SKS 17.2" Cleaning Rod

Yep it's an NCstar cleaning rod. Arrives in NCstar package. That's fine.Yep the tip will pop off with your fingers easily. Not a big deal to me as I'll find a way to secure it by peening/staking it, glueing with epoxy or loctite, or just stick a tiny ring on there as someone else mentioned. It's a reasonable task given the price of the item and that original milspec rods are hard to find and expensive.The fit is pretty loose - All SKS's are different. They're a mass produced thing and there's variations and tolerances. On my Norinco it's loose and doesn't thread in like you'd suspect (like on a Mosin Nagant). I had to bend the rod a little to give it some "spring" tension to sit in the hole/holders/slot less loosely. I imagine I'll add a rubber grommet to the bayo lug to tighten it up, but until then it's okay. Would I take it into battle rattling around and loose? No. But taking to the range occasionally it's fine.Overall I'm happy. The finish is right and it gives the rifle a more complete look. Arrived in about 12 hours too, so that's nice.

This product fit perfectly in my Norinco Type 56 SKS.Yes, some previous buyers have noted that the head of the cleaning rod can pop off. But if you look at their photos, you can see the tip and rod both have a hole thru them. Simple fix? Add a small key ring. Boom, problem solved. Tip/cap cannot pop off and get lost, I can still fold out my bayonet.That being said, the cleaning rod I got was perfect: Zero rust, no bend was very straight, very sturdy cap/tip that I could not get to fall off and was tight to get into the rifle. Not a sloppy fit at all. I only added the key ring for added retention.Lets be honest, most of us are buying these rods to complete the look of the rifle. Very few of us are using the rods and cleaning kits to clean these SKS as we have better cleaning kits already, right? So for that purpose and the fact that Norinco SKS cleaning kits and rods (actual ones) are sometimes hard to find.. THIS is a great solution.As a fairly experienced collector, trust me.. this works and it’ll complete the sks look you want. Just buy it.

As others have already said, product came in Ncstar package. Haven’t shot with the part in the gun yet so we will see about the head popping off like some people said. But it fit fine and looks good which is all I really want, this gun isn’t going to see a lot of use and is more of a collectors piece at this point.

Ordered for my KUSA KR-103, as I cut my factory one 1/16" short when trying to "custom" fit with my rail system, so I went out on a limb with all the negative reviews on this one, and they are 100% accurate! The rod end out the the package was rusted so I stayed some WD-40 on it and grabbed a rag. As I placed the rag around the rod end to clean up, within a few seconds of rotating the rod in the rag, the rod end fell right off! Easy fix (drop a piece of solder in the rod end cap, place the rod end back in the rod end cap, and sit the soldering iron on the outside of the rod end and apply firm pressure until the solder melts down. Its in like a rock now but the rod is also WAY thicker in diameter than the factory lugs on my KUSA KR-103! Rod won't even fit, even after cutting it to the proper length! Pass on this product or at least be prepared to solder the rod end cap back on!

I would have given this five stars, but the small end piece is not attached well and comes off, and it is easy to lose. If you lose it, the rod cannot be kept on.I used a little epoxy to glue it on permanently and seemed to work.Perfect fit for 1971 Chinese 56 SKS!

It works but oversized on the end, and looks kind of awkward.

Completed the rifle and fit as needed.

Fit perfectly haven’t shot it with it on yet. But it fit nice and snug.