Get Sks Rifle

Are SKS legal in California? Provided it has not been modified for a detachable magazine, yes, the SKS is legal in CA.

The SKS was the standard service rifle used by Soviet Air Defence Forces to guard Anti-Aircraft sites until at least the late 1980s. To this day, the SKS carbine is used by some ceremonial Russian honor guards, much the same way the M14 Rifle is within the United States.

Most SKS rifles cost around $400 to $1,000 making them an achievable firearm for almost every gun enthusiasts. As for the reliability and capacity of the gun, the SKS rifle is a great option for new gun owners and a fantastic first rifle beyond the 22LR. The SKS, not surprisingly, is a popular hunting rifle.

The M16 had a higher rate of fire, 700-950 rpm compared to the 600 rpm of the AK-47, and most shooters — including those that have used the weapons in combat — have tended to agree that the M16 is the more accurate. A trade-off is that the accuracy and range don't equate to penetration.

The SKS's 10-round fixed magazine is more than adequate for most shooters. It's also more rugged than the AK's, which is made of a very heavy stamping of steel (by contrast to the AKs plastic or light metal stamped magazines).

For essentially any role that is not defense or combat-oriented, the SKS can at least perform on par with the AK, if not better in some areas. If the gun you want may ever be forced into a tactical application, however, the AK still has more potential to be the better modern fighting rifle.

While it looks superficially similar to the better-known and more modern AK-47, the standard SKS does not have a pistol grip or detachable high-capacity magazine that would make it illegal under California's assault weapons definition. A variation with an attached grenade launcher would be illegal.

As for the reliability and capacity of the gun, the SKS rifle is a great option for new gun owners and a fantastic first rifle beyond the 22LR. The SKS, not surprisingly, is a popular hunting rifle. Due to its known mid-to-longer range ability, the SKS rifle is commonly used to hunt deer.