Do you need to clean an SKS? YES, pics.

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hical.ca

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SKSs are so good, some customers think they never need cleaning after corrosive ammo. Here on the wet coast rust will start quickly. This is one of the worst example ive come across yet.
Here was the first tip off:

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Here was the second:

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The rest

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Check the bolt:

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016-2.jpg


My advice, clean your gun every time!!
 
Thats not just the ammo... I dont clean mine and it dosent look like that...

my guess It was store in a humid enviroment ....
 
Yeah..my first gun was an SKS and I shot it three times, several hundred rounds per session, over the course of 9 months or so without cleaning it once. The ammo was corrosive surplus. A TINY bit of rust formed where the gas tube meets the barrel. I could literally scratch it away with my thumbnail.

Granted, it's a norinco so it has a chromed barrel and I don't live on the wet coast either. Still...good lord...how do you let it get that bad.
 
DILLIGAF said:
Thats not just the ammo... I dont clean mine and it dosent look like that..
my guess It was store in a humid enviroment ....
Click to expand...

all in good time;)

True story; I fired 10 rounds, 10, and didn't clean the gun for 2 weeks:redface:, then I remembered, d'oh. The piston was one piece with the cylinder. It was nothing in comparison to the above pics, but it left pitting in the cyl. 10 rounds, 2 weeks

My storage is dryer than a popcorn fart.
 
Last night I tried cleaning everything but the stock with water (I sprayed it down with a hose) before oiling and it was a huge pain to try and dry all of the nooks and crannies. I don't have a decent air compressor so it took me almost and hour to dry with a blow dryer.

There has got to be a better way! Is BreakFree CLP my best bet? I hate the idea of leaving water in there to cause a mess like that.

After seeing these pics I think I'm off to inspect mine thoroughly.
 
I just used a regular powder solvent (hoppes #9 etc) and scrubbed all the parts the gas touches (the rusted ones above ;)) followed with a nice coat of oil to keep the moisture off and mine stayed rust free for the couple of years I had it no problem.

Adding water doesn't seem like the best way to combat the problem to me... Water + Corrosive Salts + Steel = Garanteed Rust.

If you insist on using water to dissolve the salts... make sure its boiling so it will at least evaporate and dry quickly. Though as I said... I had mine for a couple years (fired almost a full crate through it) and didn't use water once. No rust for me.
 
Well I see your problem there..................don't use salt water :D

The amount of corrosion on that is very bad and obviously not just from ammo. Do you keep silica gel in the safe or cabinet? CLP should do fine.
 
BeerBaron said:
I just used a regular powder solvent (hoppes #9 etc) and scrubbed all the parts the gas touches (the rusted ones above ;)) followed with a nice coat of oil to keep the moisture off and mine stayed rust free for the couple of years I had it no problem.

Adding water doesn't seem like the best way to combat the problem to me... Water + Corrosive Salts + Steel = Garanteed Rust.

If you insist on using water to dissolve the salts... make sure its boiling so it will at least evaporate and dry quickly. Though as I said... I had mine for a couple years (fired almost a full crate through it) and didn't use water once. No rust for me.
Click to expand...

Hoppes solvent seems to work but I was told by a gunsmith that it won't remove the salts, so I wind up using a ton of it. With CLP do you just have to spray and wipe everything down and that's it? I'd rather not use water at all.
 
I field strip, wipe down, and pull through every gun I take to the range as soon as I get home. After every 1K rounds or so I completely strip them and give them a good going over. CLP is the way to go for me, no complaints about it yet.
My 10/22 is almost 40 years old and this formula has kept it going strong since my Dad gave it to me in 76!
 
Thanks for the pics, Dave. Good example of neglect and an excellent reason to be sure and clean after shooting corrosive every time.

For those who haven't needed to be as diligent in their cleaning, all I can say is, "lucky dogs." I'm not that fortunate however. I HAVE to be thorough in my cleaning every time I shoot corrosive. It all depends on where you live and how you store your firearms. Some environments are less forgiving than others.
 
We have a humid enviroment here, mix that with corrosive salts & metal doesnt have a chance. The owner became aware of a problem when he tried to use the gun & the shell only chambered 1/2 way & stuck! That gun will become a trainer for the PAL course as it shouldnt be used again. The owner just bought a new one again from us because they are so cheap.....
 
yeah...that is more than an ammo problem. That is an end user problem.

My cleaning regimen after corrosive:

Boil a big pot of water. Mix in dish soap when done boiling.

Submerge and soak all small parts in pot.

Scoop water out with a cup and pour it generously into receiver, down barrel, through gas tubes. Dry immediately using compressor and spray down with WD40 to displace any stuck water in creases. Use compressor again to blow off excess WD. Wipe. CLP receiver and external surfaces; run my jags and patches, oil bore.

Swish small parts around in boiling water. Take out, wipe off using cloth/qtips. Dry with compressor and lightly CLP.

Reassemble.

Has worked so far.
 
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