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Small arms1949–present
Semi-automatic carbine
SKS is a semi-automatic carbine originating in Soviet Union. Reported operators include Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, India, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, North Macedonia, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, State of Palestine, Panama, Peru, Romania, Russia.
SKS
Armémuseum (The Swedish Army Museum) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗ · ModifiedTechnical data
Semi-automatic carbine
Soviet Union
1949–present
See Users
See Conflicts
Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov
1941–1944
1949–1958 (Soviet Union) 1956–1980 (China)
5,000,000 –15,000,000
See Variants
3.85 kg (8.5 lb)
1.021 m (40.2 in) (with bayonet folded)
521 mm (20.5 in)
7.62×39mm
Gas-operated (short-stroke, tilting bolt )
35–40 rounds/min
735 m/s (2,410 ft/s)
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.021 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.021 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.021 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.021 m | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
400 m (440 yd)
10-round fixed magazine fed by a stripper clip
Iron sights graduated from 100 to 1,000 meters
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo-Brazzaville
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Finland
Gabon
Georgia
Ghana
Greece
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Indonesia
India
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Iran
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
New Zealand
North Macedonia
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
State of Palestine
Panama
Peru
Romania
Russia
The SKS was manufactured at Tula Arsenal from 1949 to 1958, and at the Izhevsk Arsenal from 1953 to 1954. Altogether, the Soviet Union produced 2.7 million SKS carbines. Throughout the Cold War , millions of additional SKS carbines and their derivatives were also manufactured under license in the People's Republic of China , as well as a number of countries allied with the Eastern Bloc. The SKS was exported in vast quantities and found favour with insurgent forces around the world as a utilitarian weapon which was adequate for guerrilla warfare despite its limitations.
The SKS was manufactured at Tula Arsenal from 1949 to 1958, and at the Izhevsk Arsenal from 1953 to 1954. Altogether, the Soviet Union produced 2.7 million SKS carbines. Throughout the Cold War , millions of additional SKS carbines and their derivatives were also manufactured under license in the People's Republic of China , as well as a number of countries allied with the Eastern Bloc. The SKS was exported in vast quantities and found favour with insurgent forces around the world as a utilitarian weapon which was adequate for guerrilla warfare despite its limitations.
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
SKS equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Finland
Gabon
Georgia
Ghana
Greece
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Mauritania
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
New Zealand
North Korea
North Macedonia
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Panama
Peru
Republic of the Congo
Romania
Russia
São Tomé and Príncipe
Slovenia
Somalia
Sudan
Syria
Tanzania
Uganda
ZimbabweAlbania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, India, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, North Macedonia, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, State of Palestine, Panama, Peru, Romania, Russia
Equipment reference ↗