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Designer of the SKS

Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov, born 1894 in Fedotow, Russia. Sergei started as a blacksmith and then migrated to being a machinist. He entered school to study engineering in 1917, completing the course in 1918. He worked for some time assembling the Fedrov Automat Rifle. In 1922 he became a Master Gunsmith and later a Senior Master Gunsmith. His specialty in design was semi-automatic weapons.

Sergei Attended Moscow Higher Technical School to further study engineering and graduated in 1924. In 1926 he was assigned to the Tula Arsenal. He headed the prototype shop of the Fedrov design bureau.

Simonov is best known as the designer of the 7.62 Simonov System Self-loading Carbine Model 1945 otherwise known as the SKS 45.

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Countries of Origin

The AK-47 replaced the SKS as the primary soviet battle rifle in the mid 1950s. Large quantities of the Russian SKS were still manufactured, for export, all the way until the late 1960s, but the SKS is no longer an issue weapon to the Soviet Army.

Chinese Type 56s were in production from 1956-71. Rifles serial number 9,000,000 (1965) and higher had the spike bayonet fitted while those below 9,000,000 had the standard blade type bayonet. (contributed by Michael E. Kreca)

The M59 is practically a carbon copy of the Russian SKS and, , was made at Red Banner from 1960-67. The 59/66 series was manufactured at Red Banner from 1967-70. Many M59s were converted to the 59/66 configuration during that time. Most of the 59s and 59/66s had beechwood stocks. Some Yugoslav 59s and 59/66s with teakwood stocks were made for export to Africa.

The main difference between other SKS rifles and the Yugoslav versions is that the bores of the Yugo versions were not chrome plated--Yugoslavia has no significant native chromium ore deposits, chromium was expensive to purchase and Yugoslavia's  relationship with the USSR (a major chromium ore exporter) since 1948 was lukewarm at best. One reason Yugo SKS rifles (in fact all Yugoslav small arms seem "beefier") is because Yugoslav cartridges are much "hotter" loads than other similar "East Bloc" ammo, plus since Yugoslavia's manufacturing capacity was relatively limited, each weapon had to be more durable.

(contributed by Michael E. Kreca)