Rust test - SKS

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cyclic

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I have shot surplus through my 2 sks's usually cleaning it that night or the next day and never had any rust.

Was out in the bush for 3 days and was shooting a bit, and for 3 days I didn't clean them they were also in the rain. Got home and took them apart, all looked good until I got to the gas system, Rust in the tube and around the piston. So 3 days is the most I would leave my sks before cleaning it after using surplus.
 
Last year I took my SKS out camping early summer (Manning Park area).

Shot a bit the first day, was going to shoot and clean the next day (but never did).

When I got back 3 days later there was just the slightest bit of rust on the crown and gas tube.

Seems to support the 3 day conclusion (on the Wet Coast).
 
Juster said:
I expect a bit of a rinse would be doable in the field.
Click to expand...

Makes me wonder....how did these rifles ever last military use in the field ?
Did they use them & abuse them until they needed a new one ? or did they actually spend the time to fully clean them after use ?
;)
 
I always carry a small tube of oil, patches and rag in a ziplock bag (bore snake as well) hunting or at the range.
Carries double duty as cleaning aids or dry tinder if I ever got turn around in the bush & had to spend a night. Takes up very little space and if not anything, gives a little piece of mind. A muzzle cap made of electrical tape or a rubber glove also goes on my rifle hunting. I will admit, I have taken a nasty spill & a muzzle cap saved me a big clean up in the field.
Do you think a park finish would help your rifle stand up to the rain out there any better?
 
In MILITARY service, servicemen would be required to clean their rifles every day when not in combat - even if they didn't shoot them ;) It's still generally this way if you are issued a rifle in modern armies. I suspect it's one of those "preventing idle hands" kind of things.

US troops in Iraq, for example, often have to clean the rifle several times per day due to sand infiltration.

In the case of an SKS, if you give it a quick maintenance regime between battles, it would have been fine - just like its contemporaries the M14, M1 Garand, SAFN, FN-FAL, etc.
 
DANCESWITHEMPTIES said:
A muzzle cap made of electrical tape or a rubber glove also goes on my rifle hunting. I will admit, I have taken a nasty spill & a muzzle cap saved me a big clean up in the field.
Click to expand...
I use finger cots. Go to the drug store and get some. They are like a very small condom and fit the barrel of most guns easily. You can just shoot through them and then put on another when you are done.

Also, I am shocked to hear that there are members of this forum who do not clean their firearms after each individual shot, or even contemplated shot. I was under the impression that here we should clean our firearms even if we only thought about taking them out of the locker.
Seriously, though, I fired mine last year during deer season, left it in the case in behind the seat of the truck and forgot about it. Took it out this spring anticipating a horrible mess and was greeted with only a little rust in the piston. I was absolutely amazed since I was shooting highly corrosive CZ "green box" ammo.
 
I did have all the cleaning supplies with me but rather I wanted to see what would happen after 3 days. I have a stainless Tapco piston in one of them and that had no rust on it. Just the Gas tube had it around where it meets the barrel.
 
cyclic said:
I did have all the cleaning supplies with me but rather I wanted to see what would happen after 3 days. I have a stainless Tapco piston in one of them and that had no rust on it. Just the Gas tube had it around where it meets the barrel.
Click to expand...

I follow, but to add to this, improvised cleaning aids would be a good side bar to this thread: Such as: I jumped out of my burning truck with one rag, a spare shoe lace & a half bottle of transmission fluid. What do I do now?:D
Back on track... Did you try this experiment with non corrosive ammo as well?
 
RobFrank said:
Makes me wonder....how did these rifles ever last military use in the field ?
Did they use them & abuse them until they needed a new one ? or did they actually spend the time to fully clean them after use ?
;)
Click to expand...
I've seen photos of Lee Enfields and boiling water. There is no evidence that the human warm ammonia dispenser was used, much to my disappointment.
 
Left mine for 2 days while on a quading trip. Gas system had some signs of rust started.

So from then on I clean no later than the day after.
 
I blasted through about 400 rounds with mine on a Saturday, pulled it apart for cleaning the next day and was horrified to see rust already forming on the gas piston and inner gas tube. Now I carry a bottle of Windex with me to the range (even plain water will do) to flush the gas system just before I pack it in for the day.
On another note, a buddy of mine gave me his ChiCom SKS to fix that he fired a bunch of corrosive ammo through, and then "threw it under his bed and forgot about it" for a few years. Wow, what a freakin' mess-the gas cylinder had become one with the gas tube-totally siezed, and the bolt/carrier assembly was rusty too. Took me a couple of days to loosen everything up, but the inner surface of the gas tube was totally scored, I think he has a nice bolt action SKS now....:owned:
 
I fired 100 rds through mine one night and left it until 2 p.m. the next day and had a good amount of rust in the gas tube and on the piston. all pitted up now. now when I clean them I put a light coat of ballistol klever inside the gas tube and on the piston...kills rust dead :D I'll have to wait and see how much of it gets baked on after shooting. I also put together a little cleaning kit with a spare stripper clip pouch. Ive got a russian dual chamber oil bottle with hoppes #9 copper solvent and cheap outer's oil and a chinese oil bottle with gunslick ultra-klenz, plus a small ziploc bag of patches along with the cleaning kit on the gun, I'm good to go.
 
I just left mine for like 2 weeks after shooting about 80 rounds, I forgot that I didnt clean it, because it usually get stripped down right after the range, It was a little rusty but came clean with ease, I think only soo much rust can develope.
 
What is the point of a Tapco piston? The military ones are hard chromed where it matters.

What I find most odd though is that the Yugo rifles do not have chromed bores, but they do chrome the WHOLE piston - very odd considering I've read they had a chrome shortage, or maybe that's just BS and they felt it wasn't necessary?
 
Don't you think the concept of corrosive ammo is ridiculous ?

I had some rust forming in the inner gas tube as well...nothing to serious but still....

I doubt that VietCongs had time/ressource to clean their sks every night before going to bed during the vietnam war ...kind of stupid for a military rifle don't you think ?
 
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