Yugoslav 59/66

[rufrdr]

Did any of the mint condition Yugoslav 59/66 SKS carbines make their way to the UK? I picked this one up over the weekend. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet as I need to clean out some residual cosmoline first. All I have to shoot is steel case Tula ball and one box of S&B brass case. We'll see how she shoots when I hit the range on Wednesday.

[AL8]

thats in beautiful condition, sadly we cant have semi's

[WelshShooter]

I didn't realise the Yugoslavian's made SKS rifles. Must've been made around the same time as the M48 rifles, if the model number represents 1956?

[rufrdr]

I thought some might have made it as straight-pulls or deactivated.

The SKS was made in Yugoslavia in the traditional pattern and as the 59/66. The Yugoslav Army was big on rifle grenades, thus the grenade launcher and sight added to the usual SKS pattern.

[WelshShooter]

Forgot to mention that the wood looks lovely! Please let us know how well she shoots.

I know that LufDefTech (spelling?) made a short run of straight pull SKS rifles, and if memory serves there were only two imported to the UK until production ceased, for whatever reason.

I'm sure snayperskaya will be along to gloat about the "superior" Russian original compared with this

[snayperskaya]

Forgot to mention that the wood looks lovely! Please let us know how well she shoots.

I know that LufDefTech (spelling?) made a short run of straight pull SKS rifles, and if memory serves there were only two imported to the UK until production ceased, for whatever reason.

I'm sure snayperskaya will be along to gloat about the "superior" Russian original compared with this

Yugo SKS variants are very good.....and you are correct in that there is only two LDT straight pull SKS's in the UK, they didn't produce more due to a difficulty in obtaining rifles from Russia due to the sanctions imposed and the fact they can sell them as semi-auto in much of Europe with less palaver.

[snayperskaya]

I thought some might have made it as straight-pulls or deactivated.

The SKS was made in Yugoslavia in the traditional pattern and as the 59/66. The Yugoslav Army was big on rifle grenades, thus the grenade launcher and sight added to the usual SKS pattern.

They are available deactivated

The grenade launching spigot and grenade launching sight on the Yugo SKS variant are very effective and they featured a gas block cut off that allowed the grenade to be launched with a blank cartridge and a similar set up was used on the M70 AK variants which had a flip up sight that doubled as a gas port cut off.

The Chinese also produced the SKS, the Type 56 carbine, and due to the difference between Russian and Chinese infantry doctrine the Chinese issued roughly four SKS for every one AK, which incidentally was called the Type 56 rifle.A great many Soviet SKS' were put into storage pretty much as soon as they were produced as serial production of the AK had begun and it was officially accepted into service in the early part of 1949.The Chinese also experimented with a stamped receiver in an attempt to save weight and speed up production compared to the usual milled receiver.

As well as China and Yugoslavia the SKS design was also licensed to,or rifles supplied to Albania, North Korea, North Vietnam, East Germany, Romania and Poland.The Polish variants were refurbed Soviet rifles

[rufrdr]

This came with it. Appears to be a maintenance log. The Yugo M59 SKS I owned previously had an actual small book for the same purpose with various Ordnance inspections recorded in it.

[AL8]

thats cool

[mowdy]

I once saw one go full auto in Croatia when I was hunting there a few years back.
A lot of the locals still have them and use them when driving wild boars to the standing guns