SKS leaky gas tube.

[Jackson]

So I've got what i am told is a type-56 SKS, but it only has english numbering and no russian or chinese characters of any kind.

it is leaking from the end of the gas tube where it meets the gas block, and so it won't cycle.

It will cycle on a gas tube i pulled off another T56, and i have rigged up an o-ring and clamp that seems to be working so far, and it cycles beautifully on that.

my question is, is there anything i can do that's more elegant than this:

[racerguy00]

If you're worried about originality but another gas tube works I would just swap the tubes for shooting or buy another for this one and keep the leaky one in the safe with a tag on it so it doesn't get lost. That way it will stay with the rifle even though not attached to it. Nice bit of ingenuity to keep it up and running by the way.

[Greasemonkey]

Does it fit loosely on the gas block? How rough is the sealing surface on the gas block?

[Jackson]

Does it fit loosely on the gas block? How rough is the sealing surface on the gas block?

gasblock is clean, tube wobbles on the block, inside of the tube is pitted like mad on the first half inch.

[Greasemonkey]

If the tube is that bad, you could like was suggested replace the gas tube, due to gas erosion in the tube. This would be the easiest method.

Or, if you have a small tubing cutter, set it up like in the photo, make sure the cutter and tube are square, and slowly rotate and compress the sealing end of the tube. It's a trial and error, a little bit at a time type deal. Just go easy and slow, so not to distort the tube or excessively mar it up, tighten slightly and test fit the tube till it fits normal. Also, make sure the piston continues to move freely in and out of the tube when trying this.

I've fixed 2 eroded tubes like this, I can't and won't guarantee anything as your may or may not be worse than what I had, and I can't answer to how long they will last, but in my instances it did tighten up the sealing end of the tube on the gas block, and they both cycled normally afterward.

[rideandslidejim]

Love the out of the box thinking of both of you !!!!

[Jackson]

It's not a T56, it's a Yugo M59, apparently.

[Greasemonkey]

Model 59 or Type 56 or any other, they all follow the same basic design, just a different country of origin.

[Jackson]

Well yeah but a M59 is a little more desirable, you know?

I have another T56 and the stampings and serial number fonts don't match at all between them.

[Greasemonkey]

Yup I know all to well

"C" series or "B" series??

[Jackson]

Not sure how to tell.

[Greasemonkey]

It's the letter serial suffix, shown below are my "B" and "C" series. The "B" series are a very uncommon variant, the "C" series are what is typically found. They both are M59s, just one is more common than the other.

[Jackson]

This SKS has literally no letters of any kind. No characters, no letters, no stamps. Just highly precise numbering, not the angled and irregular stamping of a chinese (where each number looks like it was stamped individually) this looks like a clean, crisp, precise stamping.

Oddly:

The bolt carrier and magazine floorplate match. The trigger group and reciever match, but not with the bolt carrier or magazine, and the reciever and bolt don't match anything else on the rifle.

[Greasemonkey]

Can you post a photo of the left side of the receiver and the markings/serial? With no marks other than a string of 4,5,6 numbers, it sounds like a very early Sino-Soviet, these predate the /26\ stamp.

[Jackson]

The don't base anything on the stock that the 21408 rifle is sitting in; it was a chinese stock i had laying around while the glue on the one i got with it is drying.

[Greasemonkey]

Both are Type 56 Chinese, the one with 5 digits is a very early series Sino-Soviet just after China started up their own manufacturing. It would have been built at the Jianshe /26\ factory.

The "F" series serial was built sometime later, also known as a "Letter series", after they started using the factory /26\ stamp.

A mismatch of parts is fairly common in alot of the recent imports, especially with the later offerings as the matching, excellent ones were sold early in the game.

[Jackson]

okay, any idea why the stock that came with it doesn't fit? the front doesn't actually notch into the front plate, but all the replacements do.

[Greasemonkey]

Without photos of everything, I'm guessing.

It could be one stock is a modified Albanian and roughly fitted and very tight. I think a pressed fit barrel stock has a slightly different recoil lug location which can make fitting difficult on a threaded barrel. There are a few variables that can cause what you describe. Typically, most other blade bayonet variants will fit another blade variant, some may require just some slight fitting. You have to take out the Albanian, as it's longer overall than a standard stock. The pressed barrel Chinese have a slightly different action cutout to them as well.

[Jackson]

this stock is actually too short, the rear locking pin for the trigger group is tight against the back, but the front does not reach the plate attached to the barrel.

[Greasemonkey]

How much too short? 1/4 inch or so? A threaded barrel stock will fit on a pinned barrel action, but it will not work the other way around without work/fitting.