Non Prefixed D series M59/66A1

[running-man]

Here's an interesting one:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=552687804

This auction closed last month.  Notthing terribly special about it, but the price sure seemed a bit high for a std. run of the mill M59/66A1. 

Then I see that it had no D prefix (click images to enalarge):


I knew we have a LB specimen that is S/N 50456 in the database.  I wonder how this one fits in with respect to that one? 

This gun's obviously been worked on at an arsenal somewhere as it has night sights installed.  Wythergild had several non prefixed M59/66 specimens in his records: 506xx, 512xx, 514xx, 515xx, and even 53xxx. 

Anyhow, thought it was an interesting one as I hadn't seen a non prefixed M59/66 with my own eyes before this one. 

[Loose}{Cannon]

Cool.... One finally showed up.   

[Garand1957]

I have one with prefix after the serial #
They were reported to be new made rifles from the late 1980's early 1990's ?

[Garand1957]

[Garand1957]

Those are the only serial #'s on the rifle. All other parts are blank. Not even those part #'s that look like 0.00000.00

[running-man]

You've got one of the "IO 500", Garand.  Some guys go absolutely ga-ga over them and others think they are just another Yugo (and not all that nicely fitted for that matter).  They are definitely highly collectable though. 

According to story on the net as told by by BBWAWG who was told by David @ IO (see how this starts? ), approximately 500 of these were indeed newly built rifles that came in with a shipment of military Yugo M59/66s.  ATF caught wind of this somehow and decided that they were not importable, the only problem is that IO had already sold 1/2 of them.  The ones they had left were surrendered and supposedly cut up into parts and sold to Numrich.  The ones in the wild were left alone, though they are technically not C&R as they don't conform to the "1947 to 1992" dates in the C&R list. (For what it's worth, WTF is up with AFT trying to say that the Yugos had the SKS two years before the Russias are thought to have mass produced them!? Seriously ATF?)

The highest number BBWAG has seen is 10535A and it's assumed they stared numbering them at 10001A.  We should probably track any of these that we find like we are doing with the LBs.  Would be nice to have our own pristine databases for them. 

[Garand1957]

Sounds like the story I heard years ago when I got it.
Bought it off a guy on Gunboards not knowing what it was except that it was very clean looking Yugo SKS in the pics. Got it for $250 shipped back when I still had my C&R

[Loose}{Cannon]

What proof do you have of this IO/Sneak hubhub?     

These are very subjective critters.  Subjective as in... Depends on who you ask.   

RM says 'highly' collectable, but I would say meh... 'Slightly' collectable.  I mean, its still just a 59/66.  Although I see the condition of them is a perk, but there are other brand new 59/66 rifles such as the Cheerys etc.  The Russian IO sneaks dont exactly command a premium if you catch my drift.

My take....  I dunno, add $50 to the current as issued (new) Yugo prices. 

Stunningly beautiful rifles none the less.... 

[Phosphorus32]

The late date A suffix is interesting and very nice looking 

It would be nice to have a corroborated story on these from someone other than the team of Big Beautiful Woman and Average White Guy (BBWAWG...not sure what that's all about)  

Nevertheless, I'm more interested in the story of the early no-letter-prefix 59/66s. It'd be nice to find one that hadn't been updated to M59/66A1 configuration to more firmly plant them in the early M59/66 period. A side-by-side with M59LB 50456 could be really interesting.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Beach Bum With A Gun..  Not sure where he got the extra W from.   

The legend of all legends... Where its not what you know, its how many you own.   

He was a nice enough guy though....  Disappeared from the sks community and I got the blame for it by the know it all bobbleheads.

[Garand1957]

I had about 5 of the M59/66 rifles at one time or another.
Only have 2 left now. One that I put a Bubba job on back when they were cheap and that one.
I also have a pretty nice M59 Yugo as well.
Not sure how much more it's really worth but It's staying in the collection until my kids get to fight over it after I pass on LOL

[running-man]

Sorry Jon, sometimes I make assumptions that people know what a certain acronym means.  It is BBWAG - Beachbumwithagun, extra W is my fat fingers not doing what my skinny brain tells them.  He was indeed a nice guy.  Maybe a bit condescending at times, but he helped the noobs quite often and had lots of uncorroborated stories about this or that based on conversations with his pals at <insert name here> distributors.  To be honest, I haven't heard from the guy in something like 2 to 3 years.  One day he was asking people how to set up a nitrogen purge system for his newly planned gun vault (presumably for preservation purposes, though many thought it sounded more anti-personnel in nature instead), the next he just up and disappeared.  Haven't heard a peep from him since.

I hadn't heard that you're getting blamed for him going dark LC.  You likely stole the Lindbergh baby too... 

I did caveat my opening statement with the 'some think they are just another Yugo' line!  Even still, there only being (supposedly) only 250 of them out there means the unique characteristics and S/N.  You gotta admit they are both uncommon and unique and that makes them collectable (to many). 

[Loose}{Cannon]

I can dig it.