I did a full strip-down and solvent cleaning of my "new" Russian SKS. The firing pin was pretty sticky. Now it floats well enough, but I'm not sure if I should put a drop of oil in there, or oil and wipe dry? Or not even a film of oil, just solvent-cleaned and bone dry?
SKS stock firing pin: lubed or dry?
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dry..... for sure.
Although I would assume that with the firing pins that use a spring return, which are availlable for these rifles (i think) , one would oil or grease it. Free floating firing pins like the SKS and M14/M305 type rifles are meant to be ran dry for sure.
Although I would assume that with the firing pins that use a spring return, which are availlable for these rifles (i think) , one would oil or grease it. Free floating firing pins like the SKS and M14/M305 type rifles are meant to be ran dry for sure.
Totally dry, as in solvent-cleaned and just dropped back in? Not even a film of oil, as in wiped with an oily rag then wiped dry?
From the pages of The SKS Carbine...
Thanks! What's the author's name for that book? I'm finding several with similar titles on Amazon.
My first SKS firing pin was seized in the bolt assembly so badly that even when I hammered out the retaining pin, the firing pin would not move even a fraction of a millimeter until I took a set of pliers and forcefully pulled it out. It was caked in all sorts of debris - not just cosmo, but black flecks of some crud granules, plus some coffee sludge (cosmo and other grime). After spending quite some time cleaning the pin and especially the channel, I left it super dry. Have fired over 900 rounds since with no issues, and always take the bolt out and shake it to hear the rattle. Recently decided to take it apart again to check, and despite using pretty dirty Norinco ammo, which made everything else dirty - the firing pin surprisingly was not too bad and there was nothing caked onto it. I inspected it for any wear or damage. Nothing. So I am going to keep it running dry.
Since then I have purchased a few more SKSes and one of them I left in cosmo except for the bolt assembly which I took apart and while the firing pin wasn't seized as badly, it still would not free-float move with shaking - so just cleaned it just for the sake of it and left it dry even though I had no intention of using the rifle due to its very nice condition.
Since then I have purchased a few more SKSes and one of them I left in cosmo except for the bolt assembly which I took apart and while the firing pin wasn't seized as badly, it still would not free-float move with shaking - so just cleaned it just for the sake of it and left it dry even though I had no intention of using the rifle due to its very nice condition.
Good to know! Mine was very sticky but not frozen in place. I could move it if I pushed it around, but it wouldn't rattle if the bolt was shaken. This is on a rifle that barely had any cosmoline on it. It was basically dry. By the way, what Norinco ammo are you using? The non-corrosive red box stuff?
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I’ve always wiped the firing pin with an oily patch or rag and left it at that, it’s never been an issue for me but I clean it every time when I shoot corrosive ammo so it’s never left long enough to get gummed up.
- Location
- Eastern Canada
Dry lube works well
The Norinco I used was as follows:
White box, headstamp 2014
Red box, headstamp 2018, 2019, 2020
The rounds I have shot from these boxes have indeed been non-corrosive. I have read online some people who say newer red box is corrosive, but I'm not sure if this is internet lore, hatred of Norinco, or confused about what they were shooting - I have not seen any reports that have been able to corroborate these claims with exactly what years were corrosive. I can attest from personal experience that the rounds I have shot from the above years were not corrosive, but maybe I was just lucky with my 900 or so rounds from these various boxes...
Yes, same here...except for the firing pin.
The other thing I should separately mention is that my sear in my trigger group was completely seized as well at the outset after one shot, so the trigger would not reset. Had to take the whole trigger apart to get the sear out and clean out the channel in which it was riding. Otherwise when the trigger bar pressed on it, it did not move and thus the hammer could not fall and the trigger was just stuck. Once the sear and the sear channel were cleaned out (same gunk that affected the firing pin and channel), it now works smooth like butter.
Concern over rust is a valid point - generally - but I don't oil the Firing Pin. I clean after every range day and I shoot my SKS almost every trip. However, with the free-floating pin I DO NOT take chances with a 'stuck pin'. I'm too cheap to invest in a spring-pin kit BUT I don't store my rifles 'wet' so there is little chance of rust anyway. And with the oil everywhere else the 'vapours' probably are getting in there.
Dry.
Oil attracts build up which is key to avoid-- especially with a free floating firing pin.
Lots of modern steel case, berdan ammo (esp Russian and Ukrainian) are prone to popped primers in the sks rifle. Oily fp will attract the primer backfire debris like a magnet.
Murray's Gunsmithing (Dallas, TX) has a whole thread on the popped at the sksboards forum, as well as several instuctional videos on youtube.
Oil attracts build up which is key to avoid-- especially with a free floating firing pin.
Lots of modern steel case, berdan ammo (esp Russian and Ukrainian) are prone to popped primers in the sks rifle. Oily fp will attract the primer backfire debris like a magnet.
Murray's Gunsmithing (Dallas, TX) has a whole thread on the popped at the sksboards forum, as well as several instuctional videos on youtube.
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I just happened by this thread again and realized I forgot to add an important thing. I got some 'Bristle-type' pipe-cleaners off amazon a couple years ago - 2-300 for about gas vent in the barrel $6-7. They're great to remove cr-p from inside the FP channel, as well as cleaning the gas vent in the barrel. The bristles really get the cooked on powder residue.
PS - the cleaners cost a bit more nowadays - $12.87 + tx.
PS - the cleaners cost a bit more nowadays - $12.87 + tx.
