SKS Paratrooper

[Batta]

How do you tell if you have a paratrooper or not? Is the barrel length the only indicator?

Thanks

 

[easy]

Pretty much. Regular SKS is 20", para is 16"-16.5"

 

[fireman 9731]

Depends on people's definition of Paratrooper.... Most of the time its just a 16 inch barreled SKS. Some people say it has to have a factory scope mount or take AK mags.

I have a 16 incher, they are handy little guns.

 

[rcmodel]

Last I heard, the Chinese army didn't have airborne troops (Paratroopers) when they last used the SKS.

Neither did East Germany, North Korea, Viet Nam, or Bulgaria.

rc

 

[Reloadron]

Last I heard, the Chinese army didn't have airborne troops (Paratroopers) when they last used the SKS.

Neither did East Germany, North Korea, Viet Nam, or Bulgaria.

rc

Chinese commercial production: Blonde wood ("Chu wood"/"Qiu wood" = Catalpa wood)[8] stock instead of dark wood, spike bayonet instead of blade, bayonet retaining bolt replaced with a rivet. Sub-variants include the M21, "Cowboy's Companion", Hunter, Models D/M, Paratrooper, Sharpshooter, and Sporter. Model D rifles used military style stocks and had bayonet lugs (although some were imported minus bayonet, and a small few minus the lug in order to meet changing US import restrictions). Model M rifles had no bayonet lug and used either a thumb hole or Monte Carlo–style stock. Both model D and M used AK-47 magazines and as a result had no bolt hold open feature on the rifle.

The above quote taken from here.

When the popularity of the actual SKS rifle in a true surplus version took off in the US the Chinese (Norinco) manufactured tens of thousands of rifles for export to the US in a variety of flavors. The "paratrooper" being just one marketing version. It was just a shortened version of the original rifle. Read the link and note the original barrel lengths.

Ron

 

[rcmodel]

Yes, I know.

Thats why I always found the "Paratrooper SKS" name so funny, since nobody that used the SKS had paratroopers.

rc

 

[Upstater]

Actually there was one country that had paratroopers- Russia. I actually have both the standard and paratrooper versions of Russian sks's. Both of them require sks's mags the para is 16" and the standard is 20".

 

[tnxdshooter]

I have an m sporter paratrooper that takes ak mags and love it.

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[JShirley]

My Paratrooper is one of the firearms I most regret selling when I initially enlisted.

My Gen 2 Glock 23 probably being the other.

John

 

[Batta]

Well paratrooper or not I picked up a 16" sks yesterday

 

[Baba Louie]

Well paratrooper or not I picked up a 16" sks yesterday

Kudos on the short simonov. Always thought that was the "just about right" size for that platform. I suppose "paratrooper" sounds better than "trapper" (paratrapper?). but 16" is a good size for that cartridge and use in the bush.

10 rd magazine or was it modified like the M model? Bayonet or no?

 

[Batta]

10 rnd mag. No bayonet. I wish it did but not much I can do about it.

 

[Arp32]

I don't care what you guys find on Wikipedia. I still bet they aren't made from actual paratroopers.

 

[Reloadron]

I don't care what you guys find on Wikipedia. I still bet they aren't made from actual paratroopers.

That was my point. Anymore than there really was an M1 Garand tanker rifle. Oh wait, they could have called those M1 Garand Paratrooper rifles.

Then too, while the Chinese lacked paratroopers the had tanks. We could have the SKS Tanker version. That would work.

Ron

 

[fireman 9731]

Yeah! I have a Tanker SKS! If it took AK mags I could use my Hungarian 20 round tanker mags!

I think I like paratrapper the best!

I guess we could just just be boring and call it a carbine.

 

[Mr. Farknocker]

the parachute is a dead giveaway.

 

[Husker1911]

And it barely fits into my rifle's buttstock hiding compartment.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Ar32:
I don't care what you guys find on Wikipedia. I still bet they aren't made from actual paratroopers.

That is two slanders in one. Harrumph! You sir owe the Chinese and Wikipedia an apology. Wikipedia says 16" barrel SKS "paratrooper" and "Cowboy's Companions" are made originally from SKS rifles, not from paratroopers and certainly not from cowboy's companions. The very idea! Outrageous!

Seriously though:

Wikipedia on SKS
Chinese Type 63, 68, 73, 81, 84: Only a close relative to the SKS, these rifles shared features from several east-bloc rifles (SKS, AK-47, Dragunov). AK-47 style rotary bolt and detachable magazine. .... The Type 84 (known as an SKK) returns to semi-auto fire only, is modified to accept AK-47 magazines, and has a shorter 16" paratrooper barrel.

Most SKS "paratrooper" rifles were commercially made for the export market for hunting or "ranch rifle" use.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I don't care what you guys find on Wikipedia. I still bet they aren't made from actual paratroopers.

^^^Carl, I think you're missing his point in a rush to prove a point^^^

I agree Wiki, er, opinipedia is not the end all be all of facts.

If for instance they addressed how the residual vodka and nicotine deposits were removed from the Paratroopers prior to their rendering into SKS material, I might be more inclined to give them some credit.

 

[Arp32]

Finally!

 

[tnxdshooter]

Yeah! I have a Tanker SKS! If it took AK mags I could use my Hungarian 20 round tanker mags!

I think I like paratrapper the best!

I guess we could just just be boring and call it a carbine.

I have some hungarian tankers for my sporter m. I reckon it is a tanker rifle lol


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[mac66]

No matter what you call it, the short SKS makes a great little ranch, truck, farm, grab and go rifle. I really like mine.

 

[Hanshi]

I have the little 16" barrel SKS complete with bayonet & sling I picked up many years ago. Don't know about parachutes but it is a handy little rifle.