|
|
Updated 1/27/02 -DS OVERVIEW: It's astounding, the number of Simonov variants. Sometimes the differences are subtle, but they're there. The following listing is arranged by country of origin and date of manufacture. Special thank you to DAVID LANZ for sending me a videotape of his two Chinese Type 56's. I was able to create most of the comparison photos on this page from the footage of his wonderfully maintained carbines on that tape.
The Russian SKS-45
There is not much to say about these that isn't covered in the UBERFaq SKS IDENTIFICATION or RUSSIAN REFURBISHING section. The only real production variations I've seen or heard of when it comes to the Russian SKS is the '49 model SKS and the Honor Guard model.
It isn't really a variant per se, but collectors can make an important distinction between rearsenaled and pristine Russians. Laminated stocks are both popular and beautiful, but they are a sure sign of a rearsenaled Simonov. More about distinguishing Russian rearsenaling can be found in the UBERFaq under RUSSIAN REFURBISHING.
EARLY RUSSIAN SIMONOVS: '49-'51 Tula
The 1949-51 Tula saw a short production run as the design was immediately upgraded in mid '51. Some 1951 Tula's are the old style, some new. These early SKS's had a spike bayonet, slightly different stock shape, a return spring around the firing pin to prevent slamfires, and the gas block was squared off. Diagrams of the firing pin types can be found in the UBERFaq FIRING PIN section.
Left: The differences in bayonet channels and stock shapes. Early on right. Middle: This stamp shows it was made in Tula in 1949 and refurbished later. Right: Close-up of a squared gas block.
SOVIET HONOR GUARDThere is one cosmetic variation that was formally introduced by the Russians on a limited basis. The Soviet honor guard carries completely chrome SKS with a light colored stock for ceremonial purposes. Actually, it appears that the receiver, dust cover, rear sight assembly, and magazine are parkerized in a chrome hue, but all other parts are chrome plated. I've seen one parade picture and can just kill myself that I didn't get a scan of it. I have heard several reports of 100% chromed out Simonovs on forum postings by their confused owners. They were never really exported in any great numbers, but several have found their way over to the U.S.
MOTLEY'S RUSSIAN HONOR GUARD SKS
The Chinese Type 56 Carbine(M21, Type 63, Type 68, Type 84)
The Chinese took tweaking the Simonov design to a whole other level. They couldn't tweak it enough. Not only that, but when they had a process down, they changed it. This led to the same rifle from the same factory appearing slightly different over time. HOWARD BEARSE has long studied these subtle changes. He sent me many photos showing his OBSERVATIONS for us to study.
TYPE 56: This is the military designation given to the Chinese made Simonov. It's the generic name for the SKS so these could be ex-military or carbines made specifically for export. They are many sub-varieties and subtle differences that fall under the 56 umbrella. Every Chinese SKS you see is a Type 56. The Type 56 can be found with two different barrel styles: threaded and press fit. More can be learned about threaded and pinned barrels in the UBERFaq section about BARRELS. There are three different major manufacturing techniques when it comes to Type 56's.
PARTIALLY STAMPED: To shorten manufacture time and cut costs, many milled components were made from stamped metal. The trigger group, the gas tube, and on super rare occasions the receiver cover are made from thick sheet metal.
COMPLETELY STAMPED: One day the Chinese realized they could cut more corners and make the SKS a little lighter by stamping the receiver as well as the trigger and gas tube. I have only seen or heard of stamped SKS's coming from the factory with the stamp Rectangle 0138. Click the link to go to the STAMPED RECEIVER page.
CHINESE HONOR GUARD
A honor guard Type 56 carbine with accessories and authenticity papers from Norinco. Now these are some sharp looking Type-56's. From the photos I've seen from a couple of different sources, apparently everything but the receiver, rear sight assembly, and from sight assembly is chromed. I can only assume the bayonet was chromed, but the sliding locking mechanism at the base of the bayonet was probably black. Even the butt plate, trigger, and safety lever is chrome plated. The wood has a high sheen because it is sealed with some sort of clear coat laminate or lacquer.
I don't know the exact translation of the two characters, but the Chinese people I've shown these symbols to claim the Chinese security forces were some very unpleasant, nasty people to deal with. The impression I got was nothing short of Nazi SS. People would be picked up by these men and never seen again type thing.
The markings indicate these Type-56 carbines were issued by the government for exclusive use by this organization.
TYPE 63: If a Type 56 and an AK-47 were to have offspring, this would be the result. Although the outside looks like a SKS, the inside has a rotary bolt and detachable magazine like the AK. The trigger group is select fire and the gas block has a gas regulating knob protruding from the front of the gas block running parallel to the barrel. This regulator adjusted to tune the action in rapid fire mode. It was made with both wooden and tan plastic stocks. Occasionally, one of the tan gas tube covers will make it onto a Type 56 during a repair and got shipped to the US. A few of the select fire trigger groups also made their way into this country, but if you don't have a Class III FFL they are illegal to own in the US.
TYPE 68: The Type 63 with a sheet metal receiver.
TYPE 73: An enhanced Type 68.
TYPE 81: The Type 73 with 3 round burst capability. Folding stock varieties are known as Type 81-1.
TYPE 84: This is a semi-auto Type 56 carbine which was modified to accept AK-47 magazines. The stock is exactly like one found on standard Type 56 carbines only the magazine well has a steel sleeve and is enlarged accept the larger magazine. Where the charging handle meets the bolt carrier's body, there is a small, round plunger style button that slightly protrudes from the top. Depressing the plunger with the handle all the way back locks the bolt in the rearward position for ease of magazine replacement. The barrel is also shortened to Paratrooper lengths. This is the only 16" SKS barrel I know of to ever see Chinese military use. I've only ever seen one of these and the quality was above average for a Chinese Simonov.
The Sino-Soviet
Since these rifles are a hybrid of Soviet and Chinese, they defy any real classification as either. It's extremely hard to convince someone their rifle is Chinese when it has a Russian sight leaf and serial numbering system yet it also has the factory stamp and the Chinese "Type 56" characters on it as well. In my opinion, it's just easier to give them their own classification which helps keep the Chinese and Russian definitions clear. For example, what is anyone supposed to make of this oddball serial number pictured right?
More can be learned about the Sino-Soviet relationship on this site's SKS COLD WAR HISTORY page and KIRBY SANDERS' The Sino-Soviet Secret web page.
COMMERCIAL VARIANTS
Many commercially sold Chinese SKS started life as military versions but were changed to make them more commercially appealing on the US market. When the Chinese shifted production from military to commercial, several manufacturing techniques were changed to faster, more efficient methods. The wood went from dark hardwood to soft, blonde wood. The bayonet went from Soviet style blade to cruciform spike style. Then to further speed production, the bayonet retaining bolt was replaced with a rivet. More and more parts were made from stamped metal as opposed to milling them from blocks of steel.
EXAMPLE OF A RIVET ATTACHED BAYONET
M21: This is simply a generic name given to non-military Chinese Type 56 Carbines slated for export. These could be ex-military or 56's made specifically for export. They are no different than any other standard Chinese.
Cowboy's Companion: This is a very well known commercial variant. It has a shorter 16.5" paratrooper style barrel, scope rail, standard 10 round magazine, and It's my opinion that the Companion has no bayonet lug. Poyer's book says yes, there is a lug and a bayonet, Long's says no there isn't. I have never seen one with a bayonet, so who's right? Maybe it's a mixed bag, who knows with the Chinese. It would make sense if there was not a lug because if these were really made with the rancher vs. varmints in mind, a bayonet lug would get constantly caught up in a saddle rifle holster.
Hunter: Now this was one feature filled offering! It came standard with an ambidextrous safety, windage adjustable rear sight, and sling swivels. The bolt carrier was notched and the front sight hood was removed for a better field of view. A sling swivel was installed on the back rear of the stock and one in the place of the cleaning rod in the front of the stock. Because this is a hunting variant, the magazine capacity was lowered to 5 rounds, making it legal for use in all states.
Shapshooter: A standard Type 56 with the factory scope rail attached.
Sporter: These are standard Type 56's with a synthetic stock and the bayonet lug neatly milled off. Some have Choate ventilated pistol gripped stocks and some have black Butler Creek Monte Carlo stocks. The term "Sportster" is a sort of catch all for Chinese SKS's that have been modified. I see the word stamped on Monte Carlo SKS's as much as I see it stamped on SKS D's. The only consistent about "Sportsters" is that they are Chinese SKS's (military and commercial models) that have been modified to make them more commercially appealing.
CHINESE COMMERCIAL VARIANTS
THE MYSTERIOUS CHINESE SCOPE RAIL You have no idea how many mails I get requesting information about purchasing the Chinese scope mount that fits the rail on many commercial variants. Both books I've read call it a Type 89 telescopic sight or BZM-1. These names probably refers more to the scope used than the mount's name. Telescopic sight implies little if any magnification, 4x at best. Nowadays, that seems 4x is nothing, but Russian and Finnish snipers were horrifying accurate with their Mosin Nagants during WWII.
The Chinese intensions were to create as many scope arms as they did the preinstalled base plate found on their commercial Type 56's and other firearms. Then the U.S. banned the importation of these rifles from the China. They saw their market dry up and stopped production of the mount's bracket. There are probably thousands more scope rails then there are mounts. I hear of them now and again, but I've only ever seen one or two at gun shows attached to rifles. I've never seen one sold separately, since there is no reason to take it off the rifle once it's on. Navy Arms used to sell them, but they have been out for years now. I don't really know if there's really a name for it so I usually ask about the "SKS Cowboy Companion" scope mount or Type 89 mount and people generally know what I'm talking about.
The RomanianThese are extremely new to the U.S. market and little is known about them. There is only one known configuration of these quite worn but high quality Romanian SKS's which may still be in official use in Romania to this day. Until the floodgate was opened, collectors believed the triangle with the arrow arsenal mark was of Chinese origin since the firing pin is so similar to Far East SKS types. Poyer's book describes the surprise collectors experienced when these firearms suddenly appeared on the U.S. market as the Romanian government flat out denied for years they were ever produced.
The YugoslavianPluautomatiska Puska M59/66
The Yugoslav's made two types of Simonov based carbines, both of which are considered to be of exceptionally high quality. They started in 1959 with a rifle more or less identical to the Russian SKS-45. Seven years later, in 1966, the M66 started finding their way out of the factories. The M66's most obvious feature is the compensator looking grenade launcher fitting on the barrel. Other differences include a gas cutoff valve on gas block, a folding front sight ladder, and night sights.
Three features unique to the M59/66.
This is what the grenade launching cartridge looks like. The grenade launcher is made to U.S. standards, so any rifle launched U.S. ordinance designed for the M-1 or similar firearms will work with Yugoslavian M66's. To launch a grenade from this weapon, the soldier would empty all conventional ammunition out of the rifle and replace it with special grenade launching blanks. It was imperative that soldiers did not use conventional ammunition when trying to launch grenades for obvious reasons. Next, the gas flow cutoff valve must be manipulated. This converts the rifle from semi-automatic mode to straight-pull mode. As we know, it is the gas which is ported from the barrel which causes the action on most semi-automatic rifles to cycle. Have you ever had a garden hose with a small leak in it? When one pinches off the hose or places their thumb over the end of it to increase water pressure, that increased back pressure also causes the small leak to jet out twice as far. The same effect will happen by placing a grenade on the muzzle; more back pressure is created. Without the cut-off valve, this increased back pressure would slam the operating rods and bolt assembly into the back of the receiver causing untold damage to the firearm. The grenade launching sight ladder cannot be lifted until the gas cutoff is in the grenade launching position. This is a clever convention as it reminds the operator to change modes in the heat of battle when an adrenaline clouded mind may prevent one from thinking too clearly. After the mode is set, the sight ladder that is affixed to the front sight is lifted. The sight ladder becomes the new rear sight for ballistic use. In some models, the actual rear sight has a night sights. The forward night sight is too large for daytime use, so on night sight models the front sight is collapsible. Lastly, the ordinance is placed on the muzzle and fired. There is a retaining ring at the bottom of the grenade launching adapter that suggests that Yugoslavian ordinance has a slightly longer sleeve which will secure the projectile if the muzzle is pointed downward or the operator were to run with the weapon. U.S. made ordinance cannot engage this retaining ring.
The grenade adapter is made to U.S. standards. I have never seen an actual M59, but I've read data sheets about them in several firearms identification books. Yugoslavian SKS's were added to the C&R list, so they suddenly became available for import to the U.S. in large numbers in late 2001 and early 2002. They can be found in a variety of conditions and configurations. By configuration I mean some have two different types of night sights, some have no night sights. I'm sure there are other minor variations such as this as well. More info as it comes in, as we're just now able to study these firearms. An interesting aspect to these that I've noticed is that the soldiers who previously utilized these firearms have carved their names into many that I've seen.
Duncan Long's book, The SKS - 45 Type Carbines, describes how Chinese military support found it's way to Ethiopia. Well, apparently Yugoslavian military support went there and to Somalia as well. Photographs were found in the December, 2000 National Geographic depicting Somalian tribesmen. Furthermore, the NATO site shows Bosnian soldiers holding some EXTREMELY well maintained 59/66's. Go to the BATTLE HISTORY section to see the full blown photos. In one of the photos it's hard to even see that the rifle is an SKS, but when you crop, rotate, and compare, it just leaps out at you.
The AlbanianThese rifles are so new to the U.S. that nobody knows much about them. It's not even 100% certain the Albanians were even the ones who manufactured them, although they may have used them and are exporting them today.
Photo taken from The Guns Network forum.
These rifles are another unique variant of the basic Simonov design. The stock and hand guard on the gas tube is longer, going all the way to the gas block. Also, the charging handle is more like that of an AK-47 than an SKS. Also, there are two holes in the butt plate, not one. That's all we really know for now.
The East German Karabiner-SLittle is known about these SKS or their variants, if any since these were never exported to America. Some found their way into the Vietnam conflict and returned with our hero soldiers as war trophies, but that's about all that will be found. They are extremely rare and HOWIE is the only person I've ever known to own one. The North Korean Type 63The Vietnamese SKSAgain, little is known about these SKS or their variants, if any, since these were never exported to America. Some found their way into the Vietnam conflict and returned with our hero soldiers as war trophies, but that's about all that will be found. They are extremely rare and HOWIE is the only person I've ever known either to own one.
|
|
Simonov.net is written
and operated by David Sutherland.
All contents are © Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005. |
MILLED: More or less
every part of this rifle was made using the milling technique of machining.
When the Soviets stopped producing
the SKS-45, they gave the technology to the Chinese. Many Russian weapons
builders temporarily relocated to China to teach them how to build the SKS from
approx 1955 to 1957. The Russians brought with them truckloads of parts,
tools, and know how. The first Chinese (Sino) and Russian (Soviet)
collaborated rifles started rolling off the assembly line in 1956. For
years many of these early Chinese Simonov's had Russian NOS parts mixed in with
the new Chinese made ones. These rifles have confounded SKS aficionado's
for ages as they defy everything you expect to see in a SKS. DAVID
LANZ's videotape depicts a Sino-Soviet SKS with a very odd character
predicating the serial number. It's not even close to any Cyrillic or
Western characters and looks like nothing short of a upside down Soviet
sickle. One telltale numbering scheme for Sino Soviet carbines is a letter
followed by four numbers. Serial numbers of less than one million are
thought to be of 1956 production, the year of Soviet / Chinese
collaboration. 
Model D or M: It's
commonly believed the "D" stands for detachable or "M" for magazine, as in detachable
AK-47 magazine. These are sometimes referred to as "Sportsters", more on
that in the Sportster section below. These came in a variety of different stocks, some better
than others. Some include Monte Carlo, Thumbhole, and piece of scrap 2x4 lumber. The
technique for converting a fixed magazine SKS to a magazine fed SKS was
perfected by Midwest Ordinance. They invited representatives from China
Jin An to the US to learn the process and before long, they started making the D
model in China. The Thumbhole pictured right looks better in this picture
than they look in real life. I think someone carved away the back part of
the thumbhole section to make for a smoother, more graceful look. Most
simply have a roundish hole with hard edges. 
Paratrooper: A sleekly modified version of
the SKS who's prominent feature is a shortened barrel. Although it
has a military sounding name, this type of
SKS is strictly commercial and was never issued as a military rifle.
Paratroopers are just as accurate as they were when they were full sized
military rifles, but the shortened barrel negatively impacts muzzle velocity so
the projectile will loose some of it's energy downrange. The barrel
shortening technique was pioneered by Midwest Ordinance. They invited
representatives from China Jin An to the US to learn the process and before
long, they started making the paratroopers China. The bayonet from a full
sized SKS can fit on a paratrooper, but is too long to fold so it must stay
extended. Shorter bayonets have been made for this popular commercial
variant, but they're so short it's almost silly looking when extended. It
could put an eye out, but that's about all a paratrooper bayonet can do! 
Sporter (K-Sports):
Now this is a trick variant. The rifle has no bayonet lug, is Parkerized
and has a matching colored, synthetic stock. It was made and sold by
K-Sports, Inc. and came in OD green, slate gray, and black. If you've
never felt it, rust preventing Parkerization has a very satiny feel to it.
The stock was made by Butler Creek on the OD green model. More can be
learned about the K-Sports Sporter on the 
