r/canadaguns • u/Exact_Bite5909 • Apr 16 '26
Fix my gun Is this really bad for an SKS
My buddy's dad is selling me his Russian SKS and I seen that there was a piece missing here. Should I replace it or is it ok to use?
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u/Mirin_Gains Apr 16 '26
Whew, guess that dust cover was made at 4:59pm before a Soviet long weekend. But it doesn't do anything functional.
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u/Brandon_awarea Apr 16 '26
That spot is just where they made the cut from factory. It’s uneven because the bolt handle has to pass into that area
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u/mrelephantman1 Apr 16 '26
I mean do you see where it has 1953 stamped on it? It was made over 75 years ago lmfao I wouldn't worry about it.
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u/CanadaFootyFan Apr 16 '26
Don’t want to make a separate post so am going to piggyback on this one.
I have learned about the issues of overheated barrels and the need to let them cool down at the range for accuracy. And yet the SKS seems to eat ammo and pound out shot after shot in rapid succession without any similar concern. Is there an upper limit to how many shots you can safely take with an SKS before this becomes an issue - whether re safety or accuracy.
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u/Remzy111 Apr 16 '26
A couple of years back at the range i shot maybe 200 or 300 round 60s chinese corrisive ammo to test and for fun, the accuracy was stil ok at the end and the issue was it had trouble cycling, cases were getting stuck alot more frequently when ejecting at the end because the gun was getting filthy.
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u/CollectibleHam Apr 16 '26
After a hundred rounds in quick succession the cosmoline in the stock will start to smolder and it might be hard to see the target through the billowing clouds of smoke, so maybe that's a safety concern?
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u/Happy_Sea4257 Apr 17 '26
from personal experience it's more than a full can of 750 rounds in like half an hr, passing it back and forth between three people with strippers loaded, could not see the front sight at times because of the smoke. Was still hitting an 8" plate at 100m, but you had to weave the rifle around a bit to get a clear sight picture momentarily.
That rifle ate a couple more cases in the years since without any apparent issues, it actually improved the appearance since the shellac on the handguard was really flakey, and the the heat and cosmo oozing.
It then got sold on gunpost (not be me, not my rifle) with an approximate round count (over 5k) disclosed but I don't believe that incident. Keep in mind if you buy anything on there. >_>
Accuracy should have suffered but didn't noticeably.
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u/Final-Garage3326 Apr 16 '26
Its toast, please send me the whole rifle so I can safely dispose of this, thank you
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u/LordRaizer Apr 16 '26
That is how they all look, even mine
I am assuming it's so the bolt doesn't slam into the dust cover
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u/Motor_Historian2634 Apr 16 '26
It will be fine im pretty sure my buddies dust cover looks like that.
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u/Whispersfine Apr 16 '26
It’s fine. If you come across any parts replacing this should cost you maybe 50 bucks
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u/Upbeat_Algae1145 Apr 16 '26
The sks still shoot fine without the dust cover.. you are good to go, have some fun 😊
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u/Gunpowder- Apr 18 '26
Yeah its fine, just dont pay him a lot for it.
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u/Uncle_Ted_1942 Apr 22 '26
I always thought it was supposed to look like that. I’ve never seen one different in the 8 or so I’ve handled
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u/Eat_Cantaloupe_ Apr 16 '26
This is an SKS, SKS does not care if the dust cover is chipped. SKS does not care if you feed it hundreds of rounds of shit corrosive ammo from the 70s. SKS will outlive your Toyota Carolla