The SKS rifle is one of the most affordable sports rifles on the market. Since the beginning of the SKS rifle in 1945, the SKS has been produced by a handful of countries around the world. The SKS rifle was originally designed in Russia by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov, a famous military weapons engineer. With a price tag of fewer than three hundred dollars, this has become the working man’s hunting rifle. This makes SKS hunting rifles popular and cost effective rifles for all walks of life.

The SKS rifle had been one of the top innovations of the former Soviet Union, but they ended up replacing the SKS with the more cost effective AK-47 rifle. Due to the lack of military interest, a number of SKS rifles made their way into the USA and instantly became hunters’ favorites. The SKS rifle was four times more accurate than the Kalashnikov, but needed machined parts to function properly, unlike the stamped metal design of most AK47 rifles.

Now the surplus SKS rifles can be found in almost every gun shop around the USA, and have been preserved to excellent condition. Due to the popularity of these former military rifles, the civilian market wanted them as well. A handful of companies began producing SKS parts, like stocks, grips, and optics to cater to more price-conscious hunters. Now the SKS rifles are one of the easiest rifles to find aftermarket accessories for hunters and sports shooters alike.

The genius behind this over eighty-year-old design is the short stroke gas piston operation, which can be found in most modern firearms. Although never officially adopted by US military, the US government actually wrote SKS manuals for soldiers who might be forced to use weapons confiscated by the enemy. Now the SKS rifle is slowly falling into the backseat of popular battlefield weapons and making way for the AK47 rifle and other variants.

Although the military market is moving toward a more reliable weapon that accepts magazines, the SKS rifle still remains a civilian favorite, with ease of use and low cost, making the SKS rifle ideal as a first hunting rifle. The SKS rifle is easy to maintain, as well as customizable for many features of other popular rifles. The SKS rifle has had a few setbacks in the civilian market with the limited imports of Chinese-produced SKS rifles, which was due to the Clinton administration. Despite the shortcomings of a few SKS variants, they have found their way into the hearts and hands of a great number of American shooters.

After nearly a century you can still find the SKS rifle making its mark on the shooting scene, despite the phasing out of most military applications. The most affordable repeat action rifle will remain the SKS rifle, with its innovations still appreciated in the civilian market. SKS rifles are going to continue to be a hunting rifle, which will attract a specific audience, for the next century to come.