SKS Bolt ?

[richh56]

I just got a china SKS ( older riffle ) and for the love of God I can not seem to get the bolt to hold open. With or with out the magazine in the riffle. With or with out ammo. makes no matter it will not lock open. Shouldent it ?

I have yet to fire this SKS as I have been cleaning it all week long.

I am thinking something must be broke if the bolt will not hold.

Comments ????

 

[rcmodel]

Probably glued in place by dried cosmoline.
Clean the crap out of it.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=439261

rc

 

[richh56]

After following your link rcmodel I have dicovered that if I push the BHO tab with my finger while holding the bolt open it will lock. Seems to follower on my 30rd magazine is wore out and will not push the BOH tab up. after a closer review of the follower i can see how it is rounded off in the back right were it needs to push on the tab. See how that looks rounded in back ?

 

[Fremmer]

I might be wrong, but I don't think the sks is designed to hold open after the last shot. Which is why it wears the heck out of mags with a hold open follower.

Is this correct?

Ditch the 30 round mag. Reinstall the 10 round clip. It'll be more reliable. JMHO, but if you keep the mag, tell us how you fixed the problem, and good luck!

 

[Sam1911]

The SKS is designed to hold open after the last shot. The follower in the original magazines do press up on the BHO to do this very positively.

Most of the aftermarket high-capacity conversion magazines are less than stellar and require some fiddling to get them functioning correctly, and many of them (especially the plastic ones) may wear out small bits like the tab which engages the BHO.

If the BHO moves freely, reinstall the original magazine and it will probably work correctly.

 

[richh56]

Well then for me it is off to gun boker for an original magazine as this SKS did not come with one. Now that i see what the problem is, i feel better about test fireing this riffle even with this after market magazine. it is all metal and looks old as heck. Brand name DC Engineering, Inc Detroit, MI.

 

[Col. Plink]

Love my all-orig Yugo M59; get good w/ stripper clips and you'll never have to monkey with anything else!

 

[Dr T]

Be aware that that an SKS in orignial condition uses a 10 round fixed magazine (loaded with stripper clips). While it will swing open to be emptied, it is not easily detached and replaced with a full one.

 

[Jeff H]

If you are using aftermarket mags, get some Tapco 20 round ones. They are the only ones that are always reliable in a SKS.

Be aware that that an SKS in orignial condition uses a 10 round fixed magazine (loaded with stripper clips). While it will swing open to be emptied, it is not easily detached and replaced with a full one.

Yes it is.
Pull the trigger assembly and then pull the fixed mag out, the put the trigger assembly back in. Presto, ready for the removable mags. I can switch between the two in 30 sec or so.