Is an SKS an assault rifle?

Answer 1

"Assault rifle" is an imprecise term. An SKS is a semi-automatic rifle, which preceded the Kalashnikov AK-47. It is not suitable for laying down a lot of firepower, which most people would feel disqualifies it as an assault weapon.

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An assault rifle, by definition, is a selective fire weapon, firing an intermediate cartridge, and intended typically for engagements within a 300 metre range. The SKS does meet two of these three criteria, but lacks the selective fire option.

Assault Weapon is a term which is often misused. In 1994, the BATF had to define a "civilian assault weapon". They came up with a definition which classed any detachable magazine semi auto weapon with two or more of the following features:

• Pronounced pistol grip
• Bayonet lug
• Flash suppressor (muzzle brakes, however, are excluded)
• Barrel shroud
• Collapsible buttstock

By this definition, the standard, fixed magazine Simonov SKS (and variants) would not fall under the BATFE definition. However, some models from China were designed to use detachable AK magazines - the SKS-D and SKS-M models. Furniture varies greatly on the Chinese models, and some do have a pronounced pistol grip and attached bayonet, which would make those specific models fall into that category.

California's ban predates the Clinton ban, and excludes ALL features, so that any rifle with even ONE of those features is considered an assault weapon under their law. However, like the Clinton ban, it only pertained to the detachable magazine models (SKS-D and SKS-M), so that your typical, run-of-the-mill SKS with the fixed magazine wasn't going to be classed as such, even under California law. California, however, created a list of specifically banned firearms, and included detachable magazine SKS rifles in that category so that even a featureless SKS-D/M rifle was now classed as an assault weapon by California.

On an additional note, it's said above that the SKS is based on the action of the AK47. This is untrue, as the SKS was developed independently of the AK47's development, and also predates the AK47.