Replacing Safety Spring

[REDSTAR]

I posted this for dmz in the GD forum at the AK net a few days ago and decided to revive it here for posterity. I was in a hurry writing this so if something's not clear if anyone ever needs to do it let me know and I'll get more detailed.

"I just did that on my Yugo about two weeks ago. I didn't disassemble the entire trigger unit. I just took off the safety and trigger.

You have to punch out the safety pin and take the safety lever off. Then you need to take the trigger off by knocking out the trigger pin, and the pin abouve the trigger that holds it to the trigger bar(? I forget what that assembly is called) assembly. You'll see what I'm talking about. The point is you just need to get the trigger off from the assembly it's connected to because it has to be completely off to put the spring on.

Then you place the spring, the forked end towards the back of the assembly, it rests on a little lip. Make sure the bend in the spring is with the 'u' down just like it is in this sentence.

Next, reinstall the trigger to the trigger bar assembly. Then put the safety lever back on, make sure the spring is still in place. Lastly, take the punch from the cleaning kit and insert it through the trigger pin hole making sure the punch rides over the u in the spring. The pin has to go through the u. Take the pin and slowly tap it in while pulling out the punch. This like many things takes more hands than God gave you but if you have patience and take your time it will work like it did for me.

There's some instructions here that are different than mine, my way was easier I think, but between the two you should be set.

www.goldenloki.com

If you have any other questions post over at the C&R Board, that's where I hang most of the time.

BTW a Chinese spring works fine in a Yugo or romanian and probably in a Russian as well, the three have different looking ends but the width is the same for all three."

[REDSTAR]

^up

[SVDragunov]

Do you need to put it in a vise and everything to punch them out?

Can you use the little punch from your cleaning kit?

SVDragunov

[REDSTAR]

I use a block of soft wood with an indentation in it to rest on and have room for where the pin is going to come out from. I suppose a vise would work too, but make sure you pad it so you don't marr the metal.

I used a regular punch but the kit punch should work.

Since your spring is still in there can you tell if the pin is going thru the 'u'? If that pin is in place thru the 'u' and the back part of the spring is still connected (ie- it's not broke into two parts) you should have the tension. I think maybe your spring snapped. They break fairly easy on the u part.

But if the spring is not snapped and the pin is going thru the u, try jiggling the spring around a bit with a pair of needle nose (really small needle nose) it may have just sliped off the lip. The two forks should rest on a little lip or rail there in the back. If so you might be able to work the forks bak up on the lip with the pliars.

[dmzx]

ITS STILL A PAIN IN THE FARKING ASS.


But thanks again for the info, man. :D

[SVDragunov]

Ahh, see that might be what it is. It's not broken as far as I can tell as it's only loose and there's no parts that rattle around inside.

I have it in hand and it appears the U is under the pin. I was just messing with it with a pair of pliers and it appears it's totally intact. It's loose, but solid. Where's this lip? Are you talking about the back part of the group where it meets the stock?

SVDragunov

[REDSTAR]

Actually the 'lip' is the two edges of the top of the safety. I think it will be easier if you have the safety set to 'off'. Notice the lips are two parrallel pieces seperated by about .5 cm of space. The two forks of the spring rest on top of the two parrallel lips.

It sounds like the spring slipped off somehow. See if you can't gently nudge the spring fork up and down on top of the lips using the punch as a lever.

[REDSTAR]

Or better yet if your needle nose are small enough grab the center between the forks and pull up and back to rest on the lips. I know there's not alot of room to work with. A vise may be a good idea to free up both hands.

[SVDragunov]

They were on top of the lips. I just took it apart and the spring is totally intact, so maybe it bent? That doesn't explain why it would be loose front to back...

I'll take a look at everything in there and put it back togeather and see what happens. Worst case I just wait until my new spring comes from Tapco.

SVDragunov

[REDSTAR]

Did you see my last two posts? The spring pressure is applied to the safety by those forks resting on the lips. Notice if the safety is set to on or off, there's still the two lips that the forks rest on. Now that you have it apart put it back as it should be as in my instructions and just use the punch for the pin to test the safety. With that holding everything together and the forks on the lips, you should be able to snap it on and off. The hard part is getting the pin back in.

[REDSTAR]

I'm getting ready to turn in so I'll check back tomorrow, or you can email me at Lpeterburs@aol.com if something comes up. The spring is a pretty hardy unit (except at the u), I don't think it's bent, if it's bent it's probably ready to snap at the u. It must have slipped out of whack IMO.

[SVDragunov]

Nope, it was bent.

I was looking at it and it was pretty flat, so taking a pair of pliers I bent it a tad, put the trigger assembly back togeather holding the safety lever with the punch from my cleaning kit and lo and behold, it's perfect now.

I must have bent it somehow pushing the latch open.

Thank you very much for your help! I'm glad I figured this out! I'll probably just keep the new one from Tapco as a spare.

Now I just gotta get this pin back in there...

SVDragunov

[REDSTAR]

Good deal. The one spring I replaced had snapped when I popped off the trigger assembly because the rod I was using went thru the hole with the force I was using. Now I always use a philips screwdriver that's too wide to fit through the hole. Maybe you did the same thing and just bent yours.

Probably a good idea to have another on hand.

Good luck with the pin, just take your time and you'll get it.

[SVDragunov]

She's all back togeather and everything seems to work okay!

I used your tip of using the punch to kind of guide everything back togeather and it really didn't give me any trouble!

She's a beautiful piece! I can't wait to put some more rounds though her.

I think that was indeed that happened. I was using the cleaning rod to open the latch. Somewhere I heard it suggested to use a unfired round to push the latch open...

One thing I really like about the SKS is the total simplicity of taking it apart. The only thing easier I suppose would be a bolt action rifle, or an AK-47.

Thanks again!

SVDragunov

[REDSTAR]

Excellent, glad I could help.

I agree; the number one benefit on Commie weapons is that they are easy to work on, I love simplicity!

Feel proud of your achievment- some literature I have says to 'leave the replacement of the safety spring to a competent gunsmith'.

[SVDragunov]

Hahaha, I know I was noticeing that on the Tapco site.

I was looking at the trigger group and I'm thinking "This isn't that hard!"

I am pretty proud considering this is my first gun, and most definitly the first one I've taken apart!

But I wasn't going to take it to a gunsmith and spend the money if I could avoid it!

Thanks again!

SVDragunov