Yugo M57 Flare Gun

[Aragorn243]

I didn't get one of these when they were dirt cheap, missed that boat, but Sportsman's Guide ran/is running a free shipping deal right now. $110 shipped. Comes with a pouch.

Ordered late last week, it arrived today. It is brand new, never issued as is the pouch.

So stiff with cosmoline it didn't even work, nothing moved. Wouldn't open, trigger wouldn't depress, hammer wouldn't go back. Sprayed it with Rem oil and after some wiping down, spraying, wiping down it now works fine but the crevasses are still packed with the crap.

I did some checking around prior to ordering and this appears to be about the best deal out there right now if you are looking for a flare gun. Only others are Polish and the quality doesn't look to be near as nice. This gun comes with the Yugo crest on the top of the barrel.

Now to find some reasonable flares.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Aragorn243]

I know you guys like photos so here it is cleaned up:

















It does not disassemble other than the hand grips.

[browningautorifle]

Is it about a 10 Ga or what? If so, you could make an insert and use 12 Ga...flares that is.

[Aragorn243]

It's 26.5 mm and they do make an insert for 12 gauge flares. Military flares are available and if you can find them, the prices are less than the 12 gauge flares. The 12 gauge flares can be bought just about anywhere. A few companies state they are "hazmat" and charge quite a bit for shipping. Most don't seem to do that. I'm going to wait till the next gun show and see if anyone is selling them there before ordering online.

[jeffsmith44]

I was fortunate to have acquired 5 of these well made flare pistols. I have seen them recently of as much as $400 each. They are a good bargain at any price under $200.

I have done a lot of work on them so if anyone has any questions I am open to helping answer them.

The 26.5 mm to 12 gauge adapters are great BUT getting them to fit as smoothly as one might like is a bit of a trick. An adapter can be found through many sources and almost all do not fit on the first try. Smooth fit is essential to feel comfortable with any firearm.

The preservative wax can easily be cleaned off by removing the grips and soaking the entire pistol in turpentine.

Having worked on my 5 until they function essentially perfectly takes some patience. Do not alter the adapter.

If anyone has any questions about getting everything out of the M57 do not hesitate to contact me. I believe I have worked out all the bugs and have 5 perfectly working pistols able to handle nearly a dozen functions and cartridge types.

Jeff
Vietnam Vet
Antique restorer, conservator, smith.