SKS: Is this normal?

Range Officer

Range Officer

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Just got my first SKS yesterday and while cleaning I noticed the gas tube handguard pin has been ground down on both sides! Not a huge deal unless you want to change the old wood for a new handguard which I intend to do. This makes it a bit hard to punch the pin out.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Is this normal?
Thanks for your input.

SKSGastubecover.jpg
 
Take a piece of steel wool and clean up grind an you will have no problem popping that pin out but make sure you have a small enough punch the grind is normal I have done two this week
 
there is some info on this site somewhere in regards to removing that pin, i can't seem to find it but i know it's on here as i used the info to do mine and swap the cover. i had to drill mine out but some can be tapped out from small end to bit end.
 
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It looks the same as mine. My pin was tapered.
After trying to punch the pin out with a narrow round flat punch (without luck) i used a center punch to indent the pins center. The indent is to guide a drill bit about the same diameter as the flattened pin head. Gently drill out the head, just enough to break the taper. Use a drill press to drill it's safer for the part, than doing it with a hand drill. After the taper is drilled, use a nail or a narrow round punch to finish the job. I've done this pin removal on 2 SKS's without issue. After putting the new pin in, I used a little gun bluing on the ground bare metal, to have a consistent blued part.
 
[Absolutely! I am only taking the wood off so I can preserve it since it looks so nice!

QUOTE=mdmaroon;8236687]Keep your wood. Once you become an SKS fanatic, you might want to put it back one day.[/QUOTE]
 
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