Knife-style Bayonet Retention

[Navy87Guy]

I have a Chinese Letter Series bayonet (1959/60), and the knife-style bayonet doesn't stay tight against the stock when it's folded. It doesn't swing free, but there's a noticeable gap between the blade and stock - especially when compared to my Tula SKS.

Is there a way to "tighten up" the retention so it seats fully in the groove — or is this just a "thing" and I have to live with it?

Thanks!!

[echo1]

Soud like the bayo handle got swapped out for some reason. Maake sure it's not a straight cut handle, but if it is that's good cause they're $carce. If you have other SKS rifles. try changing out some and see if it corrects the issue. Pictures of the offending culprit are helpful. PAX

[running-man]

With all the other replacement parts that gun has based on your other thread, it's likely your bayo collar has been swapped out too. You might try to source one from another SKS and see if that helps your issue. They theoretically should all be the same across all blade bayo carbines (except for straight collar Russian SKS45 variants), but in practice there are variations that make some guns much tighter than others.

[Navy87Guy]

With all the other replacement parts that gun has based on your other thread, it's likely your bayo collar has been swapped out too. You might try to source one from another SKS and see if that helps your issue. They theoretically should all be the same across all blade bayo carbines (except for straight collar Russian SKS45 variants), but in practice there are variations that make some guns much tighter than others.

This rifle has one known replacement part: the bolt. I can't tell if the stock is original (the stamping isn't legible), but it's the correct style. All the other parts on the rifle are matching. 🤔

I will try swapping it with the bayonet from my 1952 Tula and see if anything changes.

[Navy87Guy]

So this may be the offender: the shoulder in the cut out of the bayonet is angled, not square like it is on the Tula. The lug on the two rifles appear identical, but the angle on the Chinese bayonet doesn't let it sit flush.




So is it the wrong lug for this vintage rifle - or is it the wrong bayonet? 🤔

[Greatguns]

Your letter series rifle should have an angled cut as only early Russian SKSs had a straight cut lug. There is a lot of tolerance over the years and different arsenals with the bayonet collar and the lug on the FSB. allowing for slight angle variations. If, for example, the collar is from a later era Chinese SKS it may not mate up properly to the early lug on your SKS. I have had situations over the years, while trying to fix 'bayonet sag', where swapping out the collars between a sagging bayonet and one from a different rifle that was tight, the sagging bayonet was fixed and then the "sagging" collar when put on the second rifle worked fine. In other situations the sag followed the collar and I had to find a third (or 4th) collar to get all the bayonets involved to fit properly.
It's like a puzzle, you just have to find the right piece.

[Navy87Guy]

Your letter series rifle should have an angled cut as only early Russian SKSs had a straight cut lug. There is a lot of tolerance over the years and different arsenals with the bayonet collar and the lug on the FSB. allowing for slight angle variations. If, for example, the collar is from a later era Chinese SKS it may not mate up properly to the early lug on your SKS. I have had situations over the years, while trying to fix 'bayonet sag', where swapping out the collars between a sagging bayonet and one from a different rifle that was tight, the sagging bayonet was fixed and then the "sagging" collar when put on the second rifle worked fine. In other situations the sag followed the collar and I had to find a third (or 4th) collar to get all the bayonets involved to fit properly.
It's like a puzzle, you just have to find the right piece.

After taking a good[/i] look, the lug on the Chinese SKS is, in fact, angled and it matches the angle on the bayonet handle. The handle rubs against the arc of the lug when moving from open to closed (as opposed to the actual SKS where they don't touch). There's only about 1/32 inch difference between the fully closed and "sagging" position as evidence by the gap between the lug face and the handle when I push it into the proper position. Short of adding material to the face of the lug, I don't think there's much I can do with this one. Maybe some day I'll have another one and swapping will be an option! 😄