316 Arsenal SKS

[BaerenGott]

I put some photos of this SKS in my intro post, I'm curious if anyone has any provenance on it?

SN 1639966, all parts present have same SN.  I had to purchase a stock 10rnd magazine, which is evidently coming w/o a SN.

[Phosphorus32]

The leading two digits of the serial number, 16, indicate 16th year of manufacture of this Type 56, so it was made in 1971. It'll need a spike bayonet, readily obtainable on ebay or Desert Fox Sales.

[BaerenGott]

I've ordered everything to make it correct.  Everything but the magazine has arrived.  Oh, and somehow I found a pin-on muzzle break to fit...just to keep it a bit bodgey!

[firstchoice]

Just a heads up on the pin-on muzzle brakes, I've taken a few off in the past and all were corrroded/rusted on with some pitting left on the barrel after cleaning. I suppose if the owner were to remove the brake after each use and clean, they would be okay. Albeit, quite a hassle.  I've never heard of any real muzzle climb issues with the SKS but, as always, it's yours, do what you want. Just beware of the corrosion issues with that application. Using non-corrosive ammo will help, but the powder residue buildup will still be there.

firstchoice

[echo1]

Just a heads up on the pin-on muzzle brakes, I've taken a few off in the past and all were corrroded/rusted on with some pitting left on the barrel after cleaning.
firstchoice

Do you think slathering with grease or a film of silicon would help? PAX

[Greasemonkey]

Just a heads up on the pin-on muzzle brakes, I've taken a few off in the past and all were corrroded/rusted on with some pitting left on the barrel after cleaning. I suppose if the owner were to remove the brake after each use and clean, they would be okay. Albeit, quite a hassle.  I've never heard of any real muzzle climb issues with the SKS but, as always, it's yours, do what you want. Just beware of the corrosion issues with that application. Using non-corrosive ammo will help, but the powder residue buildup will still be there.

firstchoice

I bought one with one of those brakes... What a mess. When I finally got it off, the barrel was pitted underneath the brake and the barrel crown looked like &$@#. I kinda wonder if it couldn't affect the chrome lining if left for an extended period of time. Currently, that brake resides somewhere in the woods behind my house. 

Do you think slathering with grease or a film of silicon would help? PAX

No clue, maybe if it could withstand the pressure and heat at the muzzle. I'm sure most of it would vaporize. As tight as some brakes fit, there wouldn't be a whole lot of grease between the brake and barrel. Some greases can turn to carbon when exposed to heat or get even more sticky when they oxidize, so it could compound the removal difficulty.

Maybe try a high temp disc brake grease or neverseize...both have high temp, good corrosion resistance and high pressure qualities and both are nice and nasty, espcially neverseize.

Now, there is only one way to find out......try it...

[BaerenGott]

Thanks for the heads-up concerning the corrosion issues with the pin on muzzle break.  I've provided a photo of it to compare to your woodland iron-deposit!  Oh, and as for the build date, it's not clear due to the fact that this is an "Arsenal/Factory 316" carbine, but I agree that everything points to an early-'70s date of manufacture.  I'm just amazed that all the SNs, even the stock, match!  Oh, and the cleaning kit was inside the stock!



And how it looks installed.  I haven't checked clearance with the bayonet yet.  If it doesn't clear or if it interferes with the bayonet's operation it's coming off.

[Greasemonkey]

I would say it will interfer with deploying the bayonet, the handle loop can't latch over the end of the brake......where before it would slip over the muzzle.

[Justin Hell]

Prepare to take it off...they haven't come up with a way to allow for both a brake and a bayonet yet.  I have considered grinding the handle loop off of a bayonet handle to see just how floppy one relying on the lug alone to hold it up would be. It would likely have to be a pristine lug, and a new handle.

I did once see a YouTube video of a guy who welded a brake like yours (Type 74) onto the bayonet handle loop. He even included IIRC a comparison with and without showing the reduced barrel whip. With the bayonet folded...it was seriously funky lookin'! I seem to recall seeing sparks too....it is likely this guy has since removed it. (one might hope anyway)

Something I have considered would be using a 59/66 bayonet handle, and machining a little pocket into the brake to allow for locking into. This, would take some skill. Or, some competent CNC work on a brake with that design in mind.

I kind of dig some SKS brakes. They look kind of cool on some black bubba guns, I am not so much of a fan on a stock SKS. Currently I have a handful of them in the parts drawer...including a Type 74 I used for years. Eventually the bayo had to come back and the brake went to the drawer. One thing about this type of brake is they make the gun CONSIDERABLY louder, especially for anyone standing to the right or left of you. The barrel whip reduction is noticeable...but only if you fire in rapid succession is it truly advantageous. The recoil reduction is minimal...taking it from puppies to kittens in comparison.

On your gun, I would try to get it as close to original as possible. You can use the brake as an excuse to get another, perhaps more common, more hopelessly bubba'd, maybe even already lacking a bayonet lug. I have done this...only to ultimately opt for getting a bayonet back on there....one particular brake I liked inspired at least three purchases...it now looks absolutely Road Warrioresque on my Crosman BB gun. I have now found other parts to inspire further SKS collecting.

[BaerenGott]

I removed the plastic mag, and installed everything else.  I'm still waiting on the correct mag.



I'm honestly thankful that you gals and guys informed me that this gun worth returning to original.  I started my SKS journey in the early '80s(Navy) with a Soviet SKS, and fell under the misconception that Chinese SKSs were inferior.  I appreciate the reeducation!

[Greasemonkey]

Thanks for the heads-up concerning the corrosion issues with the pin on muzzle break.  I've provided a photo of it to compare to your woodland iron-deposit!  Oh, and as for the build date, it's not clear due to the fact that this is an "Arsenal/Factory 316" carbine, but I agree that everything points to an early-'70s date of manufacture.  I'm just amazed that all the SNs, even the stock, match!  Oh, and the cleaning kit was inside the stock!

Mine was nothing like that one...it was this one, actually I had 2 of them.. gave one away before I found the nasty on the gun barrel.. I'm not a huge fan of add on muzzle brakes. I do have quite a few that were designed and issued with them.



I prefer the real Cutts Compensator on my Thompson...