Yugo 24/47 restoration

[Jim]

The Yugoslav M24/47 is a refurbished Yugoslav model 1924 manufactured before WWII and used through it. The war left Yugoslavia's industry so savaged they literally could not manufacture a whole rifle. Refurbishing the war weary weapons they had was the best they could do. They began with captured and repatriated German K98s in 1946 and their model 1924s in 1947. Those weapons saw a considerable amount of use settling grudges and dissidents to Tito's rule in the years right after the war.

They finally got where they could manufacture a whole weapon again and that's where the M48 comes in. The number denotes the beginning of the design, manufacturing did not begin until 1950.
Production was 1st model M48- 19502-52 (added stamped floor plate only.)
M48A made 1952-56
M48B (but still stamped M48A) made 1956-65 about. The model M48B incorporated a number of stamped parts and can be recognized by the rib running around both sides of the trigger guard as a result of the manufacturing processing of the trigger guard/mag well as a stamped and welded assembly instead of a part machined from 1 solid billet of steel as was done in the previous models. This model was manufactured for export only and by far and large represents most of the M48s in this country.
They did not make that many first model rifles (I'd have to look up the reference to give you numbers) and hang onto the M48A as the best of the M48 series rifles for a last ditch reserve even yet. Without exception, every M48"A" I have been able to examine has been in fact an M48B.
So the later M48 rifles saw little use unless in the wars of the 90s and remain in excellent condition.

Here's an M1924 manufactured in 1929 for the CXC- Kingdom of Serbs, Croats & Slovenes. (This is a restoration of mine as a matter of fact.)

The crest compared to post WWII

Here are examples of solid and M48B assembled trigger/guard/mag wells
Attachment 75324

That explain things fair enough?

Got the bayonet for it yesterday and the sling came today so it is now complete as I picked up a cleaning rod for it two weeks ago.

Thinking about these made me curious. Why are the M48's nearly all in very good condition with many being unissued while the 24/47's run from beat to crap to decent condition? Common sense says they must have used the 24/47 as their issue rifle with the M48's being backups or for export.

I actually have nothing else in the works right now with no prospects. Seems really weird not doing my thrice daily parts searches.