Mine is about 3000 after yours, and seems to be the same type of wood, sawn the same way. Mine appears to have an amber shellac vs the garnet yours appears to sport though...and much less of it left.
It seems as if they took a different approach to every tree they encountered maximizing board feet in ways that created some very neat grain patterns. Unfortunately, it seems by luck of the grain, some seem more prone to cracking than other nationalities tend to. I haven't seen one cut quite like Pho's beauty here.
I just feel lucky to have one, local shops are not milsurp rich. Mine sat for nearly two years after I had seen it before I could pick it up. I must be fortunate to live in a SKS collector area that is not highly populated. I still haven't been able to bring myself to clean the cosmoline out of it yet. I just look at her...all sloppy. I am sure I will soon though...she deserves it.
Beautiful acquisition there Phos32. Let me know if you need a proper cleaning kit for it...I have a couple spare Yugo kits.
I don't think mine is shellacked. It doesn't have the look or feel of shellac. I agree that they probably focused on maximizing board feet. More on that in my response to FC's post.
Hey thanks for the offer. I was fortunate that this one came with a cleaning kit in the stock.
That's amazing that an SKS sat in a shop for 2 years! I generally stop in at my LGS weekly just to see if they've received any new consignment or traded milsurps
The shop is located in a very difficult to see and get to location in a section of town called Malfunction Junction. They have no real name as far as I can tell, just a modestly sized sign that says GUNS.
They had FIVE SKSs when I went in, a pristine 59/66a1 and a few Chinese...I think it is primarily consignment, and someone who invested in SKSs is getting out of them.
There was a hard luck 59/66a1 there with the launcher removed but retaining the ladder....listed as Russian, I corrected them. It is priced $125 more than I got the intact M59 for.