Took the SKS out today for it's maiden voyage.

[CoalCrackerAl]

I checked it on paper at 25 yards. Shooting high. I didn't have anything along to adjust the front sight. I shot at the steel then at 200. I figured out where to bury the front sight at. After i got that figured out. I had a blast. I was shooting Seller and Ballot factory ammo. Then i tried some reloads with .308 diameter bullets. That was when the fun started. It went into full auto. Slam firing. I load them with Large pistol primers. The loads are under 45,000 psi. So after i was done with those. I put a 2 S&B rounds in. Fired 1 then checked the primer on the one that chambered. Light primer dent. So no more loaded with LP. Is there a head space adjustment for the SKS? Oh and it ejects the brass straight up. It was hitting the roof of the range.

 

[Scooter22]

Make sure your FP is completely free. Many are stick from dried cosmo and can cause slam fires but thin cup pistol primers isn't going to help. Had my first SKS go full auto on first shot because of a stuck FP. Lucky I only loaded 5. A Mosin front sight tip. Get a spray straw from a can of WD40 or similar and cut it longer than the front sight post and slip it on. It will make it higher so your shots will be lower. Trim it to adjust elevation. Have fun. Love the SKS. Especially the little Chicom paratroopers.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I was using federal LPP. I just read they are softer than CCI. I did oil the firing pin channel too. I'll get that cleaned out. Great idea on the WD40 straw.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I believe most SKS bolts are actually machined for a firing pin return spring, but it was omitted from production, and it is possible to add one to make it less prone to slam-fires. IIRC, that was a thing before Chicom and Russian ammo became widely available.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

There was a gun shop in Texas that specialized in polishing the bolt installing a new firing pin with a spring. I have had 4 bolts done before Covid hit so I don't know if he is still in operation. If you are interested I will dig through my receipts and find the name and address.

I just looked it up with a Duck Search. It is Murray's Gunsmithing and they are still in business. The SKS bolt service was listed on their website.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Now the firing pin ''rattles'' when i shake the BCG. Another ting i like it has a differnt recoil. I would describe it as a slower push. It don't jump like the AR'S and my RAR when shooting from a rest. If i recall correctly my mini 14 is like that too.

 

[illinoisburt]

The firing pin return spring was omitted because it was a potential safety issue. The springs break and the pin jambs forward causing slam fires. Better to have a free float that rattles around.

Sks/AK front sight tools are cheap and easy to use for elevation (sometime windage is a challenge). The original buttstock cleaning kit varied a bit depending on vintage and country. If the tube has a side slot in addition to the center hole then it should have the elevation tool in it.

It's generally not recommended to interchange primers. Yes you can put a small rifle primer in a pistol cartridge and it should be safe (with proper load work up) but may be too hard and lead to light strikes in some handguns. I cannot think of any good uses of pistol primers in rifle cartridges. As you discovered the cup is generally too soft and has the danger of piercing or slam firing. The LPP is also shorter than LRP so the primer is going to sit deeper than normal, too.

Headspace is not adjustable. It's set like an AK by pressing or screwing the barrel into the receiver which is them drilled and pinned. You ejection pattern is normal for Chinese models -- it's up and slightly to the right. Fairly normal for these rifles to throw brass over 20 feet.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I ordered a front site tool. And a sling to match what they had on them.

 

[Ignition Override]

I’ve owned three SKS and five AKMs.

The front sight drum can be difficult to move sideways, therefore I always —first—quickly shot about 10-15 rounds in these guns Before doing any lateral (sideways) adjustment. Such heat creates the necessary metal expansion to assist the drum’s movement.

Most of my guns only required a vertical adjustment- if any at all.

All of this (along with slamfire info) I learned from a few hours' reading on SKSboards before even considering my first SKS.

 

[mokin]

The SKS is a great little rifle. The front sight tool is a good idea. Shoot it more with different ammunition before you make adjustments. Slam fires are a thing, I think if you own an SKS and haven't had a slam fire, you haven't shot it enough. Thing is, when your SKS does decide to go full auto, it weighs enough that it isn't hard to keep all the shots on target. Cleaning the inside of the bolt will help things.

Be safe and have fun!

 

[bigpower491]

Makin me think about taking mine out for a spin soon. I always shot surplus, and never had a slamfire with it. Anytime I did load for a military surplus rifle, I always used the CCI Mil Spec primers.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I looked at your SKS thread from earlier this week, and it looks like you scrubbed out the firing pin channel before shooting. So maybe the FP was stuck in some cosmo, but that seems less likely. I am thinking the slam fire is caused by the primers. I don't reload, so no input there.

When they're fed military-style steel case ammo, SKSes are basically unjammable and indestructible. They may be the most foolproof automatic rifles ever.

 

[BreechFace]

What primers were you using?

You should be using CCI BR4 or 450’s for a floating pin, if utilizing brass with LRP. They take more energy from the pin to set off.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I was using Federal LP. I did some digging and found they are soft. They are fine in my AR'S at least. I did reload them with CCI LRP for the next outing.

 

[Dr T]

It is a fun gun. I have a pre-Norinco Chinese that shoots way high but is dead on in windage. But, I decided that the shooting way high was a feature. When I looked at the ballistics for the military ball I was using, IF I was shooting at the center of mass of a human target at about 100 yards, the bullets would be coming in head high. and would continue to strike into the torso out to 400 yards, If this weapon was issued to inexperienced and barely trained troops, under stress, those troops would tend to hold on center mass regardless of range. In effect, such a setting would extend the killing radius of the troops without them ever having to adjust the sights and thus make them more dangerous to the opponent. Fundamentally, the economics of war dictate that it is more cost effective to would the enemy than to kill the enemy since by wounding you take not only the wounded soldier out of action but also the support personnel required to evacuate and care for the wounded soldier.

 

[illinoisburt]

It is a fun gun. I have a pre-Norinco Chinese that shoots way high but is dead on in windage. But, I decided that the shooting way high was a feature. When I looked at the ballistics for the military ball I was using, IF I was shooting at the center of mass of a human target at about 100 yards, the bullets would be coming in head high. and would continue to strike into the torso out to 400 yards, If this weapon was issued to inexperienced and barely trained troops, under stress, those troops would tend to hold on center mass regardless of range. In effect, such a setting would extend the killing radius of the troops without them ever having to adjust the sights and thus make them more dangerous to the opponent. Fundamentally, the economics of war dictate that it is more cost effective to would the enemy than to kill the enemy since by wounding you take not only the wounded soldier out of action but also the support personnel required to evacuate and care for the wounded soldier.

Why not regulate the sights? Sight in dead on (6 o'clock hold) at 100 meters using the corresponding ladder setting, a simple flip back the the battle sight zero should have a dead hold to 250 meters. It's very easy to slide for distances with the rear sight and they are generally close enough to be on target at longer(-ish) range.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Im waiting for my sight tool to come. Then i'll be able get the front sight adjusted for proper elevation at 100 to match the rear. I use the rear sight on my Mosin to shoot out to 300 yards. It works great. My club only goes to 300 yards.