Purchasing SKS for first gun, what to look for?(purchased now, pics post 98)
- Thread starter Rifter
- Start date
LordEvilPepper
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Under a rusty barge in BC
Ok so a lot of people are scoffing at checking out a sks before purchase
I have bought a lot of SKS and have found the criteria for a good shooter...
One that hits under minute of starving german; instead of one that barely shoots minute of fat american.
1) prop the gun on the ground on the butt stock and look down the sites, you will be able to see if the front site is crooked... if its off, find another one, or at leaste select the least crooked one you can. If the front site is off its a ##### to zero... since if its leaning say right; when you go to move the zero lets say two inches down, well you just moved it to the left as well... so you move it to the left and that makes the zero hit low now... see where this is going? you can be at it all damn day getting mad....
2) check the gas tube, when you pop the leaver, it should be tight enough that it doesn't fall out, but loose enough to remove by hand with minimal effort.
If it falls out... its crap, odds are its going to leak and give you a bad string of rounds from inconsistent recoil characteristics.
If its to tight, its going to effect barrel harmonics especialy when its gets warm... this is why a lot of sks groups open up to huge when they get hot.
This isn't fool proof but were talking about an sks, take whatever advantage you can get
3)barrel: try to get a chrome lined one, it will last linger and not rust out if you forget to clean it.... and make sure its not pitted , a good barrel is key to good shooting.
4)Trigger group: make sure it works properly, nothing worse then buying an sks it takes two fingers to pull the trigger, or its so worn out its "like a hair trigger AWESOME!"...only not...
5) general fit and finish.... it should cycle freely, it shouldn't rattle other then that its how much do you care what it looks like....
I have bought a lot of SKS and have found the criteria for a good shooter...
One that hits under minute of starving german; instead of one that barely shoots minute of fat american.
1) prop the gun on the ground on the butt stock and look down the sites, you will be able to see if the front site is crooked... if its off, find another one, or at leaste select the least crooked one you can. If the front site is off its a ##### to zero... since if its leaning say right; when you go to move the zero lets say two inches down, well you just moved it to the left as well... so you move it to the left and that makes the zero hit low now... see where this is going? you can be at it all damn day getting mad....
2) check the gas tube, when you pop the leaver, it should be tight enough that it doesn't fall out, but loose enough to remove by hand with minimal effort.
If it falls out... its crap, odds are its going to leak and give you a bad string of rounds from inconsistent recoil characteristics.
If its to tight, its going to effect barrel harmonics especialy when its gets warm... this is why a lot of sks groups open up to huge when they get hot.
This isn't fool proof but were talking about an sks, take whatever advantage you can get
3)barrel: try to get a chrome lined one, it will last linger and not rust out if you forget to clean it.... and make sure its not pitted , a good barrel is key to good shooting.
4)Trigger group: make sure it works properly, nothing worse then buying an sks it takes two fingers to pull the trigger, or its so worn out its "like a hair trigger AWESOME!"...only not...
5) general fit and finish.... it should cycle freely, it shouldn't rattle other then that its how much do you care what it looks like....
Anyone have issue with corwin arms website?
I sent in my PAL to them Friday via email, asked how to proceed(order from website or interact e-transfer) was instructed to order from website which I did Friday night.
Got email invoice with link to track order status but when I follow that link I get a access denied page and am unable to check my order status.
Canada post just isn't the most reliable in my apartment building(lazy post guy??) and only actually leaves a knock notice 50% of the time so would really like a tracking # so I know when it arrives and can go get it from post office, don't want my gun sitting in the post office any longer than necessary.
I emailed them for tracking number yesterday but haven't received a response to that email yet either. Was just wondering if there is some trick to logging into the website to get my tracking #. Thanks guys.
On the bright side I placed a Order for crate of ammo from Henry at BSS Friday as well, was shipped Monday, and is in the back of my truck already, now just need something to shoot it out of lol.
I sent in my PAL to them Friday via email, asked how to proceed(order from website or interact e-transfer) was instructed to order from website which I did Friday night.
Got email invoice with link to track order status but when I follow that link I get a access denied page and am unable to check my order status.
Canada post just isn't the most reliable in my apartment building(lazy post guy??) and only actually leaves a knock notice 50% of the time so would really like a tracking # so I know when it arrives and can go get it from post office, don't want my gun sitting in the post office any longer than necessary.
I emailed them for tracking number yesterday but haven't received a response to that email yet either. Was just wondering if there is some trick to logging into the website to get my tracking #. Thanks guys.
On the bright side I placed a Order for crate of ammo from Henry at BSS Friday as well, was shipped Monday, and is in the back of my truck already, now just need something to shoot it out of lol.
Thank you! like I said was just worried about Canada post, have had multiple issues with them not leaving knock notice or leaving it in wrong mailbox and having other people from different units in my building try and claim my packages(lost a $300 laser pointer this way). Luckily I have a good relationship with my post office clerk now and they know not to release anything with my address on it to anyone else but me.
If you can hold off a wee bit longer http://bcrodandgunshow.com/
I'm going to assume that's not good?
It can be good if it was done properly and you don't care about it being "original".
I've done trigger jobs on all my mil surlplus firearms. They're much easier to shoot effectively after the triggers have been finessed.
The biggest thing to worry about if a trigger was done properly or not is will the sear hold the hammer if you were to drop the rifle of a deer stand or something like that. You wouldn't want the rifle to go off unintendedly. Lol. Is that real word?
Anyway, typically you can check a SKS trigger by opening the mag and allowing the bolt to close with nothing in the chamber. Then bang the stock on the ground on a 2X4 or somethinga few times and listen for the firing click of the pin. The rifle shouldn't go off.
Alternatively, you can remove the trigger group, set the hammer, then hit it at different angles with a rubber mallet to see if the hammer slid off the sear forward to the control arm catch. You'll know if that happened by pressing down on the control arm which the bolt moving forward typically does, and observing if the hammer slams down on your finger.
. There's youtube vids on SKS trigger jobs that will explain it much better if you suspect your trigger has been worked on.If you grind off the surface hardening on the sear and hammer, the trigger may work really well now, but might wear prematurely, leading to a potentially unsafe condition later on.I'm going to assume that's not good?
I would guess that a lot of the "slam fire" problems are actually trigger related.
Still nothing today, can you pm me the tracking number? Thanks.
Nothing yet when I left for work at 10AM, if not there tonight when I get home ill have to move to plan B and buy one from wholesale sports or wanstalls on my way to work tomorrow, already invited 2 people out shooting Saturday I need to have something to shoot by then, and having 2 SKS's eventually when the one from corwin arrives isn't the end of the world. Im hoping its in the mail tonight though and I can pick it up from post office after work.
Still no gun from Corwin arms... my post guy must really hate me.
Bright side i left work early and swung by wholesale sports and picked one up. Im going to strip and clean it and pics will follow, its a 1952 Russian.
Bright side i left work early and swung by wholesale sports and picked one up. Im going to strip and clean it and pics will follow, its a 1952 Russian.
So that wasnt nearly as easy to strip and clean as some guys make it seem!
However im sure ill get better with practice, and as promised some pics(last one is reassembled and cleaned of all cosmo):
Seems to be in great shape, all #'s match except gas tube\piston, bore looks like its mint, almost seems to me from looking at all the parts that it was fired a few times they cleaned everything but the gas tube and gas tube rotted out and they replaced it when they refurbished it. But of course thats just a guess. Will let you guys know how it shoots on saturday.
However im sure ill get better with practice, and as promised some pics(last one is reassembled and cleaned of all cosmo):
Seems to be in great shape, all #'s match except gas tube\piston, bore looks like its mint, almost seems to me from looking at all the parts that it was fired a few times they cleaned everything but the gas tube and gas tube rotted out and they replaced it when they refurbished it. But of course thats just a guess. Will let you guys know how it shoots on saturday.
Finally showed up today.
This thing is in amazing shape, much better than the one purchased from wholesale sports. Trigger is better, everything fits tighter. All numbers match, magazine is pinned better. Truly a beautiful rifle. Big thumbs up to corwin arms. It's a 1954 Tula BTW.
I'll let everyone know how it shoots after I get a chance to get out and shoot.
