SKS Slam Fire Fix

Emuricah513 · March 5, 2012, 04:10 PM

This past new year's I went out with my dad and several friends to enjoy some recreational shooting. I loaded my Norinco sks and when I pulled the bolt carrier back and let go it rattled off 4 rounds automatically about a foot in front of me. Long story short I've been doing some research and found that slam fire is pretty common with the quickly manufactured sks partly due to its free floating pin and shape. If anyone else is having this issue I suggest you take your rifle apart and look at your bolt assembly. If the tip of the pin is sticking out then you can be certain this is your main (not necessarily your only) issue. Remove and and clean at the very least. If this doesn't work I would look into sending it off to a place called Murray's Guns. If you check out their website it will give you a full explanation as to why this issue occurs and they offer an aftermarket firing pin. I just sent mine in yesterday so I will definitely repost when I receive my new pin and let you all know how it works. I can also post before and after pics as well.

**Mike Irwin** · March 5, 2012, 04:42 PM

In many SKS designs the firing pin LOOKS like it can go in any which way, but it will only go into the bolt correctly one way.

If it's but in... upside down, for lack of a better word (it's slightly trapezoidal shaped), it will tend to stick with the tip protruding, leading to slam fires.

It's also a very good idea to NEVER lubricate the firing pin, or, if you decide to, use a fairly heavy bodied grease.

NEVER use one of the "super lubricants."

These can reduce friction to such a level that the free floating firing pin can gain more than enough momentum from the bolt closing to fire a round.

Emuricah513 · March 5, 2012, 05:23 PM

Yes that's very true, I had a heck of a time getting that pin back in the correct way. I was also very disappointed to find out that my dad had never fully disassembled and cleaned the weapon. On a good note I can vouge for the rifle and say that it has easily cycled 3000+ rounds and this is the first time it has ever jammed. Never thought I'd see the day I was "taking my dad to school" on how his own guns operate and breaking them down for him. Also in case anyone was unaware this, if you have a malfunctioning weapon that is firing automatic it is considered a class 3 weapon regardless of whether it was modified to do so.

1Hobie · March 5, 2012, 08:08 PM

Mr. Murray sells a fine product. My Norinco SKS just loved civilian ammo so much it proceeded to eat as much as it could at one pull of the trigger. I placed an order with Mr. Murray and had the enhanced firing pin(with an extra spring included) in a couple of days. It works just as advertised and installation was straight forward. No more double triples.

http://www.murraysguns.com/sksown.htm

Hobie

shaunpain · March 8, 2012, 07:15 PM

Emuricah513 - What I did, as many others have done, is soak the whole bolt in mineral spirits. I had a heck of a time trying to get the bolt disassembled (like many other people I googled) so I just threw it in a can of spirits and after a couple of hours, the pin was shaking nice and loose and I was good to go. Take apart the gas assembly and make sure you clean that out really well as the cosmoline loves to hide in there. Many issues with stored guns can be mitigated by making sure to get every bit of cosmoline out as humanly possible. Soak as many pieces as you want in mineral spirits (not the wood!) as it will not harm it and it works magic. Good luck!

March 5, 2012, 04:10 PM	#1
Emuricah513 Member Join Date: February 9, 2012 Location: North Dakota - From Ohio Posts: 45	SKS Slam Fire Fix This past new year's I went out with my dad and several friends to enjoy some recreational shooting. I loaded my Norinco sks and when I pulled the bolt carrier back and let go it rattled off 4 rounds automatically about a foot in front of me. Long story short I've been doing some research and found that slam fire is pretty common with the quickly manufactured sks partly due to its free floating pin and shape. If anyone else is having this issue I suggest you take your rifle apart and look at your bolt assembly. If the tip of the pin is sticking out then you can be certain this is your main (not necessarily your only) issue. Remove and and clean at the very least. If this doesn't work I would look into sending it off to a place called Murray's Guns. If you check out their website it will give you a full explanation as to why this issue occurs and they offer an aftermarket firing pin. I just sent mine in yesterday so I will definitely repost when I receive my new pin and let you all know how it works. I can also post before and after pics as well. __________________ "When the law disallows both the means and moral authority to defend one's self and property, crime and violence fill the void between common sense and the hoped for utopia."

March 5, 2012, 04:42 PM	#2
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	In many SKS designs the firing pin LOOKS like it can go in any which way, but it will only go into the bolt correctly one way. If it's but in... upside down, for lack of a better word (it's slightly trapezoidal shaped), it will tend to stick with the tip protruding, leading to slam fires. It's also a very good idea to NEVER lubricate the firing pin, or, if you decide to, use a fairly heavy bodied grease. NEVER use one of the "super lubricants." These can reduce friction to such a level that the free floating firing pin can gain more than enough momentum from the bolt closing to fire a round. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

March 5, 2012, 05:23 PM	#3
Emuricah513 Member Join Date: February 9, 2012 Location: North Dakota - From Ohio Posts: 45	Yes that's very true, I had a heck of a time getting that pin back in the correct way. I was also very disappointed to find out that my dad had never fully disassembled and cleaned the weapon. On a good note I can vouge for the rifle and say that it has easily cycled 3000+ rounds and this is the first time it has ever jammed. Never thought I'd see the day I was "taking my dad to school" on how his own guns operate and breaking them down for him. Also in case anyone was unaware this, if you have a malfunctioning weapon that is firing automatic it is considered a class 3 weapon regardless of whether it was modified to do so. __________________ "When the law disallows both the means and moral authority to defend one's self and property, crime and violence fill the void between common sense and the hoped for utopia."

March 8, 2012, 07:15 PM	#5
shaunpain Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 854	Emuricah513 - What I did, as many others have done, is soak the whole bolt in mineral spirits. I had a heck of a time trying to get the bolt disassembled (like many other people I googled) so I just threw it in a can of spirits and after a couple of hours, the pin was shaking nice and loose and I was good to go. Take apart the gas assembly and make sure you clean that out really well as the cosmoline loves to hide in there. Many issues with stored guns can be mitigated by making sure to get every bit of cosmoline out as humanly possible. Soak as many pieces as you want in mineral spirits (not the wood!) as it will not harm it and it works magic. Good luck! __________________ "Shut up, crime!"

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March 5, 2012, 08:08 PM	#4
1Hobie Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2010 Location: west central Illinois Posts: 277	Mr. Murray sells a fine product. My Norinco SKS just loved civilian ammo so much it proceeded to eat as much as it could at one pull of the trigger. I placed an order with Mr. Murray and had the enhanced firing pin(with an extra spring included) in a couple of days. It works just as advertised and installation was straight forward. No more double triples. http://www.murraysguns.com/sksown.htm Hobie