My SKS rusted! What do?

jfred

jfred

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I was in a bit of a rush after getting in from shooting to go hang out with friends yesterday afternoon so I didn't get as involved in my cleaning as I normally do.

I checked the rifle out this afternoon and the head of the piston was rusted, and since it had been sitting inside of the gas tube, the inside of the entrance to the gas tube rusted as well. ovrec So of course I freaked out, sprayed everything down with Simple green (the only cleaner I had on hand), and scrubbed the everloving s**t out of everything with a bore brush (the only scrubby thing I had on hand). I examined the rest of the rifle, found some rust on the firing pin, and a little bit on the underside of the bolt carrier. It all scrubbed away fairly easily (most seemed to be lifted off from just the Simple Green) and I drenched everything in oil. I'm glad the bore was rinsed well.

My question is this: Since there was no pitting or anything that I could see, does this mean the rust was just cosmetic? Is it going to come back? Should I be paranoid and over-clean my rifle from now on when I shoot surplus ammo?
 
I go months between cleaning my SKS. I live on the Wet Coast where it is humid all the time. I get a bit of rust in the same places you do. It all comes out with the aid of some scotchbrite & 3in1. No accuracy or functionality issues yet. However, I do have the chromed bore. Keep in mind these are basically WW2 era Soviet design rifles, and as such, will take far more abuse than we could heap on them!!
 
V-Max said:
I go months between cleaning my SKS. I live on the Wet Coast where it is humid all the time. I get a bit of rust in the same places you do. It all comes out with the aid of some scotchbrite & 3in1. No accuracy or functionality issues yet. However, I do have the chromed bore. Keep in mind these are basically WW2 era Soviet design rifles, and as such, will take far more abuse than we could heap on them!!
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theres a difference between abuse and neglect..

even soldiers have to clean their rifles on the battlefield, problem with corrosive ammo, is that it will corrode the gas system/ barrel if left to sit, a rusty/ pitted piston is definitely not a good thing
 
You buy an sks for cheap fun, not so you can spend more man hours than the rifle is actually worth cleaning it.
 
lol the last time I used my sks was in the summer of last year. I didnt clean it but ran hot water over everything at the time

I cleaned it last weekend. When I pulled it apart and saw the rust on some of the parts I just assumed I could have shot it off and not bothered cleaning and oiling it

its surplus russian dude.. relax a little :D
 
Ya whenmine gets a lil rusty I rub my shirt sleeve on it to get it off mostly. Hit the bolt knob with a rubber mallet drop in 5 on the stripper and bang away. I had one I took great care of sold it missed it got another one and refuse to clean it. I want to know what they can do. So far its never let me down. They are cheap and I can always get another one after I ruin this one. If I ruin it.
 
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