I figured for the price of a Chinese made gun it was a good deal on a Russian.  No original magazine though and the stock has the wrong prefix to be the right stock.   Metals good though.    Might have to find an old jungle stock to drop it into to make a good beater rifle.    Any thoughts on the whole refurb/ non refurb thing?   I checked out a couple of sites and it kinda fits in the non category but without the original stock its hard to tell.  

cool

Leave it in that Russian Tula Stock, don't put it in a chicom POS stock. You have a fine SKS there, and as far as the non matching mag, look for a mag without a date. A lot of mags were undated and that would be ideal for your situation. Try Numrich, Sarco, or Gunboards.

The SKS is a 1954 Tula and the Stock is Stamped with the Tula Star and 1954r, good match even if the numbers don't match, it very well could be an arsonal replacement stock that was already numbered and then stamped with the Tula Star and Date to match this gun. Great Find.

Been busy and haven't had time to clean it up.  The stock serial number matches the numbers on the metal.  The Prefix however does not.   Thought it was interesting and the price was right.   The metal finish is actually pretty good.  there is a rust spot here or there but nothing to bad.  

I've found myself seeking out items from the Tula factory for some unknown reason, good score OP.

Look on the bayonet lug where the screw/rivet holds the bayonet on.

A non refurb will have the rivet/screw staked in two places on one side of the lug to keep the rivet in place and from coming loose.It will look like 2 punch marks.

You can tell if they have been messed with during a re furb or not.This is just one of the ways to tell.

Sorry but that's not accurate at all and you can't tell by that way. First of all, it's not a rivet it's a screw. Second of all I have plenty of refurbs (refurb mark, renumbered stock, bbq paint, grey rear sight) that have the exact staking you describe. That only tells you they didn't remove the bayonet as part of the refurbishment.. I also have refurbs that have matching numbers and are still blued. There isn't only one criteria for a refurb and no set rule on what makes one a refurb.

stamp is about it right? as far as positive refurb?