[hottarod]

First problem I had was it would home the bolt but the trigger was permanently on safe. I had removed the recoil buffer. I put the buffer back in and it auto magically started working. I'm thinking maybe I need a new recoil spring perhaps?

Now I am having spent cartridge jams in the chamber. I don't have a specific chamber brush so I just use a brush that goes in snug. I also have some cotton pluggy things so I dip one in Hoppe's solvent and run it in there and let that rest for a while. It started shooting again but only cycled 10 rounds and jamed a spent cartridge again. How do I thoroughly clean the chamber on this thing? I'm only shooting poly or zinc coated rounds through it. Come to think of it, the zinc rounds were the ones that started to jam. Examining spent cases I see no particular cut or deep scratch marks on the spent cases. Wonder if maybe they are over pressuring?

Anyway, need help, send money, LOL.

 

[Tommygunner]

Have you completly stripped the gun and cleaned all the parts? Sounds to me the gas system is dirty. Is the gas port clear? Or if all clean a bad coroded, pitted piston which is a common problem.

 

[hottarod]

I haven't cleaned the gas system in a while. I soaked the chamber in Hoppes and brushed it out really good last night thinking maybe carbon or gunk in the chamber was causing spent rounds to jam up. Maybe just a really thorough cleaning will get it going again. I will try that next. The bore is nice and clean.

 

[hottarod]

It just occurred to me that if the gas blow back system were compromised this might only cause improper fte's followed by ftf's or I might have to rack the bolt manually. It would not jam a spent cartridge in the chamber which is what it is doing or was doing.

 

[Tommygunner]

2 things I can think of can be wrong
1 Is the recoil spring in backwards? Bolt will jamb if backwards.
Link how to strip/reasemble.Collecting and Shooting the SKS Carbine - Disassembly and Reassembly

2. The gas system can be and usually is the the problem with jamming in SKS. What happens is....
The gas system does not have enough pressure to fully eject the spent cartridge. The bolt only goes partially back then rechambers the spent round. The spent round has expanded from fireing it. The expanded spent round gets jammed in the chamber.
This is a fairly common problem with SKS. Espically the ones that had corrosive ammo run thru them & not properly cleaned. Need to strip the gun and clean the entire gas/recoil system. Be sure to clean the port too. If that does not work you need a new gas piston /tube.

 

[hottarod]

The spent round has expanded in the last 1/4 inch or so at the back which is the part that is jammed. I can cycle a full mag of unspent rounds and they will chamber and eject manually just fine. That would explain the jamming. Its easy enough to clean so I will do that.

 

[hottarod]

Well I finally got some time to completely break down my gun last night and the curly end of the recoil spring was in the end of the bolt or to the front which is the correct way to install that. I cleaned all the gas operating parts but they were pretty clean already. The gas port was clear and fairly clean. I can't see why it shouldn't be working. I've seen way much dirtier guns shooting ok.