on the bolt. However, there are two numbers on the stock, 4185, and then BC-1263 on the other side. The tip of the barrel is marked with a number "1". Stamped on the side of the barrel is the following - MDL 56.7, 7.62X39, (caliber markings, I think), and then Cugir, Romania C.A.I. ST. ALB. VT. Anyone tell me anything about this rifle? I've looked up things on the interwebs, but I've been able to gather precious little about this gun - there's all kinds of information about the Chinese, Russian and Yugo variants, but otherwise... nada on the Romanians except that they're hard to find in the US. Thanks much in advance! -Jia

03-11-2008, 03:31 PM	#2
damage855 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina / Lake Norman Posts: 939 Blog Entries: 1	some pictures would help. __________________ If total goverment control will make us all safer, then why are prisons so dangerous?

03-11-2008, 03:48 PM	#4
SwedeSteve Thor's Hammer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alaska Posts: 12,158 Images: 1	You have a Romanian Model 56 SKS, chambered in 7,62x39. Manufactured at the Cugir Arsenal in Romania. It was imported by CAI, Located in ST Albany, VT I believe. __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

03-11-2008, 06:49 PM	#6
Philip Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 149	"I enjoy shooting very much, and hopefully I'll be able to shoot the Mosin Negant my boyfriend owns." yeah, you shouldnt have any problems with a nagant or other long guns, if it's just the wrists that are a problem, since most of everything hits your shoulder __________________ i am not trying to jam a round up a fly's butt @100 yds. --- billy

03-12-2008, 08:28 PM	#7
sksfemme Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 6	My digital camera wouldn't get up too close, but here's the gun. The stock is a little beat, I was thinking of refinishing it, but I don't really know... I'm afraid of losing the stamps - there's one near the back of the bolt cover(?) that's a triangle with a G or a C in it, and it's covered in cosmoline. I'm afraid if I strip down the finish, I'll lose the marking... The wood is very pretty in the light though, and I'd like to show it off. Opinions? Oh yeah, in this picture, the bayonet is apparently installed upside down! Eeek. We fixed that. Last edited by sksfemme; 03-12-2008 at 08:31 PM. Reason: ... lol, forgot something.

03-11-2008, 03:32 PM	#3
sksfemme Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 6	I can do that. Give me a moment.

03-11-2008, 06:42 PM	#5
firebird45331 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 84	congratulations, excellent deal

03-12-2008, 09:03 PM	#8
marion57 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 3,064	nice looking SKS! Get some stripper called KutZit you paint it on and take a plastic scrapper and scrap the finish off put some more on and wipe off with a rag no sanding needed .. then use Tru oil for a nice finisg you wont lose any markings.. __________________ You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!(Charlton Heston)

03-12-2008, 09:42 PM	#9
Zephri Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN. "The city where nothing happens." Posts: 1,115 Blog Entries: 6	Nice sks imo: I think the finish looks great the way it is, it gives it character. __________________ "All rifles need a sharp pointy object on the end!" http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l195/zephri/

03-13-2008, 05:08 PM	#11
PONTIACDM Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: OHIO Posts: 724	I wouldn't refinish it, I love the way it looks as is.

03-16-2008, 12:16 AM	#14
sksfemme Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 6	Thanks for all the useful advice and the warm welcomes. Hopefully I'll be able to get shooting this upcoming weekend. Real excited to see what the thing can do.

03-16-2008, 12:49 AM	#15
GlockMeister Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 6,158	Here are links you should bookmark to 2 other websites, besides this one, that are very good, helpful and useful for those that have SKSs,AKs amd a host of other rifles. Collecting and Shooting the SKS Carbine - Disassembly and Reassembly The Box O' Truth - Ammo Penetration Testing At this site, the box o truth, make sure to check out the educational area also. Very helpful stuff there as well. Happy shooting SKSFEMME. __________________ I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6!

03-16-2008, 01:42 AM	#16
Mooseman684 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 10,401 Images: 2	Welcome aboard Jia...From another Ham...KL1DA ! Rich __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

03-18-2008, 02:47 PM	#17
sksfemme Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 6	I've decided just to strip the cosmoline off the SKS and leave the finish as is. Thanks for the advice!

03-18-2008, 03:30 PM	#18
squirrelbaster Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,511	good choice! that is the same as i did. im happy with my choise and it think that you will be happy with yours!

03-29-2008, 08:42 AM	#20
simpleman601 Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Mississippi Posts: 84	Nice sks. Its good to know there are more ham radio operators on here that like guns. - Im W5AJB __________________ "...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."