I have heard the Yugo Chrome thing a lot. No deposits or USSR help etc. But the gas piston is chrome and so is the bayonet. Seems to me they could have invested in chroming the bore as well. Just my .02 cents on the story/theory.
The chrome issue is one of the more common misconceptions. As is typical with the gun owning community, someone has started a rumor that is not based on fact, and it got spread around until everyone believes it as "fact". Despite my best efforts, people continue to believe this hogwash just because someone told them it was true.
I read it on the internet, it must be true!!!!
The truth is, Yugoslavia had plenty of chromium ore deposits in country. They didn't have to rely on the Russians or anyone else for chrome. A simple check at the CIA World Factbook for both
Serbia and
Bosnia/Herzegovina will show that chromite is listed as one of their natural resources. Chromite is the natural ore from which chromium is extracted.
There were no Yugoslavian SKS models made with chrome-lined bores. Why they did this is not really known. Could have been a cost issue. Could have been any number of reasons. But it wasn't because they didn't have chrome deposits in their country.
Anyway, as to the question of whether the cleaning process would be any different, it would depend. If you shoot corrosively primed ammunition, then you should be cleaning differently than if you're shooting non-corrosive ammo, regardless of whether you have a chrome bore or not. Even in a chrome-bore weapon, shooting corrosive ammunition will spread corrosive salts all over the rifle. The action, the gas system, the magazine, the bolt, the exterior of the rifle, etc. So a complete and thorough cleaning is in order if you're shooting corrosive ammo.
With a non-chrome bore, if you do a thorough cleaning job and oil everything properly, it should last a lifetime. Don't be frightened of a non-chrome bore. Some of the best rifles in the world were never made with chrome bores. Like the Mauser K98 models, the Springfield 03A3, the M1 Garand, etc.
Just maintain your weapon properly, and it should be fine.
