SKS questions and possible answers

TheKingNothing said:
Well after some hard thinking and input from both you guys and my wife, I decided to leave this SKS alone and will be hunting for a cheapo to tacticool out.
Also from what I see from Martins explanation, I have a Star on my receiver next to the Serial Number so I guess its a 55-56.

THANKS for the input! :)
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Good choice. As to the date a star does indicate 55-56. If all the numbers match and the stock has the same number with no other numbers crossed out, I'd say in today's market its valued at about $550
 
Dear Mr. SKS Ray,
I recently tired of plinking around with my 22 LR and decided I wanted a rifle able to explode cement blocks. A while back I owned an SKS and sold the rifle when 7.62 ammo in the state of Arizona cost 11.00 dollars a box. Long story short, I purchased a nice looking Yugo SKS 59/66 without test firing the unit. Without checking the rifle for cosmoline, I fired the rifle and found it was firing one shot at a time and jamming every other round. After a thorough cleaning (and switching the gas cut off valve) I fired the weapon again. Being able to fire 4 rounds consecutively without a problem was a great experience. Unfortunately, the fifth round jammed. I tried new ammo with the same result.

I then took apart the firing pin retainer and found two things. One, it had cosmoline, two, the firing pin was slightly bent. I straightened the firing pin and cleaned the firing pin assembly thoroughly, to a point where you could shake the assembly and hear the firing pin moving around inside.

A week later I was able to test the rifle. It fired excellent for the first five rounds. On the six round, the rifle would not fire. I took it apart and found the firing pin was now half way out of the firing pin retainer. Worse yet, I found the hammer strut snapped at the base.

I was sorely disappointed knowing the efficiency of these rifles. I ordered a new firing pin and hammer strut yesterday awaiting it's arrival. I do not want to fire the rifle until I know what went wrong.

Can you please provide some insight as to what may be causing the rifle to malfunction? This is one of my favorite rifles. I would hate to get rid of it or sell a problem rifle to someone else. I would sure appreciate your assistance.
 
Ednot4saken said:
Can you please provide some insight as to what may be causing the rifle to malfunction? This is one of my favorite rifles. I would hate to get rid of it or sell a problem rifle to someone else. I would sure appreciate your assistance.
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Read through this post. http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/183132-SKS-Firing-Pin-Adjust
There are some links in there regarding popped primers and using a spring loaded firing pin that can help out your situation with the 59/66.
 
I'm thinking
1. You didn't install the firepin corecrly or the retainer had broken.
2. I can only think the hammer strut can break as it is long and thin.
3. My first yugo went with out a cleaning for to long. Gas plug and tube rusted up bad.
Afferent I cleaned it it never cycled right. Leaking gas I assume.
4. I have learned to go where man last touched?
 
Hello everyone, I'm an SKS enthusiasts from the SouthCoast. I recently acquired this Russian SKS that underwent a sex change operation by the previous owner. I have acquired a front sight assembly to replace the unsightly muzzle brack and restore the SKS back to its original configuration with the blade bayonet etc. I am basically looking for a gunsmith to blue my front sight assembly and remove the unsightly one that that is on it now. I have taken some photographs to show what I am talking about. Any gunsmith recommendations out there as well as price estimates for this type of work? It seems fairly simple (if you are a gunsmith). Thoughts? RSKS01.jpg RSKS02.jpg
 
Kudos to you for wanting to return it to the way Mother Russia intended it to be. I've never done one but I'm guessing its drive out pins and press the old one off, new one on and re-pin. The moose should be along soon and offer some smithing info as hes actually done some barrel work.
 
SKS Ray said:
Kudos to you for wanting to return it to the way Mother Russia intended it to be. I've never done one but I'm guessing its drive out pins and press the old one off, new one on and re-pin. The moose should be along soon and offer some smithing info as hes actually done some barrel work.
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Thanks Ray. The previous owner had that bayo-lug grounded down and welded/pinned that muzzle brake on. This compelled me to purchase a whole new front-sight assembly so I don't have to muck with the other FSA at all (aside from getting it removed). I think the process will be: 1. remove old Front Sight Assembly; 2. blue and press the new one on? But like you said, someone will hopefully look at this and say it's doable :)
 
The welded brake will need to be ground off, and if there is a pin still existing in the front sight post, it is easiest to punch out from left to right, with a 5/32" punch. I always start the pin with a drift punch and a good smack with a 1 lb. ballpeen. The old post will need to be pressed off, with care not to damage the crown.

The new sight/lug will need to be pressed on and aligned, so your gunsmith may have the necessary tools for that as well.

It is not a major surgery, but it does need to be done with precision to allow the lug to align with the pin slot that is cut into the barrel.
 
This is an update to a post I made several months ago on this thread about an SKS trigger job.

My SKS trigger had negative engagement, felt extremely gritty and had lots of creep. This is not atypical for an sks, but I couldn't stand it any longer. I took the TG apart and cleaned the heck out of it, but it didn't help any of the above problems and it still felt like pulling gravel. There are several videos on youtube that show an SKS trigger job step by step. I was very tempted to go this route, but I decided against it.

I went ahead and sent it on out to Kivaari. So glad I did! He worked his magic on it and the difference is night and day. I'm very happy with his service; his reputation is well deserved. If your SKS trigger sucks, is dangerous or you just want to get the most out of your carbine, I have no hesitation in recommending Kivaari.

http://www.kivaari.com/
 
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A question came up as I was cleaning and reassembling my newly acquired Chinese SKS.

Some manuals show a recoil spring with a partial guide rod and suggest the flexing end goes into the bolt carrier.

Mine has a two part collapsing guide rod. The diagrams seem to show the thicker part of the assembly going into the bolt carrier with the flexy part around the thinner end of the guide getting compressed by the receiver cover. Does that sound correct?



photo 1.jpg photo 2.jpg
 
OldNorth said:
This is an update to a post I made several months ago on this thread about an SKS trigger job.

My SKS trigger had negative engagement, felt extremely gritty and had lots of creep. This is not atypical for an sks, but I couldn't stand it any longer. I took the TG apart and cleaned the heck out of it, but it didn't help any of the above problems and it still felt like pulling gravel. There are several videos on youtube that show an SKS trigger job step by step. I was very tempted to go this route, but I decided against it.

I went ahead and sent it on out to Kivaari. So glad I did! He worked his magic on it and the difference is night and day. I'm very happy with his service; his reputation is well deserved. If your SKS trigger sucks, is dangerous or you just want to get the most out of your carbine, I have no hesitation in recommending Kivaari.

SKS triggers, improve the safety of the SKS carbines
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Another thing you might want to pick up is the spring loaded firing pin.Some of the SKS's have a free floating firing pin,that some times can get stuck and cause the rifle to slam fire.
 
Took my new yugo m59 to the range the other day only to be dissapointed. I fired one round, the round did not eject and the bolt was jammed, I had to use a rummer hammer to free it. after that tried it again this time the round ejected but got caught on the bolt locking it foward again i used the hammer again to free the bolt. I ended up turing off the gas and just shooting it racking each round. Im not sure what it could be, The ammo? i was using tulammo.
My buddy got the same yugo and his is doing the same thing.

So Here I am asking for some advice from the experts. I took the gun compleatly apart and cleaned it before i shot it.
 
reveille said:
Took my new yugo m59 to the range the other day only to be dissapointed. I fired one round, the round did not eject and the bolt was jammed, I had to use a rummer hammer to free it. after that tried it again this time the round ejected but got caught on the bolt locking it foward again i used the hammer again to free the bolt. I ended up turing off the gas and just shooting it racking each round. Im not sure what it could be, The ammo? i was using tulammo.
My buddy got the same yugo and his is doing the same thing.

So Here I am asking for some advice from the experts. I took the gun compleatly apart and cleaned it before i shot it.
Click to expand...

I cant help you much, but there was a thread someone started lately called " done with tulammo". They were having problems with it in their sks.
 
I don't think it's the ammo.

IIRC correctly, the only Yugo with an adjustable gas valve is the M59/66. So maybe that M59 is an M59/66 with the grenade launcher removed? If it is an 59/66 with the gas valve, it could be a slew of things causing the stovepipes.

Check to make sure your recoil spring is inserted the correct way, squiggly end in first!
Check the gas valve for any corrosion or pitting.
Check the gas port for obstruction.

Hope that helps.
 
reveille said:
Took my new yugo m59 to the range the other day only to be dissapointed. I fired one round, the round did not eject and the bolt was jammed, I had to use a rummer hammer to free it. after that tried it again this time the round ejected but got caught on the bolt locking it foward again i used the hammer again to free the bolt. I ended up turing off the gas and just shooting it racking each round. Im not sure what it could be, The ammo? i was using tulammo.
My buddy got the same yugo and his is doing the same thing.

So Here I am asking for some advice from the experts. I took the gun compleatly apart and cleaned it before i shot it.
Click to expand...

If you can close the gas valve, then you do have an M59/66, and not an M59. But that doesn't address the reason why you can operate the bolt manually, but the carrier/bolt jams in semi-auto mode.

Ammo or a burred chamber seem to be out of the equation, as it should jam every time, regardless of mode.

Now, for the bad news. I'm not sure what causes this, except for the possibility that the speed of the gas operation locks down the bolt against the rear lug, and won't allow the rear to tilt upward.

My thoughts? Try a light polish on the lower rear chamferred surface of the bolt. It may allow the bolt to tilt upward in its rearward travel.
 
After taking it apart again to look closer i noticed that the gas block looks like its supposed to have a O ring or gas ring. But apparently its not supposed to have one. here is the problem I think. I cannot remove the piston extension even with the lever all the way up and out of the way it will not come out, I can push it in but is very hard to. Now i can t figure how to get it out. I think it may be bent or something thats why it wont come out. When I first cleaned it came out with no problems.. Any ideas?

Alright just got it out with a punch.
 
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reveille said:
I tried to reinsert it w/o the spring and wont go, there is a slight bend in it. Now where to get a new one.?
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Can't supply links to non-sponsors of the forum. But I can say that if you do a google search of "SKS operating rod", you will come up with several options.

This is not a particularly finicky part, as far as tolerances go. Take a small ballpeen hammer, and tap out the bend. Then run a small round file (lightly) through the hole in the rear of the sight block to clean up any burring/galling caused by the interference. Put it back together. Test for freedom of travel, and shoot it!
 
Had my first few slam fires at the range the other day. I plan on getting a Murray fire pin but in the meantime I soaked the disassembled bolt carrier in mineral spirits to clean it up. I think my mistake was using a super lube and the firing pin was hitting the Tula primers with too much inertia

After some scrubbing and wiping off the crud I'm putting it back together.my question is which of the two flat sides on the firing pin goes up?
 
There are two "nubs" on the top flat of the firing pin. Make sure they go in facing upward, and the retaining pin inserts between the nubs.

Pin should rattle when shaken, after reassembly.

If the nubs have any damage (scarring, galling) which can occur from pierced primer gasses and material penetrating the pin channel, then replace the pin. Don't take any chances!
 
I've got a quick question for you guys.

I recently purchased what is supposed to be an early-model Chinese SKS. However, I don't have any factory code marking on the gun at all, just the serial number (125305). It has a long barrel lug, I'll take some decent shots once I have light
 
These have recently been nicknamed as "Ghost" Type 56 guns. For what reason???

Until recently, which is the past four or five months, the only way you would find these guns were Vietnam bringbacks. At that time, they were known as "Numbers Only" guns. The new imports from Albania have developed quite a crop of them, and they received a new nickname.

Though there is no way of knowing for sure, these are thought to be the first SKS's produced in China. A detailed examination will reveal all Russian inspection proofs. They have a hardwood stock, with the rear sling swivel on the bottom, and a small trigger relief cut on the right side.
 

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