SKS Magazine Issue

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Asovietllama

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Hey guys,

I bought my first SKS the other day from Cabelas, and after stripping it down to its components and getting all the cosmoline off, I learned that the magazine release would not totally engage. I must have tried 30+ times with different combos of putting in the trigger group, but I have thus far had no luck. Here is a picture of what the magazine release looks like http://imgur.com/8RDRWAS In its current form, I can pull the magazine open by hand which I thought might be the end of the troubles; no such luck. After bringing it to the range and loading it with one round, it failed to fire. To be more specific, I pulled the trigger and it would move very slightly, but the hammer did not sound off as it hit the firing pin. I unloaded it and dry fired it with the magazine both open and closed, only to learn that it worked when the magazine was open, but the firearm would not make an audible "click" when the magazine was closed. I tried again and the firearm would click when the magazine was open, and wouldn't when it was closed.

Any thoughts/ideas/solutions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!
 
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Did you put the magazine in before trigger group ?

Check youtube for reassembling videos you may have forgotten something or did put the mag all they way in the grooves before putting trgr grp in.
 
Parabelum said:
Did you put the magazine in before trigger group ?

Check youtube for reassembling videos you may have forgotten something or did put the mag all they way in the grooves before putting trgr grp in.
Click to expand...

I agree with Parabelum. Improper installation of the magazine and trigger group could give you these issues. The trigger group on an SKS is built to be not only quite durable, but very safe as well. If the bolt follower disconnecter isn't seated at the right height, the hammer wont drop.

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Now that hat i remember if you dont have the safety on when you take the trigger grp out it wont work on some sks but had one or two that dissemble with the safety off ,most need safety on to take apart maybe all need it and i have oddballs? I think what happened to you happen to me and it was a bad reassembly.
 
First off, thanks for the responses! I will try dissembling and reassembling it with the safety on the entire time when I get back home, as well as see if I left any wiggle room in the magazine when I put it in. I will give an update once I have tried all your suggestions.
 
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Update time! I disassembled and reassembled the gun with the safety on the entire time, taking time to ensure the magazine went in before the trigger group. The first time, I left the magazine open when putting the trigger group in and the same issue occurred. So I took it apart once more, still ensuring the safety was on, but this time I had the magazine closed with the magazine release engaged. Once everything was back together I pulled the trigger (the magazine was stuck shut so I couldn't open it) and it worked! So now I have an SKS that fires but it's magazine is stuck shut (Pic is here http://imgur.com/a/ZtwOT )

What should I do? Should I file it down, or leave it? Once again, any suggestions are very much welcome!
 
My refurb needed this too, the mag was always a struggle. I didn't have to take much off for it to work nice, go slow and test fit.

phins13 said:
Does the magazine match the serial number of the receiver? If not, you may need to do some filing on the front tab
Click to expand...

Edit - does it hold open on an empty mag? If it does this may not be your problem. Be sure before you break out the files... But then again it is a refurb, just don't take off too much, you can't put it back.
 
@PinkyPlinker It does hold open on an empty mag. I think (and I emphasize think) that its just a tight fit between the magazine and the catch now, but I'll look into it a bit farther before taking to the files.
 
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Check how the front end of the magazine hooks into the receiver. You might want to do your trimming there instead of at the catch.
Assemble the rifle without the stock. That way you won't need your x-ray vision.
 
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Good to know the main problem was a bad reassembly problem now time to trim it, i have one that is very hard to open but whatever mag i had on it original form other sks or tapco or steel duckbill and i had to trim the mag release a little.
 
Update #2

After doing some filing, IT WORKED! All I had to do was file it down a teeny bit, and it now closes all the way. Thank you to everyone who gave advice/tips on here, you guys rock!

Thanks,
Asovietllama
 
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