The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Sometimes my SKS firing pin fails to hit the primer hard enough to fire the new Tula ammo other ammo also . Seems like the indentation is different. Sort of to shallow or rounded blunt.Not often. Took it to gunsmith. He couldn't get it to repeat of course i could when I got it home . Whats up. Jolly Green Chopper

Hello and welcome to the forum!

No fair not posting up photos of your SKS

Have you disassembled the bolt and thoroughly cleaned it recently? They can get pretty sticky if not regularly cleaned. Also, do you notice the problem more as you fire it more? Or is it pretty random? I assume at your LGS, he may have tried it just a few times, where you're firing it several times.

Again, welcome! And post up some photos

Is it a new to you SKS? Does it do it with any type ammo?

Have you ever cleaned the firing pin channel in the bolt. I would start there, pull the bolt, remove the firing pin and clean the channel. It could be full of gunk causing the light primer strikes. Just make sure you reinstall the pin correctly.


Welcome!!

I bet it is a dirty bolt problem also. The firing pin in these is free floating and are recommended to run without oil so they get pretty dirty inside the firing pin chamber. I have seen some that are full of rust and other crap. So when you are firing it the pin gets caught on the junk inside. Like Mn says you may need to take it apart and clean it. Anothe solution is to get a new firing pin with a spring on it from Murrys guns in texas. I have one on mine and i highly reccommend these and him also. I think if you google it his out fit will show up.

Has the trigger group been reworked with Wolf springs? If so, replace the hammer spring with an original. Wolf springs don't have the rate "umph".

Didn't Tula have some issues with primers last year. I know the answer to that question, actually, just can't remember the specifics. Something about quality control on their primers and being inconsistent. I believe some people were able to send back ammo from certain lots and have it replaced. I didn't really pay much attention as mine shot pretty well.

Drago wrote:Didn't Tula have some issues with primers last year. I know the answer to that question, actually, just can't remember the specifics. Something about quality control on their primers and being inconsistent. I believe some people were able to send back ammo from certain lots and have it replaced. I didn't really pay much attention as mine shot pretty well.

Yes Drago they certainly did have. I still have about 400 rounds of the Wolf crap left. Some have light strike, but others deep penetration in the very next
round. Some primers are so soft they pop. Then getting the bits of primer out of the bolt is a pain to have to do. I bought a case of 1000 rounds and
those primers range in hardness from correct, to super hard and don't fire the first time, to soft and deep indents, to punctured because of softness.
My M70 Mitchell AK does shoot them OK. None go into the 5 SKS rifles I have tried this lot on though!

Just gotta remember with the Russian ammo, it is all cheap priced and they have little to no real quality control. We simply may well get what we
pay for!