SKS Doubled! Was it the ammo, the rifle, or me?

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Amadeus

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I enountered my first double ("Slamfire") this weekend while shooting my Romanian SKS. It only happened once but it got me wondering. What caused it. Perhaps after reading the following someone can give me some wisdom.

The ammo used was berdan primed Silver Bear match ammo (the kind with the funny nipple tip). This was the first time my gun has ever doubled. And coincidently it was the first time I've ever used Silver Bear ammo. Until this weekend I have used Wolf ammo exclusively.

The rifle is in good condition. I clean it frequently. Before taking it out this weekend I stripped the rifle down and gave it a cleaning. I sprayed the trigger group with RemOil and let it soak. I used solvent to clean the gas tube, inside of the magazine, barrel, chamber and exterior of the bolt thoroughly. I did not dissasemble the bolt.

I oiled everything with a thin coat of Remoil and reassembled.

Could the double have been caused by grit trapped inside the firing pin channel? Was it the ammo? Did I cause problems with my choice to use Remoil? Or is it something mechanical like a worn sear???

What can I do to trace the problem?

Thanks for your help.
 
These things happen because the firing pin does not float freely. So that's where I'd look. If you put oil in there that was probably not a good idea, it will attract dirt and make it build up in the channel faster.
 
Hard to say. I've had doubling with Silver Bear rounds before in my Norinco SKS, even when my bolt had been stripped and detail-cleaned (with the firing pin having been mirror-polished and the firing pin channel having been thoroughly cleaned out with pipe cleaners and a variety of solvents) immediately before that range session. Personally, I don't use the Silver Bear ammo in the SKS anymore because of this.

But, who knows what caused your doubling? Tear that bolt down and clean it (it's quite simple to do and there are sites all over the web that explain how - some with pictorials). You might have a clue as to whether it was the culprit when you see how much crud comes out of it. (I am of the school that thinks an SKS bolt should be torn down and thoroughly cleaned after any range session of any length.)
 
Free floating firing pins have to be kept clean and oil free. As said, take apart your bolt and clean the channel, then don't oil it. Reassemble and make sure the pin moves freely.

Your problem might also be soft primers. I have heard that you shouldn't shoot soft primered ammo in an SKS due to the floating firing pin. Maybe Silver Bear has the occasional soft primer?
 
Might be cosmoline in the bolt. The firing pin should rattle when you shake the bolt. My Yugo has done the same thing.
 
Just want to check in with another tale of doubling with Silver Bear. Raised a few eyebrows at the range. Never happened again after a thousand rounds of Wolf.
 
Some good responses so far. Thanks.

The RSO said it was my sear that caused the double. Even though he is a dealer, I am inclined to go with what I am seeing here on line. I will strip down the bolt tonight and see what comes out of there.
 
years ago.........when I bought my SKS(chinese paratrooper), I had a 3 shot 'surprise' first time out. :eek:

while I gave the rifle a good scrubing(degreaser), dealer told me I need to do the trigger group also. so I sprayed and relubed the trigger group and the bursts went away. :( :D

but, I have also read about some slam fires being caused by ammo that had soft primers. when my burst happened, I was using UMC ammo. have shot several hundred rounds of Russian since then with no problem.

fwiw.
 
And Ben is a real stand-up guy.... It's an inexpensive mod and well worth the (minimal) effort.
 
Dammit F**king Dammit

The darned retaining pin will not come loose from the bolt. I was working on it for an hour. I have no punch so I tried using the gas port cleaning tool and a hammer to no avail. That bolt is not coming apart. Dammit!

If an extended soak in solvent doesn't loosen it up I may take it to the dealer where I purchased the rifle. He specializes in curios. I hope he can get it out because I certainly cannot. Then again, the firing pin is moving freely so I may not need to take it apart after all.

Any thoughts, gang?
 
The proper sized punch and a solid work surface works every time for me. If you can't come up with both, take it to your FLG and let 'em do it for you. Chances are they'll do it gratis since it's such a non-time-consuming job.
 
Then again, the firing pin is moving freely so I may not need to take it apart after all.
Click to expand...

Last month I purchased my first SKS (I now own 2 :D )
The Norincos' firing pin rattled, but I took the bolt assy apart because it was "new" to me. I needed to see how it worked and become familiar with my new weapon.
The firing pin was encased in dry powder contaminant. It still shook and rattled, but it does so even more now that it is clean.

You really should get that apart and have a look at it. If it's not the problem, then you have one less thing to worry about.
 
Wow, if your bolt won't come apart, it must have a lot of crud inside.

Buy a punch set, by the way. $10, but it'll last you forever. Any hardware store or Sears will have them.

Despite the RSO's off-the-cuff opinion, sear-related SKS doublings are pretty rare. Think Occam's Razor, and check the crudded-up bolt first. (And, I'm intrigued to see others reporting doubling with Silver Bear . . . .)
 
May or may not help, but try throwing the bolt in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before going at it. When I did that mine came out with one whack on the punch.
 
"May or may not help, but try throwing the bolt in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before going at it. "


Freezer?! Brings new meaning to a frozen bolt. Freezer huh. Not sure I want to try that.
 
People do it to slides on handguns when they want to punch the sights out. Compresses the metal very slightly.
 
Thanks, Erich. I plan on picking up a set of punches. They'll be useful. Probably moreso than sticking my bolt in the freezer.
 
Thanks, Erich. I plan on picking up a set of punches. They'll be useful. Probably moreso than sticking my bolt in the freezer.
Click to expand...

What are you afraid of in sticking the bolt in the freezer? Are you thinking the thing will shatter if struck with a hammer?

The coldest consumer freezers' won't freeze below about -20F. The point at which steel becomes brittle to impact is FAR below that.
 
I agree that there's nothing wrong with sticking it in the freezer - and I think it's a good idea to keep in the back of my head for when this sort of thing arises. I think Amadeus was just saying that using the proper tools is probably a better first step than witching the metal and hoping things work.
 
Yes, Erich. That's exactly what I was trying to say. Use the proper tool for the job before attempting magic recipes.
 
When I got my SKS I stripped it all the way down, took the bolt apart and cleaned the channel the firing pin sits in, the firing pin was frozen in place by the cosmoline, I used solvent and pipe cleaners to clean it out. The pin in the bolt was in there pretty good, it took a good wack with a hammer and punch to get it out, but it definitely needed to be cleaned. :eek:
 
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