SKS Firing Pin Adjust?

[Massachusetts]

(I was not sure which section of the forum this belonged in)

Successfully dove into the realm of the SKS and bought myself a Yugo M59/66. I also decided to buy a boresight (the style shaped like the round which you chamber). Unfortunately, I accidentally pulled the trigger which sent the firing pin into the solid metal boresight. Now at the range today, 2 out of 11 rounds fired. The 9 that did not fire, the firing pin simple dented (not deep enough to fire through the primer). So I have reason to believe that my firing pin is not moving far enough forward and not penetrating the primer enough, thus dudding the rounds. I have fired the rifle plenty of times before the boresight without issue. The boresight actually has a huge dent in it now from the firing pin.

Now my nagants came with a tool so you can see if the firing pin is at the correct setting. I have no such tool for the SKS. Is there some way I can adjust my SKS firing pin and essentially bring it out more so that it strikes the primers deep enough again? I really don't want to have to order and install a new one. I can include pictures of any parts if needed. It seems pretty dangerous at this point because it is not striking the rounds properly.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mclina]

there is no adjustment of the SKS firing pin. you can usually get a new one online for about 12 bucks. I have bought a couple but don't recall where. Just do a google search and you should find one easily. They are not that hard to swap, you just need a punch and a block of wood with a hole in it.

good luck

 

[Kevlar]

It is a free-floating pin, with no provisions for adjustment.

You likely sheared off a tiny portion of the pin, causing light strikes.

 

[ColdDayInHell]

there is no adjustment of the SKS firing pin. you can usually get a new one online for about 12 bucks. I have bought a couple but don't recall where. Just do a google search and you should find one easily. They are not that hard to swap, you just need a punch and a block of wood with a hole in it.

good luck

+1

 

[Big Daddy 45acp]

You could have bent the pin just enough to impede a full strike. I would pull the firing pin and check it for straightness.

 

[Ski]

Can you remove the bolt/pin assy and shake it verifying it's not full with cosmo debris.
You should hear it free to move...the cold grease cold be the culprit.

Heat, degreaser, wd, air pressure.

It may or may not help but an easy check.

g luck.

 

[40 caliber]

there is no adjustment of the SKS firing pin. you can usually get a new one online for about 12 bucks. I have bought a couple but don't recall where. Just do a google search and you should find one easily. They are not that hard to swap, you just need a punch and a block of wood with a hole in it.

good luck

Mclina! $12??? I know where you can get for $4.95 (before shipping). I always buy 3-4 just to make the shipping worthwhile. The online order adds like $12 for shipping but it you call them directly they will make a more reasonable number ($3.95 or something)



PM inbound!

 

[dnepro-mike]

sharpen it slightly. this sometimes might help by facilitating higher pressure to smaller area. don't sharpen it into a spear point though, you don't want to pierce primer cups, just make a point smaller, remove burrs etc. and order a new pin

 

[jmh992003]

Another decent add on would be to replace the free float pin with a spring loaded pin. If you don't take proper care the pin can be stuck forward and create a bump fire scenario.

 

[mclina]

Mclina! $12??? I know where you can get for $4.95 (before shipping). I always buy 3-4 just to make the shipping worthwhile. The online order adds like $12 for shipping but it you call them directly they will make a more reasonable number ($3.95 or something)



PM inbound!

Thanks. I think I have bought one from them. The $12 number was off the top of my head, although I have probably paid that as well.

I know that people spend $30 on the Murray's spring-loaded pins, but I am not a believer in those things. I bought a Yugo that had one of those installed, and it was nothing but trouble. I finally dug out all of the rotten bits of spring, and put in an old free-float, and it's been perfect ever since.

 

[Massachusetts]

Hey all thank you for your responses! I have disassembled the firing pin (after a punch, hammer, and a LOT of force) and it is pitch black. I am going to clean the hell out of it and hopefully the issue will go away. The pin itself is not damaged, crooked, or bent. I think it just got stuck back and hopefully cleaning it will remove the issues I am having.

 

[mclina]

I picked up a large bag of "Fuzzy Sticks" (AKA pipe cleaners) from the craft aisle at Walmart for just this type of thing. Dip one in Hoppe's #9 and scrub the hell out of the inside of the bolt.

 

[Massachusetts]

So I reassembled the firing pin. Am I crazy, or is it not supposed to move back THIS far? Did I put it in wrong?

Also, it gets stuck like this. I don't mean stuck as it will move, but it feels like it "sticks", as if there is something sticky in the pin that does not let it slide freely back and forth when you shakes the assembly. Is this dangerous? When it's tilted up, shouldn't gravity should pull the pin out?

 

[mclina]

It should not move back that far with the cross pin in. It may be in upside down.

It should fall back freely when you tip it up, but as long as it doesn't take much pressure to push it back it`s ok.

 

[Massachusetts]

It should not move back that far with the cross pin in. It may be in upside down.

It should fall back freely when you tip it up, but as long as it doesn't take much pressure to push it back it`s ok.

Upside down would make sense. I just don't want it to explode in my face or something like that

 

[mac1911]

From my limitted experience.
Every firepin I have had stick on my sks 's where either bent or there was something lodged in the front chanel of the firepin hole area. Usually a small piece of primer or case...I'm talking small..thinking this is how they bend. Being dirty doesn't help either but my beater bubba has not been cleaned in well hmmm I don't know and it keeps going.

 

[SKS Ray]

This: http://surplusrifle.com/sks/boltdisassemble/hs.asp

This: http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=33447.0

and this: http://www.murraysguns.com/poppedprimers.htm

 

[Massachusetts]

This: http://surplusrifle.com/sks/boltdisassemble/hs.asp

This: http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=33447.0

and this: http://www.murraysguns.com/poppedprimers.htm

Thanks for the links. I am confused though, should the FP head be flat or slighted pointed? I didn't exactly understand what they meant by 'volcano' and 'stoning' the FP.

 

[40 caliber]

You have it in backwards turn it around and flat side up.(did that myself when i was a newb)..make sure you can see through the hole cleanly before putting the retaining pin back in. I damaged a firing pin that way.

I just cleaned my Chinese SKS last night.

 

[MrMollusk]

I found the $4.95 firing pins mentioned above, but they are Albanian. Out of curiosity would these fit in a Romanian?

 

[SKS Ray]

I found the $4.95 firing pins mentioned above, but they are Albanian. Out of curiosity would these fit in a Romanian?

Yep, just the Albanian bolt carrier is different.

 

[MrMollusk]

Yep, just the Albanian bolt carrier is different.

Great, thank you.

 

[Massachusetts]

Yep, just the Albanian bolt carrier is different.

Should I shave down the firing pin so it is flatter, at a point, or simply leave it alone?

 

[40 caliber]

I found the $4.95 firing pins mentioned above, but they are Albanian. Out of curiosity would these fit in a Romanian?

i have used in both Yugo,russian and albanian with no problems. I am assuming the same for Romanian. i cant imagine why not

 

[TheKingNothing]

On my SKS I saw the firing pin protruding just slightly and touched it with a paper clip and it slid back in the hole a little bit. I am hoping that the sort of thing mentioned in this thread ( dudding ) wont happen because of that?

 

[Kevlar]

Unless it's a 1945-1950 Russian, it has a "free-floating" pin that is supposed to move.

 

[inerlogic]

tl;dr

but as the proud owner of a Yugo SKS 59/66 who hs fired MANY rounds i can tell you that ammo with hard primers (especially wolf, tula)
you will have dented the primer and still not ignited the round.... i've had wolf rounds where i've had to put them back in the magazine a second and third time before they would fire.......

 

[SKS Ray]

Unless it's a 1945-1950 Russian, it has a "free-floating" pin that is supposed to move.

Some early 1951 models had spring loaded pins too.

 

[Massachusetts]

tl;dr

but as the proud owner of a Yugo SKS 59/66 who hs fired MANY rounds i can tell you that ammo with hard primers (especially wolf, tula)
you will have dented the primer and still not ignited the round.... i've had wolf rounds where i've had to put them back in the magazine a second and third time before they would fire.......

Forget what ammo I used to use (the boxes of 20 had a tan camouflage pattern on them), but the ammo I have now is tula. I have shot tula before without problem.

 

[SKS Ray]

Forget what ammo I used to use (the boxes of 20 had a tan camouflage pattern on them), but the ammo I have now is tula. I have shot tula before without problem.

Tan camo sounds like Wolf Military Classic