M59 stock refinished?

[Larry D.]

It's a looker for sure, but it seems a bit pricey.

Are they typically running that high now?

[Greasemonkey]

I think if it was a concern, the importer would not have sold it.. I would not discount anything when it comes to the Yugoslavians. They reused as much as they could.

It's a looker for sure, but it seems a bit pricey.

Are they typically running that high now?

for a Yugo M59.. thats about normal pricing, it may be a the high side, but with the bore it has, I'd say it's normal. Some had rough bores. The M59 will also carry a higher price than the M59/66s.

[Bob_The_Student]

I'll post more photos later just got home from work.  And the price has dropped and not cause of anything good!

[Bob_The_Student]

Here's photos.... mag just has part no on it so not shown.

[Justin Hell]

Were there any stampings on the bayonet, or any components? Or is it staked?

I ask because that is the nicest looking M59 bayonet I have ever seen. They usually are very dark, and kind of blotchy....almost like you used them to stir up a campfire.

I just checked mine, and it is staked, but I didn't see any stampings or anything....not that I think they do them...I was just curious, your camera sees better than my eyes.

I did notice though, the bluing on the handle doesn't quite match the plum-like color the rest of the gun has...at least in current lighting. So if you notice that, I wouldn't necessarily think it was replaced....but it is kind of unusual for that to be so, well...silver.

Very sweet gun though...and not so easy to stumble across.

I dunno about the serial, but those closeups make it look as if they used a stencil guide for an electro pencil, rather than stamping. I will have to see in better lighting if mine appears like that too.  Perhaps whoever did it just oopsied and covered it as best they could?

[Bob_The_Student]

Were there any stampings on the bayonet, or any components? Or is it staked?

I ask because that is the nicest looking M59 bayonet I have ever seen. They usually are very dark, and kind of blotchy....almost like you used them to stir up a campfire.

I just checked mine, and it is staked, but I didn't see any stampings or anything....not that I think they do them...I was just curious, your camera sees better than my eyes.

I did notice though, the bluing on the handle doesn't quite match the plum-like color the rest of the gun has...at least in current lighting. So if you notice that, I wouldn't necessarily think it was replaced....but it is kind of unusual for that to be so, well...silver.

Very sweet gun though...and not so easy to stumble across.

I dunno about the serial, but those closeups make it look as if they used a stencil guide for an electro pencil, rather than stamping. I will have to see in better lighting if mine appears like that too.  Perhaps whoever did it just oopsied and covered it as best they could?

Justin I have photos above look at (from top down I'm counting) photo 14, 16, 18 and 19. If you need more photos let me know. There is another photo on page 1 of OP also.

So someone stated the bolt carrier belongs to a 59/66 is that the part number up top or production number? 

[Greasemonkey]

It is a later carrier, thats what the top number is... the p/n is in the groove 0-00.022

The bayonet can have inspection marks....I have one that does, I just need to go find it.

The serial on the receiver is pretty interesting. My "C" is stamped, the "B" I'm not sure, but think it's stamped, your receiver could be a replacement. I think Yugoslavia kept tabs on serials very closely, and reused the serial as needed as things like receivers wore/got damaged.

[Justin Hell]

Cool, so it is indeed an M59 bayonet and staked no less...weird that it is so nice looking. Considering all the cosmo, I doubt someone cleaned that up all by it's lonesome. Part of what makes an M59 so easy to spot is the grungy looking bayonet finish....which I was under the impression was how they were issued.

Wouldn't it be interesting if this was originally an M59, later upgraded to a 59/66A1, and then later 'downgraded' for lack of a better term back to an M59? Not having chrome lined barrels, a barrel replacement could easily shed the night sight trappings.  The bolt carrier could be the original, and shows the shaving of the stripper guide to allow for the night sights. By the time the 59/66s came along, the bayonets were finished nicely with the silver matte...like yours.  The fact that it is staked might indicate the FSB was reverted back to an original type and an original bayonet was finished in the current fashion at the time. It seems unlikely they would have left the bayonet on during a refurb of the bayonet itself...unless you can see indications the stake was disturbed, and they simply used the same screw.  Yours is about 6k rifles older than mine...which is staked, and looks like it was used in the coal mining industry.    Metal wise, mine is in similar condition as yours...you certainly win in the furniture dept. 

I don't have enough experience with these to say the least, but that bayonet finish has me scratchin' my head. I would be interested to see if anyone else has an M59 with one finished like the later ones.

[running-man]

Cool, so it is indeed an M59 bayonet and staked no less...weird that it is so nice looking. Considering all the cosmo, I doubt someone cleaned that up all by it's lonesome. Part of what makes an M59 so easy to spot is the grungy looking bayonet finish....which I was under the impression was how they were issued.

Wouldn't it be interesting if this was originally an M59, later upgraded to a 59/66A1, and then later 'downgraded' for lack of a better term back to an M59? Not having chrome lined barrels, a barrel replacement could easily shed the night sight trappings.  The bolt carrier could be the original, and shows the shaving of the stripper guide to allow for the night sights. By the time the 59/66s came along, the bayonets were finished nicely with the silver matte...like yours.  The fact that it is staked might indicate the FSB was reverted back to an original type and an original bayonet was finished in the current fashion at the time. It seems unlikely they would have left the bayonet on during a refurb of the bayonet itself...unless you can see indications the stake was disturbed, and they simply used the same screw.  Yours is about 6k rifles older than mine...which is staked, and looks like it was used in the coal mining industry.    Metal wise, mine is in similar condition as yours...you certainly win in the furniture dept. 

I don't have enough experience with these to say the least, but that bayonet finish has me scratchin' my head. I would be interested to see if anyone else has an M59 with one finished like the later ones.

Man you lost me at your "Wouldn't it be interesting" line.  Why would the yugos upgrade an M59 to a 59/66A1 only to downgrade it back to a 59 again?  How is it not more likely that the carrier is simply a carrier pulled from a 102k M59/66 and installed on this gun?

I've always believed that the stake marks on the bayo really tell us almost nothing about the pedigree of the gun, they are simply too easy to turn right back to zero and restake.  I think they are especially misleading on a gun like this that we know has received replacement parts like that gas tube.   Isn't it more likely that this bayo is off a previous M59, was cleaned up well and reinstalled on this gun rather than every other M59 with a rough finished bayo is somehow wrong?  

[Justin Hell]

Cool, so it is indeed an M59 bayonet and staked no less...weird that it is so nice looking. Considering all the cosmo, I doubt someone cleaned that up all by it's lonesome. Part of what makes an M59 so easy to spot is the grungy looking bayonet finish....which I was under the impression was how they were issued.

Wouldn't it be interesting if this was originally an M59, later upgraded to a 59/66A1, and then later 'downgraded' for lack of a better term back to an M59? Not having chrome lined barrels, a barrel replacement could easily shed the night sight trappings.  The bolt carrier could be the original, and shows the shaving of the stripper guide to allow for the night sights. By the time the 59/66s came along, the bayonets were finished nicely with the silver matte...like yours.  The fact that it is staked might indicate the FSB was reverted back to an original type and an original bayonet was finished in the current fashion at the time. It seems unlikely they would have left the bayonet on during a refurb of the bayonet itself...unless you can see indications the stake was disturbed, and they simply used the same screw.  Yours is about 6k rifles older than mine...which is staked, and looks like it was used in the coal mining industry.    Metal wise, mine is in similar condition as yours...you certainly win in the furniture dept. 

I don't have enough experience with these to say the least, but that bayonet finish has me scratchin' my head. I would be interested to see if anyone else has an M59 with one finished like the later ones.

Man you lost me at your "Wouldn't it be interesting" line.  Why would the yugos upgrade an M59 to a 59/66A1 only to downgrade it back to a 59 again?  How is it not more likely that the carrier is simply a carrier pulled from a 102k M59/66 and installed on this gun?

I've always believed that the stake marks on the bayo really tell us almost nothing about the pedigree of the gun, they are simply too easy to turn right back to zero and restake.  I think they are especially misleading on a gun like this that we know has received replacement parts like that gas tube.   Isn't it more likely that this bayo is off a previous M59, was cleaned up well and reinstalled on this gun rather than every other M59 with a rough finished bayo is somehow wrong?

It's certainly not likely at all...I was simply trying to figure out how an M59 bayo ended up getting what appears to be the same later finish as the 59/66s...while seemingly staked into place. While my example is a few thousand guns newer...has roughly what appears to be the same degree of refurbishment, yet the familiar...well used look. Since both appeared staked...and a Yugo is far more likely to get a rebarrel job than any...it was one way I could come up with why  a component shows a later property than it should have. Kind of like finding a 49 that had a FSB with lightening cuts.  It does seem plausible that they would refinish them at refurb...I just haven't ever seen it...and, once again...I took what I assumed to be reliable(ish) evidence of it being original for granted, and simply was trying to figure out how that happened....I was under the impression that stake marks were considered a reliable indicator via the endless golden, chrome, blued, black, matte debate on Russian refurbs.

I certainly didn't think the carrier was an indicator at all...heck, my 59/66 has a 59/66A1 carrier too. It's one of the things I look for on Yugos since the parts are so frequently reserialed and shuffled around at refurb. I think I may have been the first to notice the carrier anomaly on this one...it's kind of easy to overlook.  I didn't notice it on mine for nearly four years...and why I pointed it out.

I had thought I worded it to make it obvious I was speculating about it. I didn't count them...but perhaps I was a few words shy of the amount needed to paint the picture. 

[running-man]

Not bustin' your chops at all man.  It just seemed a really torturous path to get to where you wanted to go wheras the Occam's Razor approach would be to say that this gun is a refurb of an originally built M59, the parts are a mishmash of M59 parts except for the carrier which is clearly off another gun that was an E series M59/66A1. 

[Justin Hell]

It was kind of torturous to figure out what the deal with that bayonet finish was...that was what I came up with.

Personally, I kind of dig the finish that hints that it came preinfected with sepsis...it's one of the endearing qualities of the M59.  Are there other examples out there that got their bayonets recoated at refurb?  When I first saw it I was hoping someone hadn't slapped a Russian or Chinese bayonet on there...and was relieved to see it had the BK stamp on it. But that was also when fingernails met scalp...and the gears started turning. (I never claimed to be running on all cylinders)

[running-man]

Looks like I inadvertantly locked this one. Was not my intention at all guys, fat fingered the phone. Sorry about that! 

[Bob_The_Student]

Justin this may help....

[Justin Hell]

Justin this may help....

Ahhh, that is kind of a relief. The first pic it actually appeared to be in place still.  It also makes it interesting, as yours got the bayo refinished or possibly replaced with the new finish at refurb. Which seems uncommon to me at least...if not unheard of until now?

Very neat!

[Bob_The_Student]

Sorry been working like crazy and I thought it was not staked still but wasn't sure until I checked it again.

[Matchka]

My M59 is blanketed with cosmoline right now. I can unwrap it for pics of the bayonet but tell me -  where I should look for a stamp, any other angles to photograph.