Replacement SKS gas valve opinions

budman93 · Feb 10, 2014

I have an M59/66 Yugo SKS that doesn't cycle reliably. I think that the problem is the gas valve. I found a few other threads that mentioned some makers. I am looking at three different ones.

CNCWarrior has one that is described as an exact replacement for $10 http://www.cncwarrior.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=20852

Numrich has one for $20 http://www.gunpartscorp.com/ad/842810.htm

Then there is this stainless one from Murray's that claims to improve reliability by being slightly over-sized. This one is $20 as well.
http://www.murraysguns.com/sks_gv.htm

Does anyone have any experience with the parts from any of these places? I am wondering if the stainless, over-sized one from Murray's would be a better choice than the basic $10 one. Their products have good reviews on their website.

wilcam47 · Feb 10, 2014

Did you check the gas tube to see if its messed up or clogged? Also dumb question... does it have the grenade launcher and is the selector in the right position?

MacGuns · Feb 10, 2014

wilcam47 said:
... does it have the grenade launcher and is the selector in the right position?

This was my thought as well. This happened to me at the range a couple of weeks ago and it took me about 15 minutes to finally remember to check that and that was the fix.

budman93 · Feb 10, 2014

wilcam47 said:
Did you check the gas tube to see if its messed up or clogged? Also dumb question... does it have the grenade launcher and is the selector in the right position?

Yes, the gas tube is fine and I know how the selector works. Typically what happens is it will cause some type of stovepipe or once in a while jam in the chamber. I have scrubbed the chamber out pretty good so I don't think that is the problem.

reverendbeer · Feb 10, 2014

I've never had anything but yeoman service from Numrich and Murray's.

budman93 said:
Does anyone have any experience with the parts from any of these places? I am wondering if the stainless, over-sized one from Murray's would be a better choice than the basic $10 one. Their products have good reviews on their website.

Rockchucker · Feb 10, 2014

reverendbeer said:
I've never had anything but yeoman service from Numrich and Murray's.

yeoman .....a petty officer in a navy ?

reverendbeer · Feb 10, 2014

Rockchucker said:
yeoman .....a petty officer in a navy ?

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yeoman's_service

Half-cocked · Feb 10, 2014

budman93 said:
Yes, the gas tube is fine and I know how the selector works. Typically what happens is it will cause some type of stovepipe or once in a while jam in the chamber. I have scrubbed the chamber out pretty good so I don't think that is the problem.

Did you field strip and check out the condition of the gas tube, piston, operating rod (piston extension) and all springs, too?

wilcam47 · Feb 10, 2014

Half-cocked said:
Did you field strip and check out the condition of the gas tube, piston, operating rod (piston extension) and all springs, too?

dont forget to clean the cosmoline out of the above parts too! Some people forget theres another plunger/spring underneath the rear sight that gets gummed up or has cosmoline in it that people dont clean out.

budman93 · Feb 10, 2014

Half-cocked said:
Did you field strip and check out the condition of the gas tube, piston, operating rod (piston extension) and all springs, too?

Everything has been off the gun except for the gas valve. When we got it originally I was not aware it could come out so easily. The gun is in pretty good shape overall but if you look at the valve with the gas tube off it is clearly corroded. I am at school right now so when I go home next I'll take it off and take a closer look at it but I am 95% sure that is the problem.

Rockchucker · Feb 10, 2014

I would have described Numrich gun parts as bumbling.
They are known for sending the wrong part ...over and over.

reverendbeer · Feb 10, 2014

Rockchucker said:
I would have described Numrich gun parts as bumbling.
They are known for sending the wrong part ...over and over.

Never had that happen to me.

EDIT: out of at least 40 parts ordered...

budman93 · Feb 10, 2014

Rockchucker said:
I would have described Numrich gun parts as bumbling.
They are known for sending the wrong part ...over and over.

I have ordered from them before. The parts were correct but shipping was ridiculous. The parts were small and light enough to be sent in a standard envelope with no extra postage and they charged me 10 bucks for it.

budman93 · Feb 10, 2014

reverendbeer said:
I've never had anything but yeoman service from Numrich and Murray's.

So ReverendBeer, You have had a good experience with Murray's just not with this particular part? I am leaning towards getting the stainless one from them but I had never heard of them and didn't know if they were reputable.

wilcam47 · Feb 10, 2014

budman93 said:
Yes, the gas tube is fine and I know how the selector works. Typically what happens is it will cause some type of stovepipe or once in a while jam in the chamber. I have scrubbed the chamber out pretty good so I don't think that is the problem.

are you using steel or brass ammo? also is the bolt closing all the way or getting hung up before locking?

budman93 · Feb 10, 2014

wilcam47 said:
are you using steel or brass ammo? also is the bolt closing all the way or getting hung up before locking?

steel ammo. It always feeds perfectly if it can get the bolt back far enough to eject the spent shell. I have never had it hang up when chambering a fresh round. I have thought previously that the steel ammo might have been the problem but there doesn't appear to be any pitting in the chamber and I have cleaned it really well to make sure there was no hardened cosmoline causing it to hang up.

iH8DemLibz · Feb 10, 2014

Did you clean the small hole that leads from the valve housing to the barrel?

What you are describing (Extraction/Ejection) could also be caused by gunk/crud in the recoil spring or dirt or cosmo inside the receiver cover.

Have you tried different ammo?

Also check the spring and piston under/inside the rear sight assembly.

budman93 · Feb 10, 2014

iH8DemLibz said:
Did you clean the small hole that leads from the valve housing to the barrel?

What you are describing (Extraction/Ejection) could also be caused by gunk/crud in the recoil spring or dirt or cosmo inside the receiver cover.

Have you tried different ammo?

Also check the spring and piston under the rear sight.

Everything has been off the rifle and thoroughly cleaned except for the gas valve. From what can be seen it looks to be pretty corroded from Yugo military ammo. I am going to remove it and get a better look when I am home next but I am fairly certain that is the problem. That's why I am trying to find out if anyone has tried any of these parts with success. It is possible that the port may just be gunked up but the valve will very likely be heavily pitted.

wilcam47 · Feb 10, 2014

budman93 said:
Everything has been off the rifle and thoroughly cleaned except for the gas valve. From what can be seen it looks to be pretty corroded from Yugo military ammo. I am going to remove it and get a better look when I am home next but I am fairly certain that is the problem. That's why I am trying to find out if anyone has tried any of these parts with success. It is possible that the port may just be gunked up but the valve will very likely be heavily pitted.

Dont take personal but is the recoil spring installed correctly? Sometimes they can get installed the wrong way...

We are all just trying to help diagnose the problem.

budman93 · Feb 10, 2014

wilcam47 said:
Dont take personal but is the recoil spring installed correctly? Sometimes they can get installed the wrong way...

Yes it is.

Replacement SKS gas valve opinions

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