Not all Chinese are ugly

[SA1911a1]

This one is interesting. At first, I thought it had been refinished, but the edges are sharp and I just don't know. I have seven T-53s, four of which are matching, and no two have the same coloration or finish. The insides look as good as the outside.

[Ironnewt]

I know quite a few that are "Gorgeous"

[redspoon]

Good score Steve, the stock and the metal are fantastic. Is that stock in the normal chu wood?

Red

[SA1911a1]

Good score Steve, the stock and the metal are fantastic. Is that stock in the normal chu wood?

Red

I am not sure. The wood is typical of six of my T-53s, whatever that means. The seventh rifle has an odd grain, it is very light in color and the growth rings are not very pronounced. Number 7 is an old Navy Arms import and I understand that they may not have played nice with their rifle imports.

[Junk Yard Dog]

There were some in this condition imported 25 years ago, a few have shown up on the board from time to time, not all rifles get used, there are always a few unissued rifles in reserve that end up in with all the rest of the surplus.

[cjsimoh]

Way nicer than any of my T53s!

[B24]

All I have seen have had some kind of white funk growing on the wood. I only have 1 carbine a 48 M44. I would eventually like to add the T53, M38 and a 91/59 to the collection.

[qz2026]

Nicest pre 1960 in original finish I have seen. Special carbine you have there.

And, yes, this appears to be Manchurian Catalpa. Did you say who the importer was?

[SA1911a1]

Nicest pre 1960 in original finish I have seen. Special carbine you have there.

And, yes, this appears to be Manchurian Catalpa. Did you say who the importer was?

Maybe the dot-matrix mark can help identify the import date.

[etprescottazusa91]

Did not think it possible, nicest Chinese Mosin I have ever seen

[qz2026]

Nicest pre 1960 in original finish I have seen. Special carbine you have there.

And, yes, this appears to be Manchurian Catalpa. Did you say who the importer was?

Maybe the dot-matrix mark can help identify the import date.

Even better being a Century import

[davesstuff1]

Very Outstanding

[Junk Yard Dog]

recent Balkan import , last few years, there have been some cleaner than average rifles from that lot. The Chinese sold arms to that area after there was a falling out with the Russians, some can be very used looking, or even have Albanian stocks on them.

[SA1911a1]

Jim, I was wondering if someone had been able to correlate types of CAI markings with dates?

[FR0STY54R]

Damn that's nice

[zeebill]

Keep in mind two things!

1 The early Navy Arms imports contained a bunch of almost new looking unissued? T53's.

2 Sarco or one of them last year had brand new stocks and hand guards for $59. I have seen a couple that have the stocks on them and they do look right to me and are I would guess from the fact they had no real finish on them or marks they would be undetectable?

Like my always poor foresight, I wish I had bought a bunch of them as several of the T-53 I have seen recently had almost perfect blue on them. Oh Well! Bill

[Lotema]

I have certainly never seen one anywhere near that clean. If I was taking a quick glance at a rack of rifles, I'd probably have just thought it was a Russian M44 and thought nothing else of it. Great score!

[SA1911a1]

I have certainly never seen one anywhere near that clean. If I was taking a quick glance at a rack of rifles, I'd probably have just thought it was a Russian M44 and thought nothing else of it. Great score!

Thanks. You guys passed on it on GB.....I was the only bid.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Jim, I was wondering if someone had been able to correlate types of CAI markings with dates?

Probably , CAI might even help with that, but I just use my own experience of having observed them for over 30 years. They went from tiny and unobtrusive in the 80's to huge, and ugly by the mid 2000's. Not CAI's fault totally, much of the import mark business is dictated by BATFE requirements. They could be neater about it, slightly smaller banner, but it still has to contain all the information you see today, and be big enough to be easily observed. With the massive influx of Mosins that was going on previous to now they probably went with whatever way was fastest to mark each rifle, speed over careful workmanship.