Type 53 bolt?

[mikebravo]

I recently acquired a Chinese type 53 (m44 clone) rifle for the wonderful price of free, and was in the process of checking the serial numbers when I noticed that although the barrel, butt plate, and floorplate are all matching serial numbers, the bolt appears completely unmarked. Is this normal?

 

[LAGS]

The Chinese 53 bolts were marked at the factory, but most of them had the numbers polished off when Re-Armored for import.
They were stamped on the outside of the bolt lug , just in front of the bolt handle.
The Re-Stamping is generally done on the top of the Bolt handle lug.
Some got a re-stamping, but not all of them
Mine has a new number stamped in it, but the stamps themselves are of a different style than the originals.

 

[Ash]

These weren't rearmored for export, they come from Albania as surplus and they look it. Albanian militia and training schools evidently didn't worry about matching bolts - something common among Romanian carbines as well (whether Romanian, Polish, or Hungarian manufacture).

Unmarked bolts are not original to the carbine. But, as a shooter, that'd probably be fine.

 

[LAGS]

@ MikeBravo
I do hope you have your headspace checked on the rifle before shooting it.
As Ash mentioned, the M-53's come in pretty rough, and are not in the best condition.
The ones I bought 20 years ago were in a lot better condition than what I have seen recently, and mine looked like they had been Re-Armored and had well fitting parts.
One was actually a Viet Nam Bring back made in 1954 with No importer marks at all.
The one I still have is made in 1955 and is re-stamped.

 

[TIMC]

I too have a Viet Nam bring back my father brought home. It too has no import marks and a butter smooth bolt. Don't know why but I've never shot that rifle.