Posted on 11/22/2004 1:26:48 PM PST by LouAvul
The hmong who killed the hunters used an SKS. I'm trying to clarify that the SKS is a fixed magazine rifle. As such, it was never illegal to own, not even during the AWB, right?
An SKS usually has a 10round fixed magazine. It can be modded for detachable. This mod is kinda lame IMO and clunky to operate. I always preferred the fixed 10 rd mag when I had mine. Good rifle and would be suitable for short-med range hunting.
SKS is a Russian magazine fed semi auto rifle. Kind of like the M 14 without the auto select switch. The mag I believe held ten to fifteen roundsin original form. Other than being of foreign make it would be like using a Ruger mini 14 Thirty, which fires the 7.62 NATO cartridge(308). Since I can buy a Ruger at Sports Authority or Galyans here on Long Island, I don't see where using an SKS is a big deal in this crime.
Not that big a deal but I believe the Mini-30 shoots the Russian 7.62, not NATO 7.62.
Actually, the Ruger mini-30 fires the 7.62x39 round which is the same round as the SKS and the AK clones. I shoot Wolf ammo in my mini. Not accurate at long ranges (100 yards or more) but would make a great brush gun.
But I googled SKS and all I found were fixed magazine rifles. It looks like it uses a stripper clip.
I was just wondering if the gun grabbers were going to say that "this gun was illegal during the AWB, hence the AWB should have been extended."
Or is it the case that since it is a fixed magazine, it was always legal?
SKS is made with a 10 round fixed box magazine. It has no pistol grip or detachable mag which makes it an 'assault rifle'.
There are conversions to make it take AK mags,but they are rare, difficult to modify correctly, and not that well thought of.
If he did indeed use an SKS, it was 99% likely to be the standard 10 round fixed magazine variety.
As far as the AWB goes, it never really applied to stock SKS rifles. Not enough evil features to qualify.
However, there are some import restrictions that apply to rifles - most notably 922(r) that specifies the number of foreign made parts allowed in certain type of rifles. Again, the SKS isn't really covered by this.
The only thing that really applies to any SKS rifle is the ban on Norinco made firearms that is less a gun control act than a punishment of the norinco company.
So if an M1 was legal during AWB the SKS was also legal?
Pretty much, but if there were conversions made, it would have to comply with both the AWB (like if a pistol grip was added) or 922(r) - meaning if any changes were they had to comply with the domestic parts requirement.
Of course, if they were brought in prior to 1989 (the year 922(r) was added), then those rifles are considered 'pre-ban'.
Aren't gun control laws fun to follow????
The Chinese made a fixed 20-round "Red Star" mag which I use. But yes, the unmodified fixed mag rifles are outside of the AWB.
The gun grabbers don't care about this, it was hunters after all that got killed and wounded.
http://www.surplusrifle.com/sks/
Some convert theirs to five round mag to satisfy hunting laws in some states.
Why couldn't it have been lawyers?
My SKS is a Yugo model with flash supressor and bayonett. The magazine is fixed 10 round that uses stripper clips and there is no pistol grip, so It only has two of the dreaded three physical characteristics that would classify it as an "assault weapon".
It's just a semi auto rifle.
The SKS has long been on the antigunners hit list, so this is a minor 'win' for them.
California has its own AWB, and that is still in place. Its definitions are slightly different from the federal AWB.
The rifle was mid-identified. Vang used a Saiga Sporter, which also shoots 7.62x39 ammunition like the AK and SKS. This rifle has to be modified to accept AK magazines, and most likely Vang's rifle had been since he was using 20-round mags.
obviously you don't know a damn thing about guns except what you see on TV...
The SKS rifle is of a russian design, it fires 7.62x39 from a 10 round fixed box magazine, the chinese also developed a nice functioning 20 round fixed magazine for it. It is nothing like an M14, the M14 is a detachable magazine rifle accepting a doublestack magazine of 20 or 30 rounds, of the potent 7.62x51 cartridge, which is a full fledged rifle round, not a carbine round like the russian 7.62x39. The Commie bloc equv. of x51 would be 7.62x54R not 7.62x39.. as far as the Mini 30.. it fires the same round as the SKS, 7.62x39 NOT .308.
At any rate the one thing I agree with you on, is I don't see where the use of an SKS is such a big deal, it could just have easily been a Browning BAR, Remington 7400, or any other autoloading sporting rifle. In my area the SKS probably takes more white tailed deer than any other rifle, it has become the modern Winchester 94, because of its modest price, excellent reliability, performance, and accuracy.
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