A couple of Yugo SKS questions?

[Stryker]

Bought a Yugo SKS this past week - nice condition overall and got the chance to clean it up this weekend

Had a couple of questions on some things I discovered while cleaning the SKS

After getting the cosmo out, the barrel didn't take too much effort to clean and in fact had no GSR after running a brush and patches through. The barrel is bright and shiny and the bluing on the outside looks newer than that of the receiver.

Wondering if it had a new barrel put onto it before it was put into cosmoline? It's what I am thinking.

The barrel is stamped with a 183

And the parts (trigger, bolt group, rear sight, receiver, etc) have a '183' that was hand engraved into it
The bolt was definitely cleaned better later

So would that be a new barrel where the 183 was to confirm that the parts were headspaced and tested with a new barrel?

2nd question:

The rear sight block looks to have had some previous engraving or stamped info engraved off - any thoughts as to what would have been here and why it would have been removed?

Thanks for any insight on this!

 

[enbloc]

You should find many other locations of "183" electro-penciled on an all-matching rifle.
It's the last-three digits of its serial number. If you find a bunch of other numbers, not ending in "183" it is a mix master.

As to the grinding, that may simply be rough machining.

~Matt

 

[Stryker]

Actually all of the parts are also stamped with its serial number of 686464 but have the 183 engraved as well

 

[enbloc]

Electro-Penciled/stamped after Arsenal Refurb?
All my SKS's have matching numbers to the receiver.
SKS Ray will have the dope.

 

[Stryker]

Electro-Penciled/stamped after Arsenal Refurb?
All my SKS's have matching numbers to the receiver.
SKS Ray will have the dope.

I think so - here is another example - shot of the trigger group with the SN stamp and the electropenciled 183

 

[enbloc]

Do the sights have what looks like glow-in-the-dark paint on them? (front will flip up)
You may have to clean the cosmo out of them to see the phospor.
If so, it is most likely a 55/66-A1

I had a link to this data but can't find it.
When I do, I'll post it.

~Matt

 

[enbloc]

http://yooperj.com/SKS-24.htm

Could be a 1984 if it has a "U" in front of serial number on receiver and would be an -A1.