Calling all Izh-54 owners…

… from non-former-USSR countires. Can I ask you for a favor? There are 2 questions I’d like to get answers for, and I need your help.

Question I. Remove the barrels from the gun, and have a look at the rear barrel lump with the serial No on it:

How many letters and numbers can you see there?

Question II. Are the cocking levers blued, or “jewelled” (look sorta like stainless steel polished with circles)?

Please comment and say.

Hints on where to look:

Reasons behind the questions:

I. The serial No of Izh-54 is supposed to consist of 1 letter and 4 digits (5 digits on 1969 vintage guns).However, on some Izh-54 the serial No stamped on the barrel lump has not 1, but 2 letters. There are two versions what the second letter denotes:

1) it is a mark of the Export grade;

2) the second letter was stamped when the factory ran out of serial numbers range they claimed for the calendar year,

II. Export grade guns were supposed to be assembled to Custom grade specs (but with Standard grade finish). This includes ‘jewelled’ action parts. On some pics of Export guns I’ve seen they do look ‘jewelled’, but still, it doesn’t hurt to check.

The one big reason: there was such a veil of secrecy over anything connected with Soviet gunmaking (as, with few exceptions, factories which made civilian arms were parts of the defense industry) that no text can be trusted unless what you see on real guns conforms with it.

Thanks in advance!