Author Topic: Is this safe..removing gas piston and firing an SKS? (Read 1237 times)

myarmor · « **on:** November 05, 2005, 03:56:29 PM »

I read that some where that a man could take out the gas piston and fire his SKS single shot, and manually cycle the bolt...is this safe?
I am not talking about a Yugo SKS (though I guess it could apply). With the Yugo, I know that I could just flip the gas shut off.
I own a Norinco, and for this one am not worried about semi auto function.
Could I do this safely...cycling the bolt one shot at a time, by hand?
Would there be any possibile dangerous side effects to doing this over time?

jgalar · « **Reply #1 on:** November 05, 2005, 05:34:16 PM »

The gas from the port will be directed towards your face without the piston. Maybe if you bought an extra gas tube and plugged it, then you could remove the normal tube and piston and insert the plugged one for single shots.

R.W.Dale · « **Reply #2 on:** November 05, 2005, 05:40:35 PM »

I assume that you intend to reinstall the gas tube without the piston, witch is what I've done on occasion. Works fine for me although I must say that sometimes steel cased ammo can be hard to extract manually.

myarmor · « **Reply #3 on:** November 05, 2005, 06:24:49 PM »

Krochus, you are right on the money. I didn't think however about the extraction of steel cases....might be a little harder to get out of the chamber. So I take it that this IS NOT DANGEROUS?

Jgalar-not a bad idea man, buying an extra tube and plugging it.

I took it all apart and left only the blow back piston in- the one inside the rear sight apparatise...and took out the main long piston, the one in the tube. With the short blow back piston still in place I don't think the gases will come back strong and create a danger, seeing that it plugs the back of the tube rather well and the bolt won't open untill I open it.
If one was to take out the whole thing, long main piston and the small one inside the rear sight apparatise that cycles the bolt back, then I could see the escaping gases creating a possibile problem in your face.
Anymore feedback?

myarmor · « **Reply #4 on:** November 05, 2005, 06:32:01 PM »

Or as a friend (Thanks BRG3 :agree: ) helped me with a possibile fix of perhaps sizing a wooden dowel to insert into the gas tube. This way it wouldn't blow back the gases into the face or engage the small piston enabling the bolt to cycle from the gases.

R.W.Dale · « **Reply #5 on:** November 05, 2005, 06:32:19 PM »

Just remove the piston itself and leave the rest alone, the spent gasses will vent out of the 2 small holes in the gas tube that are just aft of the gas port, just as they would with the piston in place.

myarmor · « **Reply #6 on:** November 05, 2005, 06:36:24 PM »

You don't think it would be somewhat better to plug it with a wooden dowel?

R.W.Dale · « **Reply #7 on:** November 05, 2005, 06:59:45 PM »

No, why would you need to.

myarmor · « **Reply #8 on:** November 06, 2005, 07:46:48 AM »

True, I suppose the gases would flow out the holes like normal.
I should make known that I in no way wish to harm anyone or myself with this idea. I would never want to suggest anything that would put anyone or myself in harms way. Safety always first, that's actually the reason I started this thread.
My reason for wanting to try this in the first place is that I want to shoot it single shot, manuely cycling the bolt every time, with me in control of all the functions.
Don't get me wrong, I love semi-auto..it's the whole appeal of an SKS in the first place :grin:
But for this particular SKS I own, I would rather be able to shoot it this way, at least for a little while till I get the kinks ironed out.
How does firing it this way effect accuracy? I know in Yugos it improves accuracy.

R.W.Dale · « **Reply #9 on:** November 06, 2005, 10:25:45 AM »

MY rifle shot the same 3" groups regaurdless of weither or not I was firing manually or semiauto. BUT my sks shoots like crap anyway.

myarmor · « **Reply #10 on:** November 06, 2005, 01:32:49 PM »

Sorry to hear that Krochus.
Well I tryed it today and it worked great. Nothing blew up, no gas charges in my face, all went well. All I need now is to work out the little kinks and fix a better scope mount. Thanks for your advice bro, it all worked out.

Toney · « **Reply #11 on:** November 09, 2005, 05:15:28 AM »

I stuffed a rag in the tube after pulling the piston

myarmor · « **Reply #12 on:** November 12, 2005, 07:06:57 PM »

My only precaution on that would be the possibility of the rag igniting after a session of shooting through several rounds. With the hot gas firing up through the tube...it gets pretty hot in there, just touch your rear sight after several rounds have been fired. That thing gets HOT!