Thanks for the interesting thread. I have a late 1952 model I acquired from a friend in 1996. He bought it in the parking lot of a pawn shop for $200 after the shop tried to low ball the original owner, and I got it from him the next day for the same price. It has all matching numbers, and apparently went through a light refurb / overhaul. All metal finishes appear original. The hand guard appears to be original birch and the stock is laminated. On the right side, the stock has the stamped box with diagonal line about 2 inches above the butt plate. On the left side, it has the serial number about 2 inches above the butt plate, a small diamond with a number 7 inside it just below the wrist of the stock, and a small circle with a Cyrillic B inside it just ahead of the hand groove. The barrel has the importer stamp CAI ST ALB VT upside down on the right side above the bayonet, and just below that, right side up, partially unreadable appears to be TULA 39 RUSSIA. The gas tube is electro-penciled.
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