one more querrie on Yugoslav SKS Rifle

[alan]

Got the beast de-cosmolined, went back to the old standard, a bucket of regular grade gasoline, outdoors and some rags did the trick, along with a little careful scraping with a small screw driver. After the gasoline treatment, when I shake the bolt, the firing pin really rattles, as I assume it should.

Anyhow, on reassembly, installation of the trigger group locks the barreled action into the stock, ala the old M-1 and M-14 rifles. One thing about re-installing the trigger group, it locks in but takes one hell of a strong "push" before it engages the catch. Matter of fact, though I have a reasonably strong grip, or so I had thought, it took the use of a steel C-clamp to press the trigger group into engagement with it's catch mechanism. There is a stiff appearing spring that projects from the under side of the stock, this spring must be compressed when installing the trigger group, but is it normal that the use of a clamping device is required. So far as I can tell by looking, nothing is bent, swollen or otherwise out of line. Is the above mentioned spring normally that stiff?

Trigger pull is quite heavy, but then this is a military rifle, and some of the genre that I've seen tended toward heavy triggers. It doesn't seem creepy, or particularly gritty though. I have only dry fired it a few times, ammunition is on the way.

 

[railroader]

When putting the trigger group in I lay the rifle uside down on the carpet. I put the trigger group in place, put a towel over it and smack with my hand. This will lock it in. The towel is so I don't hurt my hand. Mark

 

[glocksman]

Make sure that you have the safety on when you uninstall and reinstall the trigger group.

It takes some effort even with the safety on, but I'm able to do it with my hands alone.

BTW, be certain to get all of the goop out of the bolt.
The firing pin must be loose in the channel and it should rattle back and forth when you shake the bolt.
If the firing pin sticks, you could have an uncontrolled full auto slam fire when you chamber a round.

 

[DMK]

So far as I can tell by looking, nothing is bent, swollen or otherwise out of line. Is the above mentioned spring normally that stiff?

They can be tight, and that's a good thing. Tight holds the action secure in the wood when you fire. If you used something water based to clean the stock, the wood might have swelled a bit. No big deal though. Don't take the action out of the stock every time you clean it. Keep that action nice and tight.

I have a few SKS that are really tight. I have one that I have to use a rubber mallet to get locked. I just turn it upside down on a padded surface and give the trigger group a sharp smack, down and foreward.

Like Glocksman said, make sure the safety is on. It shouldn't go on or come of with the safety off.

 

[SteelyDan]

I do a lot of fingertip pushups, so my trigger group just popped right into place.

NOT!

Yup, in my limited experience it takes a whole bunch of force, and sudden force at that. I put the gun upside-down on some carpet and more-or-less applied violent CPR to the trigger group, and it finally popped into place.

 

[BamBam-31]

Lots on the SKS takes fingers of steel, which I don't have. So I use tools. In this case, rubber mallet, like DMK. Try taking apart the trigger assembly someday. Without tools.

 

[Blackcloud6]

Yes, it takes some force to put the trigger group back in. I use the "CPR" method as described above. Gun upside down on floor, towel over the trigger groud, I straddle the rifle and put both hands on the towel, lock elbows and push hard. This should work. Using a clamp or hanmmer may work but seems to me you can make and error an damage something.

 

[Bill Hook]

I use the 6" C-clamp I bought for my brakes. I plasti-koted the plunger end and put padding between the metal and the receiver rails at the other end (or vice versa). I did a trigger job and don't plan on removing the trigger group again, otherwise this method could produce wear on the wood, via compression marks. I also trimmed the spring at the back of the trigger group a few coils to make it a little easier to push back. You will also need a rubber mallet to give it that last whack when you get it 95% of the way back in.

 

[Tropical Z]

Isnt it interesting how several of us figured out the "carpet method" on our own.We must be real smarty pants!

 

[LynnMassGuy]

I've found that by interlocking my fingers and squeezing the assembly between my plams provides enough leverage to install the trigger assembly.

 

[Destructo6]

I use the "good whack with the heel of my hand" technique. It works for my Yugo SKS.

 

[Kalos]

I generally lay mine on a rolling desk cheair... along the arms... and push -hard-.

But it's worth noting the obvious here--mostly because I know I've failed to see this on several occasions. IF there's nothing supporting the receiver when you try to put the trigger group back in, all you're going to do is push the receiver out out of the stock a bit. Hard to explain, but easy to see happening. It's why I do it on the chair like that... the arms keep the receiver from going anywhere.