SKS Bolt Hold Open Not Working

[bluerider450]

First of all I know very little about SKS's. I got a "good deal" on a Norinco SKS this summer but the problem is that I cant lock the bolt open, and it wont stay open after the last shell is fired. Is this a common problem? Am I missing something?

 

[Sam1911]

Does it have the original magazine or an aftermarket one?

Swing the magazine open. Stick your finger up inside the back of the magwell and feel for the bolt-hold-open tab. Press up on it with your finger and rack the operating handle with your other hand. Does the bolt-hold-open "tab" slide freely up and down? Does it engage the bolt?

Is the bolt-hold-open tab complete or has it been broken or worn off so it can't catch the bolt?

Does the magazine follower press against the tab when the magazine is empty?

The BHO on an SKS is so dead simple I can't picture a complicated problem with it. Tell us what it seems to be doing wrong...

-Sam

 

[AllAmerican]

Clean it. Problem solved.

 

[bluerider450]

It has the original non-detachable magazine.

"Swing the magazine open. Stick your finger up inside the back of the magwell and feel for the bolt-hold-open tab. Press up on it with your finger and rack the operating handle with your other hand. Does the bolt-hold-open "tab" slide freely up and down? Does it engage the bolt?"

I did this the tab slid up and down freely and it also engaged the bolt.

"Is the bolt-hold-open tab complete or has it been broken or worn off so it can't catch the bolt?"

Im not sure what to look for here. When I manually push up the tab, the bolt catches it but when I release it it does rest on the follower but the tab does not hold high enough to catch again.

 

[gripper]

Might be a bad spring under the bolt catch/hold open.
Any here have a link or a downloadable detail to remove/rplace that part??

 

[bluerider450]

I agree, there seems to be no play to the tab.

 

[Sam1911]

The BHO is held up by the magazine follower. There isn't another spring to make it work.

That's why the BHO doesn't function with the magazine swung open.

Try this:
1) Open the magazine up, hold the bolt back, press up on the BHO and "catch" the bolt.

2) Flip the gun over and look at the mag follower and the back of the magazine. Try to picture how the follower should press on the BHO if there are no rounds in the mag holding it down.

3) Close the mag slowly and see if there is somewhere that the follower is hanging up. Why isn't it pressing up on the BHO?

4) Latch the mag shut and then flip the gun right-side up. Look down through the action and find the top of the follower. Use a pencil or pen and press the follower up and down. Is it moving freely? Does it hang up anywhere? Does it come all the way up to hit the BHO?

You should be able to figure out some reason why the follower can't come up and engage the BHO. Might need a little filing if it's binding up.

I suppose your mag spring might not be strong enough to hold it up, but I'd think it wouldn't feed very well if that was the case.

Good luck!

-Sam

 

[mike15x]

ok so i just bought one and i have the same problem. For me the reason why it wont work is because that the tab on the mag follower that pushes the bolt hold open tab up, broke off before i bought it. i know because i found the piece from the follower in the bottom of the mag. look at your follower and if the part that faces the trigger assembly looks twisted or jagged yours is probably broken off too. idk how i'm gonna fix it, probably just buy a new stock mag.....