This is My SKS. There are Many Like It, But This One is Mine.

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This is My SKS. There are Many Like It, But This One is Mine.

Saturday, February 12th, 2005 | Best Of, Guns |

Went to the gun show early this morning and picked up this SKS. It’s an excellent grade Yugoslavian 59/66. It must have been imported by a local company, because the markings under the barrel are “TG KNOX TN SKS 59/66 7.62X39 YUGOSLAVIA.” (LATER: this importer apparently supplies a lot of dealers. Guns with similar markings are being sold by Southern Ohio Guns, among others.)

The Yugo 59/66s are currently the cheap SKSes because they’re in the greatest supply. The Russian and Romanian models are long gone. Lots of people won’t buy the Norincos because they’re Chinese, and China is the only SKS-producing country that’s still Communist. The Chinese guns are also the only ones being produced new for export; all the others are milsurp. Furthermore, the Bush, Jr. administration prohibits Norinco imports because they discovered the company was selling missile components to Iran. I’d never buy a post-2003 Norinco.

Evil features? It’s got a bayonet and grenade launcher, with gas shut-off valve and grenade sights (shown in the photo at the right). Do I need a grenade launcher? Well, yeah. If I want to piss off Ted Kennedy and Diane Feinstein I do. When Jerry Falwell or Pat Roberson says a movie is bad, you want to see it. When Ted Kennedy, Diane Feinstein, and Chuck Schumer say a gun feature is bad, you look for it. Besides which, this gun was issued with a bayonet and grenade launcher. Lopping them off degrades the historical value of the piece. Anyway, you can’t buy rifle grenades, so the grenade launcher isn’t a menace to society.

The dealer I bought this from had two crates of SKSes. How do you choose? The first thing I knew to look for was matching serial numbers. Most of the guns had matching serial numbers on the bolt, receiver, magazine, trigger guard, and buttstock, but a few didn’t and I ruled them out. Then I looked at stock quality, metal wear, and bluing. Honestly, most of them looked pretty darned good. Between the two best units one had a receiver that was nicely blued, while the other receiver was a little more brownish and didn’t match the metal on the rest of the gun. I used a light to check the bore of the darker one, and the bore was perfect, so that’s the one I bought.

The stock has just a few minor dings, and almost no wear in the blueing, which is amazingly rich and dark. The stock is walnut-stained with a good grain pattern. Judging from the almost non-existent wear, it’s probably an unissued rifle. For $125 you can’t beat it. One feature of the 59/66s you don’t see on all SKSes is the flip-up front sight. It has a standard black front post, but if you can’t see that there’s a flip-up yellow-dot front sight.

This one wasn’t loaded up with cosmoline. I used a nylon scrubbie and Oops! solvent to clean the stock. (Other popular options include 0000 steel wool and either mineral spirits, brake cleaner, a citrus-based cleaner, or E-Z Off oven cleaner.) The pictures here are pre-cleanup. I’ll take the stock off the receiver and bake the whole thing in the oven at 130 degrees to melt off the remaining Cosmoline. After that I’ll disassemble the bolt and clean it, and it’ll be good to go. I may re-finish the stock in Tung oil to spiff it up. More SKS info here.

39 Comments to This is My SKS. There are Many Like It, But This One is Mine.

Heartless Libertarian
February 12, 2005

Wow…all three of my M59/66s and my M59 looked like they were coated in extra-thick caramel sauce…you’re lucky.

Nice rifle. Have fun with it.

sheepdog.blog-city.com
February 12, 2005

Oh my, Les Jones got an SKS! I’m jealous!

Well just till my Garand get back from a good teardown by my gunsmith. Its a purdy 66 from the Yugo. Even got the nade launcher sights and a pig sticker for keeping the Jehovah’s Witnesses off his porch.

SayUncle
February 13, 2005

Sweet, me and Justin at elephant rants must have missed you by a bit. I went to get him some AR parts and we built him one. You get one of those $124 ones?

rangemaster
February 13, 2005

I’ve had my Yugo for about five months now. Great gun for the $. She’s solid, she shoots well enough (for an SKS) and she’s even nice to look at. I’d be interested in a follow-up range report to see what kind of groups you get from her.

Les Jones
February 13, 2005

HL: I now totally understand why people have multiple SKSes. Once I got this one home and looked it over, I started thinking about buying another one. For the price this is just an unbelievable rifle.

Uncle: yep, it’s the $124 model in the big crate. Sorry I didn’t call you about this show, but I had to go early and get back early Saturday. Have you shot your WASR yet? Maybe we can get together.

rangemaster: I hope to shoot it next weekend if the weather cooperates. It is a really nicely-finished gun. I’m blown away by the quality of the bluing, especially the barrel.

SayUncle
February 13, 2005

You need to show me that place in walland

Thibodeaux
February 14, 2005

Looks good, Les! Mine stock was loaded up with cosmoline, but I couldn’t fit it into the oven. However, it was summertime, so I just laid it on the dashboard of my car. Baked it right out!

bjbarron
February 15, 2005

These rifles are more fun than ice cream. I’ve been playing bubba with mine for a year.

Check out the full-auto ‘bump fire’ video at…http://www.lifelibertyetc.com/RangeBag.aspx …scroll down to 10/31

A picture of mine (95% done) is at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/bjbarron/blogfiles/KIF_0194a.jpg

Best part is that I can have it back to milspec in an hour.

just me
February 23, 2005

I am sorry to hear that you say we can’t use nades, since I fire practice ones all the time. Please get your facts straight before posting. You are very misleading to your readers.

Les Jones
February 23, 2005

just me: I do have my facts straight. I say above “Anyway, you can’t buy rifle grenades, so the grenade launcher isn’t a menace to society.”

Your practice grenades aren’t real grenades.

anonymous coward
March 1, 2005

Dude, of all the guns I own (around 15 long guns), my Yugo SKS is my favorite. Without a doubt, it would be the very last firearm I’d part within a pinch. I guarantee you will love it.

dewey
March 7, 2005

i just bought my m59/66 and i have to say that it was one of the best investments in a weapon that i have ever made i love it.

scotland2
May 23, 2005

More a question for y’all. My Yugo SKS cleaned of cosmoline looks great (the metal). The stock cleaning really raised the grain of the wood and I’m looking for all ideas to bring this back to a good looking military finish.

Les Jones
May 28, 2005

Scotland2: here’s a belated answer. This gun was coated with furniture paste and it smoothed it out wonderfully. Not sure how it would stand up to use, but it sure looks nice.

Many coats of Tung oil would be more work, but would definitely work. I put about five coats on mine, and parts of it are filling in.

Matthew
September 16, 2005

Need Advice!! Does anyone make a synthetic stock for this that will work with the bayponet?

Johnny
February 4, 2006

I got mine and that thing is mayed for long distances!Sweet gun Im happy with my yugo 59/66.Good gun buy one.please let me know where to get dumb geranades.

Bill Heather
March 20, 2006

I just got a yugo 59/66 and it is beyond cool but I know nothing about them and would like to know 2 things, are there assy. manuals available and how do I but the bayonet up with the flash supressor on?
Email at Heatherw@kpt.nuwc.navy.mil
Thanks

Les Jones
March 20, 2006

(Posted and emailed.)

Surplusrifle.com has a really good assembly/disassembly manual. To open the bayonet, pull the sleeve down (towards the butt of the rifle) a quarter inch or so and swing the bayonet out. To close it, push the sleeve way from the muzzle a quarter inch and swing the bayonet closed. Hope this helps.

Hank
April 13, 2006

I screwed up. I should have bought 2. I’ve had my 59/66 to the range 3 times and asked where I got Mine. I finished My stock with 2 coats of Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil Gun Stock Finish rubbed on with my fingers and it shines.

Bill Smith
June 12, 2006

I sold my Russian sks and my new yugo looks like a good replacement. I bought mine with no packing goo and the wood is nice. I wonder if there is a benefit to shortening the weapon and removing the grenade stuff. Also, the recoil spring sounds crunchy (sorry, wierd word). Is the barrel chrome lined? Any thoughts on that? Is chrome lining needed to fire tracer rounds? Thanks for your help and thoughts! Happy shooting!!

Laziboie
June 13, 2006

Hey Matthew, yeh they do make a synthetic stock with a slot for the bayonet: SKS T6 Adjustable Stock with Blade Bayonet Cut. Just google search it and you will find it. It’s pretty nice.

Kyle Weiss
June 23, 2006

Thanks to everyone for the positive reviews on the Yugo SKS. I’m picking one up tomorrow, probably for a little more than $125 (I think the asking price is $170, but I was guaranteed unissued/matching serials, and it’s at a local hardware store.)

To Bill Smith: I did hear the Yugoslav SKS’s were never chromed due to lack of chromium deposits in Yugoslavia, and shaky trade relations with Russia (a large exporter of chromium) even though at the time of manufacture, they were fellow communist countries.

I’d like to know if tracer/phosphorous rounds are or are not suggested for use in the Yugo SKS’s; I have no idea. If for any reason the tracer rounds leave any funky debris, would it foul a non-chromed barrel faster?

DanC_1968
June 24, 2006

One of the vendors at “Bill Goodman’s Gun and Knife Show”, which has monthly shows at Dayton, OH, Nash, TN, and Sharonville, OH; is selling Yugo 59/66’s for $89.95 right now. They are packed in cosmoline and look unissued or used very little. Havn’t shot mine yet, but I can’t wait.

Joe
July 17, 2006

Now that we all have our favorite SKSs, be prepared to pay higher prices for ammo. Jeeze it was $5.00 a box for wolf brand 7.62×39 at the last gun show in Texas. I bought it for just under $2 a box for a 500 lot last year. The Afgans and Iraqi rebels are getting our ammo. Supply and Demand……….

aaron
August 28, 2006

Was @ a gun show this past weekend in Odessa TX found 40 round boxes with stripper clips for every 10 rds in the box @ 6.00 a box bought everyone they had no misfires yet…

scott
September 11, 2006

Hey fellow SKS owner, I finally got my gun field stripped and realized the barrel is pretty much worthless. It looks like someone shot sand balls through it. Any ideas on where to find a replacement?

Kevin
October 1, 2006

Im 13 years old and i got my yugo 59/66 for my B-Day. it shoots great:)Im pretty much only interested in any ww1 or ww2 guns but this gun…… so far is my favorite besides the Moisin-Nagant Mod1891 or mod1838:)

Kevin
October 1, 2006

Im 13 years old and i got my yugo 59/66 for my B-Day. it shoots great:)Im pretty much only interested in any ww2 guns, but this gun…… so far, is my favorite besides the Mosin-Nagant Mod1891 or mod1838:)

mike
November 9, 2006

I just traded my gun for an sks m-59 but mine is stamped 7.62×59 is that normal?

Colt
December 20, 2006

The thick caramel stuff is a good thing, it prevents rust. Mine was 120 used and was full of cosmoline, not a spec of rust on the baby.

Amber
December 25, 2006

I just bought my husband a m59/66 yugo for christmas. He loves the gone, but they didn’t have a manual or anything with it. I was wondering if anyone could help me with info on the parts and cleaning and all the other things needed to know on this gun. Descriptions on parts and how they work. I would appreciate some help or even if you know of a book that I could purchase. Thanks, Amber

jeff
January 12, 2007

thought you might want this info on the sks alot of info on the laws pertaining to adding aftermarket parts and modifications
http://www.victorinc.com/SKS-FAQ.html#_Toc138675126

and also the yugo sks is still being made for import by the zastava gun works

jeff
January 12, 2007

thought you might want this info on the sks alot of info on the laws pertaining to adding aftermarket parts and modifications
http://www.victorinc.com/SKS-FAQ.html#_Toc138675126

and also the yugo sks is still being made for import by the zastava gun works

Josh
January 25, 2007

anybody know where and how much the sights for a 59/66 Yugo sks is?

berndog
January 29, 2007

I just bought my first yugo 59/66 what can i use to get off the cosmoline? THANKS

Anonymous
February 4, 2007

I use Cheetah amo for my sks. i found that it is high in quality and very cheap less than $100 for a thousand rounds… comes in wood crate. but i heard there not making it anymore but if you happen to be able to get some id get it! you might think because it is so cheap its not good but you thought wrong =^)

Mayberry
March 31, 2007

If any of y’all want to upgrade to synthetic stocks ya might wana try the tapco t-6 adjustable stock.It’s got a m-4 style buttstock and is one of the higher quality stocks on the market.What ever you do stay away from ‘Advanced Technologies’ junk.

pj
September 21, 2007

bought my 59/66 yugo second hand paid 180$$ I am attempting to restore it as closely as possible need original sling,cleaning kit, and owners manual. one of the best guns I have ever owned. I will proboably buy a couple more