BR's SKS Journal

SKS sight adjustment

2012-01-01T16:55:00.002-05:00

If you read my last SKS post, you know that I shot the Yugo at the range last weekend and adjusted my TechSIGHTS. The problem was that when I was finished, I wasn't happy with the fact that the front sight was shifted way off to one side. Since I has just cleaned the rifle, I decided that today was a good time to correct this problem. Adjusting sights on an SKS is not news to most of you, but I'm sure it is to some so I decided to shoot some photos as I went along.

The sight adjustment tool shown above is a simple an inexpensive gadget that you can pick up at http://www.tech-sights.com/ for $7.95 It is similar to an AR's adjustment tool. If you have TechSIGHTS installed, this tool will adjust the front elevation and the rear windage.

The gadget directly above is for adjusting the front sight windage. I just checked and you can get one at 'Cheaper Than Dirt' for $5.97. It's very simple to use. Simply put it over your sight and turn the screw to push the pin that the sight rides on either left or right.

Here's my Krytonyte Green Laser at around 30 yards. Notice how bright it is outside during the day.

This is the same tool I used in the first photo. When turned around, it can be used to adjust the rear sight windage. The tool has a series of pins in a circular configuration. Simply match the pins to the holes on your sight and rotate to move the sight right or left.

This is the adjusted rear sight. It's a bit to the left, and the front is a bit off as well, but it should be on target without looking odd. I'll verify the sight adjustment the next time I shoot.

Adjusting TechSights on a Yugo SKS

2011-12-26T18:58:00.001-05:00

Model M SKS, Yugo SKS, Henry AR-7 .22LR

TechSIGHTS on my Yugo SKS

Dirk Files with his Model M SKS

One of today's projects was to get the TechSIGHTS on the Yugo SKS correctly centered. I noticed the last time out that my rear sight was adjusted to one side just about as far as it would go. To correct this, while at home, I put the green laser in the barrel after centering the rear sight and adjusted the front sight post in alignment with the laser. Today I used a sight tool to fine tune the post position by pushing the front sight until it was on target.

Check out Dirk's Model M SKS! Short barrel and removable magazine. I think it's a perfect rifle for home protection. I want one!

TechSIGHTS Work

2011-04-10T09:44:00.001-04:00

CLICK HERE for the story

An interesting letter from Don of Milford (Cincinnati) Ohio

2010-11-17T21:26:00.001-05:00

Dear Bob:

I've had some interesting experiences with my Yugo SKS I'd like to share.

By the way, I'm pretty sure my Yugo SKS was unfired like you said yours was.

I've had cycling problems during the first (post cosmolene removal) box of Russian rounds which I believe I then cured via enlarging the barrel by-pass hole to a diameter half way toward that of a Norinco SKS I used to have. FYI, the by-pass hole diameter in my Romanian AD-47 is REALLY LARGE, way larger than that Norinco SKS's. I can give you the drill sizes/hole diameters I'm talking about if you wish.

During the next 40 rounds or so, my firing pin stuck due to the metal forward of the fp retaining pin, metal on the fp itself, literally plowing up (upsetting) and locking the fp hard in a position of lightly denting some or most primers. I found this was not a dirt fouling issue, rather actual upset/shearing forward of the fp metal, thus dragging on the passage way in which the fp fits. One would think the fp would be very hard, and would dent the retainer, but no. I easily filed away the upset metal on the fp with a regular file, but I've not used that original fp since. It's a wonder the SKS didn't go auto on me as the fp tip was protruding out of the bolt about as far as a regular fire-travel. The gun actually fired singly, after reloading the lightly dented round. Sometimes I'd only get a "click" though. I had to drive the fp out of the bolt with a drift punch with pretty good hammer effort.

Thanks to you and Brownells, I now have a Murray fp and it works well. However, I'm not thrilled with the shape of the Murray unit, as I feel the original fp design has a broader tip, other than the possible hardness issue that caused the metal upset problem. I'm not convinced Murray's spring idea is needed or worth the trouble. AK's don't have a spring, nor did my well-working Norinco SKS.

To go on, again, now I'm getting that primer-punching protruding metal ring on the bolt face I read about. I've filed that down (with another diamond file), but now wonder if the Yugo people didn't heat treat the bolt correctly. It seems to rebuild itself in about 40 rounds of fire. I believe the bullet bases are actually extruding the folt face. And, maybe Murrany's fp design is contributing. I'll be looking for another bolt at gun shows, or trying one from Numerich or someplace. Maybe the new one will be from another country and be harder. I believe all SKS bolts, whatever the country of origin, are the same design and size.

Lastly, I installed a 30-round magazine which works very well. It is a "USA Mag" unit, which, contrary to your comment, DOES hold the bolt open nicely when empty. What make did you try?

Interestingly enough, none of my AK mags held the bolt open until I found a Yugo AK mag. which does. As a sidelight, somebody showed my how to modify non-holding mags via disassemble and reworking to hold a bolt open.

That's all for now.

I'd like to hear if you got this note and if you think I'm on the right track with any of my Yugo SKS comments, etc.

Ps, my next move is to try a buffer. Numerich has them for $9.95, but I'll look at gun shows first. Think I'll get one for my AK, and maybe my Smith and Wesson .22 caliber model 41 target pistol too.

Don of Milford (Cincinnati) Ohio.

How I clean my SKS with Dunk-Kit

2010-08-02T05:26:00.001-04:00

Nothing I have ever seen makes cleaning my SKS easier than using Dunk-Kit.
Dunk-Kit on the web

www.cylinder-slide.com

The Final TechSIGHTS Test - It Works!!

2010-07-31T22:00:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I installed a TechSIGHTS peep sight on my SKS. The sight worked great, but the question is, what happens when I remove the sight to clean the rifle, then reinstall it? Will the sights remain on target? This was the objective of today's test.

You can pick up TechSIGHTS at: www.tech-sights.com
The goggles are from Maximum Eyewear: www.maximumeyewear.com

YUGO SKS AND SPORTER

2010-05-22T16:35:00.010-04:00

I made the mistake today of not taking my SKS to the range. Within the first 10 minutes, my 44 Magnum jammed and my rifle shooting was over for the day. Check out my 2010 Range Report and Henry 44 Magnum pages for more on that.

There were two guys two benches over that were shooting SKS's. One was a Yuga and the other a Sporter Model. The Sporters are very cool, and the model compares to the Yugo somewhat like the M1 Carbine compares to the M1 Garand. It's a short, compact model which seems superior for fighting at close range, but I'm guessing loses accuracy at 100 yards. I handed these guys my cards, so if you happen to be checking in to see yourself, please click 'Comments' below this post and give me your feelings on the way the models compare. Thanks.

THAT IS ONE NICE SKS!

We did discuss the fact that the Sporter comes with a removable hi-capacity magazine. That's great if they are break-away magazines like this model uses, but FIXED hi-cap mags installed on Yugos are dangerous in my opinion because in the case of a jam or other emergency, the mag can't be dumped with the simple push of a lever. The bolt also doesn't remain open when the last round is fired, indicating that the action is clear. I suggest staying with the fixed 10 round mag that came with the rifle.

TECHSIGHTS Adjustment Tools

2010-04-16T22:02:00.008-04:00

I discovered at the range last weekend that one thing you will absolutely need when you install your TechSIGHTS are a couple of very simple and inexpensive adjustment tools. Without them it's very difficult to adjust the sights without marring the finish, though I was able to after some effort with the TechSIGHTS on my 10/22. The tool shown above will adjust rear windage and front sight elevation. The tool goes for $7.95 from TechSIGHTS and makes front sight removal, installation and adjustment a cinch.

Above is a photo I took of the stock sight and on it's left, the TechSIGHTS replacement. It's much narrower and taller, which should make for refined sight adjustment. I'm sure it will be well worth the $5 investment (check out my March 24th post for more info).

To install or adjust the front sight, simply drop the sight adjustment tool through the hole in the sight hood. Two sides are flat, so once the tool fits over the sight, it easily rotates the sight in or out (up or down). I was actually amazed how easily the old sight rotated out of the threads. I'm notorious for snapping off screws, but I'm happy to say that tonight I wasn't up to my usual form. The sight came out in tact thanks to this simple tool.

This little gadget goes for a whopping $5 and made an almost impossible task easy. I tried to rotate the rear sight at the range but couldn't do it without making a mess of the finish. The wrench has a tiny hook that slips over the adjuster and the thing just spins. It should now be a breeze to adjust the elevation. This gadget is a must. It's also capable of adjusting the rear windage in a pinch.

The front sight adjusting tool is similar to an M16 sight adjuster, but slightly smaller. I tried a M16 tool at the range and the pins were slightly too big. This one fits. I highly recommend ordering these tools when you order your sight, and they will only add $12.95 to the bill. Here's the link where they can be ordered. http://www.tech-sights.com/, then click 'Accessories' in the left column.

TechSIGHTS in the Yugo SKS

2010-04-12T19:54:00.002-04:00

My goal today was to test out my new TechSIGHTS on the SKS and some new loads for the 44 Magnum. I'm also still testing the peep sight I installed on the Henry last fall. I started with shooting the SKS.

My daughter bought me an SKS bipod for Christmas, and this was my first opportunity to try it out. Usually when I'm shooting my SKS from the bench, the bayonet always seems to be in the way. It's like trying to stand up straight on the blade of an ice skate. The bipod gave me much more stability and it's also nice that the rifle remains upright when loading in the stripper clip or when I want to walk away from the table. For an inexpensive bipod, I was very happy with it. This was also my first opportunity to test out the TechSIGHTS.

I'm nearsighted and have been needing an eye exam for some time now, so it was immediately obvious that it was much easier to quickly acquire my target with this sight system. With a peep sight, you basically forget there's a rear sight and simply deal with the from sight post. That part of the system worked great. If you read my SKS page, you'll see that I bore-sighted this rifle in with my LaserLyte green bore sighter. That's why I was amazed at how far off I was shooting. My groups were similar to those using iron sights, but I was hitting about a foot above my target. I found that without sight adjustment tools, this sight is very difficult to adjust, so I recommend ordering the inexpensive adjustment tools when you order your sights. This will be an easy fix once I get the tools. The sights remained good and solid, which is an important issue with the SKS configuration since most SKS sight systems I've tried tend to 'walk'. My next test will be removing the rear sight to clean the rifle, and reassemble it to see if it stays on target. I'll need to sight it in before I can conduct the test. I expect to have that report up in a few weeks. I always have to laugh when it's time to pick up cases after the shoot, which are usually 3 tables away...

CLICK HERE to read the entire post

TechSIGHTS front sights for SKS

2010-03-24T20:37:00.003-04:00

"Bob here is a pic of the Techsight replacement front compared to the standard SKS front sight post. As you can see it's about half the diameter of the original post and gives you a finer aiming point and also a bit taller which give you a little mores range of adjustment,for $7 shipped it's a good cheap accuracy improvement."

Thanks Ronnie! I just contacted TechSIGHTS to see if I can test one. ~Bob

Item #TS152 - Target Post for the SKS/AK Rifles. * Finer Post (.047 Dia.)
* 4140 Material
* Parkerized Finish
* The perfect accessory for improving your accuracy.
* Works with standard sights as well as
Tech-SIGHTS TS100 & TS200.
http://www.tech-sights.com/

Pictures from Ronnie

2010-03-24T10:29:00.005-04:00

Yugo SKS

Chinese

Ronnie's a reader of this blog that is a good guy as well as a wealth of information. Here's a couple of his SKS's that I think you'll enjoy seeing. I can't believe he bought such nice rifles for so little! I love that scope mount. Ronnie sent me info on that as well which I will be posting soon.

Hi Bob,

My Unissued Yugo ran me about $149 and my NIB Chinese factory /26\ hit me up for $200 didn't mind paying that for it though being it was still in the box and never fired. There still importing the Russians up in Canada for about the price of a nice Chinese here along with some of the Chinese M14 knockoffs. The Russians is the grandfather of the SKS but I like both of mine just as good, they shoot just as well,which is all that matters to me. Would still be nice to own one though.

Russian SKS

2010-03-18T21:57:00.012-04:00

Nice video, which includes the history of the SKS. Can you believe that this guy paid under $100 for a never used Russian SKS?! A piece of junk Russian with broken stock and painted metal goes for at least $500 these days, if you can find one. Yugos in my area have increased in price from $200 to $300 in the past few years, and even they are difficult to find. Enjoy the video.

First look at TechSIGHTS for the SKS

2010-02-24T20:26:00.009-05:00

When I arrived home from work today I was psyched to see that my SKS TechSIGHTS had arrived. This sighting system (Model TS2000) is an M1-type peep-sight setup that attaches to the receiver cover via the takedown latch. That's the pin that you rotate and withdraw to remove the receiver cover.

The first thing that you'll notice when you open the package is the excellent construction. It's made of very solid, steel components finished with military spec manganese phosphate and hard-coated anodized aluminum, also to military specifications. I've found that the biggest weakness with any sighting system on the SKS is its attachment to the rifle. Most everything attaches to the receiver cover, which means that when the receiver cover starts to walk, so does your scope or whatever else you've mounted. This unit attaches itself to the receiver via the take-down latch and pushes against the receiver itself and not the cover. This looks like it will actually be a very solid mount.

The first step in mounting this sight is to remove the stock takedown latch. There's a pin at the end of the latch that keeps it from falling out of the receiver when the latch is withdrawn. Some latch pins can be pressed down, which makes it easy to remove the latch. Of course, this wasn't the case with my SKS and I had to deal with a pin that was brazed on. The instructions suggest taking it to your gunsmith, but I'm not that patient nor do I want to pay to complete this step. I got out one of my father's old disk cutter, put it on a drill and in seconds the pin was gone and the latch was in my hand. That was easy! It's all downhill from here. It's my understanding that some states might have a stupid law prohibiting you from modifying the latch pin, so be aware of any law that affects you.

4 small screws go into the back of the sight, and each screw has a small brass pin projecting from it. Unlike all the junk I've installed in the past to attach a scope that cut into the receiver's finish, brass pins won't destroy your rifle. That's a nice touch. You screw them in until the pins are flush with the sight's inner surface, then stop. Next you replace the stock latch pin with a similar 'cross screw' that comes with the kit. The screw goes into the sight, the sight goes over the receiver cover and the 'cross screw' passes through the takedown latch holes. A nut at the other end holds it in place. Now you tighten down the 4 screws until the sight stops rotating, and TechSIGHTS claims that the sight will return to zero after it is removed and replaced. Those tiny screws have some kind of dry locking compound on them to keep the screws from backing out.

This M1 / M16 style TS200 sight has both windage and elevation adjustments.

The package comes with instructions on how to remove the rear sight, but it looks to me as if the peep sight looks over the old rear sight, so I may be able to keep it on. Hey, you never know when you might need use of that grenade launcher.

It seems like I'm always dropping and losing small parts, so I decide to order an extra set of the 3 loose parts:

TS00104 Cross Screw
TS00145 Nut
TS00128 Lock Screw

The lock screw is an extra locking system for people who do a lot of shooting. The 'lock screw' threads into the end of the 'nut' to lock it down. Kind of like double knotting your shoe laces.

The installation took me about 45 minutes, but you guys who can follow instructions might be able to do it in 15. I usually have to do everything twice to get it right, Dah.

The weather has been so lousy that I doubt I'll be able to try these sights out for a few weeks. I'm looking forward to that shoot because it will be a first for the TechSIGHTS, the new gas valve and the bipod. It should be a blast, so check back for more.

Here's a link to TechSIGHTS product page

One of my buddies writes:
"Something to chew on. Had HiVis sights on my shotgun. Made of plastic. Broke the front one night before deer season. Will no longer buy plastic anything for my guns! The search is on."
No problem here!

Reloading links from Ronnie

2010-01-12T20:09:00.007-05:00

A reader named Ronnie has been leaving some excellent comments here and on the reloading page. Take the time to read them. Here's a few links he's sent me today, along with photos of cartridges for 7.62 x 39 and 7.62 x 54 he's reloaded:
Primers
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=56422.0
Reloading
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=30961.0
Thanks very much for your help Ronnie!

Here's an excellent post on everything you've ever wanted to know about 7.62 x 39 Wolf ammo.
An inside look: Wolf 7.62x39mm 122 grain HP

I've been working on some cast bullets loads for my SKS rifles...
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=66214.0

Installing a new gas valve

2010-01-11T18:58:00.014-05:00

CNC Warrior's new gas valve

Removing the existing gas valve
CNC Warrior surprised me today by sending me two gas valves for my Yugo. It didn't take long before I was pulling off the hand guard/gas tube assembly and pulling out the gas valve. The thumb switch and spring pops right out once the valve is centered and pulled partially out, then the existing valve slides right out.

Installing the new gas valve
Getting the new valve in wasn't quite as easy, but then it's new and not worn. How much bigger? I put a micrometer on the two and here's the results (Old vs New):
Diameter: .549" / .5885"
OA Length: .921" / .9215"
Barrel length: .815" / .820"
Dia. of end that slides into gas tube: .508" / .506"

Tapping in the new gas valve
As you can see, the two are very close in size, the new valve being a bit bigger. That tiny increase in size makes for a very tight fit. When the new valve is slid into the gas vent housing, it stops around the hole in the gas valve. I'm guessing there's a tiny shaving of metal in the interior of the barrel that hangs up the tighter fitting valve. I carefully tapped the base of the valve with a rubber mallet, then nudged it out by putting a screwdriver blade in from of the valve, pushing it out. After doing this 3 or 4 times the valve slid much easier. I was then able to push the valve in, and rotate it to the right to lock it into its correct position. It's tight, but then it's supposed to be. I'll be bringing the mallet and screwdriver to the range with me until it's broken in, just in case the valve needs to be rotated or removed. I have no doubt this valve is going to seal tightly. I'll give you a report on it the next time I shoot and remove it for cleaning. Thanks again CNC Warrior. Here's a link to their web page: www.cncwarrior.com

Click HERE to see a post I put up on CNC Warrior's gas valves 3 years ago.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON CLEANING

As some of you may know, I was a Navy Seabee and after we fired our M-16's, the battalion always scrubbed their weapons thoroughly in a trough of solvent, then hosed them down with cans of WD-40. I still sometimes follow that routine to some extent, but it's not the best idea, especially when shooting military surplus ammo. WD-40 is an very good solvent, and I've always liked the idea that I could spray a hi-pressure stream into hard to reach places. The problem is that it's a penetrating oil and I've heard it contains of a high percentage of kerosene (though I can't find that info anywhere, including the 'Material Safety Data Sheet').

"....the last thing I need when lives are on the line is dead ammo..."

Kerosene can break down the waterproofing that seals military ammo, contaminating primers and powder. It's funny, but I've been using WD-40 for about 40 years, and I've never had an issue like this. The possibility does make me think twice about using it in any weapon that I use for home and personal defense, because the last thing I need when lives are on the line is dead ammo. On my range rifles it's not that important, and it does do a great job cleaning as well as being relatively inexpensive. If you do use it, be sure to completely dry off your firearm prior to reassembly. I'm guessing that the military wised up about this some time ago... at least I hope so.

SKS Bipod

2010-01-04T21:03:00.000-05:00

My daughter bought me this bipod for Christmas for my SKS. It's perfect and sells for only $22 including shipping! Picked it up on Amazon.com. Here's the link. The store's name is 'The Global Sportsman'. After installing the bipod, I noticed that there's a bit of forward and backward play due to the fact that there's a 1/32" or so gap between the top of the biopod lug and the inside top of the bayonet clamp. I went through my bins of junk and found an aluminum picture hanger; the kind with a jagged side that you nail into the back of a frame to hang it from a nail. I snapped off and filed down a tiny piece less than 1/4" square and slid it into the gap with a bit of LockTite. Now it's as solid as a rock. This isn't the kind of bipod you would want in combat if you plan to hit the dirt bipod first while firing your weapon. But if you shoot your rifle from a bench, I think this will do the trick. Now the question is how long it will last. I'll let you know if and when it fails.

First shoot of 2010 with the Yugo SKS

2010-01-03T22:07:00.005-05:00

Here's a report on my first range shoot with this Yugo SKS in two years. I installed a spring-loaded firing pin kit and everything went well. CLICK HERE to read the story.

....and HERE'S A POST about cleaning the SKS after the shoot.

Murray's Firing Pin Kit and Gas Valve for the Yugo SKS

2009-12-19T00:25:00.014-05:00

Below are a couple of quick movie clips I made tonight while installing Ben Murray's firing pin kit. The kit comes with a new stainless steel firing pin and 2 springs. Yugo firing pins are free floating and if they stick for some reason, it will result in a 'slam-fire', which means that your semi-auto will fire full-auto until your magazine is empty. Ben's kit adds a return spring to the mix so this doesn't happen.

Ben sent me a kit to try out so I installed it tonight. To swap out the pins, all you need to do is hammer out the firing pin retainer, which is a pin that keeps the firing pin locked in the bolt. Once that pin is removed, the old pin slides right out and you can replace it with Ben's kit. Simply slide one of the two springs that comes with the kit over the new pin, slide it into the hole and reinsert the retainer pin. I suggest checking the bolt and pin during each cleaning to be sure that the pin is functioning properly. Should the spring ever break, immediately replace it with the extra that comes in the kit.

Removing the firing pin retainer

The bolt with new spring-loaded kit installed

Here's the original letter I received from Ben:

...I’d like to send you a Firing Pin Kit and a Gas Valve. We've heard reports that when (one of our competitor's) valves are installed, the gas hole in the valve does not correctly line up with the hole in the gas block/barrel. Maybe there are only a few that are mis-aligned but that is the type of quality control that makes us feel like ours are slightly better. But it’s not just that. Ours are also different in the fact that ours are machined slightly oversize, especially to help get the older, more used 59/66’s running again. Plus, customers have their choice of an “original” style Valve, that uses the original spring loaded button/selector, or our “New Style” that has a socket head cap screw , that’s used in place of the spring loaded button. And we even include an Allen wrench. Allows semi-permanent positioning of the valve so it can’t be accidentally knocked out of position. One customer in particular uses this version to “lock” it into single-shot mode while his 17 yr old son is deer hunting in a deer stand nearby, but not directly chaperoned. Ours are made from SS as this seems to make the inevitable cleaning of the carbon build-up on the valve much easier. While you may not have an “older, more used” Yugo to test it on, you could install it in the gas block, note the tighter fit you will feel, and at least start to install the gas tube on it, and again feel the tightness difference. Ours are advertised on our site for $21.00. But this includes CC fee and shipping. (First Class) So I believe they will only be slightly higher than theirs once shipping and/or CC fee are added...
Hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas.
Thanks ~Ben Murray, ben@murraysguns.com
http://www.murraysguns.com/sksown.htm

I discovered a broken spring in one of my bolts and asked Ben why this occurred. Here's some interesting info he just sent me:

READ: Popped Primer(s) www.murraysguns.com/poppedprimers.htm
This is one of the attributes of our firing pin kit. When a hole gets blown through a primer, hot gas blows back through the firing pin hole with significant force. Enough in some cases to blow an “original free-floating” FP out the back of the bolt. The bump on the FP that is supposed to stop rearward movement against Retaining Pin becomes sheared off at worst and often times bent, and begins sticking both rearward and forward. But, with our FP Kit the spring is usually all that is damaged. The “Murrays” FP, even without a spring, will still function safely. But we supply replacement springs, no charge. This only happens with the imported (mostly Russian) “Berdan” primed ammo. With American, or any “Boxer” primed ammo, this will never occur. It only takes one “popped primer” incident to fry our spring.

Seems like a great reason to start reloading my own 7.62x39 ammo.

12-19-09 video chat

2009-12-18T12:09:00.000-05:00

I'm back in business!

2009-12-12T14:38:00.002-05:00

It's been about 2 years since I sold off my SKSs to buy rifles I needed for hunting. Well as of today, this blog is up and running again! I repurchased my original SKS this morning, and it doesn't look like it's even been shot. Check back after Christmas as I begin posting again. Until then, have a Very Merry Christmas!!

Should you buy a 30 round magazine for your Yugo?

2009-12-10T16:28:00.001-05:00

It's good to be writing on this SKS blog again. It's been two years since I sold my two Yugos and today I bought one of them back; the stock unmodified rifle. It wasn't long before the gears started turning and I began thinking about how to improve the rifle. Not that it really needs anything, except a spring-loaded firing pin to prevent slam fires, but as you know adding stuff to this kind of rifle is almost an addiction.

(My high-capacity magazine)
One of the options available is a high capacity 30-round magazine. Not that I need to blow a box of ammo off really fast considering ammo prices these days, but it does make the rifle look cool. Here's the problem that I discovered when I installed my 30-round magazine:

You're shooting at the range and the range officer calls a "Cease Fire!"... or your rifle malfunctions. What do you do? Normally my first reaction would be to pull the lever that drops open the magazine assembly cover. The problem is that my 30 round mag doesn't have a door that drops and the magazine is fixed. You've lost that great safety feature which allows you to instantaneously separate the ammo from the gun the moment a problem arises. Is it worth losing that feature to gain the extra capacity? That's you're decision, but I've chosen to stay stock.

Hello out there!.....

2009-08-23T08:47:00.003-04:00

As of 12/12/09 I have 106,000 hits on this Shooting Journal, yet I have no idea who's out there reading it. It would be encouraging to get an email from you with as little as your name and state, letting me know that you're out there. This info will help me improve the blog, and I assure you I am not collecting email addresses and no one but me will see your letter. I've set up a special email box at brshooting@sbcglobal.net, so please take a minute to say 'Hello'.

Thanks! ~Bob

How to assemble and disassemble a Yugo SKS

2007-07-20T23:33:00.000-04:00

Note that the bolt's spring tension can be relieved by moving the bolt forward by opening the magazine latch. In this video the bolt is in the rearward position for safety reasons. The rearward bolt allows for a clear view of the receiver, allowing you to visually determine if there is a round in the magazine or in the chamber.

2007-07-19T23:17:00.000-04:00

Test firing the spring loaded firing pins

2007-07-17T22:14:00.000-04:00

In the top photo, my dog Sandy is standing in for Vanna White as she shows you today's targets. Today everything was covered with 3 solid inches of rock hard, smooth icy snow. I went to the range late afternoon yesterday, but it was so cold that no one was shooting (that's very rare). 14F is too cold. Today it was in the upper 20's so it felt like a heat wave to all but my finger tips. The target frames at the range are so shot up that it's almost impossible to stick a target to the cardboard. If you look at the photo of Sandy again, you'll notice that my targets are on white backers. What I now do is bring my own cardboard covered with a 4 ft sheet of paper. I then sick a single target to that. It makes it MUCH easier to set up my targets and to see the bullet holes when I'm sighting in a new scope or gun. Forget the range's backers. It's absolutely impossible to locate a shot if you miss the target. This makes it simple at 100 yards.

I shot for an hour today and went through 15 stripper clips (150 rounds). I took both SKS's and both worked beautifully. The top target was actually my second target, the bottom was the first. I started with the new SKS, guessed at the rear sight setting and started hitting the second ring immediately. I then switched back and forth between the 2 rifles every ten rounds until the ceasefire. After changing targets, I used my older SKS exclusively on the fresh target. The new spring loaded firing pins worked beautifully, as did the new gas valve and muzzle brake I installed on the older SKS (see the PRODUCTS page). Also note that the LockTite kept the muzzle brake from rotating. Out of 150 rounds I had one misfire. The primer had a major punch right where it should be, so I attribute the failure to bad ammo and not the firing pin. Since I didn't have a sight adjustment tool on me, I targeted off center as required to hit the target center. The handful of rounds in the white were the result of that adjustment process. My son Jamie and his friend Mark went with me today. It was Mark's first experience with a real gun or range. They're both big into AirSoft (see the product page for a photo) so I thought I'd give him a taste of the real thing.

I'm not looking forward to cleaning 2 SKSs tonight. Cleaning one takes me an hour. Cleaning 2...oh brother. Now that I know they both fire nicely, one will have to remain in the car as a backup.

Sight Tool from MilSurpStuff.com

2007-03-16T23:05:00.000-04:00

Click on photo for full screen view)

Check out this sight adjustment tool I just picked up from MilSurpStuff.com. I've been needing one for quite some time now. If you're like me, you've been using the rear sight adjustment, getting close to the target, then compensating by aiming, lets say, 3" right and 4" up. With this tool, I'll finally be able to get my SKS's sighted in correctly. This item is beautifully constructed and the threads turn as smooth as silk. As you can see from the photos, you can correct for elevation and windage with the single tool. The front sight post can be screwed in or out to adjust the elevation, and windage is adjusted with the part that looks like a mini 'C'-clamp. The site post is threaded into a site stud that is pushed left and right by turning this device as shown in the top photo. This stud is factory centered, but in the case of my Yugo's, the sight is a few inches off at 100 yards and needs adjusting. This tool will do the trick.

Remember:
To raise your point of impact, lower the post.
To adjust for windage, move the site stud in the oposite direction of the desired point of impact.

It's Friday and we are currently in the midst of a major nor'easter, and so far we have about a foot of snow and sleet. So much for trying this out tomorrow at the range. Keep and eye out for a new post on the RANGE page, where I'll give a report on how I made out sighting in my Yugo. You can purchase this item from David LaRoche at MilSurpStuff.com. The service was great and it only took a few days to arrive. Check out the web site or email David at s ales@milsurpstuff.com.

A MUST for preventing slamfires

2007-02-10T22:54:00.001-05:00

I've looked all over the Internet for this and I finally found it. It's a replacement firing pin for Yugos (and other SKS's) that replaces the free floating pin with a spring loaded version. It never made sense to me why the spring was removed from these models, which made the Yugos more dangerous to fire than necessary. This unit eliminates that problem at a reasonable cost. The unit has been made by Ben Murray in Texas since the mid 1990's, and he's continued to improve the design. Here's his web site:

http://www.murraysguns.com/sksown.htm

"This “New For 2007” replacement firing pin is designed after the original Russian design. And, it will fit all SKS’s. Even pre-51 versions. But, with pre-51 versions you’ll need a different spring. This is due to the hole in the bolt being drilled deeper in “later” versions. This new firing pin will eliminate slam-fire and uncontrollable full-auto incidents! And, it will allow the use of “soft primered “American” ammo, or reloads."

CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO DOWNLOAD A DEMONSTRATION MOVIE

"Below is a pic of the new FP between a pre-'51 (on bottom) and a post-'51 FP, (on top) All post-'51 FP's are the same, where it matters. They may have different type and number of flats but they're all the same. The new FP's are manufactured from 420 SS and heat-treated to same specs as "original" Russians. (50-52Rc). Thanks, Ben Murray"

OK PEOPLE. I INSTALLED TWO FIRING PIN KITS IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THESE THINGS WORK GREAT! The first bolt took me about 10 minutes to get apart and reassemble because I wasn't sure what I was doing. The second took me a little more than a minute. I took the photos below along the way to help you see how it works.

Photo 1: This is the kit. It's a beautifully made firing pin, 2 springs (one's a backup) and an instruction sheet.
Photo 2: A photo of the pin without the spring in place.
Photo 3: The same with the spring in place. Note that there's a "gripper" end on the spring. One side holds on to the firing pin tighter so it doesn't slide off while installing.
Photo 4: This is the bolt taken apart. The hardest part was banging out the retaining pin that holds the bolt together. I started by using a 1/16" punch and I kept hammering and the bolt just kept rotating on me without the pin moving. I switched to a 3/32" punch and the pin came out with a few hits. I couldn't believe that such a small difference in diameter made such a difference. Before the retaining pin comes all the way out, try to hang on to the little metal piece on the underside (the extractor). It's spring loaded and if you can keep it from dropping off, it will be much quicker to get it back together. Next, simply slide the old firing pin out and slide the new pin in, spring first. The "Made in USA" should be at the top. Then tap the retaining pin back into place and that's it! You'll wonder how you lived without this gizmo and you'll feel much safer. Need to see how it comes apart? Click HERE.
Photo 5: The old bolt at the bottom, new at the top. Notice how much nicer the new design is with an increased strike area.
Photo 6: The 2 bolts ready to go back into the guns.

New Gas Valves from CNC Warrior

2007-02-05T22:50:00.000-05:00

The 2 new valves. These are extremely clean, unlike others I've purchased that had burrs inside and out.

I just received 2 beautiful gas valves from CNC Warrior. They're duplicates of the valve that came with my Yugo. The fit was a bit snug, which I'm sure is a good thing because it is sure to loosen in time. I had to use the wooden end of a screwdriver to lightly tap in the valve past the hole. Once pushed in all the way, I also had to tap the button to the right to make it rotate. I then removed the valve, which took a little bit of force, but this time no tapping was required. I seem to remember this was true when I first took this SKS apart so that's a good thing. It's seal can only be tested at the range, but I am confident that leaking will no longer be a problem. These valves are under $10 bucks so you can't beat'em. Installing this valve also made it clear that when someone attempts to fix the leaky seal problem by expending the length of the collar, they are using the wrong approach. The valve will never fit if the valve parts fit correctly to begin with. I did notice at the gun shop this weekend that some of the gas tubes seem to have a sloppy, loose fit. It's possible the extra length would work in such cases. But for an SKS that fits together properly, this valve is the ticket. Here's what CNC Warrior writes on their web site:

This is a gas valve for Yugoslavian SKS rifles. This valve is precision machined and heat treated from a top-grade non-corrosive steel. It is an exact replacement part and solves the most common problem with guns that won't cycle consistently. Price $9.99

Here's the contact info (at under $10 each, keep an extra in your range box).

CNC Warrior, LLC
605 Toddville Rd. Charlotte, NC 28214
Here's the link to the product: http://www.cncwarrior.com/comersus/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=1

(top) Removing the old gas valve.
(bottom) Old on left, new on right.

Cleaning up a new (used) Yugo

2007-02-03T22:28:00.001-05:00

I just returned from the gunshop with a Yugo I just purchased. I went out early this morning and hit up 3 gun shops. The first was selling Yugos for $220 and they were in terrible condition. The second place sold out and the third had six or seven. It's the place where I bought my other Yugo and their prices went up $20 since last year. Most of the Yugos had painted metal parts, which tells me that the guns are so beat that they painted over the damage. This Yugo isn't painted, but it was refurbished. The screws are close to the wood surface and there are scratches on the butt plate which tells me that the stock had been sanded. The serial numbers are straight, which indicates that the numbers likely haven't been forged. The wood on the gas tube matches the stock color, which isn't true of any other gun I saw today. It also has beautiful grain (Yugoslav "rift" sawn beech) and the wood is darker than my other Yugo. With the democrats in office, I have a feeling that prices will continue to climb as SKS's are bought up before new anti-gun laws are enacted. I'll be spending the next few hours in my cold basement washing the cosmoline out of the gun. That's a nasty job I don't look forward to. I'll take a photo when the gun is all beautified :)

This is the 'AFTER' photo.

It took about 3 hours to clean out the cosmoline and get everything cleaned up. Since it's about 10 degrees out and pitch dark, I wasn't about to clean the gun outside with gas as I did last time. I discovered that gas removed all of the lubrication from the metal and it began to rust the moment it dried, so I decided to approach it differently this time. I boiled the gun. After breaking the rifle down, I boiled the bolt, gas valve and small parts in a pan of water on the stove. It's my understanding that cosmoline is a combination of wax and oil, so heat breaks it down. I've heard of people baking their rifle in the oven, but my wife would murder me if I ever tried that one. I'd also be afraid that I'd start something on fire. Instead, I put the larger parts in a pan that's a few inches deep, placed it in the sink and poured boiling water into it. I cleaned the barrel in the basement by standing it up in a small bucket and poured boiling water down into the barrel. I did this a few times and scrubbed the cosmoline out with a small cleaning brush and a cleaning rod, then wiped the parts down with a rag. This was followed by a wash of boiling soapy water and a rinse. Then I washed everything down with Hoppes #9 followed by WD40. All the metal was beautiful, and I scrubbed the stock with hot soapy water. You're never quite sure what you'll find when you take a gun apart and clean it, but I'm happy with this one and I'm leaving it stock. I'll use the other one to chop and keep this one as is.

NOTE: Regarding the bolt, I've been informed by Bev Murray who is an expert in bolts and firing pins (he's been doing this since the early 90's) that boiling the bolt is insufficient to be sure that all the cosmoline has been removed and that the firing pin is traveling freely. He instructs that a "hammer strike simulation" needs to be preformed (which I'll explain later). He sells a kit to convert the bolt into one that's spring loaded so the firing pin has help retracting to prevent a slamfire. To be safe, I've ordered a couple of these kits and as soon as they arrive I'll install them and give you a full report. KEEP AN EYE ON THE PRODUCTS PAGE.

There was a Mr. William Ferrante that was killed in the early 90's and Mr. John Murray was killed in 1990. Both in CA. So it wasn't recent. But, I've heard from numerous customers in the past few months, that have accidentally shot a hole in the fridge, the living room floor, down range, etc. and even had a very recent customer tell of how the bolt handle got the web between his thumb and forefinger when his SKS slam-fired and he had to have 17
stitches. (ouch!) Thanks, Ben Murray

Ammo Prices Starting to Climb

2007-01-31T22:25:00.000-05:00

I've noticed that for the first time in about a year I'm seeing a spike in military surplus ammo prices in Connecticut. Wolf and other Russian ammo has climbed from $3.99/20 round box to $4.50. I have 3 local gun shops that supply 7.62 x 39 and they all have risen to the same price. I've heard people say it's "the war", but I don't believe it. I just Googled it and everyone is saying that there's been a 10% increase in price since Jan. 1. Many are reporting that a large increase in the price of metal is responsible. A site called 'Gold is Money' verifies this. Someone said that stripper clips are going to be harder to find as well, so you might want to stock up on them also.

2007-01-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

The photo above makes great computer wallpaper. Click it to see the full screen image, then right click the photo and select "Set as desktop background..." or something similar from the drop down menu. Since I shot it I've been using it on my home and work computers.

4 photos above: Bill Bailey and 3 of me.

Shooting at Blue Trail

2006-12-30T22:04:00.000-05:00

I just returned from shooting at Blue Trail range in Waterbury. I was one of the first guys out there this morning because the range was just about empty and there were a dozen guys waiting for the ceasefire at the end of my hour. We're supposed to get the first snow of the year today, and that's unheard of for December 30th in Connecticut.

Things didn't do quite as well as planned. The muzzle brake worked as good as it looks. That wasn't the problem. The receiver cover that came with the scope also worked well. It stayed in position and didn't bind up the bolt, which was a switch from the previous receiver cover I had purchased. The problem was with the scope mount. I was having a heck of a time getting on paper at 100 yards. When I finally took a break, I noticed that there was some play in the mount. Maybe only a 32nd of an inch, but it was throwing my shot off by about 6 feet! Great. At $18/hr, I had totally wasted 1/2 hr and about 70 rounds. Now I had to very quickly remove the scope and tighten the screws. I was on paper within a few shots, then quickly fired about 30 rounds before my hour was up. At least I was now hitting the target with every shot. I hung it up at that point, because my next step is to remove the scope and put Locktite in all the screws so this doesn't happen again. The recoil on the SKS completely unscrewed the receiver cover/scope mount lockdown screws on my previous mount, which totally loosened everything up. I shipped that expensive piece of junk back for a refund the following day. This cover doesn't require the lock down screws, yet it still held its position. I was very happy with that. The problem was with the Weaver-style scope mount that sits atop. I think I'll be able to correct this problem so it shouldn't be a big deal. It just would have been nice to get this gun sighted in today.

It's time to strip down and clean my rifle. My next post will likely be a report on a flash suppressor and a top of line muzzle brake manufacted by Rick Miller. I'm looking forward to telling you about it. Until next time!

Removed the grenade launcher

2006-12-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

OK people. I've been reading all kinds of crazy things about how to remove the grenade launcher, or how it can't be removed. I punched out the pin last night and Bill helped me twist it off in work today. No big deal. Here's how it's done:

First get a small punch and hammer out the pin that's in the launcher. There's a groove in the barrel that the pin slides into which keeps the launcher from spinning off. This must be removed. Next, spray some penetrating oil in the hole where the pin was removed and all around the launcher and let it sit for a couple of hours. Put a couple small pieces of wood in a vise and lock the receiver in the jaws. It doesn't have to be too tight. Next grab the launcher with a large pair water pump pliers or with whatever you have that's big and will grip it, and give it a twist. It's tight, but you'll should hear a 'click!' and then you can turn it off with your fingers. I've heard that you should heat it with a torch for 30 seconds, but it wasn't necessary with the penetrating oil. No sense in messing up your finish. Next: my hunt for a small muzzle brake that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The Yugo requires a threaded brake which is difficult to find as well as being more expensive. I'll let you know when I find a deal. Good luck!

Feeling better and back at the range

2006-11-11T22:01:00.001-05:00

Well friends, this is the first time I've been at the range in 4 weeks. A bad case of bronchitis knocked me for a loop so I've been out of action. I'm glad I got out today because the weather is beautiful and the range closes Thanksgiving for the winter.

Bill came with me today and brought his 22 (see photo). The target photo shows my first set of rounds which I don't think are bad at 100 yds with open sites. I discovered that after shooting 50-100 rounds, accuracy really suffers. This is likely due to the barrel heating. After 50 rounds, it's too hot to touch, and that's without any type of rapid fire. So after 80 rounds or so, we called it quits. By the way, I'm starting to like using those stripper clips, so I'll be asking for a bag of them in my stocking. My wife will likely think it's something she'll have to pick up at the Purple Parrot.

It's election week and...OK. I'm trying really hard to keep this blog non-political so I'll end this now and sit on my hands.

Shooting with gas valve in grenade launch position

2006-09-09T21:59:00.000-04:00

Tried something new today. I put the gas valve selector in the grenade launch position, which directs the gases away from the gas piston. The rifle then shoots like a bolt-action rifle. Load the clip; fire a shot and the bolt remains closed. When the bolt is pulled back, the spent cartridge is ejected and when the bolt is released, the next round loads into the chamber. This solves the problem of ejected casings raining down on the shooter to my right. The steel casing only ejects about a foot, more often than not landing on my bench. It takes a bit longer to fire 100 rounds using this method, and it basically slows the entire process, allowing me to take the morning a bit slower and shoot a while longer. At the last ceasefire I had 10 rounds left, so I brought in my target frame and when we commenced firing, I moved the selector button and fired the 10 round clip in about 5 seconds. That’s fun, but expensive. I was shooting at smaller 7.75” diameter targets today at 100 yards (see photo). I was pleased with the groups, but at times they were a bit off. I shot 4 rounds aiming at the base of the ring, 4 rounds aiming a bit right, etc. I need to purchase a front sight adjustment tool so I can get my site fine-tuned. The rear sight is a rather rough adjustment and doesn’t allow for windage adjustment.

I had somewhat of a problem with the gas valve at the very end when I switched out of grenade mode. It was very difficult to move from one position to another and the button didn’t want to pop up and lock. When I got home and broke down the rifle, I saw that the gas valve had quite a bit of carbon on it as well as a bit of light rust. I tried break cleaner, lacquer thinner and #9 and nothing touched it. I went over it with steel wool, which freed it up a bit, but I need to order a couple of replacements. This seems like it could be a chronic problem if I can’t find a way to cut through the carbon. My local gun shops don’t stock anything, and this amazes me. More on this later.

A report on Richard Miller's flash suppressor and muzzle brakes

2006-09-06T22:46:00.000-04:00

I took a vacation day from work today and shot at the range from 9:30 - 3:30. I began my shoot testing out the flash suppressor. It looked cool and a guy shooting a Mouser to my right came over to check it out. He owns a Yugo and the suppressor caught his eye (In fact, he said he was shot with a Yugo in Nam!). After about an hour, I switched to the muzzle brake shown in my photos. I shot 250 rounds and the brake worked great. This is the one I'm going to leave on.

When I got home, I cleaned the SKS and before reassembling, I washed the grenade launcher threads with denatured alcohol, then coated them with Locktite and screwed in the locking nut followed by the brake. A screwdriver put through the holes helped me to tighten the brake against the nut. The nut is required to get the 3 smaller round holes positioned at the 12:00 position. The opposite side of the brake doesn't have holes. This helps forces the muzzle down and keeps dirt from being kicked up should you be shooting in the prone position. I highly recommend these brakes and I've added a link to the web site in the right column where they can be purchased.

Flash suppressor and custom 9 port muzzle brake

2006-09-03T22:43:00.000-04:00

Here's a couple photos I just took of a new custom 9 port muzzle brake* as well as a L1A1 Flash Hide received from Rick Miller today. The next scheduled shoot is next Friday. Bill retired on Friday and I'm taking a personal day so unless it's raining, we'll be shooting and trying out the new equipment. My next post will report the results.

Click the photo of the muzzle brake to look at it full screen. It's a real work of art.

Before installing the flash hider (also known as a flash suppressor, flash guard, flash eliminator, or flash cone), I thought it would be a good idea to find out if they are legal. I went to Answers.com and this is what they said:

"Flash suppressors, and barrel shrouds were seen as 'military' features, and were on the list of Federally-defined features that, provided enough features were also present on the semi-automatic rifle, then the rifle was defined as illegal, if manufactured after the effective date of the Federal assault weapons ban that went into effect in 1994 in the United States. Muzzle brakes, on the other hand, were ruled "legal" by the BATF. This meant, in practice, muzzle brakes had to be certified by the BATF to prevent end-users from accidentally violating the law and installing a device that could later be found to be defined legally as being more of a flash suppressor than a muzzle brake, even if marketed and sold as a muzzle brake, if incidental flash suppression was deemed to be 'significant' by the BATF. The Federal laws governing this sunsetted in 2004, and are no longer of concern, except in those few jurisdictions in which specific state laws still retain certain provisions of the earlier and now defunct Federal law."

One quick note: During my last shoot I noticed that the muzzle brake loosened up after about 50 rounds. I asked Rick if he had any suggestions to keep the brake in place. Rick recommends using Red Locktite #3 on the threads. If a lock nut comes with the brake, put Locktite on the threads and tighten the brake up to it by putting a rod through the brake's holes and giving it a twist. Then add more Locktite.

Blued my barrel today

2006-09-03T22:23:00.000-04:00

Here's my rear sight position. I was putting my group in the center ring at 100 yds with iron sights by the end of my two hour range time. It took me almost 100 rounds to get there, but I was pleased when I left. The problem with the stock YUGO rear sight is that a single click moves the group about 6". There's no half way stop. As I indicated in my lower drawing, the center circle must sit on the top of the front sight in order not to shoot high.

I also blued my barrel and receiver today. Breaking the gun down, all oil was cleaned off with denatured alcohol, followed by a cold water wash. This was done twice. Three coats of Birchwood Casey Pera Blue were applied along with a cold water rinse and drying between coats. When complete, the SKS was sprayed down with WD40 and left it to cure overnight. It's my understanding that the blueing will continue a bit through the night. The reason I blued the barrell is because the blueing was a bit thin, and a fine haze of rust would form on the surface any time oil was removed for a very short time. This should protect it as well as removing the scratches caused by the screws from that lousy scope mount.

Installed Muzzle Brake on my SKS

2006-09-01T22:41:00.000-04:00

If you've removed your grenade launcher from your Yugo, you know that you now have a thread at the end of the barrel. Standard muzzle brakes that you can find on eBay, CheaperThanDirt.com and other places don't fit the Yugo SKS. These brakes are held in place with a pin and not with a thread. It isn't easy to find a threaded brake, but they are available from Richard Miller out of Colorado. I just received 2 of them in the mail and as you can see from the photos I took, these brakes are beautiful. I installed the larger brake and it went right on using three fingers. I created a link to Richard's site where you can purchase them. Tomorrow's Saturday and I'm hitting the range with my new scope and muzzle brake. It should be a fun shoot and I'll report on it over the weekend. Have a good one!

What to do on a rainy day

2006-08-30T22:21:00.000-04:00

It was a rainy Sunday and my gun was pulled apart, so I decided to play around a bit with my stock. I bought a small can of Minwax Polyshades ‘Stain & Polyurethane in 1 Step’. The color is ‘Classic Oak’ and this time I brushed it on with a foam brush rather than spraying. I wanted to fill in most of the grain, which required a thicker coat. I then went over the entire stock with fine steel wool to rub out the imperfections and to make the stock look

Shooting away from the bench

2006-08-26T21:51:00.000-04:00

The Photos:
The target at 100 yds.
The rear sight setting.
100 yd target (from the bench).
100 yd target (standing and prone).
The kid next to me had a scoped SKS.
Had lots for fun shooting today without the scope. No sight adjustments required. I simply set the rear site to '1' (=100 yd. See photo) and I was right on the target. The dia. of the outer black circle is 11.75" / the center: 2.75". The next task is to sharpen my shooting skills. It's been a long time, so I shot about 50 rounds standing and prone using a military surplus canvas strap (Ref: the second target down). I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to hit the target from that distance, so I'm happy with the results for my first time out. Next time I'll practice shooting from the 3 military positions.

Today was the first time I'd ever used a 'chipping' type target. When hit, it chips out a chunk of black exposing the bright green that lies underneath. These targets are fantastic. They are more expensive, but because you can see every shot, I only used 2 targets instead of 12. In the long run they're no more expensive than paper, and you can actually see the holes with a cheap pair of binoculars. That made things a lot more enjoyable.

There was a teen shooting an SKS to my right. I believe it was the Russian version. He had a 7" scope mounted to it and he said that it worked well except for occasional binding of the bolt. He was shooting at 25 yds and I was at 100. This was his first day shooting at a public range, so I filled him in on some do's and don'ts such as "Open your bolt and don't touch your firearm during the ceasefire. He was shooting with his buddy who had a Mossberg tricked out short barrel shotgun with a scope and high intensity flashlight. He was shooting at 25 yds as well.

After the range, I took the cash I received for selling my scope and spent it all on Wolf Military Surplus ammo. I think that was a good idea.

Was your SKS overhauld?

2006-08-20T22:20:00.000-04:00

I located a very interesting web page: http://users.cableaz.com/~mjbvrb/recogsks2-1.htm
The page gives you methods of identifying your SKS. Was your SKS:

Overhauled and unissued
Overhauled and used
New (non-overhauled) and unissued
Non-overhauled but used

From what I've read, it appears to me that my SKS may have been "overhauld and unissued". The reason I believe it was overhauld is:

Forearm screw is not recessed, meaning the stock was sanded down.
Rubber buttplate shows signs of sanding.
Serial number on left side shows vertical misalignment (original should be perfect according to the information on this sheet.

I also believe that this SKS was never issued because it was so clean. No trace of carbon anywhere in the gas ports (they were black after my first shoot). The barrel and everything else was spotless. I've emailed this site with my serial number (which is not listed on their chart) and the following info that they are tracking:
Sight: Phosphor Front
Grenade launcher: Non-ported intermediate model w/no ports.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION. PREVENTING A SLAMFIRE

2006-08-16T22:20:00.000-04:00

It’s my understanding that all SKS’s except the very oldest have free floating firing pins that don’t return by means of a spring. If that pin should get gummed up and stuck in the forward firing position, when the first round is chambered, the forward positioned firing pin will strike the primer firing the round. This causes the shell to eject, chambering the next round which automatically fires, etc. This will continue until the entire clip is fired in a matter of seconds. In other words, when you chamber that first round, you fire off the entire clip full auto. People have died by loosing control of their weapon when this happens. To see that it doesn’t, be sure that your firing pin is sliding freely and not stuck. Also stick with military surplus ammo.

Stock Before and After Photos

2006-08-01T22:19:00.000-04:00

Not bad if I say so myself considering I had no idea what I was doing. I'm guessing that the job took me less than 5 hours in total.

Shot at Glastonbury / Refinishing Stock

2006-07-26T21:41:00.000-04:00

I shot in Glastonbury today and only stayed for about an hour and a half. It was in the mid 90's, sunny and very humid. I shot 60 rounds and called it quits. A few observations: The recoil wasn't bad at all. It was definitely the sunburn that was killing my shoulder Thursday. I didn't feel anything today. I also did a bit of rapid fire today and the recoil made it impossible to quickly fire a group of shots. I had to take about a second to reacquire the target between rounds. Some day I might try to swap the grenade launcher for a flash suppressor to help reduce the recoil. It's not a problem for now. Once again the rifle fired flawlessly.

The stock has very little finish on it, and it has taken a few bangs. When I returned from the range, I took down the rifle, cleaned it and decided to work on the stock a bit. I really don't want to change the look of the gun, but I do want to clean it up and give it some protection. I spent about an hour sanding the stock down to remove some of the watermarks and imperfections. I didn't overdo it, nor did I fill in the deeper bangs. I think it gives the gun some character. I ended up by hitting the stock with some very fine steel wool, then headed to a local gas station to use their air hose to blow out the dust. I've never done this before, so I made a best guess at what to use and bought a can of Minwax Indoor/Outdoor Helmsman Spar Urethane Clear Semi-Gloss. I've given it 2 coats so far and it's look'in good. I'll likely give it 3 more coats, and by then it should look good and be protected.