1968 Factory 26 Type 56 Chi-Com SKS....Early Import

[1srelluc]

I picked-up this 1968 Factory 26 Chi-Com today for $250.00.

The problem was it had no magazine so till the chi-com 10-round OEM I ordered comes in I stuck a 20-round Chi-Com "duck-bill" mag in it. LOL....It's the only one of the ilk that actually works.

The rifle is a very early import from Delta Investment Group, Inc. out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. I know it's early by the size of the import mark....They used what we call a "micro stamp" before the ATF required a much larger sized letter height. If you did not know where to look you would not notice it. You have to use a magnifying glass to read it..

I went to Delta's store front around 1988 or so when in the VA Beach area fishing and chi-com imports was all they had, I bought my first Chi-Com AK there.....A bit under $400 at the time.

Weird place.....The guy running it had rattlesnakes sitting around in 5-gallon buckets.

I understand that they got on the bad side of the ATF and were shut down for some reason.

The Factory 26 rifle are the only ones you can date....In this case you take the first two number of the serial and add it to 56 and that gives you the year. A serial of only six numbers was made in '56.

 

[westwall]

IIRC they only imported firearms from China for two years. Most were straight commercial made, but early on they did import some that were made up from old military parts that were left over. A friend had a Type 56 AK that had three generations of parts all cobbled together.

 

[Failzero]

Mine is a 1966 arsenal 26 Para

 

[Failzero]

Chinese AK & SKS started coming in in 83-85 in Numbers then much larger numbers from 86 into early 90s

 

[The Duke]

That's a pretty good lookin' one! Oh, my buddy was all "Get an SKS man, ya gotta get an SKS" during the "Assault Weapons Ban".

But I didn't like 'um, and I didn't like the look of the bullets, and I didn't like the accuracy of 'em. One of his was a factory cosmoline thing about like that.

They were $85-$115 then. What you paid was a good price for that nowadays.

 

[BothWings]

Sweet!

My very first rifle back in the early '90s was a Norinco SKS. A little more beat up than the one you have, but not terrible. I long since sold it but I'd really like to get the paratrooper version at some point, to compliment my AK. I even have stripper clips already!

 

[1srelluc]

IIRC they only imported firearms from China for two years. Most were straight commercial made, but early on they did import some that were made up from old military parts that were left over. A friend had a Type 56 AK that had three generations of parts all cobbled together.

It does have the proper '68 Factory 26 features and stock markings....Meh, who knows?

CAI imported straight-up chi-com used surplus rifles. There was nothing "pieced-together". They just boxed 'em up and shipped them, dirt and all. I've seen them show up with flat-braided telephone wire slings before.

Link to where they were only imported for two years or do you mean the importer? The last anyone heard of Delta Investment Group was around 2000.

Importation of chi-com SKSs was mid to late 80s through '94.

Clinton stopped AK/SKS importations from the chi-coms in '94.

 

[Failzero]

A Chinese D or M Model ( takes AK Mags) Para SKS is 500.00$ to 700.00$ today

 

[1srelluc]

A Chinese D or M Model ( takes AK Mags) Para SKS is 500.00$ to 700.00$ today

The last M I saw sold for $800.00 a couple days after it was consigned. It was three shades of ugly with the thumbhole stock.

BTW.....The short and models that take AK mags are all "fantasy" rifles, none being used by the PRC. They were engineered/made for the export market.

I must say that I really like the Type 56 "para" spiker I have....It stared life as a '69 Factory 26.

 

[westwall]

I have a Russian made Vietnam bring back I picked up from a Marine friend back in 1970. I also have a bring back MAS-36 with capture docs, and a TT-33.

I never have owned a Chinese made weapon, and don't plan to, but the Poly Tech AK's are very well made.

A buddy sold one that was still NIB about a year ago and he got over 3,500 for it.

 

[1srelluc]

I have a Russian made Vietnam bring back I picked up from a Marine friend back in 1970. I also have a bring back MAS-36 with capture docs, and a TT-33.

I never have owned a Chinese made weapon, and don't plan to, but the Poly Tech AK's are very well made.

A buddy sold one that was still NIB about a year ago and he got over 3,500 for it.

I have a bring-back early M21 (sanitized chi-com SKS) and Soviet M44 made in 1948. The M21 is a straight-up collectable due to it's rarity but I like the pedigree of the M44.

It was refurbed post-war (laminated stock and rebuild markings) and sent to the client state of N. Vietnam.

I actually found a pic of one such rifle in VC use. You can clearly see the laminate stock.

 

[Failzero]

The last M I saw sold for $800.00 a couple days after it was consigned. It was three shades of ugly with the thumbhole stock.

BTW.....The short and models that take AK mags are all "fantasy" rifles, none being used by the PRC. They were engineered/made for the export market.

I must say that I really like the Type 56 "para" spiker I have....It stared life as a '69 Factory 26.

View attachment 819122

Yep I like my Chinese 1966 Arsenal 26 Para “ Spiker “ SKS as much as my “ Unissued “ T Series ( 1983 )Blond Yugo M59/66 A1

 

[Failzero]

My pristine Russian 1946 Tula M44 is a Land Cannon

 

[Failzero]

I wish there was a Smith in my area who could Barrel a Fed Ord M14S Receiver with a mostly TRW Barrel & parts USGI M14 parts Kit Kit

 

[1srelluc]

Yep I like my Chinese 1966 Arsenal 26 Para “ Spiker “ SKS as much as my “ Unissued “ T Series ( 1983 )Blond Yugo M59/66 A1

I hate 59/66 Yugos but the straight Yugo M59 (regular styled SKS) is OK.....At least when you bought a 59/66 you had enough cosmo to last the rest of your life.

 

[1srelluc]

I wish there was a Smith in my area who could Barrel a Fed Ord M14S Receiver with a mostly TRW Barrel & parts USGI M14 parts Kit Kit

Fulton Armory used to do custom builds but I don't know if they do now or not. I had one of their builds (SA receiver/TRW GI parts) and it was top-notch.

 

[Failzero]

I hate 59/66 Yugos but the straight Yugo M59 (regular styled SKS) is OK.....At least when you bought a 59/66 you had enough cosmo to last the rest of your life.

I’m fucking burnt out on Retro AR15/M16 builds and unsure what platform to pursue next as I have done the FAL/ L1A1 thing ( British 1961 BSA ) and cant find anyone with expertise to help me with my USGI M14 / M14S Build

 

[Failzero]

Fulton Armory used to do custom builds but I don't know if they do now or not. I had one of their builds (SA receiver/TRW GI parts) and it was top-notch.

FA is a nice outfit but I don’t want to part with my Parts via mail ( like doing smith business locally )

 

[1srelluc]

I’m fucking burnt out on Retro AR15/M16 builds and unsure what platform to pursue next as I have done the FAL/ L1A1 thing ( British 1961 BSA ) and cant find anyone with expertise to help me with my USGI M14 / M14S Build

I have a friend that can build them out (for himself) but he does mostly Garands. Here's a .308 Garand he did for me. GI wood too!

No M2 ammo worries either.

 

[Failzero]

I have a friend that can build them out (for himself) but he does mostly Garands. Here's a .308 Garand he did for me. GI wood too!

No M2 ammo worries either.

I would get an FN 49 before a GARAND if I were seeking more Milsurp of that ilk