What is this Russian stamp?

re-arsenal mark

The famous window stamp

Doe it indicate a particular maker? Tula perhaps?

thanks-
Thirtycal

I believe there's a couple different re-arsenal stamps and someone once did a neat post on the forum about the different types. With a search it might be found unless someone else can provide the info.

There's also a stamp with the line inside of the rectangular running diagonally instead of vertically in the middle.

The only reference I can lay hands on for Soviet stamps is Terence Lapin's The Mosin-Nagant Rifle.

On page 191, he states that the box with a verticle line dividing it indicates post-WWII arsenal refurbished wood parts and a box with a diagonal line is for arsenal refurbished metal parts.

Richard W. said:

The only reference I can lay hands on for Soviet stamps is Terence Lapin's The Mosin-Nagant Rifle.

On page 191, he states that the box with a verticle line dividing it indicates post-WWII arsenal refurbished wood parts and a box with a diagonal line is for arsenal refurbished metal parts.

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Thanks- Ok that helps. I just wanted to know if it was a Tula vs Izhmask/Izhevsk mark. It sounds like it has nothing to do with a particular maker.

Coming from the M1 Carbine and Garand collector community, I'm accustomed to these marks greatly affecting collector value. Sometimes a mark like that on a Garand can make the difference between a $100 stock and a $300 stock. It looks like in the AK collector community, it's basically a "don't care".

-Thirtycal

I thought the diagonal line was for re-arsenaled metal and the horizontal line was for re-arsenaled wood

I have handled NIW AK and AKM undrilled buttstocks with the same marking. Leads me to believe it is also to signify a repair spare.

Hootbro

Hootbro said:

I have handled NIW AK and AKM undrilled buttstocks with the same marking. Leads me to believe it is also to signify a repair spare.

Hootbro

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I agree with this assessment, I had a crate of "honey brown" AKM buttstocks (and handguard sets) - brand new, no screw holes, parkerize metal parts. All buttstocks had the square with horizontal line stamp. I think its safe to say these are replacement inventory. Curiously the handguards had no such marks.

if i remember correctly, the diagonal stamping indicates being refurbished from the ukraine and the vertical stamping from russia