[Gizord1]

I have a Yugo SKS with a U series serial number. This means it was from 1984, near the end of the cold war. I have read that if it was made before 1974 there's a good chance it was issued in the war with Bosnia. I also read that when they were imported in large numbers, a few years back, the crates came with log books of each SKS's status, issue date, etc. Unfortunately, these books were lost or discarded. Is there anyway to tell if my SKS rifle was issued or not?
I know it went through 2, and possibly 3 owners before me, when I got it, it had the same ATI fiberglass stock on it, that it does now. It still has the original bayonet and grenade launcher. However, upon closer inspection, the bolt and bolt carrier are the same serial number, but not the same as the original SKS. They are the only non original parts, besides the stock.

[JonM]

Otherthan having the original documents of origin, nope. But a detailed inspection of parts and a very good throat erosion and muzzle erosion gaging will tell roughly how much its been used. You can tell right off if its been counterbored as the first 2 inches of rifling at the muzzle will be totally gone and it will look like a smoothbore in that section. If thats the case its been shot so much that someone at some point bored it out to restore some accuracy.

Counter boring is all to common in sks, m1 garands m1 carbines 1903 springfields and some models of mosin 91/30 especially the m44's

[Gizord1]

Originally Posted by JonM

Otherthan having the original documents of origin, nope. But a detailed inspection of parts and a very good throat erosion and muzzle erosion gaging will tell roughly how much its been used. You can tell right off if its been counterbored as the first 2 inches of rifling at the muzzle will be totally gone and it will look like a smoothbore in that section. If thats the case its been shot so much that someone at some point bored it out to restore some accuracy.

Quite possibly so. It did have two previous owners, I know of, not counting the Yugoslavian army.

[Mosin]

I got lucky. My Mosin bayonet had a Nazi head still attached to it. I'm pretty sure it was used in ww2.
Check your bayonet for a skull, or possibly a helmet.

[Gizord1]

Originally Posted by Mosin

I got lucky. My Mosin bayonet had a Nazi head still attached to it. I'm pretty sure it was used in ww2.
Check your bayonet for a skull, or possibly a helmet.

Oh dang, there was a skull on it! Thanks!
I made it into a coffee mug

[orangello]

Pics?

Have you checked out the firing pin area for built-up crud & condition? They have been known to get crudded into firing position, potentially causing a slamfire situation. They sell a spring-equipped model to help avoid the problem.

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/firing-pins/sks-enhanced-firing-pin-prod24637.aspx

[hq357]

Originally Posted by Gizord1

Oh dang, there was a skull on it! Thanks!
I made it into a coffee mug

A real nazi head? What dies he mean??

[Gizord1]

Originally Posted by orangello

Pics?

Have you checked out the firing pin area for built-up crud & condition? They have been known to get crudded into firing position, potentially causing a slamfire situation. They sell a spring-equipped model to help avoid the problem.

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/bolt-parts/firing-pins/sks-enhanced-firing-pin-prod24637.aspx

I have had 4 slam fires, and my pin is worn
I need to get another. I am debating whether to get an aftermarket spring pin or a factory pin. They are almost the same price. I could prolly sill shoot it, but I have read other peoples blog about the same problem. Most said that they had a lot of FTFs (which mine has been doin for awhile), and eventually, a cartridge would not seat in full battery or break off in the chamber. One guy said that a cartridge got stuck in his, and explode when he tried to work on it.

[Gizord1]

Originally Posted by hq357

A real nazi head? What dies he mean??

It seems there was a complete skull on it that I completely missed! I made it into a coffee mug, that you pour in through the eye socket, and drink it from the cranium.

[SSGN_Doc]

The easiest way that you used to be able to tell was to have the original stock with carved grafitti in it. Then you knew for sure.