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Variants of the SKS
After World War II, the SKS design was licensed or sold to a number
of the Soviet Union's allies, including China, Yugoslavia, Albania,
North Korea, Vietnam, East Germany, Romania and Poland. Most of these
nations produced nearly identical variants, with the most common
modifications being differing styles of bayonets and the 22 mm grenade
launcher commonly seen on Yugoslavian models.
NOTE: All SKS variants except for the Yugoslav M59/66 are carbines.
This is due to the additional length that the flash hider/grenade
launcher attachment gives to the SKS.
Differences from the "baseline" late Russian Tula Armory/Izhevsk Armory SKS:
- Early (1949-1951) Russian: Spike-style bayonet instead of
blade-style. Squared-off gas block instead of the rounded one more
commonly seen. Spring-return firing pin on earliest models.
- Soviet Honor Guard: All-chrome metal parts, with a lighter-colored wood stock.
- Chinese Type 56: Numerous minor tweaks, including lack of
milling on the bolt carrier, partially or fully stamped (as opposed to
milled) receivers, and differing types of thumb rest on the takedown
lever. The Chinese continually revised the SKS manufacturing process,
so variation can be seen even between two examples from the same
factory. All of the Type 56 carbine rifles have been removed from
military service, except a few being used for ceremonial purposes. Type
56 carbines with serial numbers below 9,000,000 have the Russian-style
blade-type folding bayonet, while those 9,000,000 and higher have a
"spike" type folding bayonet.
- Chinese Honor Guard: Mostly, but not all, chromed metal parts. Does not generally have the lighter-colored stock as the Soviet Honor Guard variant.
- Chinese Type 63, 68, 73, 81, 84: Only a close relative to
the SKS, these rifles shared features from several east-bloc rifles
(SKS, AK-47, Dragunov). AK-47 style rotary bolt and detachable
magazine. The Type 68 featured a stamped sheet-steel receiver. The 81
is an upgraded Type 68 with a three-round burst capability, some of
which (Type 81-1) have a folding stock. The Type 84 returns to
semi-auto fire only, is modified to accept AK-47 magazines, and has a
shorter 16" paratrooper barrel.
- Chinese commercial production: Blonde wood stock instead of
dark wood, spike bayonet instead of blade, bayonet retaining bolt
replaced with a rivet. Sub-variants include the M21, "Cowboy's
Companion", Hunter, Models D/M, Paratrooper, Sharpshooter, and Sporter.
Model D rifles used military style stocks and had bayonet lugs
(although some were imported minus bayonet, and a small few minus the
lug in order to meet changing US import restrictions). Model M rifles
had no bayonet lug and used either a thumbhole or monte-carlo style
stock. Both model D and M used AK-47 magazines and as a result had no
bolt hold open feature on the rifle.
- Romanian: Typically nearly identical to the late Russian model.
- Polish Honor Guard: Possibly refurbished rifles given to
Poland by Russia. Polish laminated stocks lack storage area in back of
stock for cleaning kit. Note: 200 SKS's were given to Poland by Russia
in 1954 and are still in use.
 - Correction: This photo was mislabeled as Soviet Honor Guard, instead of Polish. Thanks to Richard B. for pointing it out.
- Yugoslavian PAP M59: Barrel is not chrome-lined. PAP means "Polu-automatska puška" (Semi-automatic rifle) and the rifle was nicknamed "Papovka".
- Yugoslavian PAP M59/66: Added 22 mm grenade launcher which appears visually like a flash suppressor or muzzle brake on the
end of the barrel. Front sight has a fold-up "ladder" for use in
grenade sighting (main sights have flip up phosphorus or tritium
night sights). Barrel is not chrome-lined. Both the grenade launcher
and grenade sight are NATO spec. Stock is typically made from beech
wood.
- Zastava Arms LKP-66: Hunting version. No bayonet or bayonet lug. Sporting stock. Scope mount. 7 round magazine
- .
- Albanian "July 10 Rifle": Longer stock and handguard on the gas tube, and AK-47 style charging handle.
- East German Karabiner-S: Extremely rare. Slot cut into back
of stock for pull-through sling. No storage area in back of stock or
storage for cleaning rod under barrel.
- North Korean Type 63: Extremely rare. At least three
separate models were made. One "standard" model with blade bayonet, and
a second with a gas shutoff and a grenade launcher, similar to the
M59/66. The North Korean grenade launcher was detachable from the
muzzle and the gas shutoff was different from the Yugoslavian model,
however. A third model appears to have side-swinging bayonet.
- Vietnamese Type 1: Extremely rare. Differences unknown.
There is some debate as to the relative quality of each nation's SKS production; Yugoslav types are generally considered to be better made than Chinese, yet the Chinese types typically have chrome
lined barrels while the Yugoslav versions do not. East German, Russian
and Albanian SKSs bring a higher price than those of other countries,
the stock on the Albanian versions being of a slightly different
manufacture and being rarer due to low production numbers. There were
approximately 18,000 Albanian SKSs manufactured during the late 1960s
until 1978, and of those, approximately half were destroyed. Most of
the remaining East German SKSs had been sold/transferred to Croatia in the early 1990s.
A sporterized hunting version of the SKS is still manufactured in Serbia, by the Zastava Armory. It is designated the LKP 66, and features a "Monte Carlo" style
one-piece stock, receiver mounted scope mount, modified trigger, and
flush-fit 7 round magazine. It also has a redesigned front sight with
no bayonet mount.
Courtesy of Wikipedia
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