First Time Shooting My New Russian SKS...A Bit of a Bummer. Trigger Not Resetting
- Thread starter thegazelle
- Start date
^agreed! Most SKS owners get a free pass when it comes to their guns functioning, a half=a**ed cleaning and it runs perfectly forever. Gazelle-you earned your cred, now lets hear how she shoots now that you can put 5 down the pipe!
Took it to the range tonight. 80 rounds through it - no problems! Had to manually adjust the posts' windage and elevation pretty much from scratch as my laser bore sighter at home was completely and grossly inaccurate, as it turns out.
Very fun gun to shoot and once the adjustments were made it was decently accurate, given the liability of my lack of shooting skill.
Not a single issue with it tonight - no jams, no failure to ejects though I noticed that all the extractions flung the steel casings way ahead of me, way over the bench, which was interesting.
Used all Norinco red box, supposedly non-corrosive. I can clean it but am too curious to see whether or not the rumours are true that red box non-corrosive may have some corrosive primers mixed in. Guess I will check the gun in a few days and find out.
Regardless, I am going to drive some distance tomorrow to buy some Barnaul off another CGNer. All indications are that Barnaul is indeed non-corrosive.
Thanks again for everyone's feedback and assistance.
Very fun gun to shoot and once the adjustments were made it was decently accurate, given the liability of my lack of shooting skill.
Not a single issue with it tonight - no jams, no failure to ejects though I noticed that all the extractions flung the steel casings way ahead of me, way over the bench, which was interesting.
Used all Norinco red box, supposedly non-corrosive. I can clean it but am too curious to see whether or not the rumours are true that red box non-corrosive may have some corrosive primers mixed in. Guess I will check the gun in a few days and find out.
Regardless, I am going to drive some distance tomorrow to buy some Barnaul off another CGNer. All indications are that Barnaul is indeed non-corrosive.
Thanks again for everyone's feedback and assistance.
^This. (There's also the friction of the hammer-to-seer engagement too)
But the friction between ALL the bearing surfaces in the sks trigger is intentional and integral to the design. The sks safety is essentially a "friction safey"
The sks has a crappy trigger pull for a very important reason. It was designed that way on purpose.
Last edited:
thegazelle, RE the flying empties, please check out the "Helpful hints ..." Sticky at http s://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/603359-Helpful-hints-to-DIY-for-Red-Rifles , Tip #2 both a. and b. The first is drilling holes in the gas tube to reduce the distance cases are thrown - mine is down to about 10 feet. The second changes the direction from 1-2-o'clock High to about 3-o'clock sideways; I'd advise using a 4" grinder instead of a Dremel, I used a Dremel and it took 3-4 discs and over 1/2 hour. A real grinder will only take minutes.
I don't have pics of the gas tube but here's the ejection port mod. I could have (and may yet) taken a bit more off.
[/url][/IMG]
[/url][/IMG]
I don't have pics of the gas tube but here's the ejection port mod. I could have (and may yet) taken a bit more off.
thegazelle, RE the flying empties, please check out the "Helpful hints ..." Sticky at http s://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/603359-Helpful-hints-to-DIY-for-Red-Rifles , Tip #2 both a. and b. The first is drilling holes in the gas tube to reduce the distance cases are thrown - mine is down to about 10 feet. The second changes the direction from 1-2-o'clock High to about 3-o'clock sideways; I'd advise using a 4" grinder instead of a Dremel, I used a Dremel and it took 3-4 discs and over 1/2 hour. A real grinder will only take minutes.
I don't have pics of the gas tube but here's the ejection port mod. I could have (and may yet) taken a bit more off.
[/url][/IMG]
[/url][/IMG]
Thank you very much. I will check it out.
The next challenge will be to figure out whether the large batch of Norinco red box that I have been buying is actually non-corrosive as it says. I have read mixed reviews on these and wonder whether it is batch/year specific. If you look at the Cabela's site reviews on the Norinco 7.62x39 (which is now on sale for $9.99), most of the recent reviews indicate indeed there are corrosive primers in the red box non-corrosives. But there are members here who have shot hundreds if not thousands of red box and say there are no issues. Mine are all either factory 311 year 2019 or factory 311 year 2020, which the overwhelming amount being the latter.
I know, I can take apart the gun and run boiling water through the barrel and the gas piston and tube, but I figure my curiosity is getting the better of me and I left it overnight.
Just took the bolt out and removed the piston tube (another positive of shooting it - the piston tube is no longer so tight that I need a tool to pry the level - I was able to work the lever by hand although it required significant strength.
Bolt face doesn't seem to have any signs of rust starting - just pretty black from the dirty ammo.
Piston seems to be the same condition - don't see even a spot of rust though it is pretty dirty - may as well clean it while I have it opened up just with CLP
Piston tube - just ran a patch with CLP through it and other than it being black, no signs of rust. That was the 2019 Norinco red box I used. Will try the 2020 next time and hopefully it will be the same result.
Regardless I am going to head out today on my lunchbreak to buy some Barnaul off another CGN member.
Thanks for the feedback. The good news is I am not a tinkerer or a modder type of guy (lack the skill and interest) so I won't be changing anything out or filing down anything - I have seen videos of people reducing the trigger pull by half using an MCARBO spring to replace the one that is in front of the sear that acts as a magazine latch. But honestly, in shooting it last night I did not find the trigger too heavy.
I agree - if that friction is by design, it seems foolhardy to trade safety for a lighter trigger. Again, I did not find it too bad. My 10/22 is MUCH WORSE.
The biggest adjustment last night was getting used to not having an optic on the rifle...but after things were dialed in, I did slightly better than I thought and the more important thing was, the gun was so fun to shoot. Yesterday was the first time in a long time I that I did not shoot my FX9 at the range even though it was with me. I never thought I would enjoy shooting a gun from 1953 as much as I am. My daughter says maybe it's time I start looking at muzzle loaders...haha...
Awesome that you got it all sorted out!!! Reading at the beginning I was worried you had a rare lemon.
I have shot a lot of Barnual and 100% it is not corrosive. Its the best of the cheap ammo. (if you can find it)
def worth a dive
Now that its all deep cleaned you likely wont need to do another for 50 more years
