Gas Cylinder help

[Jeremy69]

Hi, preparing to take my Rooski SKS to the range for the first time. Went through and gave it a good cleaning and lube after reading and watching videos on the subject. Not rocket science but still wanted to see what everyone had to say and look for pitfalls.

I do have a question on the gas tube and piston. After satisfactory cleaning and carbon removal I tried the piston in the tube backwards to see if it would bottom out like I expected. It did not and bound up at what I would think 25% remaining travel. I didn’t get the “plunk” I thought I would.

Is this normal or a sign I have more carbon to chase? Thanks!

[running-man]

You should be ready to go if the carbine is clean and the firing pin channel is clean and the FP is free rattling.

For the gas piston, it only travels about 3/4" within the end of the tube.  It will never bottom out down at that 25% line you're looking at unless you forget to install an OP rod.  (Many a member comes here looking for a solution to disassemble a rifle that has the gas piston locked at the bottom of a gas tube when they forgot to install the OP rod!  ).

Remember, the gas piston is limited in travel by the physical distance (just happens to be 3/4" with a spring) that the OP rod can travel:

[Jeremy69]

Thanks that’s what I was looking for, a sanity check. Firing pin floats nicely. Everything else looks good to go.

Funny, I bought the Igman ammo so I don’t have to worry about magnetic projectiles and Corrosive primes and can reload the brass. Thought it was a real good deal until I figured out it was 15 round boxes LOL… reading is fundamental

Asked the guy at the counter if they were 20 round boxes and he said yeah. This is my first 7.62x39. It will be going with its SVT-40 older brother. Guess I got bit by the ComBloc bug huh?

[running-man]

Sounds great, let us know how she shoots! 

All brass cased, boxer primed 7.62x39 is pricey, not just Igman.  I'd say if you got it for around 75-85 cents per round you paid about the average for it these days.  It used to be you could grab a 1000 round case of excellent quality Golden Tiger steel case manufactured @ Vympel  for $200 (back in 2017-2019).  Then, after the Antifa and Covid panics, it went up to $320.  Now with the Russian sanctions it is $600+, if you can even find it.  Pretty much the same with Wolf, Barnaul, Brown Bear, and even Tulammo.  If you find a good deal on 7.62x39 at a garage sale, flea market, widow cleaning out a husband's estate, etc., jump on it.  7.62x39 is simply not going to go down as long as the worlds largest exporter of the stuff is not able to access the US market.  Even if relations are somehow repaired, I don't think we see $200 a case again.  The days of the AK/SKS being the cheap plinking platform of choice based on price is over I'm sad to say.

[Greatguns]

Throwing in an FYI on the ammo, SGAmmo has Igman at $0.57-$0.60/rnd depending on quantity purchased. (360rmds or more to get free shipping) They also have PRVI Partisan in similar 15rnd boxes, but it is more at $0.65-$0.73/rnd depending.

[Jeremy69]

Unfortunately in California and it’s a pain to ship ammo. Bought local for .80 per so not terrible and I can reload even though that’s all expensive now too.

[Jeremy69]

She shot well this past weekend. Thanks for all the help.