SKS Misfire Problem

[Kmrere42]

Hi,



I just recently picked up a nice Yugo SKS and after getting out the cosmoline and did a thorough check over I went to the range for its first outing.  I had about a 15% misfire rate on some Hungarian Ball as well as some Russian Vympel Soft point.  Second hit rate was 100% firing of all that misfired the first time.  Before I invest into some wolf springs is there something else I could have missed as wolf springs are lighter than stock.  All parts are in their correct place and I have a decent trigger pull with a neutral relationship between hammer and sear.



Paul

[30-30man]

Have you taken the bolt apart and soaked it.  That cosmo can get into everything.  The Yugo has a free floating pin and it should rattle when you shake it for it to work right.  I never had the light strike problem but I did have the 2-3 round bursts until I cleaned the bolt correctly.  Another thing you can try is making sure the trigger assembly is fully seated in the slot before you push it down and lock it into place.  Sometimes there can be a misalignment with a worn or mismatched stock. It could be your ammo.  Try some Wolf or Barnual and then start tinkering if it still has misfires.  I never has any luck with the old surplus ammo.  I always received stuff that looked like it sat at the bottom of a lake for years.  Good luck....Those Yugos are about the best bang for the buck in a semi-auto.

[Mikey]

Kmrere42:  what did your misfire primers look like?  Was the primer strike mark a light dimple or a 'square hit'.  A light dimple means a light strike, or the ammo has a really hard primer.  A square hit means a proper firing pin strike, but poor ignition most likely due to age or poor quality ammo.

As 30-30 man said, the SKSs have a floating firing pin and it should rattle when you have the bolt out, if not, your SKS bolt needs another cleaning.  You could also have a short firing pin, although that would probably give you misfires all the time with a very light primer dimple.

I'm not familiar with that brand of Russian ammo but some of the Russian brands come out with some very hard primers and that could be one of the problems.  HTH.  Mikey.

[Kmrere42]

Hi Mikey,


The primers were hit pretty good, I made sure that the firing pin was cleaned as I have had doubles long ago with a Norinco sks that had some cosmoline residue. The sks firing system usually should have enough power to set off any tough primer but I have had trouble from the start with this one. 


What should the length of the firing pin be in stock form??



Paul

[Mikey]

Paul - geez buddy, I'm a bit short on the specs for the SKS firing pin, so to speak, but if your primers were hit pretty good the first time around I wonder if it is the firing pin or possibly the ammo.  I would pick up a couple of additional firing pins just to be sure though and test those.  If your detonations are proper and not delayed then you have fixed it, but if you get any pierced or punctured primers I would go back to a shorter firing pin and some softer primered ammo.   HTH.  Mikey.

[1911crazy]

It sounds like something is hanging up or moving slower than it should.  Is this a new or rearsenalled yugo sks, unfired?

Is the trigger assembly clean?  How does the hammer fit in the assembly is it tight on the sides? I'm thinking something is tight.

I burnish my firing pin with moly then wipe it dry.  Then the moly is still in the pores of the metal. I leave the firing pin bore in the bolt dry.  Then i lube the trigger assembly up with moly.