SKS Loading

[Bill Barrett]

I have 2 SKS and I always seem to have trouble loading them with stripper clips. I can't get it done with any speed or smoothness. Am I doing something to make it bind?

[Snowdog]

You're not alone. I've never been able to reliably charge the magazine "fluidly" using stripper clips either. It always takes a couple jabs to get them where they're suppose to be.
I gave up a few years ago.

I suppose some here will have abrasive-and-elbowgrease cures, but I've given up all together. I really don't fire my Norinco SKS much anyway.

BTW, those stripperclips make dandy .38/.357magnum cartridge holders.

[Halo]

I have that problem too, and I have found that they get somewhat better if you run a spent casing back and forth through the clip to help smooth out the burs, etc. That's kind of a pain though if you have 50+ clips.

[DMK]

I found that pressing down at the rear of the cartridge works much better than in the middle.

Also try different stripper clips. I got a set of 20 from Tapco and a set of 20 from CDNN. One set works much better than the other. Unfortunately, I threw both bags in one box and can't tell which came from which vendor to buy some more of the good ones. :rolleyes:

[sacmaster]

If you are using the standard non-detachable 10rd mag, as said before it helps to push down close to the headstamp. If you're trying to load 30rd detachables, forget it.

[RBK]

With stripper in place, press near the rim with your thumb while at the same time, lifting the tip of the bullet of the top round with your index finger. This creats the needed "moment" of force.
Also, if resistance is noticed use a repeated jolting-pulsing type force to strip the cartridges. That is to say, push suddenly and forcibly and let off....repeat. This will cause the force needed to be applied to different "vectors" rather than one spot and getting stuck.

[yankytrash]

Or something my friends and I do...

Flip'r upside-down, flip open the mag. Grab a small handful of ammo all pointed in the same direction, drop them in the action, close the mag.

Quickly loads about 8 rounds with no finger-bite, and is quicker than strippers in my opinion.

[DMK]

if resistance is noticed use a repeated jolting-pulsing type force to strip the cartridges Now that you mention it, I kind of do that. never thought consiously about it. I am able to load my SKS with strippers much faster than I'm able to change a mag on my other.

Flip'r upside-down, flip open the mag. Grab a small handful of ammo all pointed in the same direction, drop them in the action, close the mag. That's not a bad idea except for carrying loose ammo is kind of awkward. They don't lay nicely all pointed in one direction in your pocket like strippers do. I guess it would do nicely if you have you ammo laid out nicely in boxes though.

[Jimmy Mac]

RBK is correct. Loading an SKS like that is so easy.

[yankytrash]

Just be careful with the ol' laquer-covered stuff. On strippers, this Virginia summer heat will make'm a little tough to get out of the clips.