[Gyrene]

The 7.92 x 57mm, 7.65 x 53mm, 7 x 57mm, and .30-06 versions of the SKS have already been built, designed by Mr. Saive at Fabrique Nationale, it is the FN-49. The 7.62 x 51mm (.308) was built for the Argentine Navy from the 7.65 x 53mm. The system is a little more advanced than the SKS because even though the designs for the system had been copyrighted, due to WWII the production of the FN-49 was delayed until 1949, and it was so labeled.

Since Simonov actually completed his design of the SKS while reviewing the Copyrighted drawings of the FN-49, it is no wonder that they are so similar. About 175,000 FN-49's were built in the various calibers, the most, about 125,000, being in .30-06. Give credit to
http://walnut.tmcom.com/~jlandry/firearms/FN49.html
for the following data:

6.5 Swede - - - - - - - - - 5 produced for testing

7 x 57mm Mauser - - - - 8,003 produced for Venezuela

.30 M2 (.30-06) - - - - - - 125,072 produced for Belgium, Belgian Congo, Luxembourg, Indonesia (Dutch East Indies), Columbia, and Brazil

7.5 x 53mm - - - - - - - - - - - -1 produced for testing

7.62 x 51mm - - - - - - - - - - - 1 produced for testing

7.65 x 55mm - - - - - - - - - - -5,541 produced for Argentina about 1,000 of these were converted to 7.62 x 51mm

7.92 x 57mm (8mm Mauser) -37,641 produced for Egypt and a few for British testing

 

[BattleRifleG3]

As I understand, the FN-FAL has a similar operating system to an SKS. True?

 

[johno]

i have no idea, but if it is true, then i have one more excuse to buy a FAL

 

[Gyrene]

BattleRifleG3 - The FN-49 is the father of the FN-FAL, both were designed by Mr. Saive. The general layout is the same, and the functionality is the same. The big differences are that the FN-49 was a wood stock, heavy rifle designed in the 1930's with test rifles produced in England during wartime (using make-do materials), and the FN-FAL was designed using modern plastics and higher strength steel to provide a lighter weight (with enough time and freedom to choose the best materials). It of course uses the 7.62 x 51 NATO round exclusively.

In effect it is a more modern version of the SKS designed in the Free World.

 

[BattleRifleG3]

That's kind of what I hypothesized from sporadic information. Thanks for explaining it, very glad to know.

 

[Guest]

http://www.professional-ordnance.com/

 

[Guest]

http://www.professional-ordnance.com/

this is why I cut and paste alot.. :hmmm:

 

[Thrawn]

There are American FALs, American G3s, even American AKs...
What if an American company started putting out SKSs?
Of course you'd expect to pay American prices for American quality.

Don\'t you have better things to do with your life than to post silly polls like this? Get a girlfriend!
Tighten up the tolerances, and I think it would compete with much better rifles. I'd buy one in .308 If the rifle was well built.

 

[Guest]

the Soviets came up with the idea from the Nazi's shortened 8mm round that I think was used in the MP 44.

One of the German army's conclusions from the 1940 Blitzkrieg was that most infantry combats took place at ranges much closer than the 800-1000m range of the contemporary rifles. Thus the army commissioned Haenel and Walther to design a new machine-carbine (Maschinenkarrabiner, MKb). The two resulting models were very similar, both using a curved 30-round box magazines below the barrel and easy to produce. Roughly 3,500 of each model were made and sent to the German troops in Russia. They quickly earned a fine reputation and respect from the trorps. For some mysterious reasons, however, Hitler ordered a halt to further development of the gun. The army, on the other hand, supported Haenel to put the gun into full production. The name was changed from Maschinenkarabiner 42(H) to Maschinenpistole 43 or MP 43 to fool the Führer.
The MP 43 was to become what today are called assault rifles. Single shots could be fired for defensive fire. It could also fire automatic shots for shock effect, covering fire or close-quarter combat. Automatic fire was possible because relatively low-powered rounds were used; they were effective with normal combat ranges and yet allowed shots to be fired repeatedly. This capability of automatic fire freed the infantrymen from support fire by a machine gun, and enabled the soldiers to carry their own support fire. With the MP 43 the German infantry's combat power increased trememdously. The low-powered ammunition's disadvantage was compensated by a high rate of fire and much better accuracy.
The MP 43 proved invaluable on the Eastern Front. Quite abnormal for wartime German practice, production rather than development was emphasized. The only altered version was the MP 43/1. It was equipped with a grenade-launching cup on the muzzle. In 1944, Hitler lifted the ban and designated the gun with the more accurate name Sturmgewehr 44 (assault rifle) or StG 44.
The basic design of the gun was not changed, but some extra parts were also made. An infra-red night sight called Vampir was one. A more peculiar addition was a curved barrel called Krummlauf. It could direct bullets to an angle between 30o and 45 o, and a special periscope sight was created for aiming. It would allow troops to fire around corners but was mainly designed for armored fighting vehicle crews to ward off tank-killing infantry.
After the war, several nations like Czechoslovakia retained and used many MP 43s. Some were used in the Arab-Israeli conflicts. And some still show up amongst the "freedom fighters" in Africa.

 

[BattleRifleG3]

:spam:

 

[gunssb]

you forgot the option - "I live in california. All this SKS talk is evil"

 

[Gunnie Ed]

i'd like to see an SKS chaimbered for 6.5x55mm Swede, with a low-profile detachable twenty round drum magazine, an M16 style bayonet lug rather than that hinge thing, and lightweight scaled composite furnature with a psuedopistol grip and fixed wireframe stock.

it should also be able to accept stripper clips incase you only have one magazine..

 

[Thrawn]

I just bought a sks sans bayonet lug, thinking of adding a AR style flash hider and bayo lug. (maybe modify a beat up mauser bayonet to fit over the AR flash hider:hmmm: )

 

[BattleRifleG3]

That sounds like a cool project, Thrawn. I've been considering customizing in a paratrooper style with a gas block front site
No far just speculation.

 

[Gunnie Ed]

i think, if i had the facilities, i'd make a light SKS-type carbine. although i'd use the gas system of a FAL.

also i'd put a sling swivel on the toe of the stock, and another, horrizontal(when gun is level) swivel on the side. so the gun would hang close to the body and out of the way, while still able to be swung into firing position on a moments notice.

a couple rail mounts would be a good idea, too. not like the "bolt the kitchen sink onto the gun" full rail crap you see on most of the "SOCOM" guns, but just a ten inch rail on top, a seven inch rail underneath, and maybe a three inch rail on one side.

actually, now that i think about it, i'd rather put a mauser-type bayo rail on the side of the barrel, and modify a Ka-Bar to fit on it. onlt make it so the Ka-Bar would still be in-line with the barrel, where the edge would face "away from the bore."

 

[Guest]

I'd like mine in stainless with a gray/green laminated stock:right: