any recent owner of a SKS replace their firing pin yet?

snipersyn

snipersyn

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I just finished flipping thru pages of threads about the notorious slam-fire issues that post-1951 SKS's suffer from and all the fixes: 1-consistently cleaning of the bolt assembly as well as the entire rifle after use (especially after using corrosive, surplus ammo) 2-eventually replacing the firing pin with a the spring type ie. Murray's.

While have I have not received my SKS as of yet (expect some time next week and hella exited about it!) --- I already plan to to give it the cleaning of the its life ie. field strip/soak bolt/eradicate every speck of cosmoline before a round ever get fired.

My question to present SKS owners and SKS veterans --- is it prudent to replace the firing pin right off the bat and get better peace of mind?

Thx to any comments and suggestions.
 
The only notorious problems that SKS suffers from is the internet and cheaply made aftermarket parts. You dont need a spring loaded firing pin because for 5 years of production until the final rifle was made the Russians deemed it an unneccessary part of the rifle. All others followed suit and nobody died or lit on fire. You only need to clean the firing pin and its channel every time if you dont oil it, with a light coat of oil in 4 different rifles I have NEVER had a slam fire or rust of any kind. Even with one full of cosmoline because I forgot about it during initial cleaning I had no slam fires with several hundred rounds. The rifles reliability designs prevent this. Very hard primers take a serious strike to ignite, anyone who has examined a misfire from the CZ gremlin knows how much it takes to set czech surplus off. The peace of mind you gain from a murrays or similar pin is the same peace of mind the antis get from our firearms act... overkill measures that were never needed and fixed nothing. Just shoot it and have fun, keep it stock and it will be the safest and most reliable rifle you own
 
snipersyn said:
I just finished flipping thru pages of threads about the notorious slam-fire issues that post-1951 SKS's suffer from and all the fixes: 1-consistently cleaning of the bolt assembly as well as the entire rifle after use (especially after using corrosive, surplus ammo) 2-eventually replacing the firing pin with a the spring type ie. Murray's.

While have I have not received my SKS as of yet (expect some time next week and hella exited about it!) --- I already plan to to give it the cleaning of the its life ie. field strip/soak bolt/eradicate every speck of cosmoline before a round ever get fired.

My question to present SKS owners and SKS veterans --- is it prudent to replace the firing pin right off the bat and get better peace of mind?

Thx to any comments and suggestions.
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no not at all, the the spring loaded pin is a gimmick. the russian military are not fools, if the sks needed this part it would already be there. save your money for ammo.
 
snipersyn said:
I just finished flipping thru pages of threads about the notorious slam-fire issues that post-1951 SKS's suffer from and all the fixes: 1-consistently cleaning of the bolt assembly as well as the entire rifle after use (especially after using corrosive, surplus ammo) 2-eventually replacing the firing pin with a the spring type ie. Murray's.

While have I have not received my SKS as of yet (expect some time next week and hella exited about it!) --- I already plan to to give it the cleaning of the its life ie. field strip/soak bolt/eradicate every speck of cosmoline before a round ever get fired.

My question to present SKS owners and SKS veterans --- is it prudent to replace the firing pin right off the bat and get better peace of mind?

Thx to any comments and suggestions.
Click to expand...
Its not because somes have experienced slam fire that make the free floating firing pin design prone to slam fire. If kept clean and dry, you will never have any problems. My first sks was bought in 1995, a russian 1956 with free floating pin. I shot fews hundreds rounds of commercial "soft primed" ammo in and never ever had any issues. The SKS is a pretty fool proof design, clean it properly and shoot truck load of ammo, he will outlast you:)
Jocelyn
 
In my opinion if posters have never had slam fire issues, you shouldn't comment.
 
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supernova said:
The only notorious problems that SKS suffers from is the internet and cheaply made aftermarket parts. ..
Click to expand...


Agree.

Been shooting the same one since the late Eighties. Never a slam fire or stuck pin. Of all the buddies that own SKS, they've never had this issue neither.
 
almost 500 rds thru my rifle and no problems. I just make a habit of pulling the
carrier out after each use and giving it a good flush with nitro solvent and brake clean. I'm not worried as long as that pin rattles.
 
10 SKS's, never a problem. Pull the bolt out and shake it, it should rattle if the FP is free. If it doesn't, squirt some brake cleaner down the FP channel. It will come free. Go shooting, and disassemble and clean properly afterwards.

Its got to be the most idiot proof rifle of all time.
 
RMXC51 said:
10 SKS's, never a problem. Pull the bolt out and shake it, it should rattle if the FP is free. If it doesn't, squirt some brake cleaner down the FP channel. It will come free. Go shooting, and disassemble and clean properly afterwards.

Its got to be the most idiot proof rifle of all time.
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:agree:
 
I agree with the other posters...just keep it clean.I clean the bolt and take the FP out after every trip to the Range and clean the Channel with a Q-Tip.... never had a problem. Like the AK-47 the SKS were built Tough.
 
Having owned several of these guns, from different countries, I can tell you the slam-fire problem is real. The original Russian design did in fact have a spring-loaded fireing pin. It was later dropped in favor of a free floating design. Why is anyones guess. The Yugo guns are the worst offenders, it has happened to me more often than not. In my opinion, it is because of the design of the pin, and the shape of the fireing pin hole in the face of the bolt. The two just seem to fit together like a nail going into wood, no matter how clean the parts are. I know, as I stripped the bolt to make sure. The fix, at least for me, was the aftermarket spring-loaded pin. It works perfect.
 
My yugo slam fired on me once, that was after putting 300 down the pipe, there was a little clump of cosmo I somehow missed during cleaning.

Other than that, never had any issues.
 
I just acquired my 53 Tula and have yet to take it to the range. I have in the interim given the rifle an immense cleaning and I'm confident to state the bolt is in almost pristine condition with the firing pin placed quite nicely. Great headspace as well with the healthy 'click, click' as you shake it back and forth.

I'll update on how my SKS does this weekend at the range. I intend to pop off at least 200 rounds.

 
snipersyn said:
I just acquired my 53 Tula and have yet to take it to the range. I have in the interim given the rifle an immense cleaning and I'm confident to state the bolt is in almost pristine condition with the firing pin placed quite nicely. Great headspace as well with the healthy 'click, click' as you shake it back and forth.

I'll update on how my SKS does this weekend at the range. I intend to pop off at least 200 rounds.
Click to expand...

The rifle only starts to find it's "groove" @ 200rds my friend. I would suggest you bring more to the range.....you can always bring ammo back home, but if you range isn't set up to sell and you run out just as you're getting the hang of things....:eek: bummer:redface:
 
357ross said:
Having owned several of these guns, from different countries, I can tell you the slam-fire problem is real. The original Russian design did in fact have a spring-loaded fireing pin. It was later dropped in favor of a free floating design. Why is anyones guess. The Yugo guns are the worst offenders, it has happened to me more often than not. In my opinion, it is because of the design of the pin, and the shape of the fireing pin hole in the face of the bolt. The two just seem to fit together like a nail going into wood, no matter how clean the parts are. I know, as I stripped the bolt to make sure. The fix, at least for me, was the aftermarket spring-loaded pin. It works perfect.
Click to expand...

"happened to you, more often then not"?
If your talking about slam fires, I get the feeling you don't know what a slam fire is...
 
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