Per 
SCP-5718 as recovered by Foundation personnel in Panjshir, Afghanistan.
Item #: SCP-5718
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-5718 is to be kept in a standard containment cell located at Site-72. One (1) security camera displaying a live feed of SCP-5718’s cell is to be monitored at all times by a Technical Assistant with Level 2 clearance or above. Any abnormal behavior is to be logged and reported to Assistant Researcher Wainwright immediately.
Under no circumstances is SCP-5718 to be disturbed while in its “Active” state without previous Level 4 testing approval.
As of 12/04/2019, the interior glass panel used by Foundation personnel to monitor SCP-5718 during testing must be of Class-3 bullet-resistant composition. Insulting or otherwise degrading SCP-5718’s physical appearance is strictly prohibited (see attached incident report for additional information).
Description: SCP-5718 is a standard, Soviet-made SKS semi-automatic carbine manufactured at the Tula Arms Plant in 1953. Molecular testing conducted on SCP-5718 reveals no discernible differences in chemical composition compared to other carbines of its type. Despite its advanced age, SCP-5718 was found in a remarkably pristine condition when recovered by Foundation agents in Panjshir, Afghanistan in 2017.
Thus far, SCP-5718 has been observed displaying two distinct phases of activity, designated “Dormant” and “Active”. While in the “Dormant” phase, SCP-5718 remains inert and displays no apparent anomalous properties. SCP-5718 can be handled and fired during this period with no negative repercussions and otherwise behaves as if it were a normal rifle. Any non-anomalistic testing involving SCP-5718 shall take place during this time.
Anomalous properties manifest in SCP-5718 approximately every twenty-four (24) hours when it enters the “Active” phase. When this occurs, SCP-5718 will animate and begin to disassemble itself in a manner consistent with Cold War era Soviet Army instruction manuals. During this event, SCP-5718 will materialize a variety of equipment from an undetermined location and clean itself until all of its parts are completely devoid of any fouling. To date, the following items have been produced by SCP-5718 to aide itself during this process:
- One (1) cloth rag,
- One (1) oil canister of Soviet manufacture containing an unidentifiable liquid substance,
- One (1) ██████-branded 8-liter Ultrasonic weapons cleaner,
- Two (2) angled cleaning picks,
- One (1) new production polymer cleaning rod,
- Nine hundred and fifty-three (953) generic cotton cleaning patches,
- One (1) .30 caliber barrel brush with phosphor bronze bristles and polymer slotted tip,
- One (1) 11oz bottle of brake cleaner,
- One (1) ceramic vat filled with an unknown porous substance similar in composition to the volcanic debris found on the surface of Venus,
- Seven thousand one hundred and seventy-two (7172) generic "Q-tip" cotton swabs,
- and one (1) paperback copy of Soviet Field Manual FM-0992.
After a period of approximately ten minutes, SCP-5718 will then de-materialize this equipment and reassemble itself before returning to its dormant state. It appears that SCP-5718's primary directive is keeping itself in an extraordinarily immaculate physical condition. The cause of this obsessive behavior is still unknown.
Addendum 5718.1: If biological material comes into contact with any of SCP-5718’s parts during its active phase, SCP-5718 will violently attack the offending organism with its folding blade bayonet until all vital life functions cease. It will then return to and complete the cleaning process as usual. Contact with non-biological material induces mixed reactions from SCP-5718. Further testing pending administrative approval.
Addendum 5718.2: Incident Report-001
