Horesfeathers, make sure your saftey is in the "on" position, as the trigger group will not snap back in (no matter how hard you try!!!) unless the saftey is on. You probably already know about this though. If the saftey is on, my favorite method is to lay the rifle upsidedown across my thighs, and smack the bottom of the trigger gaurd with a soft rubber mallet. I've been foolin with SKS's for over ten years now, and that's about the best way I've found to reassemble. Hope it helps! Revolverman