SKS Carbine

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 16:30 Written by Administrator Thursday, 02 July 2009 16:15

The SKS Carbine is a semi-automatic rifle of Soviet design. SKS stands for “Samozaryadniy Karabin sistemi Simonova” which means self-loading rifle, Simonov’s system.

The Soviet forces captured a large amount of 7.62mm ammunition from Germany during the Second World War. The SKS carbine was designed in 1945 to utilize the ammunition.

The SKS was a conventional short rifle. It used a 10-round internal box magazine as its feed system. The rifle was capable of firing in semi-automatic mode only. Subsequently, the SKS was replaced by the AK-47 and its variants and didn’t find approval with the Soviet forces.

The SKS Carbine had a range of 400 meters which is sufficient for close-quarter combat. The gun also featured a foldable bayonet. When compared to the AK-47, the SKS was obviously an inferior weapon. However, its construction was very robust and ensured that the Carbine would function even in the worst field conditions.

Despite the lack of interest on the part of the Soviet Union, many countries adopted the SKS Carbine. Today, the SKS is used only as a ceremonial weapon.

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