SKS firing pin update:

[seamusalaska]

I tried 'search' and kept getting sent to the New Posts, but here's my question: I bought a Norinco SKS from an INgo member and have no problems with the gun. A fair deal. As I always do (and recommend to all members), I stripped it completely down to check for cosmoline residue, etc. The firing pin was slightly 'sticky'. I cleaned it with Hoppes #9, cat spit, and soap. It "rattles" nicely now and I semi-trust it, BUT , here's the Real question: Do I go for the Murray's aftermarket spring set-up or not? I'm trusting you guys. I'd like to hear some real life stories.

 

[sporter]

Leave it be.

The chicom's know their SKS a lot better than some guy named Murray.

 

[jblomenberg16]

If it rattles freely, it should be good to go. With that said, Murray's design mimmics the original Russian design, which had a return spring for the firing pin. You won't go wrong with his firing pin, and it will give you a little more piece of mind that a slamfire is not in your future.

 

[sloughfoot]

For less than 40 bucks, the Murray's spring and firing pin provides a lot of peace of mind.

Slamfires are a real possibility with this rifle in the absence of this mod.

You are not really modding the rifle, just making it true to the original Russian design.

 

[seamusalaska]

Should I modify it myself? I'm not That tight....just curious. I saw that the springs were pretty cheap. Will aftermarket springs work on the orginal pin? I think I'm asking; will they just slip over the front on the firing pin?

 

[pudly]

I'm going to go against the grain on this and recommend against it for most people. Murray actually makes very good SKS-components including this firing pin, but it isn't needed in most SKSes and can actually cause problems in some cases.

Slam fires are dangerous and scary. Check out Murray's video to understand them and what his product can do to stop them:

YouTube - SKS slam fire + the cure

There are some cases where these firing pins should be considered and a some where you really shouldn't. The Russians only produced the firing pin with the spring for 5 years and for the next 30+ years, all of the countries that produced SKSes didn't think it was enough of a problem to go back to the earlier design.

Reasons to consider using Murray's firing pin:

• You are using non-Russian/Yugoslavian/Chinese ammo with softer primers. The Murray pin appears to work best with soft-primer ammo where merely slamming the bolt home can sometimes cause the normal firing pin to pop forward and set off the round.
• Your bolt/firing pin channel is badly fouled/corroded (as in the video), locking the firing pin forward and causing the slam fire when the bolt is closed.

Reasons not to use Murray's firing pin:

• Using the Murray firing pin with hard-primer ammo (Russian/Yugo/Chinese) can result in some rounds with dented primers that fail to fire.
• There are multiple reports of problems if you have both the Murray firing pin and a trigger job to lighten the pull.

If you want to safely test your gun to make sure it doesn't slam-fire, do the following. Field strip your gun and make sure the firing pin is free-floating within the bolt (sounds like you've already checked that). Then, while you are at the range, point the empty gun downrange and load a single round. Slam the bolt closed like normal and see if it fires. If it doesn't, fire the round normally. Then repeat the process with two rounds. If your gun passes these tests and you are using hard primers, you are home free.

You want to do these tests with only 1 or 2 rounds because a slam-fire can theoretically turn your SKS into an uncontrolled full-auto fire when you haven't even pointed the gun yet.

There is one other fairly common SKS problem and that has to do with positive sear engagement between the sear and hammer. If the sear is angled poorly, the hammer can "slide off" and strike sooner than expected. This can also be checked and corrected.

You can find very good info on both conditions here: SKS Carbine Safety Concerns and Trigger Re-work Tips

Two excellent sites for additional info on SKSes:
Survivors SKS Boards- Excellent forums dedicated primarily to the SKS
Yooper John's- Amazing collection of pictures and info to help you identify the various SKSes out there

 

[pudly]

Should I modify it myself? I'm not That tight....just curious. I saw that the springs were pretty cheap. Will aftermarket springs work on the orginal pin? I think I'm asking; will they just slip over the front on the firing pin?

No- the firing pin with the spring is shaped differently than the one without the spring.

Check the pictures on Murray's page: SKS Owners

 

[sloughfoot]

Pudly has certainly put out a bunch of good info.

I only recommend the firing pin spring. I do not recommend any other mods to the SKS, including a "trigger job".

I have not had any failure to fire with any of the various country's ammo with just the addition of the firing pin spring.

That is just my experience though.

 

[seamusalaska]

Thanks everyone for all the good info. I'll probably go with Murray

 

[bigiron9]

I replaced the firing pin in 3 yugo sks with murray’s firing pins and all three guns failed after 15 rounds.

The primers where punched out and one slam fired!

I replaced all three original firing pins and have shot hundreds of rounds with no problems; with the exact same ammunition.

I now have three new Murray firing pins with the extra springs; the springs where destroyed when the popped primers went into the bolt through the firing pin hole.