Notes on a Shitty Chinese SKS

[SRR]

Well after three years with the thing and a mere 1000 rounds put through it my poor old el-cheapo Norinco SKS is demonstrating that it can't go the distance. I guess this is what you get when the crate of ammo costs more than the gun.

things I'm working on -

- The firing pin isn't going far enough into the primer. I rebuilt it last month, took it to the range today, it's even worse.

- The piston might be leaking. Lots of stuck rounds today, no extraction. Wonderful!

- There's a crack in the wooden stock. Actually that happened around round #500. It should never happen, but it did.

One more reason why I don't buy Norinco. These guns are ubiquitous at the ranges around town but few people ever get to the point of actually using them more than a few times. The good news is that if the Chinese ever invade mainland America their shitty SKSs should only last about a week.

I'm going to scrub the trigger assembly next and hope for the best. But it may be time to plunk some cash down on a real rifle.

[OneLungMcClung]

I've got a buck on the piston, or something in the gas system. You've got a leak in there somewhere. What's the malfunction? Is it failing to cycle? Failing to eject? Always screws up your order and delivers Chow Mein and not General Tso's chicken?

I had a Yugo M59/66 SKS that was the worst bolt action rifle I've ever had because the damned gas system was Fubar. I'm positive it belonged to Serbia's Private Pyle. Probably Bradonja's top.

[Hitoru]

I have two Norincos and two Yugos, one Norinco had a weak firing pin spring and it was weak striking the primer. I replaced it and all is well. Not that I shoot my Chinese ones all that much. One of the Yugos was leaking at the the gas tube and would fail to cycle, so I fashioned a paper clip to seal it, and all is well.

[Big Duke 6]

I'm positive it belonged to Serbia's Private Pyle. Probably Bradonja's top.

Haha - priceless! If only the troll read outside his own thread...

[SRR]

I've got a buck on the piston, or something in the gas system. You've got a leak in there somewhere. What's the malfunction? Is it failing to cycle? Failing to eject? Always screws up your order and delivers Chow Mein and not General Tso's chicken?

All three. Rounds failing to eject once fired, but the worst is the firing pin is striking too lightly. I'll clean and oil up the trigger assembly next and see if that fixes the problem. Curiously enough, or not, all the gun stores around here sell plenty of parts for the Norinco SKS. Like they're just waiting for something to crap out.

[yorick]

Bent pushrod could be the prob with shell casing eject. Had to replace the one in my Romanian. Pull it and roll it on table to check straightness. Clean the smaller end piston too and look for spurs or burrs. Also poke out the port to barrel with toothpic while yer at it. The Yugo SKS has an adjustable port that can be entirely closed for using the grenade launcher. Fiddling with it will mess it up though, makin it come loose. And does your Chinese SKS also stovepipe rounds?

Noticed with mausers ammo primer cap recesses vary. Turk for example generally wouldnt fire with my Portuguese 1904/39. What kinda ammo ye feedin the SKS? Chinese Tiger ammo could have further recessed primer than the rest. Meanwhile Wolf is notorious for shellacked casings stickin at chambers.

All milsurp ammo burns dirty. I used to soak the SKS sliding block in Hoppe's after each afternoon's shooting. Sticky firing pins cause slam fire. There's millions of accessories available for SKS, probly more than for any other mil-surp rifle. Firing pins aint interchangable among nations of origin. Look for wolf spring kits to improve action. Also www.kivaari.com for trigger work - Texas gunsmith who specializes in SKS.

Where did the stock crack?? Lemme guess right behind the receiver, common problem. There's ultra-light dragonov fiberglass stocks available, Choat makes the best of em.

SKS are hilarious little commie-guns with their folding bayonet that doubles as monopod. 7.62x39 drops like a stone beyond 100 yrds though. And thin walled chrome bores are notorious innacurate when they git heated up. The holy grail among SKS collectors is probly the East German version, also North Korean - snatch it if ye see one.

I believe Norinco also made a Makarov pistol. And the Norinco replica WWI trench gun / shotgun is one of the coolest weapons you'll ever see. Heat shield covers the barrel, has bayonet lug and sling. Can be fired fast as you can pump it, holding the trigger back it fires immediately on chambering each round. Also barrell length is short and the tube holds 8 rnds if memory serves me well. Hellacious little pump gun thats more fun than barrel of monkeys.



(:=

[Hitoru]

[Duende]

I've got a yugo and while I've never had any real problems with it I understand that an easy way to fix gas leaks is to insert an o-ring where the gas tube fits to the gas port. Also check the bushrod/secondary piston like yorick said - it probably needs a good clean.

[coldharvest]

I'm positive it belonged to Serbia's Private Pyle. Probably Bradonja's top.

Haha - priceless! If only the troll read outside his own thread...

The important thing is that we do.

[Hitoru]

My friend dropped off his Yugo last week, it's failing to cycle. I put a o ring in the gas tube and checked the gas piston extension. Still not functioning. OK, so I'm going to fit one of my gas tube/pistons to his to see if that cures it.

Neither of my gas tubes would fit without extensive massaging, I'm not filing on MY gas tubes, so I'm going to by another one and hand fit it. If that dosn't work I'm going to replace the front gas block.

If that dosn't work I'm taking it to the gun show and selling the POS.

[yorick]

Spaekin of Yugo SKS - interesting political history:

Russians did not want Yugoslavs arming themselves, hence no USSR chromium steel exported ther for lining the bores. USA funded production of Yugo SKS as part'n parcel to foreign aid program. Adding insult to injury, attached NATO goodies like the grenade launcher to insult Russians. History of the SKS tells the story of coldwar politics.



(:=

[SRR]

Where did the stock crack?? Lemme guess right behind the receiver, common problem. There's ultra-light dragonov fiberglass stocks available, Choat makes the best of em.

The damn thing cracked just around the screw that holds the stock in place, below the piston.

I pulled the piston apart last weekend and it's got plenty of rust bubbles on it. That can't be good. Cleaned the trigger assembly and soaked it in gun oil so hopefully that ensures a clean trigger pull. Not sure when I'll get out to the range to fire it again. These things are so cheap up here it's easier just to buy another one than buy parts to fix the crappy one you've got.

[Hitoru]

Hey Mr. SRR, how cheap is cheap ?

[Mind Riot]

Hope you got the compliance kits in those.

[SRR]

Hey Mr. SRR, how cheap is cheap ?

$139 is cheap, ain't it?