Yes and no.
Obviously it was originally made in the Soviet Union. That's who made and produced that cartridge. That's who mostly made the weapons that are tied to that cartridge and who transferred those weapons all over the world. That's who helped the communist countries start up their production of the weapons in that caliber.
When the Soviet system collapsed the Russian government took over production.
However that meant cheap ammo for everyone in the US for a very long time. Even when they weren't Soviet/Russian rifles most of the AK's and SKS's that reached America's shores were built on their tooling or built with their help.
The Soviet Union, China, East Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Poland, Egypt and a few other countries all produced weapons in 7.62x39 and most of those countries exported weapons in those calibers to the US.
Yugoslavia set up their own weapons program and did the same thing.
AK's were $200 to $250 and SKS's were stacked up like cordwood for $75 a pop at gun shows for at least a decade and then twice those prices for another decade. I went through a good dozen of AK's and SKS's.
Is the rancher in Texas who pops hogs or coyotes with his $75 SKS that's kept in his truck for such duty any less American than if he popped them with an AR or a Savage .223 Rem?
The SKS was THE hog gun of choice for awhile before AR's took over.
Most American ammo companies produce at least one flavor of 7.62x39.
I'd say it's reached a certain level of acceptance.
