yugo 59/66 refinishing.

[Kerplow]

though i have been scoffed at in the past for suggesting this i still don't think its a terrible idea considering the rifle has doubled in value since i purchased it. I don't plan on selling it any time soon and i kick myself for letting it get ugly every time i take it out of the safe.

has anyone completely refinished their 59/66? the blue is rusting in certain areas, mainly the magazine, and the bolt carrier has become ugly with rust. anyone have any suggestions for cleaning up the bolt carrier? i tried scotch bright and some penetrating oil but it did not clean it up as well as I'd hoped.

[johnthomas]

I don't have pics to share right now but I have done many. For the metal I use the birchwood casey gun blue. I scrub the metal with 0000 steel wool, liquid soap and comet or ajax with warm water. Dry with a hair dryer, using rubber gloves, degrease with alcohol. Using clean gloves and a clean cloth, small cotton rag patch, I rub the blue working it in.
Wash with warm water and soap with 000 steel wool, no ajax, dry, degrease and do it again, I usually do it 4 times. You won't know how it looks until you oil it.
For the stock I use the birchwood casey tru oil, 12 hand rubbed coats, very high gloss. If your interested in that process let me know.
For the die hards that think this is ruining the guns, they are mine not yours.

[stitchnicklas]

your gun...

reblue,refinish the stock,polish and treat the bolt,do anything you want.anyone that has a problem with it needs therapy .just remember have fun and keep it shooting...

[Interloper]

though i have been scoffed at in the past for suggesting this i still don't think its a terrible idea considering the rifle has doubled in value since i purchased it. I don't plan on selling it any time soon and i kick myself for letting it get ugly every time i take it out of the safe.

Well there you go right there. If the monetary value of the rifle is a consideration then refinishing it is out of the question.
To clean up the metal parts use bronze wool and oil. You'll remove the rust without harming the blue. If you've used scotch brite already then it's probably a lost cause.

[Kerplow]

Well, there's two schools of though in that regard. If the gun became super collectable and highly valued then I could definitely understand the theory behind keeping I original. If the gun remains as it is now, an affordable semi auto C&R that has seen sub substantial rise in value but still not considered a "collectors item," then it make make sense to refinish. The kind of person who would buy an sks at this point is not you're serious collector, but, rather, a shooter who may be willing to pay a lil more for a rifle that doesn't look like its been through hell and back. Really, I just want to clean up the few parts that look neglected.

Well there you go right there. If the monetary value of the rifle is a consideration then refinishing it is out of the question.
To clean up the metal parts use bronze wool and oil. You'll remove the rust without harming the blue. If you've used scotch brite already then it's probably a lost cause.

[the foot]

Hey the SKS will not develop into a valuable antique weapon in your lifetime. However, it is a great gun to shoot and will give great satisfaction. Blue it, do whatever you want to with it. It's your gun, made to shoot, made to be of use to you, so fix it up in a way that will be the least problem for a shooter.

Main thing is rust. Reblue, oil the crap out of parts, whatever it takes to keep that SKS a shooter.

[Flyin Brian]

bluing or bling ?

or send it out to the local chrome shop and turn it into one of those "parade rifles". j/k