Very clean SKS that slamfired?

funwithgun

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Hi all,

So picked up an SKS from wholesale the other week, stripped and cleaned the entire thing (including bolt), shot 20 rounds of PPV out of it the other day with no problem, cleaned it; then today I shot 10 rounds of federal ammo and had a slam fire on the last second clip. This was pretty scary for me because the FP was clean and moves freely in the bolt. Do you think it could be an issue with the ammo having sensitive primers?
 
Hi all,

So picked up an SKS from wholesale the other week, stripped and cleaned the entire thing (including bolt), shot 20 rounds of PPV out of it the other day with no problem, cleaned it; then today I shot 10 rounds of federal ammo and had a slam fire on the last second clip. This was pretty scary for me because the FP was clean and moves freely in the bolt. Do you think it could be an issue with the ammo having sensitive primers?

Call mythbusters and tell them they were wrong about busting the sks shoot by itself myth!
 
The ammo could be an issue as commerical primers will be softer. I would give the bolt another through cleaning and take a q-tip through the firing pin channel.

Also with he bolt out make sure the firing pin rattles freely.
 
I ordered an after market FP from Murray Gunsmithing so hopefully I dont have to worry about what kind of ammo I'm shooting anymore
 
Soft primers would be my guess. Use surplus or as you mentioned above change the firing pin. I take my bolts completely apart and spray them with brake cleaner to get the cosmoline off and if they rattle when done, they are good to go.
 
Yeah I had some MFS soft point ammo do a 3 round burst for my girlfriend.

She looked over grinned and said.. too bad FA is illegal here.
 
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The system is designed around the ammo it was meant to be fed, military aka surplus. I have played with the Murray spring pin and have had popped primers ( which I resolved for the most part) and FTF's with primer struck using surplus. IF you shoot commercial ammo use the Murray pin. If you shoot surplus, stick with the factory pin with a proper cleaning after shooting, light oil and ensure it rattles. For whatever reason, the spring pin doesn't give enough of or an adequite enough hit to the berdan primers to ignite them 100% of the time. IF you need hunting ammo you could always pull the bullet and reseat a hunting type bullet on the military cartridge. Or it just takes a couple of minutes to switch FP's
 
What do you mean by 'slam fire'. The concensus is that if you have a: "slam fire" you will have serious injuries and pieces of brass flying out of the breech area into your face and possibly pieces of steel flying around like shrapnel.

Milking the trigger is not a slam fire.

Upon taking up shooting after a hiatus of some years, I had some doubles on semi auto rifles. There was nothing wrong with the rifle it was me that was the problem.

Have fun, be safe. :)
 
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Mythbusters???? People watch that show. Nerds that never really do the real test on the myth and no hot women on there. I don't watch. They never do the real test it is some half a$$ed attempted that isn't close.

Ballistic gel and plexiglass???? Seriously WTF?
 
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The Mythbuster episode really proved nothing anyways. Except a loaded rifle placed really close to a C4 charge may have a chambered cartridge fire. No sign that the hammer fell, no evidence the primer was struck. Just a cartridge that detonated. Moral of the story, don't place a loaded rifle within feet of where you plan on setting off a large C4 charge.
 
Never had a problem with my SKS and I use commercial ammo as well as reloads exclusively. Before each session I make sure the pin is rattling free and pass some patches through the barrel to wipe up excess oil from storing(as with all my guns)and proceed with fun.
 
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