Mods to SKS & Firing pin

[MXZ_ SHINE]

Has anyone done a FP for their SKS from Murray's Gunsmithing is this worth doing? 
How about the Neck and Throat Chamber Reaming is it worth doing?
Are there any other Mods I should look into doing to my SKS?

[Greasemonkey]

Have you shot it to see how it shoots, to at least get a base line of how it shoots, what ammo it has a taste for? Also, how would you know if any of these mods were effective if you have no base line to go from? It may shock you and all these mods might not be necessary, leaving money for more ammo or a better scope. Being comfortable and familiar with a weapon and knowing it can go alot farther in accuracy than any mods.

Just my .000000000002 cents worth  

[Justin Hell]

The firing pin would be the first mod I would consider, as it is an improvement for the lazy person that doesn't clean their gun as often as they should.  It also helps avoid safety issues with dropping the weapon and not having optimal sear engagement...which with a proper trigger job will also help avoid that problem that might arise from some SKSs.

The neck and throat job would be a consideration if you do reloads or use US made ammo vs surplus, imported Berdan primed ammo.

If you are starting off, and depending on your needs....start with the pin, then consider a trigger job.  If you are using detachable mags, then go for the drop free mod.

First check your sear engagement to determine whether you have an inherent issue with how your gun may or may not be safe...one way or another, the pin upgrade will help.  Most any other mods are slightly destructive and/or may not be necessary depending on your situation.

If you plan on keeping your SKS as issued, and clean it regularly...it is a perfectly good gun on its own....each may have it's own issues, that may or may not require tweaking. It is best to take your time into anything you consider before jumping in on what MIGHT seem to be a good idea.

Personally I find it best to do a serious inspection before dumping money in what might be the wrong direction. Sear engagement is where most of your safety issues might be....everything else is catering towards what you ultimately plan on doing.  Less oft is more.

It is really easy to get overly excited and do something you might end up regretting.  Take your time and pick your battles if there even are any.  The SKS is a fine weapon for the most part...and most require little if no modding unless someone already messed with it.

[Power Surge]

Chamber reaming should only be necessary if you have a damaged or heavily corroded chamber. Guns with a chrome lined barrel like your Chinese , should have no issues.

The spring loaded firing pin is a neat modification but I don't feel it's very necessary. The SKS was in production for 50 years, in only the first two or three years had a factory spring loaded pin. After that, the gun was produced with a floating firing pin for the rest of production. Issues only come up if you have a gun that has not had the cosmoline cleaned out of the bolt, or if you shoot tons of rounds through your gun and never clean it.

I would much rather see you spend your money on a good trigger job. Almost every SKS I have ever seen had negative sear engagement on the trigger which is something you don't want. A good trigger job will give you positive sear engagement, as well as less takeup and smoother trigger pull. I am a gunsmith and I can do a nice trigger job for you if you are interested.

[FrankMc]

I just joined this site that was linked from Murray's Gunsmithing and this is my first post.  There appears to be a steep learning curve for me from all the information that's available here.

I agree with the previous comments concerning baseline performance.  My initial concern was the floating firing pin that could be a safety issue. One of my obsessive/compulsive issues is that  I'm more inclined to try to correct known or probable issues right off the bat so I sent my Norinco SKS (Factory 106 with an eight digit serial number beginning with "25") to Ben Murray's shortly after I bought it from a local gun store.  It was smothered in cosmoline so I'm not sure if it's even been fired. 

My reasoning was that I like high reliability weapons that fire every time the trigger is pulled and that aren't particularly picky about the ammunition you put in them.  Granted, accuracy will be better with certain types of ammo, but my goal is to be able to put a round in a man-sized target at 100-200 yards. 

I did not find many gunsmiths who advertised online who seemed to have an affinity for SKS's.  After talking with Ben about his firing pin replacement, he impressed me as someone who knows what he is doing, so I decided to have him to perform most of his services while he had my SKS at his shop in Texas.  I know all that work will have a cost, but I hope and pray I'll have a solid rifle in the end. I'll know in a few weeks if I made the right decision or not!

[Loose}{Cannon]

I keep all my sks original, so the mods dont exactly apply to me.  I do however see their useful application for everyday shooters.  Ben Murray is top-notch, no doubt about it.