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Work order — SKS

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: high.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

55 numbered parts (American Rifleman legend). The trigger group is the trap: the hammer is under heavy spring pressure and has to be levered out with a bar in a padded vise, and the group is hard to refit into the stock. There is no timing, and the rest goes together in order. 71 parts (complete SKS (Type 56 / Simonov 7.62x39mm autoloading carbine) per the Gun Digest exploded drawing legend, keys 1-71: gas system, receiver and barrel, bolt group, trigger group, fixed magazine with fo). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~40 min, rebuild ~60 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• padded vise — Holding the trigger guard
• metal bar — Forcing the hammer out
• SKS front sight tool — If the front sight is adjusted

Watch for:

• Stripping the trigger guard means releasing a heavily sprung hammer and forcing it out with a metal bar in a padded vise. (disassembly; American Rifleman (NRA))
• The trigger group has to hook its two front pins into the magazine notches, then be forced into the stock against a stiff catch. (reassembly; American Rifleman (NRA))
• The firing pin has no spring. Any preservative grease left in its channel after refinishing can let it stick forward and fire as the bolt closes. (reassembly; American Rifleman (NRA))

Tools

• Cleaning kit tool from the buttstock trap — The issued combination tool handles most disassembly needs.

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Rotate the safety lever down to the fire position so the bolt can travel fully.
3. Pull the bolt fully to the rear and lock it back on the bolt hold-open.
4. Press the magazine floorplate latch at the rear of the magazine and swing the floorplate down to dump any rounds from the fixed magazine.
   Tip: On a detachable-magazine variant, remove the magazine instead.
5. Inspect the chamber and the magazine with a light, then physically confirm the chamber is empty.
6. Close the floorplate, ease the bolt forward, and remove all ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure.
2. Rotate the receiver cover retaining pin lever on the right rear of the receiver upward 90 degrees, then pull the pin out to the right.
3. Pull the receiver cover rearward and lift it off.
   Warning: The recoil spring assembly is under compression behind it. Keep a hand over the rear of the receiver.
4. Withdraw the recoil spring assembly from the bolt carrier.
5. Pull the bolt carrier and bolt fully to the rear and lift them up and out of the receiver.
6. Separate the bolt from the carrier by sliding it forward and out.
7. Rotate the gas tube lever on the right side of the rear sight base upward, then lift the gas tube and upper handguard up and off.
8. Withdraw the gas piston from the gas tube.
9. To remove the trigger group, press the trigger group latch at the rear of the trigger guard and lift the assembly out of the stock.
   Tip: The safety must be in the fire position.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

No manufacturer statement of materials or finish is recorded. Identify each part's material before choosing prep and cure.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Install the trigger group by hooking its front into the receiver and pressing the rear up until the latch engages.
2. Insert the gas piston into the gas tube, then set the gas tube and handguard onto the barrel and rotate the lever down to lock.
3. Fit the bolt into the carrier, then set the assembly into the receiver rails and slide it forward.
4. Insert the recoil spring assembly into the bolt carrier and seat its rear end in the receiver.
5. Slide the receiver cover on from the rear, press it down, and insert the retaining pin, rotating its lever down to lock.
   Warning: Confirm the pin lever is rotated fully down. A loose cover can come off under recoil.
6. Cycle the action several times and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Fit or check on rebuild

• Firing pin moves freely (no grease) — There is no firing pin spring, and a stuck pin can fire as the bolt closes.
• Function check (safety, trigger reset, feeding, extraction) — Standard after any detail strip. No single source.
• Re-zero sights or scope — Sights and optics come off for coating, and point of impact must be re-confirmed. This is a standard check, so no source.

6. Function check

• Verify the rifle is unloaded, chamber and magazine, before each step.
• Shake the assembled bolt before installing it — the firing pin must rattle freely.
• Cycle the bolt by hand and confirm it locks and returns to battery.
• With the safety engaged, press the trigger. Nothing should happen.
• Disengage the safety, cycle the bolt, and press the trigger. The hammer should fall.
• Confirm the bolt hold-open engages on an empty magazine.
• Confirm the magazine floorplate latches securely closed.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. 7.62mm Simonov Self-Loading Carbine (SKS) Operator's Manual — USSR Ministry of Defence primary
2. Small Arms Identification and Operation Guide — Eurasian Communist Countries — U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency secondary
3. Exploded View: SKS Carbine — American Rifleman (NRA) secondary
   https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/exploded-view-sks-carbine/
4. The Gun Digest Book of Exploded Gun Drawings (975 isometric views) — '7.62x39mm Autoloading Carbine' (SKS) — Gun Digest Books / Krause Publications (scan on archive.org) secondary
   https://archive.org/download/the-book-of-exploded-gun-drawings-975-isometric-views/The%20Book%20of%20Exploded%20Gun%20Drawings%20-%20975%20Isometric%20Views.pdf

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.