Specifications
Weapon type:
Semi-automatic rifle
Weight:
3.85 kg
Calibre & Catrige:
7.62x39mm
Effective range:
400 m
Designed:
1944
Designer:
Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov
Number produced:
15.000.000
Action:
Short stroke gas piston, tilting bolt, self-loading
In service:
1945-present
Muzzle velocity:
735 m/s
Capacity:
10 rounds
The SKS is a Soviet semi-automatic carbine chambered for the 7.62—39mm round, designed in 1943 by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. Its complete designation, SKS-45, is an initialism for Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova, 1945. In the early 1950s, the Soviets took the SKS carbine out of front-line service and replaced it with the AK-47; however, the SKS remained in second-line service for decades. It is still used as a ceremonial firearm today.