SKS obsevations

[Harter66]

I picked up an SKS just after Christmas ,the 1st CF semi-auto rifle to join my herd. So I picked up some boxer factories ,I can't be too picky out here in the boonies,on my 1st trip to the range I found 20 to match my 40 new cases. I was rewarded with minute of backstop,ok not quite but easily 2ft.
Well I slugged the bore just to see what the heck I had ,having heard here and elsewhere that these "block"rifles run 300/308 to 314 . I've got a real gem with its muzzle going 305/316 and the leade happily taking 318-321 , the spent cases will slip fit the 323 sized boolits for my 32 Rem.
Not having a mould to make this SKS happy with it being closer to 8x39 than 7.62 ,I decided to give paper patching a try.
I read several articals and forums all over on the topic of heavy bullets,slow powders,and sub-sonics. I started off with some 309-160 LEEs,dismal 3" 50yd groups w/Red Dot,Unique,4198 being the worst they shot just like the factories. I've this 200 gr full spire pointed boolit for my 308 and 06',so I rolled it up in some patches and some IMR4350 the 1st group was 3.5" at 20.0 at 23.5 that 50yd group had closed to a mere 2.5". Good for an SKS I'm told great for this 1 I'm thinking.
Note that I did shoot some lapping loads as even after agressive cleaning the bore waslooking like a wash board road out past the gas port. With that cleaned up the bore started to look like a bore and even get a little bit of a shine to it.
Last week I picked up a brand new 10rnd TapCo magazine to replace that 30 rnd that it came with. That steel 30is just too much for any sort of tuning or bench work. Wouldn't ya know it the loads that are coming around are too long in the new magazine!

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Well that is one fat throated SKS. Happily I have never had one that bad. The two I still have are both at .313+ and shoot the Lee 155 very nicely with 17.5 grains 1680 or more.
Mike in Peru

[Harter66]

I forgot to mention its a Yugo and was I suspect 1 of the $90 buy 3 get 1 guns of the pre-ban days.

[res45]

You just never know what you going to get with those Yugo's as far as the bore goes,being many were used in the war they received a steady diet of corrosive ammo. Sounds like your saw a lot of service or a lack of proper cleaning but you have gotten it to shooting pretty well.

Fortunately for me my 1970 M59/66A1 got a nice refurb job at the factory bore runs .300/.312 and it eats the Lee TL .312 gas check bullet like candy with no leading in it or my Chinese.

I like 2400 for my cast SKS loads,Reloader #7 is my backup powder,I get reliable cycling with 12.5 grs. in the Chinese but it take 14.5 grs. to get the Yugo throwing brass.

Here is my first test target I shot with the Yugo cast bullet load,I haven't adjusted the sights so it was a bit high but it grouped well.
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1/rhsikes/2YugoCastLoad.jpg

[Harter66]

That's pretty impressive. I'm hoping to get it to about 4" out to 100 and be very happy with it. Keeping this all in perspective.

[truckjohn]

You may be a bit happier finding a chrome lined Romy or Russian or Chinese model with a good, shiny barrel or a non-worn out Yugo.... Otherwise - fitting bullets into that bore is going to be a chore.... Possibly a light 8mm mauser cast boolit...

There's a whole bunch of folks out there who really don't care if their bores are massively oversized... and it's pretty easy to sell SKS's if you are so inclined....

Thanks

[Harter66]

I have a case full of misfits,so this 1 fits in nicely.

I tried my 324-175 2R LEE ,it is slip fit sized .323 for my 32 Rem,but it leaded past the gas port and was very unhappy with powders and loads that will cycle .

I will get this 200gr PPCB worked out,and find a 10rd steel magazine so my length will work .

Getting rid of it out here is easy ,finding another for what I paid for this 1 in better shape very unlikely. Besides that ,don't we cast to fit all the weird bores so we can keep them running?

[JIMinPHX]

How much does it cost to rebarrel one of those things?

[Harter66]

Jim
The parts are cheap its the labor that kills the deal there .
I do this I'll buy it for a sub market price and you can buy it back for a year but I get to own it if you don't thing. I only gave 140 for it and the pp is working out.

[Harter66]

Its funny,out in public people say to me"why load for it they're so cheap","really like $16/100,where?",then they're on about the 200gr boolits and non-standard powder choices.

In here its like "huh!?! I gotta try that.","did you try the bigger boolit".

[JIMinPHX]

Its funny,out in public people say to me"why load for it they're so cheap","really like $16/100,where?"

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/ammo-for-rifles/7-62x39mm/p/7-62x39-yugo-fmj-124gr-brass-case-military-ammo-boxed-1260rd-case/cPath/12_41/products_id/3888

Still, I load that caliber.

.223 was once $3.50/box of 20. I loaded that caliber back then too. I load to get what I want as well as to save money.

[badbob454]

i saw it down to 4$ a box today , i have a yugo unissued iin the grease m59/66 my last one shot as well as my m1 garand or my browning 30/06 super great guns esp in good condition , they are built strong, and have a gas cutoff ,,at the end of the barrel, for single shot long range shooting ,i have 1000's of factory rounds but still reload to shoot have yet to shoot anything over 130 grains but have a lee mold that is 160 gr i plan to load up using wc 820 surplus ... hope the pp project works for you

[MilSurpFan]

Which Yugo is it? The M59 that looks like a standard SKS or the 59/66 with the night sights and grenade launcher spigot?

If it's the M59, they are worth significantly more than the 59/66. Could sell it and get a decent Russian or Chinese example. Not many M59s around.

[Larry Gibson]

Company I worked for recently providing training for Marines, Soldiers and CBs had a large number (190) of Yugo SKSs. about half were modified with blank adapters and they functioned fine. The others were relegated to live fire training. Out of the remaining SKS when doing the technical inspection for the company I found the bore condition to range from excellent to shot out. I found 4 that would not function with any ammo reliably for 5 shots straight. I swapped out the gas tube parts, bolt carriers and trigger groups from functioning weapons and they still mal functioned. The bores of 2 were rough and pitted but 2 also looked pretty good. On slugging the bores I found groove depth to be .316 - .319. I also found the bores to measure .308+. I sized down soft cast 325470s to .316 (next size down from .325 I had) and loaded them over a charge of 4895. I wanted the bullets to obturate and seal the bore. Sure enough functioning with all 4 was 100%. With the Hornady .312 150 gr bullet over 4895 functioning was 100% in the 2 rifles with unpitted bores.

It was obvious the smaller .310 diameter and lighter weight AK/SKS bullets of the milsurp and Wolf ammo we used was not obturating and sealing the bores. To confirm this I also chronographed 10 shots of Wolf FMJ from 2 functioning rifles and the 4 malfunctioning rifles. The average velocities was considerably less and the ES considerably larger from the 4 malfunctioning rifles. This tells me the gas was severely escaping past the bullets in the bore. The bullets, being undersize were not sealing the bore and there was just not enough gas pressure entering the gas system to reliably function those 4 Yugo SKS's. They were then fitted with blank adaptors (internal and permenent) and they functioned fine.

I would suspect Harter66 has a similar barrel in his SKS from his description. He might want to find a Lyman 325470, size to .321 and use those.

Larry Gibson

[Harter66]

Bad bob,
The patching is coming along nicely just the last tweeks to get the groups together I think.

Mil,
It says 59/66 on it,but has all the grenade stuff gas cut off and bayonet.

Larry,
It functioned fine on Federal 123s and came w/a1/2 box of Wolf 123(?)HPs so I'm guessing those worked too. I eleted to patch as all my boolits were just under sized or seemed too big ,IG,324-175 PB with Unique and 4895. Everything has leaded past the gas port so far except the PPCB .

I've still got 8 months before I can dump it so I may as well have fun . Any body have a steel 10rd mag?

[JIMinPHX]

I would avoid buying steel mags sight-unseen. A lot of them are a bit on the fat side. Unless you want to do some wood work to enlarge clearances, the plastic mags are usually a safer bet. The ones from Tapco have always been top notch. The ones from Pro-Mag are good too. One of those companies makes a 5-round version, in case you want to take it hunting some day. Those things can be strong medicine on coyotes.

[MilSurpFan]

I'd just go for a factory 10-round magazine. They work properly and should be able to find one easily.

kudos for coming up with a solution rather than just parting out the rifle.

[JIMinPHX]

The 10-round fixed magazines actually load pretty well from stripper clips. I often see them at gun shows for a song. My apologies for not saying that earlier if that is what you were looking for. I just assumed that you were looking for a detachable box mag, since they are more popular.

[truckjohn]

As Larry sagely noted.... You *Can* make most anything work.... The question is..... How much trouble is it to you to make it work? If you gotta buy a bunch of molds you don't already own, and specially size cartridges.... and THEN still gotta chip lead out from around the gas port.... it becomes too much of a chore.

I suppose if it were mine.... I would shoot factory Russian ammo in it for now and then jettison it at the next Gun show or sell it in the paper when you get the opportunity.... or you will end up with a pile of ammo you can't shoot in anything other than this specific rifle...

Thanks

[Harter66]

I don't mind having single gun loads,its the only x39 in my rack. My 06's don't talk to each other either ,03A3,110,760.I've a308 that'd probably shoot worms if you could keep them in the case(meaning I've not found a load it won't shoot decent to good). I kinda doubt that I'll get over a couple 100 rounds ahead on the sks. The 200gr boolit that I'm working shoots in all my 30s and may get a go PP'd in the 8x57's or the 32Rem.it patches large enough for the Rem.

I guess I'm going to have to brave the crowds and get to some of the local shows,I haven't been to 1 in 10 years, seems like it always takes a special trip.