If you have never detail stripped and cleaned your SKS bolt....

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55recce

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I highly recommend you do!

I consider myself to be a knowledgeable and experienced firearms owner with a large collection and over 50 years of military and civilian shooting experience. I always carefully clean all firearms, especially after shooting corrosive ammo, but rarely go beyond field stripping.

On the weekend my son noticed that an SKS was firing when the bolt was released unless ridden gently forward. Back home I stripped for cleaning and drove the firing pin retaining pin out and then the firing pin. It was pretty badly corroded in there which explains the problem. It cleaned up OK with steel wool and lots of oil. But here is a cautionary tale for those that have never done it....
 
If you shoot corrosive or black powder it's a good idea to do a detailed strip down every year or two. There's a lot that can get missed and given time it works it's way into every tiny gap and can cause trouble.

Bought an ultrasonic cleaner for trigger groups, locks, bolt assemblies etc. It is pretty good but still necessary to get right inside with picks and brushes sometimes.
 
Wanted to get my firing pin completely out, so it took soaking the bolt in mineral spirits for a weekend (shaking the container occasionally) to loosen up everything before I was able to pound the retaining pin out.
 
Well dss - was that the first time ever got it out? I take mine apart completely every 100 rounds or so. I folund online a source of 'pipe cleaners' with the wire bristles in them - only about $10 for 300 or so, a lifetime supply. They clean the channel very will, as well as other tiny spaces on other firearms. After cleaning I spray down the complete firing assy and channel with 90% alcohol (I buy 4-packs at Costco) so it's completely clean of oil/solvents. I'd rather spend an extra 10 minutes cleaning rather than patching up a buddy. YMMV
 
Buck1950 said:
Well dss - was that the first time ever got it out? I take mine apart completely every 100 rounds or so. I folund online a source of 'pipe cleaners' with the wire bristles in them - only about $10 for 300 or so, a lifetime supply. They clean the channel very will, as well as other tiny spaces on other firearms. After cleaning I spray down the complete firing assy and channel with 90% alcohol (I buy 4-packs at Costco) so it's completely clean of oil/solvents. I'd rather spend an extra 10 minutes cleaning rather than patching up a buddy. YMMV
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That was the first time I took the firing pin out. The retaining pin wouldn't budge prior to soaking the bolt in mineral spirits.
 
I lock the bolt back then point the rifle downward and poke the firing pin with my finger. If there's any issues with the firing pin I'd feel it. I also feel this is both faster and more precise than the shake test.

That said I don't shoot surplus ammo usually, and I dissemble my bolt occasionally for good measure anyways, so I've never had a firing pin related issue.
 
I had understood that the reason for the spring loaded firing pin was to improve the chance that a never-thoroughly-cleaned rifle would have it's firing pin rust-seize in the retracted position, rather than the extended one.
 
I wanted to test an idea that corrosive ammo will not corrode if the metal was not exposed to air. So after shooting more than 100 rds of corrosive ammo through an SKS, if sprayed Remington Gun Oil liberally all over the exterior and inside of the SKS. I sprayed oil into the firing pin and hole in the bolt. I made sure oil stayed inside the barrel by sealing the muzzle with duct tape.

The idea was to strip and clean after 3 months or so. That turned to years. 3 years later, a friend borrowed the SKS to shoot in a .30 cal two gun meet. He practiced a little then won the shoot, BTW.

I didn't mention anything about the little experiment. He cleaned the rifle as per Youtube and I asked about the dirt and all. He said the rifle was pristine inside and offered to buy it, since he has a trophy from it.

Lesson?
 
easyrider604 said:
I wanted to test an idea that corrosive ammo will not corrode if the metal was not exposed to air. So after shooting more than 100 rds of corrosive ammo through an SKS, if sprayed Remington Gun Oil liberally all over the exterior and inside of the SKS. I sprayed oil into the firing pin and hole in the bolt. I made sure oil stayed inside the barrel by sealing the muzzle with duct tape.

The idea was to strip and clean after 3 months or so. That turned to years. 3 years later, a friend borrowed the SKS to shoot in a .30 cal two gun meet. He practiced a little then won the shoot, BTW.

I didn't mention anything about the little experiment. He cleaned the rifle as per Youtube and I asked about the dirt and all. He said the rifle was pristine inside and offered to buy it, since he has a trophy from it.

Lesson?
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The lesson is your storage for it was almost certainly below 50% humidity. Oiling over corrosive residue will not prevent corrosion at higher humidity levels. You'll get a reduction in total corrosion simply because you pushed out some of the residue with the oiled patch but what gets left over is still potent. I'd suggest reading the chapter from Hatcher's Notebook titled "Gun Corrosion and Ammunition Developments" if this topic interests you.
 
Suther said:
I lock the bolt back then point the rifle downward and poke the firing pin with my finger. If there's any issues with the firing pin I'd feel it. I also feel this is both faster and more precise than the shake test.

That said I don't shoot surplus ammo usually, and I dissemble my bolt occasionally for good measure anyways, so I've never had a firing pin related issue.
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Agreed.

However, I doubt I own a firearm that I have not completely stripped at some point. You never know what you will find.
 
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