Simonov SKS (Samozaryadniy Karabin sistemi Simonova)

Semi-Automatic, Self-Loading Carbine

Soviet Union | 1945

"Approximately 15,000,000 SKS rifles have been produced."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/15/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Right side view of an SKS rifle on display.

The Soviet-produced SKS, or the Samozaryadniy Karabin sistemi Simonova, was the design of Sergei Gavrilovish Simonov and is sometimes designated as the Simonov SKS. The system is a simple self-loading, short-stroke gas piston-operated, tilting bolt weapon and fires the 7.62x39mm M1943 rifle round.

The SKS was, in fact, the first Soviet weapon to be manufactured after the acceptance of the 7.62x39mm M1943 round, also referred to as an 'intermediate' cartridge. Many assume that the development of this round stemmed directly from experimentation and research of captured German MP44 guns from the Second World War - which utilized a similar 'short' round in the form of the 7.92mm.

The SKS system, in itself, is a basic weapon system with very little flair. It is a robust and well-constructed weapon that has been found to be easy to operate, though some have questioned the weight of the weapon for such a small round. The 7.62mm round can be box-fed from a standard 10-round magazine or fed by hand in single round loading. An integrated bayonet system is attached via a hinged connection underneath the barrel and can be folded out or stored at the user's discretion. Well-though out construction means that the weapon can be field-stripped in a short amount of time as well, either for repair, replacement of parts or for cleaning.

Produced in large numbers in the Soviet Union and for its satellite states, the SKS ensured itself a place in firearms history. To date, the SKS has become an increasingly popular weapon for sport or self-defense in the United States, where it is classified as an antique relic and thusly can be sold with most of the military accessories intact. The 10-round capacity of the weapon in some areas is increased to 30 rounds via secondary market magazines and slight modification to the system.

The SKS has also been produced by Yugoslavia as the M59, in China as the Type 56, in North Korea as the Type 63 and in former East Germany as the Karabiner-S, all maintaining the basic components of the base Soviet SKS.

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Physical
The physical qualities of the Simonov SKS (Samozaryadniy Karabin sistemi Simonova). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,021 mm
40.20 in
O/A Length

521 mm
20.51 in
Barrel Length

8.51 lb
3.86 kg
Weight

Self-Loading Short-Stroke Gas Piston
Action

7.62x39mm M1943
Caliber(s)

10-Round Internal Box Magazine; 10-Round Stripper Clip; Individual Loading
Feed

Tangent Rear Notch; Hooded Front Post.
Sights

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Simonov SKS (Samozaryadniy Karabin sistemi Simonova). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,312 ft
399.9 m | 437.3 yds
Max.Eff.Range

2,410 ft/sec
735 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Simonov SKS (Samozaryadniy Karabin sistemi Simonova) Semi-Automatic, Self-Loading Carbine family line.

SKS - Base Russian Production Model.

Type 56 - Chinese Production Model.

Type 63 - North Korean Production Model.

Karabiner-S - East Germany Production Model.

ksS - Polish Refurbished Soviet Models.

PAP M59 - Yugoslavian Production Model.

PAP M59/66 - Compatible with 22mm grenade launcher.

LKP-66 - Hunting Rifle by Zastava Arms.

July 10 Rifle - Albanian Production Model.

Type 1 - Vietnamese Production Model.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Simonov SKS (Samozaryadniy Karabin sistemi Simonova). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): State Factories - Soviet Union

[ Aden; Afghanistan; China; Congo; East Germany; Egypt; Indonesia; Iraq; Laos; Lebanon; Mongolia; Morocco; North Korea; Oman; Poland; Russia; Soviet Unionl; Sudan; Ukraine; United States; Yemen; Yugoslavia ]

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Image of the Simonov SKS (Samozaryadniy Karabin sistemi Simonova)

Right side view of an SKS rifle on display.

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SKS rifles are collected during raids in Iraq to be made inoperable

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Right side view of the SKS rifle.

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Right side view of the SKS rifle.

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Close-up view of the SKS rifle receiver showing a damaged bolt system; purposely made inoperable

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Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to requirements.

AUTOMATIC FUNCTION

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Going Further...
The Simonov SKS (Samozaryadniy Karabin sistemi Simonova) Semi-Automatic, Self-Loading Carbine appears in the following collections:

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