Technical characteristics of the Simonov carbine

Automatic carbine Simonov mod. 1945 Weapons have always personified strength, and the special peak of their development and modernization is war. This is the time when many types of weapons are produced and immediately used in combat. This happened with one of the famous carbines - the self-loading carbine of Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov (SKS-45). Work on it began during the Great Patriotic War, but as fate would have it, the first trial use was in 1945, when the war was nearing its end, and was adopted by the troops four years later. Therefore, for the same age as the Great Victory, a purely civilian application was found. Until now, soldiers of the honor guard in Russia are “armed” with a carbine; it is a mandatory attribute of parades, ceremonial meetings of heads of state of many armies of the post-Soviet space and the world.

History of the development of the Simonov self-loading carbine (SKS)

Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov's career as a gunsmith begins with the ABC-36 rifle with a powerful 7.62x54 rifle cartridge. After Mondragon's product, it became the second automatic rifle in the world to be put into service. The main disadvantage is the charge power, which gives a large flash and strong recoil. The Simonov rifle entered service with the troops in a small batch.

In 1943, a truly important event took place that had an impact on the development of small arms of the 20th century - an “intermediate” charge of 7.62x39 mm caliber was created. A year later, Simonov presented the first developments of a carbine chambered for this cartridge. It is based on the well-proven ABC-36 and pre-war developments. After field testing, the carbine received a lot of good feedback.

But the charge was experimental, required modifications, and new weapons were being tested. In mid-1945, a small batch was sent to the troops of the Belorussian Front. The soldiers liked the carbine and received a lot of positive feedback. But for various reasons it was adopted only in 1949. At the same time, the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle, which used the same charge and was shaped like it, was also adopted.

Simonov S.G. Hero of Socialist Labor. Honored Inventor of the RSFSR. Twice winner of the Stalin Prize, first degree

The championship began to be contested, however, in reality they simply complemented each other. The Kalash was intended to provide high-density automatic fire at short distances. The carbine at medium and long range, due to the length of the barrel and the aiming line, ensured accurate, targeted combat.

The SKS was abandoned closer to the beginning of the 60s, when the example of combat operations proved the need to provide dense fire - reliable, accurate SVD sniper rifles were received by the troops. True, some units, for example, signalmen, used it until the mid-80s.

Then the carbine found a “peaceful” use. Its beauty was appreciated and honor guards and ceremonial crews were armed with it.

Over the course of a decade, about 15 million licensed samples were produced. As a successful example, the SKS was supplied to the Warsaw Pact armies. It was held in the hands of soldiers, policemen and gendarmes in more than 40 countries, and in some it is still relevant today. He took an active part in a large number of wars and conflicts in the most remote countries.

SCS performed well not only in the USSR, but also in other countries. Many images, photographs and posters are excellent evidence of this.

In addition, the accuracy of combat and the versatility of the weapon won the hearts of hunting enthusiasts and professional fishermen, and the effectiveness of use at large temperature ranges won the hearts of members of long-distance expeditions and travelers.

Tuning

For those who are not satisfied with the minimalist military design of the carbine, the market offers a large selection of various accessories, mainly foreign-made.

It is possible to replace the stock, forend, install a pistol grip, etc.

You can also replace the standard non-removable magazine with a more traditional, detachable one.

The last possibility is especially interesting, since for many owners, equipping a magazine with clips turns out to be inconvenient and unusual.

All this allows you to give the carbine a more modern look and improve its ergonomic characteristics. However, it should be said that such accessories, as a rule, are not cheap. Deep modifications can cost more than the cost of the weapon itself.

You might be interested in reading an article about another hunting rifle, the MP 155.

And from this article you will learn where to buy a TOZ 34 shotgun.

Design feature, principle of operation of a self-loading carbine

The automatic operation of the SKS self-loading carbine is driven by the removal of powder gases through a gas tube located above the barrel. The barrel is locked by tilting the bolt. The designer used a similar mechanism in the PTR anti-tank rifle. The bolt is located in the bolt frame and is connected to it by projections. As the frame moves forward, it forces a cartridge into the chamber, further movement lowers the rear muzzle, the lugs fit into the cutouts of the receiver and lock it.

A shot was fired. Through a hole in the barrel bore, powder gases enter the gas chamber, under their action the gas piston moves back. They, in turn, throw back the bolt frame. When it begins to move forward, the cut rises, the bolt unlocks, the cartridge case is ejected, and the hammer is cocked.

The trigger mechanism is a separate unit located on the base of the trigger guard. It is hammer-type, and the mainspring is screw-type.

The trigger is locked with a safety lever, which is located on the back of the trigger guard. If the barrel is not completely locked, then to prevent a shot, the self-timer lever is inserted.

The magazine is non-removable, with a capacity of 10 charges, which are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

The sector sight provides a range of up to 1 km, the front sight is located on the muzzle.

The device of the Simonov self-loading carbine

A permanent, folding, folding bayonet is attached under the barrel of the carbine. When folded, it is retracted into a special cutout on the stock. It is brought into the firing position by pressing the handle, then turning it 180º until it clicks. At first it was needle-shaped, in later models it was replaced with a blade one.

The stock and upper receiver are made of wood.

The “peaceful” SKS hunting carbine differs from the combat one in the absence of a bayonet and the place for it. The barrel is limited by a pin, the sighting bar is for a range of no more than 300 m.

SKS arr. 2000

To this day, on the shelves of gun stores you can find Simonov’s self-loading carbine under the designation OP-SKS (OP - hunting and commercial). Visitors have many questions regarding the year of manufacture of the carbines (SKS was discontinued in the 50s) and the differences between a hunting carbine and combat models. Disputes continue about the effectiveness of the 7.62x39 cartridge when shooting at medium and large animals...

Story

The SKS underwent military tests on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War in the victorious 1945 and was adopted by the army in 1949, almost simultaneously with the Kalashnikov assault rifle. Being quite comparable to the AK in terms of reliability and simplicity of the device, the SKS, of course, was inferior to it in combat effectiveness. During the Great Patriotic War, the last doubts about the advisability of the mass use of automatic weapons were dispelled, and therefore the army history of the carbine was quite short.

At first, the carbine was produced with a needle bayonet, and then with a knife-shaped folding bayonet. During the production process, design changes were made to some parts and components (shutter, trigger mechanism).

After being removed from service, the SKS remained a service weapon in some branches of the military (for example, in air defense units) until the end of the 80s. And for a long time, the SKS will serve as a ceremonial weapon at post No. 1 at the Eternal Flame, in the honor guard companies of Russia and many other states.

In addition to the Soviet Union, the Simonov carbine was produced in China and the UAE.

Today, a large number of Simonov carbines are in army warehouses and some of them, having undergone special training at a weapons factory, go on sale with the abbreviation “OP”. The main enterprise producing OP-SKS is the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant.

Device

The automatic operation of the carbine works by removing part of the powder gases through a hole in the wall of the barrel bore. Unlike the AK system, the gas piston has a short stroke and acts on the bolt frame through a spring-loaded pusher. The barrel is locked by tilting the bolt in a vertical plane. The trigger mechanism of the carbine is hammer-operated and allows firing only single shots. The safety lever is located on the trigger guard and locks the trigger. Magazine for 10 rounds, permanent. To quickly fill it, clips are used. The cleaning rod is located under the barrel and is fixed with a bayonet tube. The pencil case with cleaning accessories is carried in a special slot in the butt. The stock with a semi-pistol neck is made of wood or bakelite plywood. Partial disassembly of the carbine is carried out without the use of tools.

The carbine has excellent balance and is designed for quick aiming, which is very important when shooting offhand.

Design features of OP-SKS
Details of the SKS carbine.
1 — bolt frame; 2 - shutter; 3 - trigger mechanism Mostly carbines made in the early 50s come from army warehouses. The vast majority of carbines were practically not used by the troops. At the factory, they all undergo preliminary shooting, which makes it possible to identify trunks that are unsuitable for accuracy. In addition, the functionality of the trigger mechanism and the locking unit is checked. The old varnish is removed from the wooden parts and a new one is applied. The metal parts of the weapon are coated with a phosphate varnish protective coating. Externally, the OP-SKS differs from the SKS in the absence of a bayonet - not the most necessary thing for hunting. The carbine can be equipped with optics. As a rule, this is a 4x scope of domestic production. At the factory, the weapon is adjusted to normal combat at a distance of 100 meters with both mechanical and optical sights. The carbine is equipped with a cleaning rod, a pencil case with accessories, clips for loading and a standard belt.

In accordance with the Law on Weapons of the Russian Federation, all carbines undergo control shooting for bullet cartridges, about which a corresponding note is made in the weapon passport. In order to individualize the mark on the bullet, a special pin is installed in the bore of each barrel, which, however, does not affect either the accuracy of fire or the initial speed of the bullet.

In general, SCS leaves the factory fully prepared for long-term operation in Russian conditions.

Efficiency

The common opinion about the insufficient effectiveness of the 7.62x39 cartridge on traditional Russian hunts can be fully justified only by comparing this caliber with a obviously more powerful one (for example, 7.62x54). The weak stopping effect of bullets (and not the low efficiency of the cartridge as a whole), live ammunition, multiplied by the inability to shoot - this is, perhaps, the reason for all sorts of stories about moose and wild boars with dozens of wounds. Of course, one cannot ignore the greater survivability of a wild animal compared to a human, but damage to vital organs, even with a through penetration without deformation of a bullet, does not pass without a trace for any animal.

As for the ability of an ordinary hunter to shoot (not a hunter or a sports shooter), we have to admit that it is quite difficult to acquire the necessary skills in the absence of shooting ranges and shooting clubs.
But illiterate, inaccurate shooting from any weapon and any cartridge can lead to the most unpredictable results. A bullet fired from an OP-SKS carbine after hitting a wild boar
is not an option in this case, and hunting with a certain caliber is prohibited in some regions of Russia (5.6 LR, 7.62x39, etc.). Motivation - a lot of wounded animals. Foreign experience in solving this problem is more interesting. For example, in Finland, the owner of a rifle weapon will not be allowed to hunt animals if he does not pass the shooting test at the beginning of the season. Moreover, the test shooting itself has been turned into a most interesting action comparable to our discovery of hunting.

Despite the rather meager range of domestic 7.62x39 hunting cartridges, you can hunt quite effectively using a cartridge with a heavy (9.7 g) semi-jacketed bullet produced by the Barnaul Machine Tool Plant. In the photo you see a bullet from this cartridge removed from a dead boar. Weapon - OP-SKS. Distance 80-100 meters. The boar was hit in the neck area by the first shot.

Shooting with a cartridge produced by the Klimovsky Stamping Plant with an 8-gram expansive bullet (7.62x39-8) can also be very effective. This bullet has four longitudinal cuts on the inner surface of the ogive, which contribute to significant deformation of the bullet when it hits the target and, as a result, the loss of more than 50% of its energy inside the target.

Table 1 shows experimental data when shooting from an SKS carbine at 14-centimeter gelatin blocks coated with a fragment of elk skin.

Analysis of the results shows that up to a range of 250 m, the use of this cartridge is very effective. The loss of bullet energy, even with a target thickness of 14 cm, is 44-93 kgm.

Considering that a bullet energy loss of 20 kgm is sufficient to reliably kill a large elk, the OP-SKS with this cartridge is suitable for hunting any large animal living in the Russian Federation.

It is difficult to predict how long the OP-SKS will remain one of the most popular self-loading hunting carbines, but, regardless of this, Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov and his carbine will forever go down in world weapons history.

Yuri Ponomarev

Performance characteristics

History of creation

The 7.62 x 39mm intermediate cartridge, created in 1943, marked the beginning of the development of a completely new weapon capable of taking infantry power to a new level. It is not surprising that over the next few years several successful types of weapons were created at once: the Kalashnikov assault rifle, the Degtyarev machine gun and the Simonov self-loading carbine, also known as SKS. It is worth noting that this carbine was not the first creation of the famous designer. Previously, he developed another model, which did not go into mass production only because some of the factories were evacuated to the rear due to the outbreak of the war. The appearance of a new cartridge made it possible to use old developments to create new weapons. The new carbine was created in 1944, but over the next few years it was refined and perfected. Therefore, it was put into production only in 1949, when it entered service with the army.

The SKS carbine did not remain in service for long. Experts already predicted that urban battles would prevail in the future. Therefore, preference was given to the AK rather than the SKS. Although it was not completely removed from service - back in the 80s of the last century it was used by military personnel of engineering and military construction units. Later, the carbine became available to hunters, but more on that later.

Advantages and disadvantages of SCS

Since the SKS carbine ceased to be “military” quite a long time ago, we will describe the pros and cons that hunters noted.

So, they noted the advantages of SCS:

• relatively low price;
• quality of mechanism and design;
• trouble-free operation in the temperature range ±50ºС;
• multitasking;
• there is a minimum number of grooves in the bolt box - dirt does not accumulate and is easy to clean;
• easy to clean and maintain.

Rifle-carbine SKS VPO-927 SHP
But the carbine also has disadvantages:

• some problems for a person whose height is above 165 cm;
• unsuccessful ejection of cartridges;
• low stopping effect;
• outdated barrel locking principle.

Another problematic issue that was noted by hunters is that for conversions to civilian weapons, carbines are most often used, the barrels of which are badly worn. This worsens the combat characteristics of the weapon.

Flaws

As already written above, the killing power of this carbine sometimes causes criticism among hunters.

This is explained not so much by the shortcomings of the weapon itself, but by the ammunition used.

The 7.62x39 cartridge was designed to defeat enemy soldiers, who typically weigh less than the average boar or elk.

The lack of killing power is especially severe when using standard military ammunition, the use of which makes sense only when hunting game no larger than a wolf or fox.

In other cases, it is recommended to use special hunting cartridges with an expansive or semi-jacketed bullet, although this does not completely solve the problem.

However, in the hands of an experienced and skilled hunter who knows how to not only hit an animal, but also hit its vital organs, the SKS is a worthy weapon even when hunting big game.

In addition, the lack of lethal power is partly compensated by the high rate of fire and accuracy of fire, making it possible to achieve the desired result, if not in quality, then at least in the number of hits.

Despite everything, the SKS carbine remains a worthy example of the work of Soviet gunsmiths.

This is a reliable and inexpensive weapon, the positive qualities of which are appreciated not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders.

Disassembly and assembly of SCS

Incomplete disassembly

To lubricate and perform maintenance on the mechanism of the Simonov carbine, it is necessary to partially or completely disassemble it.

For partial disassembly you must:

• make sure that the carabiner is completely unloaded;
• remove the pencil case from the butt, prepare the necessary tools and rags;
• remove the cleaning rod;
• remove the receiver cover;
• disconnect the return mechanism, shutter;
• disconnect the stem from the bolt frame;
• remove the gas tube and receiver lining;
• remove the gas piston.

To assemble the carbine, all previous steps must be performed in reverse order, with mandatory control and inspection of parts.

Complete disassembly

It is performed if the carbine is heavily soiled, gets caught in heavy rain, fog, or falls into water. Then a complete replacement is necessary, a change in the type of oil is required, parts or mechanisms need to be repaired or replaced.

Details of the SKS-45 carbine: 1 — front sight slide; 2 — front sight; 3 — barrel with receiver (a — reflector; b — combat stop); 4 - gas tube; 5 — rod with piston; 6 — return spring contactor; 7 - guide rod; 8 — pusher; 9 — return spring; 10 - shutter; 11 — bolt frame; 12 — ejector; 13 — hairpin; 14 - drummer; 15 — guide tube; 16 — receiver cover; 17 — pusher spring; 18 — receiver cover pin; 19 — safety bracket latch; 20 — bolt stop with a spring; 21 — box; 22 — safety bracket; 23 — mainspring; 24 - fuse; 25 — fuse spring; 26 — trigger; 27 — trigger lever; 28 — guide rod; 29 — trigger; 30 - store; 31 — magazine cover latch; 32 - sear; 33 - disconnector; 34 - self-timer

The algorithm is like this:

• carry out partial disassembly of the weapon;
• remove the pusher together with the mechanism and springs;
• dismantle the trigger, disassemble it using the case body;
• remove the mainspring;
• disconnect the magazine;
• the story of dismantling the barrel, receiver;
• remove the return mechanism;
• disconnect the firing pin, ejector, bolt.

When all repair work and replacement of parts are completed, assembly is carried out in the reverse order. Work must be carried out carefully and in compliance with safety regulations. Avoid impacts and damage to parts and mechanisms when assembling/disassembling the carbine.

Penetrating effect of bullets of cartridges mod. 1943

Rules for carbine care and storage

To ensure that the carbine is always in serviceable, combat-ready condition, the following rules must be observed:

1. Immediately after shooting, clean the barrel, gas chamber, piston, bolt;
2. If the weapon is not in use, it is cleaned at least once a week;
3. After cleaning, the weapon is lubricated. It is not allowed to apply lubricant to a poorly cleaned, wet surface;
4. Cleaning is carried out in specially designated places, with mandatory control by commanders over the correctness and completeness of its implementation;
5. The carbine should be stored in a pyramid (safe) in an unloaded state, the case removed, the trigger pulled, the safety on;
6. Transportation should be carried out in a special case in a discharged state. The cartridges are stored in a bandoleer. Avoid impacts, damage, and strong shaking.

All data is taken from open sources, so if you do not agree with the information given in the article, or want to challenge or supplement it, write about it in the comments. We are grateful.

Exceeding the average trajectory above the aiming line

Bullet weight 7.9 g. Initial speed 735 m/s.