I just fill the mag then pull back the bolt to unloc the "last shot hold open block" so the bolt will go forward gently of course, sometimes I let it fly forward testing it for slamfires which have never happened yet to me.
BigBill
Just make sure you have taken apart the firing pin from the bolt to remove all the curd thats in it so it can't slam fire or double fire. This is where sks's get a bad rap about accidents with them. Some just soak the bolts to clean them and its wrong the crud will never come out from inside the bolt/firing pin unless we take it apart. Its important to clean every firing pin in a surplus gun wether its a bolt action or semi auto just to make sure she's going to fire in the bolts and not double fire in the semi's. Its a hairy situation when this puppy goes full auto on us. Please be safe at all times and clean your weapon good.
I'm posting this because most of the sks's I have bought are still full of cosmoline inside the reciever and gas system so i know the firing pin isn't clean too.