slamfire

[Mr. Inbetween]

Hope this doesn't stir up too much trouble, I was warned off of buying an SKS because of the possibility of slamfires. I see the topic all the time on REC.GUNS.

Any of you have any problems with this?

[NetJunkie]

I've seen an SKS slam fire. It happens with guns that don't have spring loaded firing pins, and usually when they are real dirty. Maintain the gun and it shouldn't be a problem. NEVER load up a full mag on a SKS you've never fired, or just had work done to. That should really go for any gun.

[steaklover]

I think when Net Junkie said spring loaded fire-pin, he meant safety. Some of the russian SKS imported have defective safety. If someone don't clean the gun throughly before he hit the range, these guns probably will slam fire. Therefore, when he tried out any russian SKS, load for one shot first, then two shot, then three shot...instead of put in 10 rnds and then start firing.

Chinese SKS does not have slam fire problems unless defective. But they tend to have long fire pins. This will cause extraction problems. But it is not problem a sand paper cannot fix.

[x39]

It can also be caused by severely worn trigger group parts,especially common on some of the ultra cheap,ratty imports that came in from China.

[Target Shooter]

Your risk of a Slamfire with an SKS is no greater than any other weapon that doesn't have a firing pin retaining spring.
This is true for the M1 Garand, M1A / M14, M1 Carbine, Most AK-47's, AR15's, etc.
The reason some SKS's have problems is they were improperly cleaned. Most Chinese SKS's came packed in grease. They have to be cleaned thoroughly prior to shooting. I've known some people to open the box, head off to the range, load them up and blast away.
The bolt containing the firing pin must be cleaned to the point that you can rattle the bolt back-n-forth and hear the firing pin rattle. I soak mine down with WD-40 as I rattle the bolt back-n-forth.
I've fired several thousand rounds through at least 3 different SKS's without any problems. These things eat up ammo like there's no tomorrow.
Just be sure to clean the bolt well enough that the firing pin rattles back-n-forth and you should never encounter a problem with slamfires.
TS

[JA]

Slamfire causes:
1- Grease not cleaned from firing pin and the gun shot. The heat of firing separated the oil from the solids in the grease. It hardens with the firing pin protruding from the bolt.
2- Gun not cleaned after firing corrosive ammo. The salts attract moisture and rusts the firng pin to the bolt body with the firing pin protruding from it.
3-Worn sear and trigger group parts. I have encounter this with the rifles that were sold and gunshows out of the wooden crates for like $59-$69. The were mismatched parts and or used parts rifles.
4- Soft primers. I have been there had slamfires from using Remington primers in my reloads. Switched to Winchester and CCI for my reloads and never had a slamfire since.

A poperly maintained/cleaned rifle with military surplus,factory, or the use of harder brands of primers will not slamfire.

[TinMan99]

The main reason for the slamfire is a dirty, stuck firing pin. The easiest solution is to buy a can of GunScrubber. Use the nozzle tube attachment that comes with the can of GS and squirt directly into the firing pin hole when you clean your rifle. Work the firing pin back and forth a little and squirt again. About once a year, tap the firing pin retainer out and remove the firing pin. Give it a good cleaning and run a pipe-cleaner into the firing pin channel of the bolt to clean out any gunk or deposits. While you have the firing pin out, go ahead and remove the extractor and give it a good cleaning too. This is a very simple and uncomplicated process. The way the bolt is held together is very user-friendly on maintenance for taking apart and reassembling.

TinMan99

[Heavy Metal]

And don't put the firing pin back in the bolt upside down or you can jam it in it's forward position and cause the rifle to fire out of battery-----BOOM!!!!

[Albert]

I'm embarassed to say it happened to me many years ago. While I am a fanatic when it comes to cleaning my guns after I have shot them, I didn't bother to check one of my Chinese SKS rifles before I put in 20 rounds and pulled the trigger. When I pulled the trigger, the gun went full auto on me. Needless to say, the range master and other shooters gave me the dirtiest looks you can imagine. When I took the gun apart on the bench, I found that the firing pin was frozen forward. My advice is the same as that posted above. Make sure your firing pin is loose in the bolt before shooting and start with one round, not 20 like I did. Oh, and if it goes auto on you, keep your cool and keep it aimed down range. It'll run out of bullets eventually.

[hi_capacity]

Steaklover, while I can't speak for net junkie & his comment about a spring loaded firing pin I can tell you that I have a SKS that has one. I have never had a slamfire w/ the hundreds (thousands...whatever) that I have shot through it. Although uncommon, (considering the number of SKS's in the hands of civilians)
they're out there.

[20mount]

I have an sks with a 3 shot burst problem, sometimes for no reason in between random shots it will fire 3 times uncontrollable, I have learned to live with it\ and yes slam fire is an issue to think about, just be careful when cocking. A good cleaning will cure alot of malfunctions in some cases.

[TinMan99]

20mount: Change your firing pin, it sounds like it may be off spec or distorted. You might also have an improperly milled bolt. Changing one should get rid of the 3-shot problem. Also check the sear for wear if you can manage it. Best of luck!

TinMan99