Let me start off by saying that I knew NOTHING about the sks rifle untill last week. then, me and my dad decided to split the cost of one and give one a try. I have sence learned to dissasemble, clean, and reasemble one. we have always wanted to get a cheap rifle just to play around with and the sks seemed to fit the bill. its just a beater rilfe really.

The problem we are haveing with our sks is that it will not eject after fireing, and seems to lock up the bolt. we really have to yank on the bolt to get the shell out. other times it will pull the shell out but the bolt goes forward to fast and catches the shell before it clears. I dont think that the bolt goes as far back as it is supposed to. the first problem one is much more common.  I have always thought the sks was supposed to be a reliable gun.

Any help you guys have to give would be great. thanks a lot.

Just a few guesses off the top of my head:

Bad extractor, bad extractor spring
Crappy ammo
Tight chamber
Stiff Recoil Spring, or recoil spring installed incorrectly (long shot)
Gas Tube is binding and not pushing the bolt back far enough
Too much lubrication on the gun

Questions:  you aren't using any of those recoil buffers are you?  Although I hardly see anyone using them on SKS rifles, I have seen where the AK recoil buffer causes the AK action to short stroke.

You aren't using aftermarket duckbill looking "detachable" magazines either, are you?  Keep in mind that some are good, whereas most duckbills suck.

I would guess that there is some cosmoline hiding in the rifle you didnt get out.Did you pull out the op rod inside the rear sight assembly and spring and clean those and the channel it moves in?Also get a good stiff brush that fights tight in the chamber and a good solvent and clean the hell out of the chamber.Good luck.

that is a lot of things that could be wrong.
im not useing a recoil buffer. no need really. and the mag the factory original, internal 10 rnd. I cleaned the OP rod and spring under the rear sight. and just ran a rag through the chennel. Ill go back through cleaning the gun again with a vengance. thanks for the help.

did you disassemble the firing pin assembly cosmo and gun powder like to hide in the extractor

I had the same problem.  Because the rifle is cheap in price and can take a beating I just cut the small spring for the gas piston.  The spring for the small gas piston under the rear sight has a lot of tension so I just cut the spring alittle to make it easier for the piston to cycle the bolt.  I have not had a single jam or any problems since I did it.  

Quoted: I had the same problem.  Because the rifle is cheap in price and can take a beating I just cut the small spring for the gas piston.  The spring for the small gas piston under the rear sight has a lot of tension so I just cut the spring alittle to make it easier for the piston to cycle the bolt.  I have not had a single jam or any problems since I did it.

This is probably pretty obvious, but when you load the sks and chamber the first round, you have to let the bolt slam... dont ride it along while it closes... let it slam shut... When I first got my sks, which was a yugo.. it was doing this to.. the bolt locked up completely and i couldnt even budge it.. Since it was less than 30 days that I bought it, i brought it back to dunhams where I bought it and they sent it back to Century, whom put a new gas tube in it.  And I have not had a problem since..

Unfortunately, if its yugo, its likely that your gas tube is bad or corroded.  I saw a tutorial, but I dont remember where though.. people were using a paperclip bent into a ring to seal a leaking gas tube and it seemed to work very well for them.. I don't remember where the tut was though.

Quoted: I had the same problem.  Because the rifle is cheap in price and can take a beating I just cut the small spring for the gas piston.  The spring for the small gas piston under the rear sight has a lot of tension so I just cut the spring alittle to make it easier for the piston to cycle the bolt.  I have not had a single jam or any problems since I did it.

How much of the spring did you remove? I may give that a try.

Right now the spring is about 1/4 inch longer than the piston.  I don't remember how much I cut off.  Overall it is 3 inhes long now.  Mine is a yugo, I don't know what yours is.  Just cut it back little by little to relieve some tension.  

Also if the gas tube is not tight the paper clip trick stated above works well to.

Does it have a granade lancher?, and if so, is the gas block off buttin in the right position?

Quoted: Quoted: I had the same problem.  Because the rifle is cheap in price and can take a beating I just cut the small spring for the gas piston.  The spring for the small gas piston under the rear sight has a lot of tension so I just cut the spring alittle to make it easier for the piston to cycle the bolt.  I have not had a single jam or any problems since I did it.   This is probably pretty obvious, but when you load the sks and chamber the first round, you have to let the bolt slam... dont ride it along while it closes... let it slam shut... When I first got my sks, which was a yugo.. it was doing this to.. the bolt locked up completely and i couldnt even budge it.. Since it was less than 30 days that I bought it, i brought it back to dunhams where I bought it and they sent it back to Century, whom put a new gas tube in it.  And I have not had a problem since.. Unfortunately, if its yugo, its likely that your gas tube is bad or corroded.  I saw a tutorial, but I dont remember where though.. people were using a paperclip bent into a ring to seal a leaking gas tube and it seemed to work very well for them.. I don't remember where the tut was though.

can you be a little more spicific about wear the paperclip ring goes. im pretty sure i know but if you could point it out in a pic or something then that would be great.

Did you disassemble the bolt as well?  You should have to use a hammer and a punch to knock the retaining pin out.  Otherwise cosmo will gum it up something fierce.

         had this happen on my first sks. did you clean out the gas port? if you have a cleaning kit there is a pin/yool to ream the channel. sometimes carbon builds up thus the piston cannot push the bolt all the way back. hope this helps. dont give up! they are dependable and a very fine rifle.

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