SKS--What would you do?

[bblr]

So 14 years ago I bought a Yugo SKS. It was completely covered in cosmoline. I took it all apart and began cleaning everything. I had most of the small parts in a bucket ready for cleaning, as I got time. Then I went to work, and my wife decided to clean the garage. AND she threw the contents of the bucket away. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the mistake until after the city emptied my garbage can. Being in CA, I figured I'd keep what I had left (basically the receiver) and someday figure out what to do with it. So, fast forward to today. I'm ready to finally get this thing shooting again or get rid of it completely. I don't know much about SKS's, so any advice is appreciated. First off, should I even bother? I purchased it way before the long gun registration, so that's something to think about. Should I sell it to fund another complete gun? What's a reasonable price to pay for parts if I decide to fix it? Can I use any (Chinese, Russian, etc...) SKS parts, or do I need to specifically get Yugo parts? Thanks for your help.

Edit: The serial number is C-419XX, if that helps.

Here's what I still have:

[nrakid88]

Man....

That sucks.

I don't really have advice for you, although I feel for you. I can't imagine what it would have felt like to find out that most of the rifle was in a land fill.

I don't know what parts availability is going to be like... but if you can find the parts and not be in it for more than a replacement rifle would cost, make sure you research what to check as far as safety or pay a gunsmith to check the head-spacing and what not.

[Tank 57]

Personally, I don't think you have enough of it left to be worth the effort.

[nrakid88]

I am sure you have heard of Midway and Brownells as gunsmithing suppliers... something of this magnitude would need you to look to Numrich, Northridge, Ebay and the Marketplace on Calguns and a SKS forum.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/search#query=SKS

Look for deals or you will be in it for more than the rifle is worth.

[Featureless]

I would check Numrich. They have a schematic with a parts list. I'd start there.

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/search#query=yugo%20sks

[thetruecheese]

ill give you 100 bucks

[Milsurp1]

Keep it.

[Guns and guitars]

Everyone is different but Ive found that parting and piecing together old milsurp guns over a period of time is the greatest mind calmer there is.

I recently got a California Chinese SKS that was missing parts and had an illegal folder on it. I took it back to its glory by using the internet and finding each part.
I purchased a nice vintage SKS poster with a blow up of all the parts, put it on the wall above my work bench and hit the net. Within a month it was beautiful again.
Then it was a FAL, Then a Daewoo, Now another FAL...

Lets just say I have a lot of posters these days.

Fix it up, learn about the different arsenals that made them, then if you still decide to sell at least it will be worth something.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

Allow me to weigh in as a collector and avid shooter of SKS rifles.

KEEP IT.

It won't be that hard to find all the missing parts. It will take little to no fitting to make everything work properly. Other than checking headspace, everything is pretty much drop in.

The only real bad news here is that your SKS parts gun looks like it was a Yugo M59. That model (pre- 59/66) is in my opinion the best of the SKS variants and my personal favorite.

I would try to find all Yugo parts if possible. Bolts, bolt carriers, trigger assemblies and magazines from a 59/66 should work. The 59 does not have the GL assembly and all the extra related parts on a 59/66 so you can skip all that.

An option is to look for a bubba'd SKS and strip all the donor parts from it. It is well worth the effort.

[toiletfighter]

I’d keep it OP. Sounds like a fun little project.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

As a bonus, Yugo SKS rifles are not all serialized matching like other variants. In many cases the top cover and magazine have lot numbers only so matching numbers is an irrelevant concept here.

[bblr]

If I was in any other state but CA I probably would have sold it long ago. CA makes being a gun owner very difficult. I tried joining an SKS forum, but I’m still waiting for the mods to approve my membership.

[audiophil2]

I have a few yugo 59/66 guns with damaged barrels and stocks. I can strip one down and sell the parts you need. send me a pm with a list of the parts you need.

[blackrat]

Finding the parts will be easy. Load up a few tabs with numrich, desert fox sales, apex, ebay, etc, and load up some carts with what you'll need. You'll find some big variations on price but you should be able to put that together for less than $100.

[Bart1015]

I would keep it and look for a parts kit like this:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/804290944

Brett