SKS owners roll call

[ROGER4314]

I have all the stuff necessary to reload 7.62x39 but never got heavy into it because of the violent ejection in the SKS and AK-47 rifles. The rifles beat the brass to Hell and it just wasn't worth it to reload only once. As you mentioned, the Yugo has the gas cutoff and that was the next plan: to single load the cartridges.

I had a boat load of the SKS rifles, both Russian and Yugo but I sold almost everything. The rifle that I shot matches with had a really nice trigger so it was a matter of selecting the best one out of the herd to use in matches.

The SKS trigger is an odd duck. The sear is a sliding block that doesn't lend itself to making a good trigger. I actually bought a spare SKS trigger mechanism to tinker with but never had much success. My idea was to limit the sliding block movement to minimize the trigger engagement. Polishing the sliding surfaces helped, too. The purpose was to get away from that long, raspy trigger pull. Some of the effort was successful but, honestly, it wasn't too impressive.

Some folks modify the SKS triggers by lightening the springs in the mechanism. I never saw that as a good plan because it compromised reliability.

Flash

 

[motorcarman]

I have 2 Norinco and one Yugo 59/66.

bob

 

[Southpaw]

I have 2 Norinco and one Yugo 59/66.

bob

See!!! That is what I should have been able to say.

 

[TreyG-20]

See!!! That is what I should have been able to say.

You mean, "I have 2 crates of Norincos and one crate of yugos."

 

[TreyG-20]

For those that have both Norincos and yugos which do you prefer. It looks to me that the Yugos are better made. Of course I could just be biased. I know that all them are shooters.

 

[majormadmax]

For those that have both Norincos and yugos which do you prefer. It looks to me that the Yugos are better made. Of course I could just be biased. I know that all them are shooters.

Depends. I have several Chinese SKS rifles to include a few paratroopers and a couple of SKS-Ds (or is it an -Ms? I can never remember), one with the thumbhole stock and another with a Monte Carlo stock.

But I also have a couple of M59/66s as well as a straight M59. The former are overbuilt just like Yugo/Serb AKs (M70 series).

Out of all of my Simonov rifles, my Tula is by far the most accurate; so if I had to make any recommendations, I would say to spend the extra money and get a Russian!

Cheers! M2

 

[Shady]

2 china ghost SKS's both bought when on cracked stock/gunsmith specials one was in great shape the other was rusted and the stock was in multiple pcs. It now resides in a bullpup stock.

 

[TreyG-20]

Depends. I have several Chinese SKS rifles to include a few paratroopers and a couple of SKS-Ds (or is it an -Ms? I can never remember), one with the thumbhole stock and another with a Monte Carlo stock.

But I also have a couple of M59/66s as well as a straight M59. The former are overbuilt just like Yugo/Serb AKs (M70 series).

Out of all of my Simonov rifles, my Tula is by far the most accurate; so if I had to make any recommendations, I would say to spend the extra money and get a Russian!

Cheers! M2

I guess the real answer is to have all of them!

 

[majormadmax]

I guess the real answer is to have all of them!

That's the formula I try to apply to all of the firearms I collect!

Seriously, I was on a heavy SKS kick for a while; the same as I was on with Mosin-Nagants. Now that I have a kid in college, those days are temporarily on hold for the next few years...

 

[Southpaw]

You mean, "I have 2 crates of Norincos and one crate of yugos."

HA!! I wish, got into them after the $80 a piece area!!!

 

[Rangerscott]

I got a good deal on a specwar 762 so going through all my rifles and dreaming of of them beimg quiet. Lol

 

[TreyG-20]

So I'm taking this bad boy apart and no surprise... Cosmoline everywhere! What the best way to get it off? I was think of soaking some of the parts like the trigger group in gas? Don't know if that's strong enough to melt it out. Brake and carb cleaner? I read once about baking the parts(in an oven) to let it melt out. I don't think the better half will like that smell though. Any suggestions?

 

[majormadmax]

Put it in a plastic garbage bag and leave it out in the sun for a couple of days. It will all melt off!

By the way, I just got J&G's fall catalog and they've got original Chinese military issue SKS type 56 carbines, with the battle scars to prove it. Good to go rifles are only $329.95, but if you like a project to tinker with, get one with rusted parts and/or cracked stock to work on for only $249.95! They look like the dog's breakfast, but they certainly have character!

http://www.jgsales.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=15-2264&fullsite=true

 

[Southpaw]

I've used mineral spirits before. Worked well after a good soak though I still had to do some scrubbing in the nooks and crannies.

 

[Vaquero]

How do you tell if one is Chinese "issued", rather than commercial?

 

[Ozzman]

Nice Yugo 59/66.
It's not one of those "California Compliant" rifles either.
Still has the grenade launcher affixed at the front and sight.
Get yourself some 7.62x39 blanks and a faux SKS grenade adapter and the fun just keeps on coming.
http://www.keepshooting.com/rifle-grenade-adapter-with-inert-grenade.html

Be aware that you need to treat all berdan primed ammo (yes, even Tula) as if it were corrosive.
The gas valve at the front of your hand guard is the only achilles heel of the 59/66's as moisture and rust are detrimental to this design. Replacing the valve is easy and cheap, but once it rusts and pits enough, you will know right away as the rifle will start to FTE on you. Only owned 1 that had this issue, and I have since gotten rid of it. If kept clean, it should last you a looong time and provide good service.

I am down to owning only 6 at the moment:
- 2 Yugo M59/66's
- 1 Yugo M59
- 1 Chinese Paratrooper
- 1 Russian
- 1 Chinese Jianshe Arsenal /26\

 

[Ozzman]

How do you tell if one is Chinese "issued", rather than commercial?

Technically, all Chinese SKS carbines are made from Military parts, however obviously not all were made for the military.

True military surplus rifles that were issued are generally the ones with factory codes and markings. Factory codes have numbers in triangles and various other shapes. If your rifle looks like a beater, and has letter codes such as TO, DB, DP, then it is most likely a Chinese military issued rifle.

The vast majority of SKS rifles that have been imported were pieced together from spare parts and rebuilt to look new. With blonde stocks, and polished parts, all SKS rifles were made in the same factories and some were modified for import such as the cut down paratrooper carbine version. There really were no "commercial" made rifles, they were simply put together to fill out purchase orders and diverted at the factory to commercial exporters and stamped with the importer mark and serial number here in the states.

Clear as mud right.
Hence one of the reasons it took Chinese SKS's sooo long to become C&R.

 

[TreyG-20]

Got after it with a can of brake cleaner and some rags and brushes. I don't think my arms have gone back in forth that much since middle school :0 Ran out of day light though.

 

[TreyG-20]

Get yourself some 7.62x39 blanks and a faux SKS grenade adapter and the fun just keeps on coming.
http://www.keepshooting.com/rifle-grenade-adapter-with-inert-grenade.html

That's defiantly getting ordered on pay day.

 

[V-Tach]

FWIW...I have no 30 or 20 round aftermarket mags on any of my SKS's.......

The standard 10 round magazine functions flawlessly......I know some folks that say their aftermarket 20 and 30 rounders work as well, but I never owned one that did....

jmho...