SKS going auto?

well I soaked the bolt and carrier for 8 hours in carb cleaner then scrubbed it with military grade bore solvent then a light coat of clp. rest of the gun was cleaned as well. 20 rd. fixed mag was switched w/ a 10 rd . fixed from my other SKS.
This afternoon I took it out (and I do mean out) in the country for a test. this is how it went.
loaded w/ stripper clip
let bolt go home
BANG (sheeee-it!)
gun still on safe? yup
pull trigger.
BANG
pull trigger
BRRRAAAAPPPPPPP!!!!!!!
SHEEEEEEEIT????
load another 10.
rode bolt home
pull trigger BBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAPPPPPPP!!!!!
disassembled completly and seperated trigger group w/ a 1 oz slug courtosy of remington and mossburg.
needless to say feed problem was fixed.
 
When the first lawsuit hit, I think there was a recall on SKS imported by a particular corp. These SKS were either refitted with a newer firing pin or with a spring loaded firing pin. If I'm mistaken on this, somebody please correct me.

On the matter of WD-40, you can ask Remington how they feel about it. Remington was sued for millons over a gun which had been "cleaned" with WD-40. The WD-40 left a film which was never cleaned off and eventually, it developed into a thick enough layer to defeat the safety. The shooter had the muzzle pointed at his foot when the gun discharged. Remington examined the gun, and tried to disassemble it. They had to clamp in in a vise and use two of their heaviest or strongest employees to wrench the receiver free from the stock. Remember, we're talking years of WD-40 now. Well, they introduced that as evidence and even bought a pick-up truck of the same make, rented a crane to lift the cab to the level of the court house window, as demonstrative evidence of the negligence. Well, the jury held for the plaintiff and now you know why Remington doesn't recommend WD-40. I would not use WD-40 on firearms.
 
Target,

I know you're not saying to hose the firing pin down, but unfortunatly, unless you then disassmeble the bolt, WD-40 will remain in the bolt and firing pin channel and over time (as little as 6 months in my experience, which also stretches back better than 25 years now), it will begin to decay and harden, and boom (potentially literally!) you've got a big problem.

Over the years I've disassembled a lot of small mechanical items treated with WD-40, from a squirt to a bath, and the result is invariably the same. One thoroughly gunked up part.

Simply put, WD-40 is designed to be a penetrating oil. Once the carrier solvent evaporates (1 to 10 minutes, normally), those oils start to slowly chemically decay to the point where they can actually become a varnish that is almost impossible to remove.

Interestingly enough, WD-40 oil, once it begins to decay, may become very slightly hygroscopic, meaning that it can actually cause rust. Not a good thing.

There are a number of tasks that WD-40 is good at. Gun care isn't one of them as far as I'm concerned.

If you're interested in a very good substitute, try Birchwood-Casey's Sheath. I've used it for years, and couldn't be happier with it.
 
Opus XX,

Just a couple of questions.

I posted a couple of recommendation for your SKS. First I suggested that you place only one shell in the weapon at a time until you were able to determine if the gun would slam fire. It sounds to me like you filled the magazine with a stripper clip. Why would you do that? Second, your post didn't indicate anything about examining the firing pin and block. Did you remove it and check it as I suggested? If the pin was "floating" in the block as I indicated, it could not go into auto as you described. And, I also suggested that you actually dissasemble the pin from the block and clean everything. Did you do that?

The SKS is probably the simplist and most rugged rifle I've handled for what it does. It sounds like you destroyed it before you tried some simple and safe remedies.

Let us know.

Rome
 
entire bolt was disasembled and cleaned/lubed.
trigger group was cleaned/ lubed.
weapon was loaded w/ single round 3 times and fired, ejected and held bolt open.
so i said to myself "self, it's fixed".
I only destroyed the trigger group. I am a LEO and do not need to be in possesion of any full-auto parts.
i plan on picking up a new group at the next show.
 
It's a shame you chose destruction of the entire T. group when most likely the sear was the only bad part. Last time I checked, sears could be had for about $7.00 T.group was $75.00 to 100.00.
You obviously knew how to remove the trigger group. (If you were paranoid about having a full auto) Why would you not have separated said parts from rifle and taken the whole thing to a gunsmith ?
Well, it's your money.
<edit> Sorry, just noticed "safety" add another $5.00.

When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.(or something like that)

[This message has been edited by animal (edited May 22, 2000).]
 
I can buy a whole new t group for $60, a gunsmith in my area is $35 an hour and the ONLY one in town works on (mostly) hunting shotguns.
this is not a recreational shooters paradise.

"have hammer, will travel"
 
Cool. Sorry for doubting you, there.

That's a great price on t.group. You might think about getting a spare if you plan on keeping the gun for a long time.

Best wishes.
 
If I may be permitted to add a comment or two.

On Chicom SKS rifles it has been reported that it is easy to reasemble the bolt with the firing pin upside down....when done this causes the pin to jam in a forward position after just one or two rounds...then BBBBBBBRrrrrrruuuuuppppppp ! Full auto or slam fire city.!

Please verify that your pin is installed back into carier correclty before testing rifle.

Secondly, the SKS rifle is one reason why I keep a nice supply of PIPE CLEANERS....they work great for cleaning the pin channel.

Third please refrain from using brake cleaner for extended periods of time...aka soaking...some cleaners have harsh stripper chemicals that are best used for short periods of time not soaking.....especialy on Chicom SKS rifles which don't utilise the highest grade steel.

Be carefull, and get a nice factory refurbished Russian/TULA and dump the Chicom.

The Russian rifles have a better firing pin in my opinion.

If you can get a book on the SKS...you will see a picture of the 3 or 4 types of firing pins....used in the different rifles during the years of its manufacture.
Alas, They are not interchangeable between carriers or rifles of different manufacture.

Stay safe........please.

WOLF
 
Mike and 4V50 Gary,
Thanks for the input and heads-up on the WD-40.
I was unaware that I was mistreating my firearms. Could they ever forgive me?
Never had any problems with its use but don't think I'll be using it any longer either.
Thanks again guys!
Proof that you're never too old to learn.
TS
 
Targetshooter,

Several other good uses for WD-40...

Propellant for spud guns or tennis ball cannons. :)

A "kinder, gentler" starter fluid for chain saws, snow blowers & tillers.

If you're looking for a better lubricant for working parts on guns, I highly recommend DSX grease. I use it on the slide rails on my semi-autos and the inner workings of my revolvers. Unlike oil, grease won't run away over time, leaving parts dry and unlubricated.

Oh, I forgot the BEST application I've ever found for WD-40...

It is absolutely KILLER at getting road tar off the rocker and door panels on cars! A light squirt so that it runs down over the tar bump, and a few minutes later the tar will practially fall off. Then a little squirted onto a soft towel will remove all traces of the tar.

Follow that with a thorough wipedown with rubbing alcohol. Best time to do this is just before you thoroughly wash the car, so you get all of the solvents off the paint. I don't know for certain if it will damage the paint finish, but I'm not going to leave it on for too long to find out.

[This message has been edited by Mike Irwin (edited May 23, 2000).]
 
Yep, a trigger group will most probably solve the problem and is why I purchased "spares" for my SKS and will probably purchase another complete rifle soon. Hey, at their current prices, you can't go wrong. Also, that firing pin placement is ultimately critical. I even drew myself a picture for future reference.

Regarding hammers, did any of you know that Enzo Ferrari would not allow any of his mechanics to have a hammer in their tool boxes?
Rome
 
This is not sweet - or cool - or even fun.
This is a dangerous situation that needs remedied.
I'ld put a tie down through that action to mark it as an unsafe gun and take it back to the shop for a repair, return or replace.

My two pet peeves (after S&W and Ruger Auto pistols) in the gun universe are Guns that Jam - and Guns that are not safe. I have no use for these guns. NONE. I dont want them in my collection or posession.



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To understand the true nature of a Politician - you have to look at the root words in Politics. Poli = meaning Many, and Tics = meaning blood sucking insects.
 
George......relax.......was just kidding. But I can tell you, after attending Knob Creek this year and shooting several machine guns, including M60 and full auto M-16, full auto is both COOL and SWEET!!! :D
 
I agree Full Auto is most sweet - but only when you expect it. Runaway guns are highly UNCOOL.

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To understand the true nature of a Politician - you have to look at the root words in Politics. Poli = meaning Many, and Tics = meaning blood sucking insects.
 
A lot of very good info on the SKS.

Just for information purposes: Several years ago, Cascade Ammuntion, Roseburg OR, recieved a shipment of the Paratrooper SKSs with selector switches. The switch looked like a cross-bolt safety ala Winchester Model 12. Cascade discovered the crate of select-fire weapons when a customer returned one with the complaint that, "It shot all the bullets at once." Cascade notified the BATF and they, the BATF, did a their imitation of Jack-Booted Thugs. Treated the folks at Cascade like criminals. Did not win any friends in Oregon.

Probably a few of those unregistered, select-fire SKSs still out in the world.

William
 
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