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Old October 17, 2017, 07:00 PM   #1
Dragline45
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Yugo SKS

Just showing off my new Yugo SKS. I had picked up a Yugo a little while ago that was supposed to be unissued, which turned out not to be, and ended up sending that one back. I found a shop near me that had ordered a few creates of unissued Yugo SKS's and was able to pick one up. I also tracked down about 30 unissued Soviet era Russian stripper clips and an unissued grenade adapter. This rifle also has the ported grenade launcher so it also acts as a compensator which I was hoping id get and aren't as common as the standard launcher.

This thing was heavily soaked in cosmoline, and while getting it off the metal parts was hard enough, getting the cosmoline that absorbed into the stock was a nightmare. I got most of it out by soaking it in my tub and pouring in pans of boiling water, I then wrapped it in a thick wet towel and went over it with an iron to pull the rest of the cosmoline out. I am happy to say the rifle is rid of all traces of cosmoline and no longer stinks up my gun safe. I finished it off with a light sanding since the stock was pretty rough and rubbed it down in boiled linseed oil.

Edit: I am well aware sanding the stock and rubbing it in linseed oil destroyed the collectors value and knew that going into it. I didn't buy this rifle as a collectors item, I bought it to be a useable 7.62 rifle that I plan to shoot the crap out of.


Last edited by Dragline45; October 17, 2017 at 08:30 PM.
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Old October 17, 2017, 07:14 PM   #2
mellow_c
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Wow! Sounds like a lot of good hard work, and a very nice and complete package to show off and enjoy as a result! Thanks for sharing.

I'd have been scared to do everything you said you did to clean up the stock, but it sounds like it worked well and gave you a good final result.
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Old October 17, 2017, 07:21 PM   #3
Model12Win
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By sanding it and refinishing it with linseed oil, you effectively destroyed its provenance and collectors value.

But it does look sharp, and if that kind of thing isn't important to you, will still make a great shooter. I had one and found it poorly balanced but they are reliable and durable guns for sure.
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Old October 17, 2017, 08:11 PM   #4
Dragline45
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Quote:
By sanding it and refinishing it with linseed oil, you effectively destroyed its provenance and collectors value.
I knew that going into it and didn't buy it to be a collectors item. I plan to shoot the crap out of this thing and care far more about having a nicer finish on the stock than a rough smelly cosmoline soaked original rifle
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Old October 17, 2017, 08:31 PM   #5
marine6680
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It looks good... Collector value or no.

I might have went with a darker look to the wood, but the lighter color does contrast with the black of the metal nicely.
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Old October 17, 2017, 08:38 PM   #6
Dragline45
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Quote:
I might have went with a darker look to the wood, but the lighter color does contrast with the black of the metal nicely.
I had thought about it but really didn't want to stain it, the linseed oil brings out the natural color of the wood while giving it a non-glossy protective finish.

Last edited by Dragline45; October 17, 2017 at 08:43 PM.
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Old October 18, 2017, 12:36 AM   #7
Model12Win
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragline45 View Post
I knew that going into it and didn't buy it to be a collectors item. I plan to shoot the crap out of this thing and care far more about having a nicer finish on the stock than a rough smelly cosmoline soaked original rifle
I respect that.

Keep the gas port clean and you should have an awesome plinker/hunter gun with an inexpensive and proven cartridge and can certainly be pressed into a defensive role if needed. Also Czech "BXN" marked clips are available and are superb.
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Old October 19, 2017, 12:37 AM   #8
Ignition Override
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That wood color catches our attention.
If you ever want to try what might also work on that wood, possibly Minwax mahogany.

It improved the bland colors in my only Romanian AK, an SAR-1 with the exact same type of stock seen on older WASR 10/63s.

In only two thin layers with one or two polyester layers added, the mahogany added a bit of reddish tint to the unappealing wood.
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Old October 21, 2017, 05:59 AM   #9
dean1818
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Looks good!

Its your gun. Dont worry about what others think about cleaning up the stock

I did the same work on my Yugo 24/47 mauser. And a bit more. It was worth almost nothing before I did the work, and worth almost nothing after I did the work. 20 years from now, I dont see it being worth much more.

But it now shoots into very small groups
And looks MUCH better

The war Mausers, I wouldnt touch, they ARE a collectors item

With the AKs, they just keep getting pumped out in large volumes, I just dont get the sense that they are going to be a collectors item in any way like other "war" rifles

But I could be wrong.
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Last edited by dean1818; October 21, 2017 at 06:05 AM.
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Old October 21, 2017, 06:43 AM   #10
Skarekrow88
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Quote:
I had picked up a Yugo a little while ago that was supposed to be unissued, which turned out not to be, and ended up sending that one back.
Where did you order your first one from?

I ordered mine from Classic Firearms and paid $399.99 plus the $20 hand select fee which turned out to be worth it considering what I read about others who didn't opt for it. Every inch of metal on mine is immaculate and the wood hardly has a fault. The only cosmoline was on the metal and wasn't too much of a pain to remove with mineral spirits and a rag.



Quote:
This rifle also has the ported grenade launcher so it also acts as a compensator which I was hoping id get and aren't as common as the standard launcher.
Any chance we can get a pic of that?
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