This is a Yugoslavian M59/66 rifle used in either the Croatian War or Bosnian War. The overall condition of the rifle is good; which probably shows this rifle only saw non-frontline use as a primary weapon, perhaps in artillery, vehicle, police, or guard use. The Serbs had the most Yugoslavian army equipment and would have had enough various AKM's to go around for frontline use. However, I have seen pictures of SKS's on the frontline, and even by better equipped troops in a grenade launcher role. This rifle came with the original sling on it, and is covered in cosmoline.
The right side of the rifle says "SERBIAN VOLUNTEER" and the left says "GOD PROTECTS SERBS" with what looks like "'92" under it. There is also a Serbian cross and Serbian eagle on each respective side of the buttstock. During their swear in, Serb soldiers specifically said "I am a Serbian Volunteer," which probably inspired the writing in the stock.
If this rifle was first issued to a new volunteer in 1992, then I surmise it was used in the Bosnian War. In 1992, a long ceasefire between the Serbs and Croats began on January 2, and lasted until 1995. However the Bosnian War began on March 1, 1992. If so, the rifle and user were probably in the Republika Srpska, a newly-formed Serbian political entity within Bosnia, which was backed by Serbia. Amazingly the Republika Srpska still exists within Bosnia; they administrate the part of Bosnia allotted to the Serbs, while the Croats and Muslims have the other.
Somebody from Serbia has this to say about Yugoslavian SKS's in general:
I kind of hate to tell you this, but the SKS rifles that have flooded into the US all embellished are militia guns. Some of them date back to the early '60s. I saw one with the buttstock cut away and the grip from an AK (Zastava 76) fitted to it, to make it look like an AK variant.
Now; as best as I could tell, and there is a story about that too, these some of these SKS guns were stored at police depots; and, when things crumbled, the police in various areas handed them out to ethnic groupings of their own: that is, Croatian cops handed these guns to Croatians, etc. However, and this is where things get interesting, a fair number of these guns, possibly thousands, were stored... you ready? in militia members' private homes. I met several guys who had had these guns sitting in their closets, sans ammo, for, in one case, 15 years. No shit. I saw a fair number of these guns appear, at apparently random, at various times, but not in any serious fighting.
The reason, I think, is that the rifles (SKS) were held in police stores, for emergency militia use, in factory armories (Soviet style), and in Swiss style, in militia members' private homes. That's why they're more carved up and the AK variants generally aren't: they had plenty of time to whittle on them at home, etc. They were available. I couldn't believe at the time that the government would hand rifles to people to possess in their homes; and it changed fundamentally my view of the 'gun debate'.
Some of these Yugo rifles, etc. were sitting in factory workers' closets at home for literally years. I know.
The right side of the rifle says "SERBIAN VOLUNTEER" and the left says "GOD PROTECTS SERBS" with what looks like "'92" under it. There is also a Serbian cross and Serbian eagle on each respective side of the buttstock. During their swear in, Serb soldiers specifically said "I am a Serbian Volunteer," which probably inspired the writing in the stock.
If this rifle was first issued to a new volunteer in 1992, then I surmise it was used in the Bosnian War. In 1992, a long ceasefire between the Serbs and Croats began on January 2, and lasted until 1995. However the Bosnian War began on March 1, 1992. If so, the rifle and user were probably in the Republika Srpska, a newly-formed Serbian political entity within Bosnia, which was backed by Serbia. Amazingly the Republika Srpska still exists within Bosnia; they administrate the part of Bosnia allotted to the Serbs, while the Croats and Muslims have the other.
Somebody from Serbia has this to say about Yugoslavian SKS's in general:
I kind of hate to tell you this, but the SKS rifles that have flooded into the US all embellished are militia guns. Some of them date back to the early '60s. I saw one with the buttstock cut away and the grip from an AK (Zastava 76) fitted to it, to make it look like an AK variant.
Now; as best as I could tell, and there is a story about that too, these some of these SKS guns were stored at police depots; and, when things crumbled, the police in various areas handed them out to ethnic groupings of their own: that is, Croatian cops handed these guns to Croatians, etc. However, and this is where things get interesting, a fair number of these guns, possibly thousands, were stored... you ready? in militia members' private homes. I met several guys who had had these guns sitting in their closets, sans ammo, for, in one case, 15 years. No shit. I saw a fair number of these guns appear, at apparently random, at various times, but not in any serious fighting.
The reason, I think, is that the rifles (SKS) were held in police stores, for emergency militia use, in factory armories (Soviet style), and in Swiss style, in militia members' private homes. That's why they're more carved up and the AK variants generally aren't: they had plenty of time to whittle on them at home, etc. They were available. I couldn't believe at the time that the government would hand rifles to people to possess in their homes; and it changed fundamentally my view of the 'gun debate'.
Some of these Yugo rifles, etc. were sitting in factory workers' closets at home for literally years. I know.