More SKS fears
Another unsigned editorial, this one calling for the ban of SKS rifles in Alabama:
The Soviet-made SKS rifle is probably the most worthless piece of military equipment ever produced. It isn’t accurate at long ranges, so it isn’t any good as a weapon of war or for a hunting rifle. As designed, it’s only good for one thing — close range killing.
And, so many were made and are available that it can’t even be considered a collector’s item for serious gun collections.
SKS rifles are rather comparable to a Honda. They are a quality rifle at a moderate price, hence their popularity. It is fairly accurate to about 300 yards (at least for me), which is good enough for hunting. Most say that the 7.62X39MM round is balistically equivalent to a 30-30.
The SKS is the rifle believed used in the recent slayings of three Birmingham police officers and two police officers in Athens. It’s powerful enough that a typical protective vest is ineffective.
Any non-rimfire hunting rifle will penetrate a vest as well.
Update: the VPC has its supposed SKS Fact Sheet.
July 2nd, 2004 at 10:38 am
The SKS’ lack of long range accuracy is due to two things: the sights and the round. The sights have remained the same on every Russian/Soviet rifle from the Mosin 1891 through the AK-74. They’re simple to make and easy to train soldiers on, and they get the job done (minute-of-torso) at combat ranges.
The cartridge, as stated, is comparable to the .30-30, a round which attracts scorn among many velocity addicts in the hunting comunity for it’s lack of ‘oomph’ and long range capability.
A Browning BAR (not to be confused with the M1918 BAR automatic rifle), if you can find one with iron sights, has the same sights but can fire much more powerful rounds. But there’s no call to ban them. Yet.