New SKS owner

[Thewildhunt]

Hey all,

I recently purchased my first ever gun - the Type 56 SKS from Cabelas. I spent my saturday using a mineral spirit bath to clean out the cosmoline from the rifle, and it came out alright! Obviously spent quite a bit of time on the firing pin.

However, I did notice some of the metal oxidizing immediately, and as I was worried about rusting (given that I'd just stripped all the protective coating off the metal as far as I know, which I could be wrong about) I doused it in Barristol. I'm pretty sure I put way too much of the stuff on the gun, so before I think about firing it, I want to make sure it isn't over-oiled.

Do you guys have any recommendations for getting the excess off? Happy to just wipe it down and run patches with solvent. I have the Hoppes No. 9 cleaning kit with oil and solvent.

Additionally, I noticed the cover for the gas chamber has dried out considerably - any advice for treating it?

Thanks!

[Groundhogger]

They're all old guns and most of them have been re-worked to some degree. I wouldn't stress too much about it. Some were refurbished with paint (often called "BBQ paint" which can hide all kinds of blemishes, some had scratches covered over with some kind of cold blue pen. Some looked like scratches covered with a black magic marker. Mine looked like a polish blued finish (pretty nice) with some weird cold blue blotches. I cleaned mine off with alcohol if memory serves, I'd rather be looking at the original finish-scratches or not.

I get it though-at the prices they command these days, new buyers are looking closer. When they were $200 guns +/-, conversations about finish quality seemed to be few and far between.

We'd need to see what you're describing to take an educated guess, but the advice you'll likely get is to wipe it down and take it shooting. Their charm has little to do with the quality of the finish, they're absolute workhorses with decent accuracy and short-range punch.

[fordtruckin]

I'd say wipe down the excess, send a patch down the barrel and go shoot. From the 4 armoring courses I've taken, they pretty much all state a light coat of oil is all that is needed to protect the metal. Light coat as in it won't form a droplet or run down when held vertically. An SKS isn't overly finnicky.

[KGB]

The SKS was my first rifle also. I still love the gun just don’t shoot it as often as I used to before. As for removing the cosmoline: break fluid and hot blow dryer will do the trick. For the bolt carrier group- take it out and put into the boiling water with some detergent for like 5 minutes. Will come out squeaky clean!
Ballistol is awesome for this rifle. You can’t use too much either. Just wipe out the excess of it if too much used. SKS doesn’t need much of the lubrication at all. I run a patch thru the barrel a few times and that’s it. Action doesn’t need much at all, just a wipe.
Shoot it as much as you can, it’s a cheap shooter and a fun gun to shoot. It’s also a pretty good training for shooting of hands. Don’t bother putting any optics on it, it’s simply not designed for that. Iron sights only. Have fun with that!
AND WELCOME TO THE AWESOME HOBBY!

[TheIceTitan]

As common as these are in Alberta, the SKS looks like it will be deemed "prohibited" based on the Libs' re-worked C-21:

The new proposed definition would cover weapons that fire in a "semi-automatic manner" and were "originally designed" to accept a magazine with more than five rounds.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lib...tion-1.6828683

[jcrayford]

Originally Posted by TheIceTitan

As common as these are in Alberta, the SKS looks like it will be deemed "prohibited" based on the Libs' re-worked C-21:

The new proposed definition would cover weapons that fire in a "semi-automatic manner" and were "originally designed" to accept a magazine with more than five rounds.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lib...tion-1.6828683

Most if not all rifles that you've described are pinned to 5 rounds prior to being sold to the public..... At least the ones I've seen.

J.

[Dmay]

Originally Posted by TheIceTitan

As common as these are in Alberta, the SKS looks like it will be deemed "prohibited" based on the Libs' re-worked C-21:

The new proposed definition would cover weapons that fire in a "semi-automatic manner" and were "originally designed" to accept a magazine with more than five rounds.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lib...tion-1.6828683

All the more reason to get one now.

[vance]

Agree with the previous comments. I would add that an easy way to prevent corrosion after firing corrosive milsurp ammo (corrosive salts in the primers) is to flush the barrel and gas tube/piston with water after you finish shooting. Carry a bottle of water at the range and dump it down the barrel immediately after you finish shooting while its still hot. The heat will evaporate the water and then you can lube.
SKSs like to run greasy, but they run well dry too.
My first SKS I shot 1000 rounds with one summer and had 2 casings stovepipe...otherwise 100% reliable. A brilliant design!

If you mean that the wood trim piece on the gas tube needs finish touch up, try tung oil, or BLO, or furniture oil. I have stripped and refinished Russian SKS wood stocks and refinished with tung oil, but the old laquer finish is a beast to get off. Oven cleaner was what I had to resort to, and multiple applications.

We should all own at least one!

Vance

[Thewildhunt]

Thanks guys!

My main concern was the safe operation of the gun - I'll take it down again and have another look at the firing pin (I've heard about the shake test) before shooting, but you've all out my mind a bit more at ease. Can't wait to go shoot this thing!

[AltaBorn]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W9OBPI...VhbmluZw%3D%3D

Tons of videos out there. Here’s my fav sks disassembly/assembly vid lol. After shooting them I break mine down and pour boiling water through the barrel once apart. Then hit the parts with g96 and wipe dry. Just make sure you pop the firing pin out and make sure there’s no Cosmo in there. Whatever oil or CLP you use in that area wipe off and keep it dry. Don’t do a spring conversion in there. That will fail and send you into slam fire R’US. Free-floating is the way it’s meant to be. They are great old war horses. Don’t overthink it. Shoot it, clean’er, and enjoy it while you can. Awesome guns.

[claykuch]

Be careful with them. I am a fan of the SKS but if the firing pin sticks, they can slam fire all the rounds in an sudden full auto event. Make sure the firing pin moves freely. Second, before you pull the charging handle back after a miss feed, or any other time, make sure the chamber is empty. Or you can have one cartridge striking the other..... Just google these if you don't believe me.

[Thewildhunt]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone!

I took it out to the range last night, and after thoroughly cleaning the firing pin with a dozen or so q-tips (for the future, I'm investing in pipe cleaners), she fired without a hitch!

First group I only loaded two, just in case I'd missed something. Then all of the sudden 5 boxes of ammo were gone!

It's gonna be great learning to shoot with this thing - and I do have quite a bit to learn. 🙂

[Tactical Lever]

Don't forget that you should clean it as soon as you can after shooting corrosive ammo through it. Much of the surplus ammo is corrosive, and from what I can gather the Norinco stuff that isn't supposed to be is as well.

[Tactical Lever]

Saw that they were supposed to be on sale at Cabela's the other day. Anyone recall what sale price was?

[KGB]

Originally Posted by Tactical Lever

Saw that they were supposed to be on sale at Cabela's the other day. Anyone recall what sale price was?

I believe it was $519.99 for a Chinese ones.

[Smokinyotes]

I’m not quite sure why anyone would pay that for an sks

[Tactical Lever]

Originally Posted by KGB

I believe it was $519.99 for a Chinese ones.

Had a quick look, and thought the "regular" price was $619, on for $550. Looksd again today and saw regular price was $550, and made me wonder if I was misremembering, or if was a fake sale...

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

I’m not quite sure why anyone would pay that for an sks

the Cabelas ones were 149. at one time, guns are a good investment . Those are virtually new, never issued . The Russian ones are as a rule from refurbished stocks in the Ukraine and the quality varies widely.

Grizz

[Smokinyotes]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

the Cabelas ones were 149. at one time, guns are a good investment . Those are virtually new, never issued . The Russian ones are as a rule from refurbished stocks in the Ukraine and the quality varies widely.

Grizz

I guess they were a good investment when you could buy them for that price. A guy should have bought hundreds of them 10 years ago.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

I guess they were a good investment when you could buy them for that price. A guy should have bought hundreds of them 10 years ago.

Some people bought cases of them , at a discount. Kind of like other surplus guns, you don't miss them till they're gone.

Grizz

[Homesteader]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

I’m not quite sure why anyone would pay that for an sks

Because they still can lol

I’m sure it won’t be long and no one will be able to buy one like that for any price. Honestly I think most are as accurate or more accurate than the mini 30’s. I also know they were much more attractive at $99………….but that’s all part of getting old. Some of us look at a toonie, like the young fellas look at a twenty

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by Homesteader

Because they still can lol

I’m sure it won’t be long and no one will be able to buy one like that for any price. Honestly I think most are as accurate or more accurate than the mini 30’s. I also know they were much more attractive at $99………….but that’s all part of getting old. Some of us look at a toonie, like the young fellas look at a twenty

Gotta remember these are battlefield guns designed to be used by conscripts, who may or may not be able to write their own name.

Grizz