Long and funny story about a great deal i just got on a rifle purchase (lots of pics)

[bhhacker]

Being out in the "boonies" of Juneau Alaska, I dont get the volume of cool stuff that I used to see in local gun stores and from people that I used to when I lived in Texas, so when I got a bite on a WTB ad I put up for an sks I was intrigued.


Today I had just sold my 12 gauge shotgun (RIA m5) and had made a little money off of it. I didnt gouge the man, i just got a really good deal on it for black friday, but anyways, I ended up setting up a meeting with a man about an sks. He wanted some money for an 870 and I wanted a rugged fun gun...i figured we could work something out.


I show up to his shop to find that he is a Russian man and a little sauced. He apparently works on high end sports cars and me and his mechanics talked shop. (I just so happen to work on my own toys and fit right in with everyone)

So we start talking guns and he shows me the rifle. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not a Norinco but instead a Yugo. The yugo holds a special place in my heart as one of them was the first rifle i purchased when i turned 21.

I look at this thing and its in pretty good condition. Its not dinged up or anything and im not seeing any glaringly obvious red flags of it being beat up. I do however, smell two strong odors...one being his breath...he smelled like Robert Downey Junior on New Years Eve and two...the reek of cosmoline.

As i check first to make sure that it is unloaded and start looking this gun over and breaking it down i notice that this thing has a decent amount of cosmoline on it...as in its internals have a ton, and externally theres a little bit showing in obvious places so I ask him whens the last time that hes shot it.

He says that he got it on century arms a few years ago and paid to have it hand selected. He never fired it because it was in such good condition and that he kept it stored away until now.

I kinda shook my head in agreement but at that time I was thinking to myself "this guy is full of it" Im sure that its been fired before as its a C&R Rifle and I just couldnt imagine someone having this rifle and NOT shooting it. I see that all numbers match except for one, on the rear reciever which is not a biggie for me, but some people care. I want a shooter and it was not too big a deal to me.


So we move on to the bore. I bring my light and i hate to sound like a girl but "Oh Em Gee" it was crisp...it was shiny...it looked brand spanking new.

Ok Joe, Poker face...now onto the price...I asked him how much he wanted. He says 350$. I Havent been able to find a Norinco thats been to hades and back around here for less than 400$

I agreed that was a fair price, money exchanged hands, and then we shook with an invitation to come back to the shop any time on the weekends to shoot the proverbial poo and to check out a really fancy car they were supposed to have in the garage in 2 weeks.

So this is all during my lunch hour so i pack it into my trunk, haul butt back to work and finish my shift.

I get home and tear this bad boy apart. Wow. Its a lot easier than I remembered to break down! I am a little more experienced in my "old" age of 26. I remembered it taking all sorts of weird, rigged tools to break my old one down before...I dont even want to tell you guys what I used because its embarrassing.

Anyways, i break her down and I see that all the internals have got a good amount of cosmoline in them....a blessing and a curse because i was specifically looking to get an already run through sks because its a real ordeal cleaning these bad boys and i didnt particularly feel the urge to do it again!

I look at the piston and am speechless. This things internals are immaculate. In such good condition that i...of course...have taken photos to show off and tell you guys.

I am pretty certain that I have walked out with an unissued Yugo SKS in very good to excellent condition with a crisp, shiny bore, for 350$


Not as good as when i first bought mine for 200$ 5 years ago but you know what? Ill take that...especially up in Alaska where EVERYTHING is expensive.


Ok, Heres what you guys wanted and I will reward you for reading this long story. Pics are below...

























So now I have a project...to get all that darn cosmo off my shooter!

 

[crazyjennyblack]

Nice! Just keep muttering to yourself "Cosmoline is my friend" as you clean it, and thank the God who invented the sticky goo, because that's how it got to you rust-free!

Enjoy your find! I, too, had an SKS at one point. It was a Russian made one, and I had a dumb moment and sold it. Kinda wish I hadn't, but I was strapped for cash and someone offered me $450 for a gun I paid $200 for....

 

[Snowdog]

Last month, I also had the pleasure of stripping off the cosmoline on a M59/66 sold to me by a buddy who looked down his nose at it as it was not an AK. I paid an even $200 for mine, though I did have to steam out some dents and sand here and there.

The metal was perfect though, thanks to the goo acclaimed by crazyjennyblack. It's foul, but I'm thankful for it.

I used a combination of a heat gun and a degreaser to remove the cosmo. I've been told steamers work well, but I can't help but think that would increase the mess factor, which is already quite high enough.

 

[bhhacker]

Heat gun is a good idea! Ill have to borrow one from my work.


Googling the best way to strip the internal parts right now. Figure theres a solvent or such that i can just drop parts in overnight.

 

[Red Tornado]

Just drop the metal parts in some mineral spirits for a few minutes and the cosmo will come right off.

Some people just boil them to get it off, it melts at a low temperature, IIRC around 120 degrees.

Dishwashers work, apparently, but I never wanted to subject my dishwasher to that gunk.

In the south, a common method of de-cosmo-ing a stock is to wrap it in paper towels and put it in a black garbage bag and lay it in the back window of your car. Melts it right out and the paper towels absorb it. Unfortunately, that probably wont' be too effective in your locale.
RT

 

[juk]

I used kerosene to clean "the goo" from a pair of 91/30s. It worked very well.

 

[mac66]

Congrats on the new gun. I was laughing at myself for having sticker shock on a $350 SKS! Times certainly have changed.

Here's a tip I learned after having to clean dozens of old mil surplus guns. Boil a big pot of water. While you are waiting for it to boil, strip the gun down and fetch a bucket.

Get the grill off your bar b q grill and put it over the bucket. You can also use wire screen or mesh. Lay out the parts and carefully pour the boiling water over the parts without scolding yourself. The water will melt the cosmoline off and the heat will dry the metal. All the goop goes down into the bucket. It is fast and easy and no chemicals needed. For the barreled action, just prop it up in the bucket and pour the water down it.

 

[happygeek]

Stuff must be more expensive up in Alaska, I got a like new Yugo SKS from Classic Arms last year for $300. Course with shipping I paid $325 to my door, so.

If you're married you can use your wife's blow drier to get the cosmoline to come off easier.

 

[pseudonymity]

That last pic sent a bit of a shiver down my spine - I recommend punching out the firing pin retaining pin and soaking that bolt in mineral spirits and chasing it out with brake cleaner. No such thing as a firing pin channel that is too clean in a SKS (IMO).

For the important question - how is the trigger? Some are almost decent without much work, but some SKS triggers are just down right terrible.

 

[bainter1212]

Nice rifle! I actually enjoy the ritual of cleaning the cosmoline out of an old warhorse and discovering how clean and new everything looks underneath. My method is as such: boil a big pot of water. Fill two seperate pans with the boiling water, add a half cup of concentrated simple green to one of the pans. Soak all metal parts in the pan with the simple green. The cosmoline will float to the top. Scrub all parts to get off any baked on crud. Rinse all parts in the other pan. Spray all parts down with birchwood casey rust barricade or your favorite gun lube to displace any remaining water. Good luck!
P.S. +1 on making sure that firing pin channel is clean. Want to avoid slamfires.

 

[bhhacker]

OH BOY...I had a bit of an adventure today while cleaning this she devil!

I hadve a decent sized stock pot and filled her with water, waited for the rolling boil and broke down the sks, dropped all the metal parts in there and what a nice smell that was!

I pulled them out but the bolt was still nasty so it is currently sitting in a pot for mineral spirits and has been cleaning up quite nicely.

I am glad i chose a cheapish pot to have done this all in as its kind of a bear to clean all the cosmo thats stuck to the sides of the stock pot i used to boil the stuff in!

I used a hair dryer to melt excess cosmo on the stock and upper reciver. It has a little bit but nothing too serious i think. Once the bolt freely rattles i will go take it test shooting.

Everything looks pristine and i am super excited. Its funny to revisit an old gun that you used to own and be able to handle it so differently. I broke this down quickly and was surprised at how easy it was since t was so daunting when i first played with one.

I even scraped away at the phosphorous paint and the big front sight has a bit of glow.


Ive been looking around for glow in the dark paint that holds the glow for some time, went to glow inc .com and got excited at their paint until it was time to check out and they are wanting 34$ for shipping a half ounce of glow in the dark paint (7$) is what they are charging.


Sometimes i hate living in Alaska. Shipping is rediculous