Helpful hints to DIY for Red Rifles

[Curtton]

1. For Red Rifles .

a. Making 5 rounds stripper clips .

Just a little something I made a couple months ago. It greatly improves loading and handling of stripper clips.

It is printed out of PLA. It makes up the gap created by the 5 missing cartridges, works as a handy pull tab when withdrawing from a magazine pouch, and makes it very easy to smash rounds into the rifle without pinching your thumb.

Blue one is from my Anet A8 and is a bit rough. White one is from my Ender 3 printing on rapid. It prints without supports. There might be a little stringing at the top of the circle cutout, but nothing that affects function.

I also made a caddy that holds 4 stripper clips.

It fits perfectly inside a Dutch STANAG magazine pouch. I dyed the pouches in black Rit dye for 10 minutes to darken them up a bit.

They are a bit oversized as there seems to be a little variation in each stripper clip. A few passes on 120 grit is all it takes to get things running smooth.

If you are interested PM me and I will send you a link to Google Drive for the stl files. Print as many as you want and feel free to modify/improve.

I was cleaning up this morning in my work room and noticed a pile of old stripper clips... I started tinkering and came up with a simple process to cut them and use them as 5 round clips.

1) Strip 5 rounds off a clip...

2) Using the last round as a guide, file a light score across the edges of the clip with a sharp edged file. A safety edge file could be made for the task by grinding the face of the file flat that will be riding against the last case. I think the scuffing to the case is minimal and wont effect feeding.

*Update* I just tried crimping the clip with side cutters instead of filing a grove to weaken the clip and it works just about as well. The fracture isn't quite as clean and it might take a bit of trial and error to figure out exactly where to crimp to get two even pieces, but it works!


3) Place the clip in a vice with the scored edge aligned to the top of the vice jaws. Wearing gloves bend the clip away from the scored edges. The clip is hardened steel and will fracture cleanly across the weakened line made by the scored edges. The gloves will protect your hands against bumping /scraping sharp objects as the clip can give way quite abruptly.

4) You now have two 5 round clips! I like to run the fresh edges against my belt grinder to smooth them out and de-burr them.

5) Load 5 rounds back on the clip (the fresh edge is wide open and easy to load from. Using side cutters or pliers crimp one or two of the corners of the fresh edge down to retain the loaded rounds.

There you go! Two 5 round strippers ready to go! It takes less than a minute to do one so you can churn out a bunch really quickly. The only down side is that they only feed from the one factory end...

HTH
MB

Here we go. I made a quick video after trying it out this morning.

See what you think...

[youtube]c0Gh89QkmIU[/youtube]

Haven't figured out how to imbed :/

[youtube]x0JHu__xc9o[/youtube]

2. For SKS.

a. SKS GAS TUBE MODIFICATION

Hello Everyone,

While scanning the forums, I came across an interesting article. It is quoted below:

"SKS GAS TUBE MODIFICATION

by: Larry Gibson

SKS rifles are notorious for their violent ejection of fired cases. This may be desirable on the Russian tundra at 20 below but for the reloader trying to find the brass it is intolerable. The following modification will allow the rifle to function reliably yet will deposit the brass into a small area to the right front of the shooter. It also will lessen the hazard to bystanders. Velocity of the ammunition used is not affected.

Use standard 7.62x39 ammunition or the equivalent handload with 123-125 grain bullets when making this modification. The gas system of the SKS allows for more than enough gas port pressure to drive the piston back in the gas tube and cycle the action. This was designed this way to ensure absolute reliable functioning in extreme temperatures and conditions. What this modification does is simply to “vent” the gas after it has imparted enough motion to the piston to cycle the action with out driving it so violently back. As this modification vents the gas rather quickly the use of other than standard ammunition to regulate this cycling may cause malfunctions then when standard ammunition is used.

Attention cast bullet shooters: if you want to shoot really reduced loads with light bullets then regulate it with that. With Lee's 312-155 or heavier bullets I've found functioning to be fine with the conversion made for standard ammo. When medium burning powders (4895, etc.) are used and velocity is in the 1600 fps range I've not had any malfunctions.

To accomplish this modification it will require the following tools:

15 drill bits from #45 (smallest) to #31 (largest)
Center punch
Small round file
Electric drill, cordless or hand drill if power is available at range.

Before going to the range remove the gas tube from the SKS and take out the piston. On each side of the gas tube center punch .22” back from the face of the gas tube. Center punch .35” back from the face of the gas tube directly on top. Now drill each with the #45 drill. You will now have 3 holes, one on each side and one on top. The hole on top will be slightly further back from the ones on the sides. Deburr the inside of the tube with the file lightly and reassemble the piston into the tube and assemble it back onto the rifle. Load up the tools, ammo and rifle and head to the range.

Fire 5 rounds and observe the ejection pattern and how violent the action cycles. Drill out the top hole only using one size drill larger at a time. Test firing with at least 3 rounds between each drilling. You must disassemble the gas tube each time to drill.
NOTE:
I have found on several Russian SKSs that with 2 side holes of #45 size and the top hole of #31 size they will lay the brass into and area of about 3 feet diameter about 6-8 feet to my right front when shooting from a sitting position. The recoil of the rifle is much easier to manage as the action is not functioning nearly so violently. A couple have required the 2 side holes to be enlarged to #40 drill bit size.

Several Chinese SKSs have required an additional hole .3” behind the top one. If the first three holes have not “vented” enough gas then drill this 4th hole. Again starting with the #45 drill bit and going one size larger with a test firing each time. ( Added by res45 The numbered drill bits are wire gage bits you can get a cheap set here for about $15 that goes form #1 to #60 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=34627)

CAUTION
It is easy to get impatient and drill to much too quick without adequate test firing, DON’T!! You can’t put the metal back. New gas tubes are available at gun shows and out of Shotgun News for a reasonable price. If you’re not sure of your abilities get one first and try it before messing up the original. I have not messed any up using the above method. I have one tube (original Chinese tube that does fit the Russian with minimal fitting) that when used on my favorite Russian will lay the brass almost within arms reach."

My questions: Has someone ever done this here as a member? Can you post pictures? I do not quite understand what is meant by, and how far back the drilling goes. As well, do drill bits go by another name/diameter? I asked at my local store and they said "no such thing as a #41 drill bit exists". Perhaps in mm?

Thanks,
Drach

Yes I've done it.

Numbered drill bits are not common. The ones I could find were cheap steel and not able to bore a hole through the gas tube (the tube is hard) without burning out. To prevent further burn outs I first drilled a pilot hole with a 5/64" cobalt bit on my drill press. This allowed much easier drilling with the successive numbered bits which I did by hand.

I found the bits at

http://www.busybeetools.com/products/DRILL-SET-1-60-105-825.html

The pencil points out the TOP hole. The toothpick is in one of the side holes. The other side hole is directly opposite the one indicated.

The pencil points out one of the SIDE holes. The toothpick is in the top hole. The other side hole is directly opposite the one indicated.

I hope this helps!

b. Ejecting spent casings

With the recommendation of a few members Ive decided to post a bit of info on a mod that Aramir recommended. It seems there is a solution to the SKS ejecting spent casings straight up in the air that looks nearly factory original and works like a dream. By clearancing a small portion of the ejection window, it will allow the ejector to kick the shells straight out to the right. I forgot to take pics before but you can compare to your own rifle to see how small an amount of material needs to be removed. On the lower left corner of the ejection window there is an angle that needs to be cut back to a smaller radius. Thats it! You dont need to lengthen the window any, just turn the angle into a small radius and youre done.

And touched up with some fresh bluing, reassembled

You can barely tell its been modified, until you start firing. Now I can mount a fullsize scope without worry, or an ugly shell deflector.

c. SKS-D conversion .

d. Making a fix standard SKS mag to detachable .

I did the first one right on the rifle. It required quite a few steps but is easily done. I then used the first converted mag to build a jig to do the rest (and any in the future). I now have two rifles and 4 detachable mags.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvUZDmm36fE&list=UUujc-vPdWnZoFxu6ZhFJ37w

3. For VZ58

a. How to re-install recoil spring in less than a minute.

the only tool i needed was a drinking straw , i used the ones that bend near the top (thinner than the milk shakes type).

1. slide the straw over the spring retaining wire , all the way to the end of the wire, it should fit snuggly.

2. slide the recoil spring all the way in.

3. place the rear end of the top cover firmly on the table (preferrably on a non-skid pad or the wife will kill ya, lol) and using both hands grab the spring and push it down till it passes the top of the retaining wire(you can see it thru the straw). taking the next two pic was no easy task due to the pressure from the spring, luckily i kept it steady and it didnt fly away.

4. hold the spring firmly with your fingers (thumb, index ) while the remaining fingers (middle, ring and pinky) gripping the top cover, once that is done, release the other hand and pull up the straw, exposing the top of the wire.

5. with the free hand put the spring retainer piece on top of the wire to lock the spring in, easy way is to line up the two wire with the grooves on the side of the retainer piece and rotate the piece with your fingers and the wire will line up to locking position... note my fingers was turning purple due to it took longer than a minute to take pics.

b. Replacing a lost hand guard pin.

I lost my pin to. i managed to find a pin at work that fit.
Not sure what they are called but ive seen them at Home Hardware. Any hardware store should carry them.

Give it a tap with a hammer, its a little tight.
Use a punch to pop it out.

c. Paracord on factory folder.

All of my CZ rifles are rigged up with factory folders and I'm in the process of para-cord wrapping them all. When done properly the wrapping stays on nice and tight, plus you will have the ability to easily tighten it as required (have not had any need to do it yet...but nice to know it would be easy if required). The i-beam shape of the stock lends itself nicely to lashing on the paracord not unlike how you would lash a free rope end with whipping twine. Basically you lay a loop down in the interior of the stock channel and then wrap tightly around the loop all the way down the stock. When you get to the end you pass the free end of the cord through the bight and then pull on the other end to tighten the bight around the free end. If you pull hard enough you can suck the bight and the whipped end right into the i-channel.

See the following link...example #2 is the closest to what I use.

http://www.ropeworks.biz/reader/whipping.pdf

Cheers,

Brobee

Ok here it is my attempt at a how to tie your own paracord Cobra weave for your cz/vz or any other object you may choose to do this to.

1. buy your paracord choose your colour my technique only shows how to do a single colour but it is possible to do 2 colours by melting the ends of the 2 different coulour ropes together. but that is another tutorial.
2. Cut your length of cord I have found about 14 feet to be a good length for this length of stock they say about a foot of cord per inch of coverage. A little more never hurt you can always trim it but you cant add to it.
3. Begin your tying at the hing end of the stock. there is a little bit of a spot there on the right side that is like a groove it is a nice place to start.

4. Find the center of your rope by lining up the 2 cut ends then work your way back to the middle you can mark it with a felt if you like then tie your first knot.

5.Pull it really tight then begin your first of the weave knots. make an s shape with the rope on the right side. then weave your left rope as shown in the photos ( i hate trying to describe this crap lol)

6. Ok it is easiest not to work with the ends of the rope since there is 7 feet of it on each side so start your weave by grabbing the rope like i do in the pics (just double it over and feed it through the pattern then pull the lengths thru.) you can get into a rhythm.
pull it very tight by working it pull out away from each other and pulling the left side up and down and then the right side keeping tension on both it's hard on the hands but will make a difference in the tightness. you will see the bottom line is get it tight. once you have a few knots in a row you will see a ridge forming on both sides you can control where this ridge sits by watching your knots as you tie them. my first time doing this i had it started at the top next one i did i made the ridge in the middle of the I beam arm of the stock. it's a matter of personal preference but you can control it and maybe make a design with it ie: undulating pattern. in this example i went down the middle of the I beam. my original posted pics were the top and slowly working to the middle by the end of the stock. ok now a bit more detail on the sequence of knots.
7. when weaving it is easy to lose track of which side you need to make the s shape and which one gets fed thru. an easy way to remember is to look at the rope after you have it tightend one side of rope should be kinda pulled down and the other end sticks up you want to S the side that is down.

as you see in this pic the left side of rope is what you want to S next.

feed the right hand side rope thru and then pull the length right thru as always... and then tighten it hard! ( my hands are so sore when im done)

8. Ok that is the pattern now just repeat over and over and over and over lol now i will show you something i just did. i took a piece of 1/2 inch rope about 4 inches long and wrapped it with the same camo coulour rope i do the weave with then lashed it to the stock to give it a better cheek weld.

9. Keep weaving come on you can do it.... it was hard to ease the transition where i added the padding something to experiment with. maybe different ways to pad it out.
originally i ended my weave at the shoulder plate.

you can see in one of these the damn yellow 1/2 inch rope i used for the pad sticks out like a sore thumb. if i could i would have used black rope for that instead.
this time i did a wrap around part of the shoulder plate as well. when you run out of rope simply pull it very tight cut of the ends with about 1/4 inch of rope left sticking out and melt it with a lighter i use the side of the lighter to smooth/squish the melted rope down. locks it in pretty good.
10. go out and shoot the damn thing!

Well that's it my first tutorial i hope it makes sense there are lots of youtube videos on doing the cobra weave so if i havent shown that well enough go check them out.

d. Can't remove the top cover .

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=320178&highligh

I bought an unfired VZ-58 from the EE and just took delivery on Thursday. It seemed to working okay and I dry fired it a couple of times.

Today I watched 2-3 YouTube videos on field stripping the gun and decided to try it out myself. So I pulled the rear pin and pushed the rear receiver forwards and upwards as I'm supposed to, but it only moves forward (it's hard) but not upwards. So I cannot get the cover off.

I thought it may be because the trigger has to be pulled before the cover will come off so I tried that but I found that when I pull the trigger it does not click. The trigger is not firing; it just behaves the same as if the safety is engaged no matter how many times I rack the bolt.

Summary:
1) The receiver cover won't come off.
2) The trigger won't click.

I'm not sure if this is the infamous "gremlin". I tried reading about it but the explanations of the gremlin are a bit beyond my technical expertise with guns.

Do I have a problem or am I making a simple mistake somewhere?

as you know you can only open the top cover after dry firing.
1) you cant get the top cover off bcos the striker is cocked.
2) your trigger is not releasing the striker .
3) no, its not the gremlin, actually the reverse .

first , try dry firing again and check the select lever at different/part way positions also check the axis pins are in correctly.

if it still doesnt work then you need to get the top cover off to find out whats wrong , to do that you need to remove the pistol grip and the square screw will fall in, thru the hole stick in a hook and pull down on the sear or sear spring , that will release the striker.

ps, i have the cz858 and not the vz58 , i know the internals are slightly different so its best you ask someone who are fimiliar with the trigger housing to help you .

I tried the trigger with the select lever in every possible position but it still does not click. Next I removed the pistol grip and the square nut fell in, but unfortunately I cannot release the striker. I just stuck a piece of wire inside and wriggled it around but not knowing what I'm doing it didn't work. Now I can't put the pistol grip back on as the nut is inside the receiver somewhere.

I'll see if there's an easy solution, otherwise I'll take it to a gunsmith. Any advise on one in Toronto would be appreciated.

All the guns I've bought till now have been working flawlessly. Buying this one is a bit like buying an old British sports car. Lots of character but a pain in the posterior. Maybe I'll sell it and get another CZ-58 from Marstar, that is if they ever start selling them. Offers anyone?

you are almost there .
you not knowing the lay out of the trigger mechanism so i thought i'll post more pics .

the yellow handle tool is pointing to the sear spring .

the yellow handle tool is point to the back of the sear.

home made hook is placed at the back of the sear.

pull down on the hook and the striker (hopefully) will move forward .

e. shortening the VZ58 mag.

if you are interested in a 5/10 mag, you are better off buying them from wolverine or marstar otherwise the following instruction are for any other sizes, i made 2x 15s and 2x 20s. do not go lower than 5/10.

since we in canada and we must have our mags blocked to 5 rounds, you dont have to precise as to length of the mag you want to end up with, being close is good enough.

always do a few test bends close to the bottom before to get the your target size.

first method: creating new lips for the bottom plate.
i prefer this method altho it require more work. the body needs repainting as for the heat may discolour the paint to OD, thats fine with me bcos i dont like the bluish colour anyways so i take every opportunity to change it to black. advantage of this method is there is no screws visible.

tools required:
- hacksaw or dremel.
- 1/8" thick "L" shape metal plate 1 1/2"x 6" bent at 90* at center (avail at homedepot).
- grinder.
- sheet metal vice grip , cut to the width of the mag lips.
- electric stove and oven mitt.
- black paint

1. measure the front of the mag from the bottom to the front catch, it should be 6" so if you want a 20 rd then you need to remove 1/3 of the mag so mark the 2" from the bottom.
2. place the "L" shape metal plate above the mark, please note if you place the "L" plate below the mark you will get a different angle . scribe both sides of the body.

3. cut about 1/4" below the scribed line.
4. steelwool the body in preparation for painting later.
5. grind to the line on either sides of the lips.

6. place the mag standing up on the red hot element for about 15-30 seconds, heat will make it less brittle .
7. attach the sheet metal vise grip*** to the mag , right up to the scribed line and make a tiny bend, do not bend too much as for the aluminum is brittle and will easily break, if it breaks then you need to move the scribed line another 1/4" higher and start all over. i usually bent it 10x to reach the 90* and after each bend ,return to heat.

8. hand file the bottom of the lips and grind the lips so floor plate slides in easily.
9. grind the back of the mag the small 45* angle.
10. clean body with solvent and spray with paint.
11. cut the spring , if a making a 20 rounder then cut 1/3 off the spring , if a 15 rounder than cut 1/2.

second method: aluminum block at the bottom . advantage is no heating so no discoloration to the paint, disadvantage the screws are visible.

tools required:
- hacksaw or dremel.
- 1/8" thick "L" shape metal plate 1 1/2"x 6" bent at 90* at center (avail at homedepot).
- drill press.
- taping tools.
- screws 5.

1. cut the mag body to desired length. file sharp edges.
2. cut a aluminum block that is 3/4" x 3/8" to a length of 2 3/16" long .
3. using a round file or a grinder cut recess on each side.
4. set the block about 1/16" inside the mag so there is no chance of see the block should you make a small mistake.
5. drill first of the two holes into the body, slide the block in and mark the location where you want to drill the block , drill the block till it appears on the other side, insert the block back into the mag and drill right through.
6. tap #8-32 to the block , tap right through.
7. now attach the screws to block when its in the body .
8. drill the second hole and drill right through. tap and attach screws.
9. put the bottom plate at the bottom of the screwed in block and mark where the square hole is, drill the center of that mark bottom and tap. a screw will hold the bottom plate to the mag assembly. you wont be needing a locking plate .
10. cut the spring , if a making a 20 rounder then cut 1/3 off the spring , if a 15 rounder than cut 1/2.

third method: sheet metal at the bottom . basically the same as the aluminum block except a sheet metal is bent into a "U" shape and screwed to the body. 4 on the sides and the one at the bottom will need a nut to hold in the floor plate.

note: *** the metal vise grip was narrowed by cutting each sides to a width of 2".


VZ58 family.
Latest to join the VZ58 family are CSA and FSN. check out the differences below.

a. wolverine imported Česká Zbrojovka CZ858, painted bluish/gray finish, comes with complete accessories kit of 4 mags, pouch, cleaning kit, sling and a bayo.

1. CZ858-2 tactical, non-res , 18.75" non-chrome.

2. CZ858-4 tactical, restricted , 15.5" chrome.

b. marstar imported CZ Hermex CZH2003, painted bluish/gray finish, comes with complete accessories kit. rifles nolonger available.

3. CZH2003 VZ58L (long barrel), non-res , approx 18" chrome.

4. CZH2003 VZ58S (short barrel), restricted , 15.5" chrome.

c. wolverine imported Czech Small Arms CSA SA-VZ58 sporter, painted black finish, carrier tabbed, side rail, comes with 2 mags, cleaning kit and sling.

5. CSA SA-VZ58 5.56 rifle, non-res , 18.75" non-chrome , painted black, side rail, skeleton stock.

6. CSA SA-VZ58 5.56 carbine, restricted, 11.75" non-chrome, painted black, side rail, folder.

7. CSA SA-VZ58 7.62 carbine, restricted, 11.75" chrome , painted black, side rail, folder.

d. marstar imported Novohradský FSN, blued plum/black finish, comes with 4 mags, pouch, cleaning kit and sling.

8. FSN-01, restricted , 15.5" chrome, nickel steel gas block.

9. FSN-01F (folder), restricted, 15.5" chrome, folder.

10. FSN-01W (wood), restricted, 15.5" chrome, FH.

11. FSN-01K (krink), restricted, 11" chrome , FH, folder.

e. north sylva co. imported Czech Small Arms CSA VZ58 sporter, comes with 2 mags, cleaning kit, sling and CD.

12. CSA SA-VZ58 5.56 rifle, non-res , 18.6" non-chrome , black, red furniture. no rail & brake.

[/QUOTE]

13. CSA SA-VZ58 5.56 carbine, res, 11.8" non-chrome, black blued finish, folder, scope mount and muzzle brake.

Sa vz. 58 Sporter Carbine .223 Rem technical specification:
Caliber .223 Rem (5.56 x 45 mm)
Muzzle velocity 790 - 830 m/s (2591 - 2723 f/s)
Number of grooves in barrel 4
Twist of the rifling 1 : 7
Overall length of rifle with stock extended 755 mm
Overall length of rifle with stock folded 545 mm
Barrel length 300 mm
Length of sight line 265 mm
Extent of rear sight from 100 to 800
Width of rifle 59 mm
Height of rifle with magazine 170 mm
Practical rate of fire 40 výstřelů /min.
Maximum range of fire 1,800 m
Lethal effect of projectile up to 1,400 m
Weight of rifle (without magazine) 2.97 kg
Weight of rifle with loaded magazine 3.48 kg
Weight of empty magazine 0.15 kg
Weight of full magazine 0.51 kg
Trigger pull 2.5 - 2.7 kg (24.5 - 26.5 N)


14. CSA SA-VZ58 5.56 super short, restricted, 7.5" non-chrome, black blued finish , folder, scope mount and muzzle brake.

Sa vz. 58 Sporter COMPACT .223 Rem technical specification:
Caliber .223 Rem (5.56 x 45 mm)
Muzzle velocity 675 - 685 m/s (2214 - 2247 f/s)
Number of grooves in barrel 4
Twist of the rifling 1 : 7
Overall length of rifle with stock extended 645 mm
Overall length of rifle with stock folded 435 mm
Barrel length 190 mm
Length of sight line 155 mm
Extent of rear sight from 100 to 500
Width of rifle 59 mm
Height of rifle with magazine 170 mm
Practical rate of fire 40 výstřelů /min.
Maximum range of fire 1,100 m
Lethal effect of projectile 1,100 m
Weight of rifle (without magazine) 2.75 kg
Weight of rifle with loaded magazine 3.26 kg
Weight of empty magazine 0.15 kg
Weight of full magazine 0.51 kg
Trigger pull 2.5 - 2.7 kg (24.5 - 26.5 N)


15. CSA SA-VZ58 7.62 non-res , 18.6" . no rail & brake.

pic to come.

16. CSA SA-VZ58 7.62 carbine, restricted, 11.8" chrome , black blued finish, folder, scope mount and muzzle brake.

Sa vz. 58 Sporter CARBINE 7.62 x 39 mm technical specification:
Caliber 7.62 x 39 mm
Muzzle velocity 670 - 700 m/s (2198 - 2296 f/s)
Number of grooves in barrel 4
Overall length of rifle with stock extended 755 mm
Overall length of rifle with stock folded 545 mm
Barrel length 300 mm
Length of sight line 265 mm
Extent of rear sight from 100 to 800 by 100 m
Width of rifle 59 mm
Height of rifle with magazine 170 mm
Practical rate of fire 40 shots/min.
Maximum range of fire 2,500 m
Lethal effect of projectile 2,500 m
Weight of rifle (without magazine) 2.97 kg
Weight of rifle with loaded magazine 3.65 kg
Weight of empty magazine 0.19 kg
Weight of full magazine 0.68 kg
Trigger pull 2.5 - 2.7 kg (24.5 - 26.5 N)


17. CSA SA-VZ58 7.62 super short, restricted , 7.5" chrome, black blued finish, folder, scope mount and muzzle brake.

Sa vz. 58 Sporter COMPACT 7.62 x 39 mm technical specification:
Caliber 7.62 x 39 mm
Muzzle velocity 560 - 570 m/s (1837 - 1870 f/s)
Number of grooves in barrel 4
Overall length of rifle with stock extended 645 mm
Overall length of rifle with stock folded 435 mm
Barrel length 190 mm
Length of sight line 155 mm
Extent of rear sight from 100 to 500 m
Width of rifle 59 mm
Height of rifle with magazine 170 mm
Practical rate of fire 40 shots/min.
Maximum range of fire 1,800 m
Lethal effect of projectile 1,800 m
Weight of rifle (without magazine) 2.75 kg
Weight of rifle with loaded magazine 3.43 kg
Weight of empty magazine 0.19 kg
Weight of full magazine 0.68 kg
Trigger pull 2.5 - 2.7 kg (24.5 - 26.5 N)

 

[Bananatole]

nice!

 

[Pule]

this is some great stuff!

 

[5440fight]

Yay, good collection of useful stuff!

 

[Satain]

Double Spring Cut Trigger Job

After removing the trigger group from the rifle, locate the latch stop pin near the front of the trigger group. This pin also serves as a group retention pin, sliding into recesses in the receiver to hold the trigger group in place. This pin must be driven out. One can start it out with a few taps of a brass hammer and then complete the driving out with an appropriately sized punch.

http://1.bp.########.com/_Sx-g35OksQc/SMADlZh5JVI/AAAAAAAAAZw/irjXanN_vd0/s400/P9020815.JPG

Once the latch stop pin has been removed, the latch stop, the sear spring and the sear can be removed by sliding them out the front of the trigger group housing on the rails they ride on.

http://1.bp.########.com/_Sx-g35OksQc/SMAEhbXBizI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/a0rL0lfASMk/s400/P9020818.JPG

Next, we need to remove the hammer from the trigger housing. Fortunately, this can be done without disassembling the rest of the trigger group. Merely, hold the hammer in a vice so that you can push the trigger group down against the weight of the hammer spring. The hammer must be in the decocked position before an attempt is made to remove it. The hammer hinges in two recesses, one on either side of the housing.

http://3.bp.########.com/_Sx-g35OksQc/SMAHdUT7fCI/AAAAAAAAAaI/MLqbqMwQlLk/s400/P9020820.JPG

Once the hammer is pushed past these recesses, it can be removed.

http://1.bp.########.com/_Sx-g35OksQc/SMAHrrE03PI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/8NHIAcldhYM/s400/P9020821.JPG

We can now see the rails on which the sear rides.

http://1.bp.########.com/_Sx-g35OksQc/SMAGf_F3T6I/AAAAAAAAAaA/vpHWlX510qw/s400/P9020817_1.jpg

Since the sear is pushed down against the top portion of these two rails by the full weight of the hammer spring, the top portion of the rails must be polished to remove any burs and non-uniformities. We do this with a ceramic stone, emery cloth or jewerly file will do. Or if you have a nice dermil set you can use the buffer pads with polishing compund. The key is not to remove to much meterial but to buff it to a mirror finish.

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Next we polish (again with a ceramic stone emery cloth or jewerly file or also the dremil with the buffer pad and polishing compund) the two engagements surfaces between the sear and hammer. Here's a view of the engagement surface on the sear. I also make sure that ther is an ever so slight negitive engaugement to ensure that the hammer won't drop by accident.

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And here's a side view of the two engagement surfaces.

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Like with the stoning of any sear engagement surface, care must be taken to not introduce high spots by stoning the left and right sides non-uniformly. Don't remove any more material than is necessary to achieve a mirror smooth surface. The leading edge of the hammer surface can be rounded a little to spread the weight of the hammer weight over a larger radius.

Finally, I cut one loop off both the hammer and sear springs with a pair of wire snips.

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The edges should be ground flat against the coils of the springs.

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Reassemble and give it a go with the hammer. Tap it at the front wear the mag release lever is and also on both side and the rear of the trigger group. This will ensure you that there is no chance os slam fire. If there is you can add a little more negitive enguagement to the sear.
Please rember people less is best and that you can always remove more materail but it is a pain in the rear to add or find replacement parts.

Figure that it may help some guy's out there who wouldn't mind having a nice trigger pull on there SkS.

 

[supernova]

Thanks Satain, I tried this on an SKS a few months ago and it works good with a nice polishing. I cut 2 coils off each spring. Well worth the couple hours it takes to do. Also, if you find your mag release is a ##### to pull open, the rails it slides on are usually the worst for rough machining. A couple minutes with a file to get them smooth and ensure there is no binding makes a world of difference.

 

[HIGHRPM]

Super job, thank you !

 

[skneub]

To ease reloading of stripper clips.

Push the spring part of the clip out the rear of the clip and stick a dime in it.
you will no longer need to fight with the spring.
I dump my ammo in a tupperware bin with a bunch of stripper clips that have dimes stuck in them ...i can reload them near as fast as i can shoot them ;-)

 

[canadiantbone]

Great info on the sks , can't wait to do it to mine

 

[stampede]

The 10 round stripper clips can be fed from either end. The "home made" 5 round ones can only be fed one way. Paint about 1/2 inch or so of the "dead" end with some red fingernail polish so you can tell the difference with a quick look.

 

[Sniper_485]

When I was cutting my sks stripper clips in half to make fives I would mark the center of the clip, place it on an anvil banana up, place a sharp cold chisel across the clip, then hit the chisel with a hammer till it broke. Quick and easy as long as the pieces dont go flying. The clips do need some polishing to remove burrs and sharp edges after.

 

[Kevin M.]

Yahoo!!!! I'm a star still!

Good writeup, even though this is an old thread.

 

[warrenlikesboats]

has anyone else done this Ejection window mod on the SKS ?? does this ACTUALLY work ?

 

[WmMcLeod]

Yes it does. I highly recommend it as a matter of due course on any modified Simonov Carbine. The straight upward/forward ejection pattern was a requirement of the Soviet order of battle, and is basically obselete

 

[warrenlikesboats]

guess i'll give it a try then...

 

[Spotagwan]

has anyone else done this Ejection window mod on the SKS ?? does this ACTUALLY work ?

I have done it to mine, it's not on a straight 90' angle but i also have a magwedge on there, between the two things, i think it works. Before the magwedge and mod my cases sometimes would bounce off the roof at the range and come back down on me, now with the wedge and the mod the casings go out to the right, either direct or toward 3 o clock position. Needed a new bit for the dremel, i will shave it back slightly more later but yes it does work

 

[warrenlikesboats]

Im about to mount a POSP scope to my SKS.. so even a 2 o' clock ejection angle would work great. Its hard to believe taking that material away has any effect on how the casings leave the receiver. But whatever, i'll try it anyway

 

[WmMcLeod]

That receiver angle has everything to do with how the casings are ejected. Watch this video.

Square off that rear edge of the ejection port, and the SKS is just like any other auto-loader

 

[jabberjaw112]

Wm;
Any progress on your trigger move mod?. Would love to see some pics of your progress. Big fan here.
Cheers J.J.

 

[threemilesfinal]

When I was cutting my sks stripper clips in half to make fives I would mark the center of the clip, place it on an anvil banana up, place a sharp cold chisel across the clip, then hit the chisel with a hammer till it broke. Quick and easy as long as the pieces dont go flying. The clips do need some polishing to remove burrs and sharp edges after.

Just tried making some fives today. Loaded a 10, marked in between each set of five. Scribed a line across the back and used a rotary cutter to slice it.

Quick tap with a pin punch to taper the corners and a bit of a file for deburring.

Great success! All sorts of great hints in this thread!