A localish place has a Yugo that looks like it was made yesterday.  I like nice original guns so I guess what I want to know is how to tell if it's been monkeyed with.  The stock is a very light blonde and the finish on the steel is every bit 99% and I have a habit of being too critical.  They want $500 asking which sounds high but if it's a perfect original that may be reasonsible, I don't know.

Thanks for any and all advice given.

If you want one in original condition, it should have the grenade launcher muzzle device, and the pop up latter type grenade launcher sites. Also a blade baynoet.

Often times folks will take these off because they have no intention of firing grenades or bayonetting.

I really don't know what a fair price for these are.

I remember buying a 5 pack of these from Aim I think a number of years ago when they were imported with my C&R.

It has the muzzle device as well as the ladder, that was the only way I knew it was a Yugo, I'm sks ignorant.  I love odd ball stuff and the Yugo has been on my look for list for a long time.  I probably come off here as trying to justify buying it but I'll walk in a heart beat if it's not correct.

ETA:. It also has the bayonet.

IMO, $500 is too much for any Yugo SKS. I wouldn’t pay more than $450 out the door for an unissued Yugo with all accessories and one with Tritium sights.  I personally am not a fan of them. Yes, I own a few, but only because I collect SKS’s.

500 sounds high, but the yugo 59/66a1 is a great SKS. They are heavier than most, but seem more accurate as a result. They do not have a chrome lined bore,
so clean it well. If you don't see many nice ones in your area, it may be worth it.

Yugo's are my favorite SKS rifles & they are nice guns with quality machining but have a lot of shit that can go south. Mainly it's corrosion and, of course, abuse, that starts the decline.

Check the gas port/gas plug. They can  leak but can be wecsog'd with a paperclip gasket. If that doesn't work, there are 3rd party vendors that sell oversized replacements. (Murray's Guns).

The cutoff valve can get screwed. The can become a PIA to move if the components are out of spec.

The bolt face may be of a weaker steel and possibly prone to "volcanoing" (peening), This may or may not lead to popped primers which may or may not lead to slam fires. Primer chips have jammed a firing pin...you don't want this.

Cosomoline....clean all of it, especially the firing pin channel. That gummy shit will turn to rock hard varnish when heated and it will ruin your day if not your gun. I used simple green, hot water & elbow grease.

All in all, it's a chunky, bad assed goofy cousin of the SKS family. Enjoy!

I just found two unissued ones in a local shop.  They're asking $400 a piece.