Bought assuming it was from izhevsk arsenal

[pcke2000]

If a laminated stock that was originally issued on a lettergun was factory refurbished there would almost definitely be a refurb mark on the right side butt stock. The presence or lack of Crossbolt cartouches is not definitive of refurbishment or not, some even speculate that cartooches are a sign of refurbishment.

Simply not true

[Dino412]

I'm not the only one here in disagreement with you.
https://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=151018.msg1772463#msg1772463

[Logan7]

Dino, because of this?

There's no evidence that the crossbolt stamps are original manufacture inspection stamps. It seems more likely that they are indicative of a post-manufacture, scheduled inspection regime. -Boris Badinov

I'll be very generous here and say that might have been speculation offered by Boris but he did not support it with any kind of logic, and it goes directly against a couple decades of my own visual experience. It's a baffling comment.

These rather small, lightly stamped cartouches are mostly obliterated during sanding and shellacking at refurb, and afterwards are very faint - if they can be seen at all.

Yet they exist on literally all of the pristine 'as-issued' and 'never-issued' examples I've seen, unless some owner has refinished the stock himself.

[pcke2000]

I'm not the only one here in disagreement with you.
https://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=151018.msg1772463#msg1772463

I know who brought up the idea.

Let me ask you two simple questions:

(1) Besides SKS refurbed by 1st GRAU Arsenal in Balakleya, have you ever seen any refurb Russians bearing refurb arsenal symbol on right side of buttstock?

(2) How often did you see obviously refurbed Russian stocks (with XXXXX'd out old serial, Tula star sanded off, etc.) have inspection cartouches around cross-bolt on stock?

[Dino412]

I'm not the only one here in disagreement with you.
https://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=151018.msg1772463#msg1772463

I know who brought up the idea.

Let me ask you two simple questions:

(1) Besides SKS refurbed by 1st GRAU Arsenal in Balakleya, have you ever seen any refurb Russians bearing refurb arsenal symbol on right side of buttstock?

(2) How often did you see obviously refurbed Russian stocks (with XXXXX'd out old serial, Tula star sanded off, etc.) have inspection cartouches around cross-bolt on stock?

I don't post pics here anymore but this is just random GB pics from today
(1) https://www.gunbroker.com/item/929467993#carousel-modal-view-item
(2) heres a heavy refurb with carts still visible although faintly reissued stock 3rd time.  https://www.gunbroker.com/item/929644474#carousel-modal-view-item

[Dino412]

Dino, because of this?

There's no evidence that the crossbolt stamps are original manufacture inspection stamps. It seems more likely that they are indicative of a post-manufacture, scheduled inspection regime. -Boris Badinov

I'll be very generous here and say that might have been speculation offered by Boris but he did not support it with any kind of logic, and it goes directly against a couple decades of my own visual experience. It's a baffling comment.

These rather small, lightly stamped cartouches are mostly obliterated during sanding and shellacking at refurb, and afterwards are very faint - if they can be seen at all.

Yet they exist on literally all of the pristine 'as-issued' and 'never-issued' examples I've seen, unless some owner has refinished the stock himself.

I agree with this except when it comes to original assigned laminated stocks for the letterguns. I seen them with and without.

[Logan7]

...except when it comes to original assigned laminated stocks for the letterguns. I seen them with and without.

Yes, that's absolutely right. We're seeing the same things.