Israeli capture Chinese sks Information.
Lots of hard work and countless research has gone into finding the distinct provenance of these Type 56 carbines after they left China.
Let's begin with a little History.
These Chinese made SKS's made their way to the United States some time in the mid 1980's. These were always labeled as "Egyptian Contract SKS's" as some sported Arab marked stocks. But, there is no evidence of China ever sending Egypt small arms. Egypt was being supplied by Russia at the time. Instead, more evidence points towards them being sent to Syria & the PLO than anywhere else.
Let's start with the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization):
China had at first recognized the Jewish State of Israel. But after Israel became mostly a pro-Western and American ally China began to support the Arabs and the cause of the Palestinians. After the Sino-Soviet split during the 1960s China began to support and aid the cause of the Palestinians more than ever.
During the 1960s China had strongly supported the destruction of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian Arab State. China had strongly supported Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The Chinese government under Mao Zedong had aided Palestinian militant groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) as well as the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). After China was admitted to the United Nations as a member in 1971, China continued to support the Palestinian cause more than ever before. These Israeli Capture SKS's are seen with serial numbers in the 9 million, and 12 million ranges, giving them dates of 1965 & 1968, which would fit the time frame when China was aiding Palestine.
On to Syria:
In 1969, then chief of staff Mustafa Tlass of Syria led a military mission to Beijing, and secured weapons deals with the Chinese government. Once again, these Israeli Capture SKS's are seen with serial numbers in the 9 million, and 12 million ranges, giving them dates of 1965 & 1968, right before the Chinese aid to Syria.
How could these have ended up being captured by Israel and then sent to the United States?
The 1982 Lebanon War
The invasion of Lebanon by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon, which was heavily influenced and aided by the Syrians, and where most of the PLO resided.
The invasion had several goals. Expelling the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), removing Syrian influence over Lebanon, and installing a pro-Israeli Christian government led by Bachir Gemayel.
After attacking the PLO, as well as Syrian, leftist, and Muslim Lebanese forces, Israel occupied southern Lebanon, eventually surrounding the PLO and elements of the Syrian army. Surrounded in West Beirut and subjected to heavy bombardment, the PLO forces and their allies negotiated passage from Lebanon with the aid of United States Special Envoy Philip Habib and the protection of international peacekeepers. The PLO then relocated its headquarters to Tripoli in June 1982.
More information on the war can be found here:
1982 Lebanon War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Israel captured a lot of equipment during the war:
"It is the largest and most varied such collection of arms and ammunition from any of the Israel-Arab wars. ''What surprised us,'' the Israeli officer said, ''was not what we got from the Syrians - regular battlefield equipment - but what the P.L.O. had amassed."
"The tanks, artillery pieces, armored personnel carriers, mortar and rocket launchers and small arms - enough to equip three or four divisions, military experts say - were hauled in from Lebanon for examination, conversion to Israeli Army use, possible sale abroad or the scrap heap."
"An army officer familiar with the recycling of captured equipment said, "It's worth hundreds of millions of dollars, perhaps $1 billion or more - although we're not sure to whom."
''In the terrorists hands,'' he said, referring to the P.L.O., "we found huge amounts in great varieties of arms and vehicles made in 14 or 15 countries, including Hungary, Rumania, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, North Korea, China, Japan, Belgium, France, Britain, West Germany and the United States."
All found in this nytimes article:
ISRAEL PUTS CAPTURED ARMS ON DISPLAY - NYTimes.com
After the war, Israel began fixing & keeping, destroying, and selling equipment and arms for profit. Some of which came to the United States during the mid 1980's. This is when we started seeing these Chinese SKS's, which were mistakenly thought to be "Egyptian Contract" SKS's for a long time. Egypt was never armed by China, they had a constant supply of Russian aid to take care of that.
How to identify!
These mainly 9 & 12 million serial range Chinese produced Type 56 SKS's are mostly, and sometimes not so commonly, found with a few characteristics that signify what they are.
These characteristics include, (but are not limited to):
-Russian Laminated Stocks
-Chinese Hardwood Stocks
-Russian Hardwood Stocks
-White painted, Arabic markings (usually numbers) on the Stock
-Blued Bolt Carriers
-Bolt Carriers in the white
-A specific CAI import mark of the time
-Usually in a specific (known) Serial Range
-Double cut bayo's for blade and spike
-A ruby red shellac applied in the Middle East
-A black paint sometimes found on metal parts of the gun
-Stampings on the metal
One might think that is a lot of features for someone to be certain they have an Israeli Capture, and that is exactly true. Some are more common than others, but some features need to be present to signify they are Israeli Capture.
The first give-away, which isn't even a foreign-given feature, is the import mark. The import mark is specific to the time period which these were imported. It should be marked on the left(ish) side of the barrel, and say: CAI ST.ALB.VT. Directly opposite of the barrel, on the right(ish) side, it should be marked SKS 7.62 CHINA. It may not be the first give-away that you have an Israeli Capture, but it should always be checked for. Sometimes the two separate stamps are next to each other on the same side of the barrel, but this seems to be the lesser.
Here is an example:
*Note: Some (but very few) Chinese SKS's have a similar import mark, and the Russian laminate stock/Blued bolt carrier "Combo" which seems to be the most common for the Israeli Capture, but have a NORINCO export stamp. These rifles were made for export to this region, but never left China; instead, staying in China and later exported to the U.S. for the civilian market. These should not be labeled as Israeli Captures, as they never went there, but are still a cool variant to have, and are usually in very nice shape.*
The next is the serial range. The rifle "should" be in the 9 or 12 million serial ranges, and made at the /26\ jianshe factory. I say "should" because that is the range they are usually found in, and because that range is always expanding.
The current known 9 & 12 million serial ranges, are:
9,024,6xx to 9,059,5xx
&
12,207,258 to 12,257,461
A 9 Mill:
The next is the serial range. The rifle "should" be in the 9 or 12 million serial ranges, and made at the /26\ jianshe factory. I say "should" because that is the range they are usually found in, and because that range is always expanding.
The current known 9 & 12 million serial ranges, are:
9,024,6xx to 9,059,5xx
&
12,207,258 to 12,257,461
A 9 Mill:
A 12 Mill:
Next we'll talk about the features.
These rifles are found in two different variations:
1. The first is the stock configured rifle. It should have a Chinese hardwood stock (rare, but matching if you're lucky!), and a bolt carrier in the white. This type was most likely sent to the PLO just as it was originally produced in China.
2. The second is found with a blued bolt carrier, and a laminated Russian stock. This variation was configured this way in China first, and then sent to Syria. Why? No one can be sure. How do we know this? Because of the very few that were sent to the U.S. directly from China that will include the the NORINCO export stamp, meaning they were assembled as such in China.
Israeli Capture in standard configuration, with original matching Stock:
Israeli Capture with Russian Laminate/Blued Bolt Carrier Combo:
These rifles are found in two different variations:
1. The first is the stock configured rifle. It should have a Chinese hardwood stock (rare, but matching if you're lucky!), and a bolt carrier in the white. This type was most likely sent to the PLO just as it was originally produced in China.
2. The second is found with a blued bolt carrier, and a laminated Russian stock. This variation was configured this way in China first, and then sent to Syria. Why? No one can be sure. How do we know this? Because of the very few that were sent to the U.S. directly from China that will include the the NORINCO export stamp, meaning they were assembled as such in China.
Israeli Capture in standard configuration, with original matching Stock:
Israeli Capture with Russian Laminate/Blued Bolt Carrier Combo:
Israeli Capture with Russian Laminate/Blued Bolt Carrier Combo:
This by no means, means you will only find these variations & specific combinations of features.
Field replacement stocks were very common. Israeli Captures have been found with replacement Chinese hardwood stocks, and Russian Hardwood & Laminate stocks.
*For example: if you find an Israeli Capture that has a Hardwood stock, but with a blued bolt carrier, it started its life with a laminate stock (because of the blued bolt carrier), and the hardwood stock was a field replacement.
*If you find a Israeli capture with its bolt carrier in the white, and it is sporting a Russian laminate stock, know that the Russian laminate stock is a replacement stock, and it started its life in the stock configuration (because of the bolt carrier in the white).
Always go by what the bolt carrier is. If the bolt carrier is blued, it should be sporting a Russian laminate stock. If the bolt carrier is in the white, it should be sporting it's original Chinese hardwood stock. Anything else is a field replacement (Or bubba! Eeek!). Most replacements are Chinese hardwood, with Russian laminates and especially Russian hardwoods being much more uncommon.
Israeli Capture with replacement Hardwood Russian Stock:
Israeli Capture with replacement (non-matching) Hardwood Chinese Stock:
Israeli Capture with Blued bolt carrier, but replacement Chinese Hardwood Stock. This started it's life with a Russian Laminate stock, because of the Blued Bolt:
The last, and most telling feature is the white (a few have been yellow) painted Arabic markings sometimes found on the stocks. These are usually 1 to 3 Arabic numbers, and are thought to be rack numbers. They can be found on either one, or both sides of the buttstock. If you find one with Arabic markings, you have an Israeli Capture, and you should immediately look for the other features like the serial & import mark.
Example of a very nice Arabic rack marking:
Example of a very nice Arabic rack marking:
Uncommon Features:
Whenever one confirms they have an Israeli Capture, they should carefully search the entire rifle from head to toe, to look for other strange markings. The only known example to have any extra strange markings actually has two; An Arabic "Jiim" stamp under the receiver, and a strange, what appears to be a "rack number stamping" on a rarely seen Russian hardwood replacement stock.
Jiim Stamp:
Whenever one confirms they have an Israeli Capture, they should carefully search the entire rifle from head to toe, to look for other strange markings. The only known example to have any extra strange markings actually has two; An Arabic "Jiim" stamp under the receiver, and a strange, what appears to be a "rack number stamping" on a rarely seen Russian hardwood replacement stock.
Jiim Stamp:
Odd "Numbers in square" stamp on stock:
A little history.
These Chinese made SKS's made their way to the United States some time in the late 80's & early 90's. One batch was said to have come from capture caches in Israel, and the other batch(es) came from somewhere else in the Middle East (never being confirmed and with different reports), but both most likely starting in Syria and Palestine. The path they took to get here had never been very certain, and were always labeled as "Egyptian Contract SKS's" as some sported Arab marked stocks. But, there is no evidence of China ever sending Egypt small arms. Egypt was being supplied by Russia at the time. Instead, more evidence points towards them being sent to Syria than anywhere else.
Let's first eliminate the possibility of other countries getting these:
-Egypt
Never received small arms from China, and were being supplied by Russia, a supply line that did not end during these 60's & 70's wars with Israel.
-Kuwait
Kuwait never received weapons from China until 1997, and if these were Kuwait captured from the Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait. we would see Iraq property marks, and 23/24 million series rifles. Instead, we see neither.
-Iraq
Iraq was sent Chinese arms in the early 80's, during the Iran/Iraq War, and those seem to be 23/24 mill rifles as stated above. Also, the Arabic markings that are sometimes present on these rifles in Iraq are different, in that they usually are marked with different colored symbols underneath the rack markings, and applied anywhere on the stocks rather than just the butt. These did NOT come out of Iraq, meaning they weren't captured by Kuwait in the Gulf War.
-Iran
Iran received arms by the Chinese during the Iran/Iraq War as well (China supplied both sides on and off). Once again, they would be 1980's era guns (23/24 mill) and Iran also writes numbers in Persian, which is very similar to Arabic, but not the same as some characters that are found on these guns.
-Lebanon
Lebanon established diplomatic relations with China on November 9th, 1971. But, what was mainly received was mechanical, electronic, food, and other industrial goods. Lebanon also does not fit the timeline as far as attacks on Israel.
-Jordan
Jordan did not establish relations with China until very recently.
Now, let's look at Syria.
In 1969, then chief of staff Mustafa Tlass of Syria led a military mission to Beijing, and secured weapons deals with the Chinese government. These Israeli Capture SKS's are seen with serial numbers in the 9 million, and 12 million ranges, giving them dates of 1965 & 1968, right before the Chinese aid to Syria.
Fast forward to now.
The Civil War on going in Syria has provided much video footage and photographs by both sides of the war. A few photos and some video footage have shown SKS's being used, with some of the same characteristics shown on these Israeli Captures, such as the blued bolt carriers, and white painted arabic markings on the stocks. Nowhere else have blued bolt carriers shown up in photos of current conflict zones, and to see other features such as the white painted, arabic marked stocks along side them, is just more to support the fact that these came out of Syria.
Worth noting, The Syrian Honor Guard utilizes Chinese spike bayo and bottom sling swivel SKS rifles which is the correct configuration for a 12m series Jianshe arsenal /26\ rifle.
These Chinese made SKS's made their way to the United States some time in the late 80's & early 90's. One batch was said to have come from capture caches in Israel, and the other batch(es) came from somewhere else in the Middle East (never being confirmed and with different reports), but both most likely starting in Syria and Palestine. The path they took to get here had never been very certain, and were always labeled as "Egyptian Contract SKS's" as some sported Arab marked stocks. But, there is no evidence of China ever sending Egypt small arms. Egypt was being supplied by Russia at the time. Instead, more evidence points towards them being sent to Syria than anywhere else.
Let's first eliminate the possibility of other countries getting these:
-Egypt
Never received small arms from China, and were being supplied by Russia, a supply line that did not end during these 60's & 70's wars with Israel.
-Kuwait
Kuwait never received weapons from China until 1997, and if these were Kuwait captured from the Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait. we would see Iraq property marks, and 23/24 million series rifles. Instead, we see neither.
-Iraq
Iraq was sent Chinese arms in the early 80's, during the Iran/Iraq War, and those seem to be 23/24 mill rifles as stated above. Also, the Arabic markings that are sometimes present on these rifles in Iraq are different, in that they usually are marked with different colored symbols underneath the rack markings, and applied anywhere on the stocks rather than just the butt. These did NOT come out of Iraq, meaning they weren't captured by Kuwait in the Gulf War.
-Iran
Iran received arms by the Chinese during the Iran/Iraq War as well (China supplied both sides on and off). Once again, they would be 1980's era guns (23/24 mill) and Iran also writes numbers in Persian, which is very similar to Arabic, but not the same as some characters that are found on these guns.
-Lebanon
Lebanon established diplomatic relations with China on November 9th, 1971. But, what was mainly received was mechanical, electronic, food, and other industrial goods. Lebanon also does not fit the timeline as far as attacks on Israel.
-Jordan
Jordan did not establish relations with China until very recently.
Now, let's look at Syria.
In 1969, then chief of staff Mustafa Tlass of Syria led a military mission to Beijing, and secured weapons deals with the Chinese government. These Israeli Capture SKS's are seen with serial numbers in the 9 million, and 12 million ranges, giving them dates of 1965 & 1968, right before the Chinese aid to Syria.
Fast forward to now.
The Civil War on going in Syria has provided much video footage and photographs by both sides of the war. A few photos and some video footage have shown SKS's being used, with some of the same characteristics shown on these Israeli Captures, such as the blued bolt carriers, and white painted arabic markings on the stocks. Nowhere else have blued bolt carriers shown up in photos of current conflict zones, and to see other features such as the white painted, arabic marked stocks along side them, is just more to support the fact that these came out of Syria.
Worth noting, The Syrian Honor Guard utilizes Chinese spike bayo and bottom sling swivel SKS rifles which is the correct configuration for a 12m series Jianshe arsenal /26\ rifle.
These rifles are still very much in use today. Here are just a few pictures of SKS's with Sino-Syrian characteristics:
Blued Bolt Carrier:
Blued Bolt Carrier:
Arabic Marked SKS Stocks also in Syria:
