Difference Between AK47 and SKS (With Table)

Assault rifles are among the most popular guns most nations use to strengthen their military weapons. The major reason why assault rifle guns are this popular is that assault rifle guns can be used in 2 different forms: assault rifles can be used as automatic gun, and they can also be used as semi-automatic guns.

Several different assault rifle guns are widely used; two of the most popular assault rifle guns are AK47 and SKS. Both of the guns have only a few similarities and significant dissimilarities.

AK47 vs SKS

The main difference between the AK47 and the SKS is that the stock of the SKS assault rifle is wooden. On the other hand, the stock of the AK47 assault rifle is replaced with a folding shoulder stash made of metal.

The abbreviation of AK in AK47 stands for ‘Avtomat Kalashnikov.’ Avtomat Kalashnikov is a Russian word where the word avtomat stands for automatic in English. The second word, Kalashnikov, represents the name of the person who designed the AK47 assault rifle.

SKS is an abbreviation for the name ‘Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova.’ Here, the word Simonova represents the make of the person who conceptualized and designed the SKS assault rifle.

Comparison Table Between AK47 and SKS

What is AK47?

The name of the person who conceptualized and designed the AK47 assault rifle was Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov. He designed the AK47 assault rifle in 1947. In the same year, 1947, the AK47 assault rifle was selected as the primary gun for the Soviet army.

Kalashnikov was a commander of a tank army during the phase of World War 2. Kalashnikov did not just design the AK47 assault rifle but several other guns as well. The first gun Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov designed was STG 44, an infantry rifle.

The AK47 assault rifle is an infantry gun used as a shoulder weapon. Moreover, the AK47 assault rifle is used as a standard gun in approximately 110 countries.

The ammo used in the AK47 rifle gun is 7.62 mm by 39mm ammo. The most powerful feature of the AK47 assault rifle is that when the gun is used in automation, it can roll and fire up to 600 rounds of ammo in a minute.

What is SKS?

The name of the person who conceptualized and designed the SKS assault rifle was Sergei Gavrilovich Simonova. He designed the SKS assault rifle in 1945.

The idea behind designing the SKS assault rifle was to design a gun that would work as an intermediate-functioning gun for the two different types: a sniper rifle gun and an assault rifle gun. That is the reason why the SKS assault rifle is a semi-automatic gun. The ammo used in the SKS rifle gun is 7.62 mm by 39mm.

Though the SKS assault rifle was a highly powerful, strong, and versatile assault rifle, the gun was initially declined to be used as a standard gun in the Soviet army. The major reason is that SKS only has a cartridge of 10 ammo in one round.

In simpler words, it can be said that the SKS assault rifle could hold only 10 bullets in one round. After every round, that is to say, after all the 10 bullets were fired, the SKS assault rifle had to be reloaded.

Main Differences Between AK47 and SKS

1. Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov designed the AK47 assault rifle. While on the other hand, the SKS assault rifle was designed by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov.
2. The AK47 assault rifle was designed in the year 1947. The SKS assault rifle was designed in the year 1945.
3. The AK47 assault rifle has a cartridge of 30 ammo per round. That means the AK47 assault rifle can fire 30 bullets in a round without getting to reload. The SKS assault rifle has a cartridge of 10 ammo per round. That means the SKS assault rifle can fire 10 bullets in a round without getting to reload.
4. The reliability of the AK47 assault rifle is more, that is to say, the AK47 assault rifle is more reliable. The SKS assault rifle is less reliable than the AK47 assault rifle.
5. The purpose of the AK47 assault rifle is for military use only, and an individual cannot use that gun. In contrast, the SKS assault rifle can also have a purpose for individual use, apart from military use. However, a license from a respected authority is required for a person to buy the SKS assault rifle gun.

Conclusion

The AK47 assault rifle is one of the most deadly assault rifle guns among all the different types of guns. The most interesting fact about the AK47 assault rifle gun is that it has a bigger kill count than nuclear weapons. That is why most nations use AK47 assault rifles for their army.

Whereas SKS assault rifle is not only for military use but can also be used by individuals after having a license. 

Apart from that, AK47 is an assault rifle that works only in selective-fire form. In contrast, SKS is an assault rifle that works in semi-automatic mode.

There are very few similarities between the two guns, the AK47 and SKS. But two of the most basic similarities between the two guns are that both are assault rifle guns and use ammo of 7.62 mm.