Question about Yugo SKS?

TX Hunter · March 25, 2011, 07:03 PM

I have been looking at pictures of the Yugo SKS, and would like to own one, but do not necessarily like the grenade launcher on the end of the barrel.
My question is, Can you remove it without damaging the barrel?

ohen cepel · March 25, 2011, 07:30 PM

It was removed for Kali imports I think. Not sure if it messed up the barrel or not though. There is also a grenade sight on them and a gas valve that has to be dealt with if you take all of that off.

I would say love it as it is or buy one from a different county. Cost of making it work/removing it may be too much to make sense.

I know that the mass of the launcher is a pain but makes it real nice to shoot.

frick74 · March 25, 2011, 08:47 PM

Its just pinned on, so, no damage. Leaves an ugly looking piece of barrel sticking out, much worse the the GL itself.

Some, at least one of mine, have had holes placed around the perimeter of the GL at the very end, probably to act as a muzzle brake, or to disperse flash.

Don't know exactly why, just that some have it, some don't.

TX Hunter · March 25, 2011, 09:31 PM

Thanks
I guess its something I could live with, The Yugos are supposed to be very good quality, and several of them are prestine.

LarryNTX · March 26, 2011, 01:49 AM

G.L. removal.
http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting...move/index.asp

TGDKY · March 26, 2011, 08:53 AM

Remove and replace with a tapco muzzle brake- functional and maintains the original look.

Gator Weiss · March 26, 2011, 12:43 PM

You can remove it and turn the barrell on a lathe to get a particular look. But it is not worth the cost or the time or the trouble.

If you are looking for a light weight SKS to tromp through the brush with or to use as home defense or a truck gun, consider a Chinese. The Chinese is very light and many have a chrome chamber and bore. The chinese has a very light wood stock that in my opinion is superior to any plastic stock, because it is so light. I own a Chinese, and I use it to do light hunting or as a "truck gun" when I need one. Perfect in this role, because the gun is so light and shoots very well. I take care of it so future generations might enjoy it also.

I own a Yugo I bought years ago in unfired condition. It has no chrome. The stock is much heavier and thicker than the chinese, and the gas valve and GL and GL sight make it longer and even heavier. The bayonet is the only part easy to remove from the barrell, really. The gas tube comes off easy enough for cleaning. It is solidly built to survive the handling of a bunch of Eastern block soldiers, more than it is to survive combat. It is a good infantry rifle, but that is all it is, really. I take care of it so future generations might enjoy it.

I use the Yugo as a bench rifle, to sit in a chair and to fire at targets on the range. I turn off the gas valve sometimes and fire it like a repeater. Or I turn it on, and fire it semi automatic. I clean it immediately, while still on the range, and then I put it away. Groups well enough. Shoots well enough, but it is not a hunter's gun. It is an infantry rifle or a bench rifle. It is a pleasure to own and shoot. I take care of it so future generations will be able to enjoy it as well.

I bought that chinese SKS for almost nothing, because there are so many of them in the country. It has a shorter barrell than the Yugo. I didnt have to do anything to it except clean it up, and fire it. I dont even have 200 bucks in the gun. I am not going to alter the Yugo. When I need a short SKS, I have the chinese model.

chasep255 · March 26, 2011, 04:07 PM

I don't really know why you would want to take it off. I understand that most people really have no use for it but isn't it cool to be able to say that your gun has a grenade launcher.

TX Hunter · March 26, 2011, 09:15 PM

I like the Idea of it being heavy duty, I like an overbuilt rifle, the grenade launcher just made it look overly long and unwieldy.

P5 Guy · March 27, 2011, 04:30 PM

Just get a 59 Yugo. The original issue was without the launcher. SAMCO has them and not much more than the 59/61.

OldShooter · March 28, 2011, 07:52 AM

I once had a Yugo 59/66 but I didn't like the GL feature. It shot well but was heavier. I really wanted a 59 but couldn't find one locally. I sold it and found a nice Russian model 45. On the 59/66 be sure to clean the gas valve regularly, it can stick in one position and be very difficult to manipulate.

stealintv · March 28, 2011, 08:13 AM

Get a Norinco. They are abundant, and at least around my area, cheaper than the Yugo. No GL to worry about, and as another had mentioned very light. Depending on your size, you may look into a stock butt pad extension. Not for recoil, but the SKS is very small and I find it difficult to hold (length of pull) with my 6'3" stature.

Get the Chinese!

These are great little rifles and everyone should own one.

hornetguy · March 28, 2011, 08:30 AM

+1 on the Norinco.
I've had mine for probably 15 years (am I getting THAT old?) or so...
I think I paid about 90 bucks for it.
I extended the stock by about 2" with a piece of maple from a tree I had to cut down from my front yard. The "chunks" sat out in the alley for a couple of years before I thought... "that's MAPLE"... and added it to the stock.
Then I painted the stock black, just to aggravate the hoplophobes, as Col Cooper called them.

It's been utterly dependable... NEVER has failed to go bang when the trigger is pulled. It's actually accurate enough for deer hunting out to at least 100yds, with my eyesight. I've taken two smaller hogs with it. I can't think of anytime I've had more fun for under a hundred bucks.

AlphaAssault · March 29, 2011, 11:51 AM

My family has of the Yugo SKSs with the grenade attachment, and we like it. The size is certainly manageable, though there are smaller SKSs out there if size is the major consideration. The most notable thing about the Yugo SKS is its weight. It is not a light rifle. It weighs almost exactly as much as my full-length Turkish Mauser with a scope. Heavy for a carbine, but otherwise a very good rifle.

Ignition Override · April 2, 2011, 12:44 AM

The only extra precaution with my Norinco is that the wood is not as hard as the wood used on Yugos, Russians etc.

It can be cut or scraped fairly easily. The only worn area is from pulling back the bolt (2,000 rounds) and rubbing the corner of the receiver.

If you could find the Yugo series which has no GL (Samco?), that might be a nice option, as you could have the most solid SKS and a real bayonet.

I've never seen this series (59?) in person at a shop or at the fifteen-twenty small shows attended in the last two/three years.

goodspeed(TPF) · April 2, 2011, 03:23 AM

Easy as pie to remove the GL attachment and the front sight. Two pins to drive out. The GL attachment unscrews COUNTER CLOCKWISE and then the whole FS assembly can be pressed off the front of the rifle. I have done it with a BFG and a wooden dowel before but trust me when I say that the $25.00 spent on an automotive type gear puller is well worth it. Then you can cut and re-crown your barrel to 16" minimum length (most guys usually go to 16 1/4" just to be safe) and hone out the sight to fit back on the barrel. Re-pin the sight to the barrel (you may want to cut the whole front of the GL piece off the front of the sight to get a cleaner look) and drill a new hole for the pin. Reinsert the pin and off you go. Easy peasy.

DrLaw · April 2, 2011, 08:46 AM

I would just leave it as is. Doesn't hurt anything. Looks better than a plain barrel, and doesn't cost you anything to leave it there.

Besides, you can get one of those golf ball launchers for it and impress and amaze your friends at the course!

I've got one and never even gave it a thought.

The Doc is out now.

Glenn Bartley · April 5, 2011, 11:21 PM

SAMCO Global Arms offers original Yugoslavian SKS Model 59 rifles. They were produced without the grenade launcher. Why not get one of those? Personally, I do not use SAMCO but I am unaware if anyone else has them.

http://www.samcoglobal.com/1-sks.html

Dr. Strangelove · April 5, 2011, 11:56 PM

Just sold my Yugo 59/66, it's a great gun, very pretty beechwood stock, but I just never really was all that "into it". It's just so heavy for the power of the cartridge.

I have a .308win, .270win. and 7mm Rem Mag that are all far lighter and are more powerful cartridges. Course I guess none of them have attached grenade launchers and folding bayonets, either...

...if I get pinned down next season by a squad of deer with heavy MG support, I'll be wishing I had that grenade launcher back....

They're great guns, milled receivers, trigger groups and receiver covers, it shoot well, I even won a club service rifle (you should have seen their faces) match with it, I just never could get "into it".

To answer the question, yes, you can remove the grenade launcher; but I'd buy something else before I went to that trouble. As someone else mentioned, you can launch golf balls from it, and that's pretty darn cool...

blkft1 · April 6, 2011, 04:00 PM

I removed my GL and installed a Rick Miller 9 port MuzzleBrake,been VERY happy with it.

http://brakes.ricksmuzzlebrakesandgu....com/index.htm

Danb1215 · April 6, 2011, 06:41 PM

Any reason to stay away from Samco Glenn? I was going to put an order in for the 59/66 shortly from them.

TX Hunter · April 7, 2011, 08:50 PM

I am using Samco, currently, and have in the past, they come up with some really great material. But to me they dont seem as friendly and helpfull when you call them to check on your order as SOG.
I have bought from SOG, and they get your order to you very quickly, but this time around Samco Global had the Rifle that I was looking for and SOG didnt.

cracked butt · April 8, 2011, 09:51 AM

Quote:

But to me they dont seem as friendly and helpfull when you call them to check on your order as SOG.

LOL. I know what you mean. The lady who takes the orders has a heavy latino (or maybe Fillipino??) accent and is very diffficult to talk to, but somehoow they do get the order right and do sell good stuff.

Glenn Bartley · April 9, 2011, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Any reason to stay away from Samco Glenn? I was going to put an order in for the 59/66 shortly from them.

I bought a couple of Yugos from them that were not in the condition advertised. In the long run, they took them back and gave me a refund but it was a hassle the way they handled it. I think the one they sent me as an exchange for the first one was in even worse condition as I recall.

March 25, 2011, 07:03 PM	#1
TX Hunter Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2010 Location: East Texas USA Posts: 1,805	Question about Yugo SKS? I have been looking at pictures of the Yugo SKS, and would like to own one, but do not necessarily like the grenade launcher on the end of the barrel. My question is, Can you remove it without damaging the barrel?

March 25, 2011, 07:30 PM	#2
ohen cepel Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 1999 Location: Where they send me Posts: 1,013	It was removed for Kali imports I think. Not sure if it messed up the barrel or not though. There is also a grenade sight on them and a gas valve that has to be dealt with if you take all of that off. I would say love it as it is or buy one from a different county. Cost of making it work/removing it may be too much to make sense. I know that the mass of the launcher is a pain but makes it real nice to shoot. __________________ He who dares wins. NRA Life Benefactor Member

March 26, 2011, 08:53 AM	#6
TGDKY Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2009 Posts: 135	Remove and replace with a tapco muzzle brake- functional and maintains the original look. __________________ ‘‘To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them...’’ “An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.”

March 26, 2011, 12:43 PM	#7
Gator Weiss Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2007 Posts: 117	You can remove it and turn the barrell on lathe or You can remove it and turn the barrell on a lathe to get a particular look. But it is not worth the cost or the time or the trouble. If you are looking for a light weight SKS to tromp through the brush with or to use as home defense or a truck gun, consider a Chinese. The Chinese is very light and many have a chrome chamber and bore. The chinese has a very light wood stock that in my opinion is superior to any plastic stock, because it is so light. I own a Chinese, and I use it to do light hunting or as a "truck gun" when I need one. Perfect in this role, because the gun is so light and shoots very well. I take care of it so future generations might enjoy it also. I own a Yugo I bought years ago in unfired condition. It has no chrome. The stock is much heavier and thicker than the chinese, and the gas valve and GL and GL sight make it longer and even heavier. The bayonet is the only part easy to remove from the barrell, really. The gas tube comes off easy enough for cleaning. It is solidly built to survive the handling of a bunch of Eastern block soldiers, more than it is to survive combat. It is a good infantry rifle, but that is all it is, really. I take care of it so future generations might enjoy it. I use the Yugo as a bench rifle, to sit in a chair and to fire at targets on the range. I turn off the gas valve sometimes and fire it like a repeater. Or I turn it on, and fire it semi automatic. I clean it immediately, while still on the range, and then I put it away. Groups well enough. Shoots well enough, but it is not a hunter's gun. It is an infantry rifle or a bench rifle. It is a pleasure to own and shoot. I take care of it so future generations will be able to enjoy it as well. I bought that chinese SKS for almost nothing, because there are so many of them in the country. It has a shorter barrell than the Yugo. I didnt have to do anything to it except clean it up, and fire it. I dont even have 200 bucks in the gun. I am not going to alter the Yugo. When I need a short SKS, I have the chinese model.

March 27, 2011, 04:30 PM	#10
P5 Guy Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2005 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 1,804	1959 Just get a 59 Yugo. The original issue was without the launcher. SAMCO has them and not much more than the 59/61.

March 25, 2011, 08:47 PM	#3
frick74 Member Join Date: March 7, 2011 Posts: 34	Its just pinned on, so, no damage. Leaves an ugly looking piece of barrel sticking out, much worse the the GL itself. Some, at least one of mine, have had holes placed around the perimeter of the GL at the very end, probably to act as a muzzle brake, or to disperse flash. Don't know exactly why, just that some have it, some don't.

March 25, 2011, 09:31 PM	#4
TX Hunter Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2010 Location: East Texas USA Posts: 1,805	Thanks I guess its something I could live with, The Yugos are supposed to be very good quality, and several of them are prestine.

March 26, 2011, 01:49 AM	#5
LarryNTX Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2010 Location: a little north of Dallas Posts: 124	G.L. removal. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting...move/index.asp

March 26, 2011, 04:07 PM	#8
chasep255 Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 727	I don't really know why you would want to take it off. I understand that most people really have no use for it but isn't it cool to be able to say that your gun has a grenade launcher.

March 26, 2011, 09:15 PM	#9
TX Hunter Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2010 Location: East Texas USA Posts: 1,805	I like the Idea of it being heavy duty, I like an overbuilt rifle, the grenade launcher just made it look overly long and unwieldy.

March 28, 2011, 07:52 AM	#11
OldShooter Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2006 Location: Maine Posts: 846	I once had a Yugo 59/66 but I didn't like the GL feature. It shot well but was heavier. I really wanted a 59 but couldn't find one locally. I sold it and found a nice Russian model 45. On the 59/66 be sure to clean the gas valve regularly, it can stick in one position and be very difficult to manipulate.

March 28, 2011, 08:13 AM	#12
stealintv Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2010 Location: south chi-town burbs Posts: 107	Get a Norinco. They are abundant, and at least around my area, cheaper than the Yugo. No GL to worry about, and as another had mentioned very light. Depending on your size, you may look into a stock butt pad extension. Not for recoil, but the SKS is very small and I find it difficult to hold (length of pull) with my 6'3" stature. Get the Chinese! These are great little rifles and everyone should own one. __________________ Concealed Carry in Illinois! The 50th state to recognize the Bill of Rights... www.illinoiscarry.com

March 28, 2011, 08:30 AM	#13
hornetguy Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2011 Location: on the north side of DFW Posts: 970	+1 on the Norinco. I've had mine for probably 15 years (am I getting THAT old?) or so... I think I paid about 90 bucks for it. I extended the stock by about 2" with a piece of maple from a tree I had to cut down from my front yard. The "chunks" sat out in the alley for a couple of years before I thought... "that's MAPLE"... and added it to the stock. Then I painted the stock black, just to aggravate the hoplophobes, as Col Cooper called them. It's been utterly dependable... NEVER has failed to go bang when the trigger is pulled. It's actually accurate enough for deer hunting out to at least 100yds, with my eyesight. I've taken two smaller hogs with it. I can't think of anytime I've had more fun for under a hundred bucks.

March 29, 2011, 11:51 AM	#14
AlphaAssault Member Join Date: May 12, 2010 Location: East Tx; Tx Hillcountry Posts: 50	My family has of the Yugo SKSs with the grenade attachment, and we like it. The size is certainly manageable, though there are smaller SKSs out there if size is the major consideration. The most notable thing about the Yugo SKS is its weight. It is not a light rifle. It weighs almost exactly as much as my full-length Turkish Mauser with a scope. Heavy for a carbine, but otherwise a very good rifle.

April 2, 2011, 12:44 AM	#15
Ignition Override Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Location: About 20 nm from the Big Muddy Posts: 2,884	The only extra precaution with my Norinco is that the wood is not as hard as the wood used on Yugos, Russians etc. It can be cut or scraped fairly easily. The only worn area is from pulling back the bolt (2,000 rounds) and rubbing the corner of the receiver. If you could find the Yugo series which has no GL (Samco?), that might be a nice option, as you could have the most solid SKS and a real bayonet. I've never seen this series (59?) in person at a shop or at the fifteen-twenty small shows attended in the last two/three years.

April 2, 2011, 03:23 AM	#16
goodspeed(TPF) Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2009 Location: WI Posts: 1,162	Easy as pie to remove the GL attachment and the front sight. Two pins to drive out. The GL attachment unscrews COUNTER CLOCKWISE and then the whole FS assembly can be pressed off the front of the rifle. I have done it with a BFG and a wooden dowel before but trust me when I say that the $25.00 spent on an automotive type gear puller is well worth it. Then you can cut and re-crown your barrel to 16" minimum length (most guys usually go to 16 1/4" just to be safe) and hone out the sight to fit back on the barrel. Re-pin the sight to the barrel (you may want to cut the whole front of the GL piece off the front of the sight to get a cleaner look) and drill a new hole for the pin. Reinsert the pin and off you go. Easy peasy. __________________ It's a trick. Get an axe. http://www.thepiratefleet.com/index.shtml

April 2, 2011, 08:46 AM	#17
DrLaw Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2007 Location: Wild Western Illinois Posts: 559	I would just leave it as is. Doesn't hurt anything. Looks better than a plain barrel, and doesn't cost you anything to leave it there. Besides, you can get one of those golf ball launchers for it and impress and amaze your friends at the course! I've got one and never even gave it a thought. The Doc is out now. __________________ General McAuliffe said it best "Nuts."

April 5, 2011, 11:21 PM	#18
Glenn Bartley Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2006 Posts: 283	SAMCO Global Arms offers original Yugoslavian SKS Model 59 rifles. They were produced without the grenade launcher. Why not get one of those? Personally, I do not use SAMCO but I am unaware if anyone else has them. http://www.samcoglobal.com/1-sks.html __________________ When I look in the mirror, I am happy to see, some of that nine year old boy, who used to be me. http://ballseyesboomers.blogspot.com/

April 5, 2011, 11:56 PM	#19
Dr. Strangelove Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2008 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 1,436	Just sold my Yugo 59/66, it's a great gun, very pretty beechwood stock, but I just never really was all that "into it". It's just so heavy for the power of the cartridge. I have a .308win, .270win. and 7mm Rem Mag that are all far lighter and are more powerful cartridges. Course I guess none of them have attached grenade launchers and folding bayonets, either... ...if I get pinned down next season by a squad of deer with heavy MG support, I'll be wishing I had that grenade launcher back.... They're great guns, milled receivers, trigger groups and receiver covers, it shoot well, I even won a club service rifle (you should have seen their faces) match with it, I just never could get "into it". To answer the question, yes, you can remove the grenade launcher; but I'd buy something else before I went to that trouble. As someone else mentioned, you can launch golf balls from it, and that's pretty darn cool... __________________ Just remember, when you pull the trigger, the bullets come out going very, very fast. So make sure to keep the weapon pointing away from you.

April 6, 2011, 04:00 PM	#20
blkft1 Member Join Date: July 19, 2008 Location: mesquite TX [God's country] Posts: 67	I removed my GL and installed a Rick Miller 9 port MuzzleBrake,been VERY happy with it. http://brakes.ricksmuzzlebrakesandgu....com/index.htm

April 6, 2011, 06:41 PM	#21
Danb1215 Junior Member Join Date: March 26, 2011 Posts: 9	Any reason to stay away from Samco Glenn? I was going to put an order in for the 59/66 shortly from them.

April 7, 2011, 08:50 PM	#22
TX Hunter Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2010 Location: East Texas USA Posts: 1,805	I am using Samco, currently, and have in the past, they come up with some really great material. But to me they dont seem as friendly and helpfull when you call them to check on your order as SOG. I have bought from SOG, and they get your order to you very quickly, but this time around Samco Global had the Rifle that I was looking for and SOG didnt.