So I went to shoot my newly acquired Romanian SKS from SOG. I tore it completely down and cleaned it... it shoots great, BUT it will not cycle. It short cycles, the charging handle and bolt only slide back about a 1/2-3/4 inches after each round. I basically have a bolt action SKS here... took it all apart at the range again with a guy who really knows his SKS's and we could not figure out what is wrong. I am using that cheapo Wolf ammo, but my unserstanding is that these SKS's will eat anything. The gas tube rod has a SLIGHT bend to it, but it still slides in and out without any effort. It's like the gases are escaping somewhere and not cycling the action. Otherwise it shot very accurately and I really like it.. I just need it to cycle... any ideas?
SKS problems.. help!
- Thread starter Wedge
- Start date
plateshooter
New member
Did you check the gas port in the barrel to be sure it's not plugged? Is the gas piston rod bent to the extent that it will not push the secondary push rod all of the way in? That's the only two things I can think of that would cause a short cycle. Your correct that SKSs will generally eat anything. Anyone else have any suggestions?
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Good shootin to ya
Plateshooter
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Good shootin to ya
Plateshooter
FireForged
New member
I would check the secondary piston to make sure it is working properly. If that doesnt fix you problem then I would replace the slightly bent rod. I have never seen a mech problem in a SKS that couldnt be fixed by a good cleaning.. I have faith that yours will come around. Keep us advised.
Venture
Venture
Unless I am mistaken, the gas piston simply pushes the bolt carrier back which allows the bolt to unlock. At this point, the pressure placed on the cartridge is what actually cycles the bolt. It sounds as if the gas piston is doing it's job and that there may be a problem with the bolt hanging up. Or, the gas piston is not unlocking the bolt carrier fast enough for the barrel pressure to push the spent cartridge out. I have not encountered this problem with mine so I can only speculate.
The gas port rod has a slight bend to it that can be seen when it is rolled on a flat surface. The secondary rod moves freely. The gun did eject and fully cycle the first 2 shots I had fired. After that it jammed a few empty casings and after about the 15th round through it, it would just slide the bolt back about 3/4 after each shot.
I tore it down like 3 times to inspect and it at the range and everything looked ok. This is a head scratcher.... I was thinking maybe the Wolf ammo I bought was just weak... but that does not sound right. It was not factory sealed ammo, rather rounds on stripper clips, but even so I think it should be ok. It did have a few FTF's at first where it would not fire the first round, but that stopped after I loaded the 3rd stripper clip full in it.
The guy helping me at the range has 5 SKS's and knew what he was doing... he said to replace the gas port rod, even though he agreed that it was not binding and was apparently moving freely. So could it have been bad ammo... I kinda doubt I had 100 rounds of duds! ack.... thanks for any info.
I tore it down like 3 times to inspect and it at the range and everything looked ok. This is a head scratcher.... I was thinking maybe the Wolf ammo I bought was just weak... but that does not sound right. It was not factory sealed ammo, rather rounds on stripper clips, but even so I think it should be ok. It did have a few FTF's at first where it would not fire the first round, but that stopped after I loaded the 3rd stripper clip full in it.
The guy helping me at the range has 5 SKS's and knew what he was doing... he said to replace the gas port rod, even though he agreed that it was not binding and was apparently moving freely. So could it have been bad ammo... I kinda doubt I had 100 rounds of duds! ack.... thanks for any info.
FireForged
New member
FED, I tried to adjust my SKS site with the normal garage tools and ended up damaging it. I finally bought the little $3.00 site tool (L-R adj) from sksman.com
All this talk about SKS's makes me want to go shoot my little 54 Tula right now. Its been a while since Ive had her out.
All this talk about SKS's makes me want to go shoot my little 54 Tula right now. Its been a while since Ive had her out.
Sorta sounds to me like it is an expansion related problem. Notice how 2 shots and there's a problem. Maybe you should carefully(!!) heat the gas system up by running a few round through it, and then, before it can cool down, check the mobility of the gas system. I bet ya it won't move right once you've gotten it warm.
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The Alcove
I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist
The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me
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The Alcove
I twist the facts until they tell the truth. -Some intellectual sadist
The Bill of Rights is a document of brilliance, a document of wisdom, and it is the ultimate law, spoken or not, for the very concept of a society that holds liberty above the desire for ever greater power. -Me
Badger Arms
New member
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Wedge:
The gas port rod has a slight bend to it that can be seen when it is rolled on a flat surface. The secondary rod moves freely.[/quote]
Just a stab in the dark here. I think there might be a mismatch between the center of your piston rod and the center of your secondary rod such that the piston rod is merely catching the end of the secondary rod. Look at the face of your rear-sight block and see if it's peened out any. It's possible that the piston is spinning and that could account for why it worked a few times. The bend will get progessively worse if you keep trying to fire it like that. Get a new piston rod or bend the one you have. I think this might solve the problem. Check your gas-port first to make sure it isn't obstructed.
The gas port rod has a slight bend to it that can be seen when it is rolled on a flat surface. The secondary rod moves freely.[/quote]
Just a stab in the dark here. I think there might be a mismatch between the center of your piston rod and the center of your secondary rod such that the piston rod is merely catching the end of the secondary rod. Look at the face of your rear-sight block and see if it's peened out any. It's possible that the piston is spinning and that could account for why it worked a few times. The bend will get progessively worse if you keep trying to fire it like that. Get a new piston rod or bend the one you have. I think this might solve the problem. Check your gas-port first to make sure it isn't obstructed.
Also check the piston fit,complete absence of the secondary rod/spring near backsight( 
!),gas port for barrel obstruction, main/ancilliary springs tension, trigger group for dirt etc... and even carbon in the neck of the chamber.... [Some of the Chinese SKS were used for fullauto with a simple trigger/sear mod - so they got very hot.]
Still feel previous postings are more likely and the operating rod/piston should be trued and the second short rod and spring examined as well.
Try milspec 'Norinco' ammo( green or brown or commer wash).
A rare fault indeed with the SKS ...keep us posted please re. solution Wedge.
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If we shooting sportspersons don't hang together... we will all hang separately !
Never knock another's different shooting interest or discipline...REMEMBER we are all but leaves on the same tree of freedom.
!),gas port for barrel obstruction, main/ancilliary springs tension, trigger group for dirt etc... and even carbon in the neck of the chamber.... [Some of the Chinese SKS were used for fullauto with a simple trigger/sear mod - so they got very hot.]Still feel previous postings are more likely and the operating rod/piston should be trued and the second short rod and spring examined as well.
Try milspec 'Norinco' ammo( green or brown or commer wash).
A rare fault indeed with the SKS ...keep us posted please re. solution Wedge.
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If we shooting sportspersons don't hang together... we will all hang separately !
Never knock another's different shooting interest or discipline...REMEMBER we are all but leaves on the same tree of freedom.
Ok,, I think you might have something there with the rotating rod.. I will try straightening it out. Also the gas tube and wooden handguard tend to wiggle around a bit... I really suspect that there is a bad fit and the gasses are excaping before cycling the action all the way back.
Badger Arms
New member
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Wedge:
Ok,, I think you might have something there with the rotating rod.. I will try straightening it out. Also the gas tube and wooden handguard tend to wiggle around a bit... I really suspect that there is a bad fit and the gasses are excaping before cycling the action all the way back.[/quote]
Wedge, that would have to be some HORRENDOUS gas leak to cause such little movement in the bolt. The rear end wiggling could be a major culprit though. I'd never even thought of a missing secondary rod. They fly out rapidly when you rotate the gas-tube release lever. FWING!
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God made us in his own image.
Thomas Jefferson made us free.
John Browning made us equal.
Without Browning, we might not know about the other two...
Ok,, I think you might have something there with the rotating rod.. I will try straightening it out. Also the gas tube and wooden handguard tend to wiggle around a bit... I really suspect that there is a bad fit and the gasses are excaping before cycling the action all the way back.[/quote]
Wedge, that would have to be some HORRENDOUS gas leak to cause such little movement in the bolt. The rear end wiggling could be a major culprit though. I'd never even thought of a missing secondary rod. They fly out rapidly when you rotate the gas-tube release lever. FWING!
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God made us in his own image.
Thomas Jefferson made us free.
John Browning made us equal.
Without Browning, we might not know about the other two...
Just a shot in the dark.
You say you cleaned your peice. Did you take the reamer that is supplied in the cleaning kit and run it thru the gas port ?
Sometimes these get filled with cosmoline and MUST be reamed out to work efficiently, the cosmoline gets stiff and brittle when it gets old,and it impededs the gas flow. It sounds like what you've got.Get that trash out of there and the gas blow back action will pretty much take care of the rest.
Good luck...hope this helps.
You say you cleaned your peice. Did you take the reamer that is supplied in the cleaning kit and run it thru the gas port ?
Sometimes these get filled with cosmoline and MUST be reamed out to work efficiently, the cosmoline gets stiff and brittle when it gets old,and it impededs the gas flow. It sounds like what you've got.Get that trash out of there and the gas blow back action will pretty much take care of the rest.
Good luck...hope this helps.
Well since everyone is stumped on this, and many of you seem to know SKS's very well.. I am have decided to send it back and get a replacement. I just don't want to second guess and throw parts at this thing or take it to a smith and pay more than the gun is worth to have it fixed. I called SOG and they gave me a return authorization number and they said they will refund my shipping back to them and send me a new one when they get this one back.... so we shall see what happens.