dearnis.com
Master Black Belt
Nope. The SKS is properly a carbine (shorter shoulder arm firing a reduced power round. Modifying it doesnt change a thing. It was inspired by the original assault rifle, but is not itself one.
Some basic definitions:
Battle rifle- a shoulder arm firing a full power round: eg the M1, M14, M1903, Lee-Enfield, Moisin-Nagant, FAL, Gewehr 98, etc.
Carbine- Shoulder arm firing a reduced power or pistol class round, often with a shortened barrel- M1 carbine (not related to the M1 rifle), SKS, mini 14; arguably the AK/AR families in semi-auto garb; HK94, many examples in the Winchester 94/Marlin 92 families.
The term assault rifle (SturmGewehr) was coined by the Germans in WWII; the St.G 42/43 was the prototype. Hitler hated the concept, so the R&D guys renamed the final product the MP44 (Machinepistole- spelling may be off here). The first batch went to the eastern front, shot the hell out of the Russians, who promptly set about copying the thing (It does resemble an AK 47, but the internals are fairly different). The SKS was fielded in the meantime; its shortened round (7.62x39 vs. the then standard Soviet 7.62x54R) was inspired by the shortened 8mm round in the German weapon.
People do all sorts of goofy things to SKSs; doesnt make them assault weapons ; just maked them bastardized SKSs. They are decent, rugged, if not terribly accurate guns and are fun to shoot. The big advantage is that ammo is cheap. I also like shooting a gun that does not draw me into the "pursuit of accuracy" game sometimes; the SKS just is what it is.
That being said, I would't pay $200 for one. Mine cost $60 many years ago; I wouldn't give it up, but I also wouldn't go above $75 for one.
Please note that the SKS is a semi-auto only weapon. Whether it can be modified or not is irrelevant; what is NOT irrelevant is that doing so is a federal crime worth 10 years and 10K in fines (So Paul, to add to the title what should get slammed and deleted here is any attempt at discussion of illegal modification to weapons).
Hope this clarifies some as to the historical origins of the term; as to buying assault weapons...not without some big bucks and a hell of a lot of licenses.
Some basic definitions:
Battle rifle- a shoulder arm firing a full power round: eg the M1, M14, M1903, Lee-Enfield, Moisin-Nagant, FAL, Gewehr 98, etc.
Carbine- Shoulder arm firing a reduced power or pistol class round, often with a shortened barrel- M1 carbine (not related to the M1 rifle), SKS, mini 14; arguably the AK/AR families in semi-auto garb; HK94, many examples in the Winchester 94/Marlin 92 families.
The term assault rifle (SturmGewehr) was coined by the Germans in WWII; the St.G 42/43 was the prototype. Hitler hated the concept, so the R&D guys renamed the final product the MP44 (Machinepistole- spelling may be off here). The first batch went to the eastern front, shot the hell out of the Russians, who promptly set about copying the thing (It does resemble an AK 47, but the internals are fairly different). The SKS was fielded in the meantime; its shortened round (7.62x39 vs. the then standard Soviet 7.62x54R) was inspired by the shortened 8mm round in the German weapon.
People do all sorts of goofy things to SKSs; doesnt make them assault weapons ; just maked them bastardized SKSs. They are decent, rugged, if not terribly accurate guns and are fun to shoot. The big advantage is that ammo is cheap. I also like shooting a gun that does not draw me into the "pursuit of accuracy" game sometimes; the SKS just is what it is.
That being said, I would't pay $200 for one. Mine cost $60 many years ago; I wouldn't give it up, but I also wouldn't go above $75 for one.
Please note that the SKS is a semi-auto only weapon. Whether it can be modified or not is irrelevant; what is NOT irrelevant is that doing so is a federal crime worth 10 years and 10K in fines (So Paul, to add to the title what should get slammed and deleted here is any attempt at discussion of illegal modification to weapons).
Hope this clarifies some as to the historical origins of the term; as to buying assault weapons...not without some big bucks and a hell of a lot of licenses.
