SKS.

This is coolbert:

Just the other day I received from my local State Representative this Echo Group e-mail.

[an Echo Group is a select group of constituents that elected officials can consult as to pending legislations. To obtain grass roots opinions on matters of the day!!]

This particular post concerns a proposed Illinois state law to ban certain types of weapons referred to as "assault weapons".

From the post of the representative:

"Dear Echo Members:

Today I am asking for your opinions on upcoming legislation.

The bill is House Bill 2414 (Assault Weapons Ban). This bill is an anti-gun initiative by Mayor Daley and the City of Chicago. It is opposed by the National Rifle Association and the Illinois State Rifle Association. This bill would:

· Prohibit the manufacture, delivery, sale, purchase and possession of “semiautomatic assault weapons,” assault weapon attachments and .50 caliber rifles.

· Requires forfeiture, relinquishment or destruction of all banned weapons within 90 days of passage. Except for those persons who already posses the banned weapon before the bill takes effect.

· .50 caliber rifles mean a center fire rifle capable of firing a .50 caliber cartridge, but do not include an antique firearm or muzzle-loaders used for “black powder” hunting or battle re-enactment.

* Makes possession of a .50 caliber rifle is a Class 3 felony (2-5 years incarceration & $25,000 fine.)

* The bill does not apply to peace officers, retired peace officers, wardens, or Armed Services.

* Includes in the definition of “semi-automatic assault weapon” a semi-automatic shotgun with a pistol grip that protrudes beneath the action of the weapon.

* This bill will also ban assault type accessories as well, including grips, stocks, ammunition feeds, etc."



Please recall my previous blog entry on the militia and what is defined as an assault weapon:

"For the purposes of this blog entry, an assault weapon is generally defined as a firearm having any of these characteristic features:
A high capacity magazine.

* Pistol grip stock [for a rifle].

* Night sights.

* Bayonet lug.

* Folding stock.

Federal legislation defines an assault weapon somewhat, but only slightly, differently:

"An example of assault weapon legislation is the Federal 1994 Crime Bill.
The bill in part outlaws new civilian manufacture of certain semi-automatic
assault weapons. It also prohibits new civilian manufacture of
"large capacity ammunition feeding devices" declared certain weapons
as assault weapons, and states a semi-automatic rifle is an assault weapon
if it can accept a detachable magazine and has two or more of the following:

[Please PAY ATTENTION to "a detachable magazine and"]

* A folding or telescoping stock
* A pistol grip
* A bayonet mount
* A flash suppressor, or threads to attach one
* A grenade launcher."

How does the SKS carbine measure up with regard to the assault weapon criteria as defined by federal law and the recent proposed measure to outlaw certain types of weapons by the Illinois legislator?

The SKS carbine, in say the version as manufactured by the Yugoslavs, DOES meet AND DOES NOT certain requirements to be defined as an assault weapon.




"The Yugoslavian 59/66 SKS carbine is based very closely upon the
original design by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. There are some
deviations as I will cover in this article. The 59/66 like the
other SKS carbines is a semi-auto carbine in 7.62x39 mm caliber,
has a ten round capacity fixed magazine, and the function and
design are pretty much identical.

It deviates with an integral 22 mm NATO specification grenade
launcher, a flip-up grenade sight, standard SKS front and rear
sights with flip-up night sights, a folding 11.5" blade bayonet,
and a rubber butt pad.

Night sighting aids on the front and rear sights. Found on the
59/66 A1 and 59/66 A2."

It DOES have a integral bayonet ATTACHED to the weapon all the time.

DOES have a PURCHASEABLE muzzle brake [to suppress report [??] [the bang the firearm makes] AND [??] flash at night].

"OVERVIEW: Muzzle attachments come in many different varieties and forms, and scant few have the manufacturer's or model name associated with it. Terms used: muzzle brake prevents the barrel from climbing during rapid fire, a recoil compensator reduces felt recoil by venting escaping gasses backward, a suppressor is anything that suppresses either flash, climb, or recoil, and a flash hider splits a large bright muzzle flare into smaller dim flares. At least that's how I define them."

"LEGAL NOTE: It is NOT legal to have a flash hider on an SKS, so be sure that your suppressor doesn't act as both a brake and a flash hider."



DOES come with a built-in grenade launcher AND sight [one wonders where one would GET the grenades!!??].



It is possible to buy a high-tech stock with PISTOL grip that can be used in lieu of the conventional wooden SKS stock. This too is one of the criteria that ordinarily defines an assault weapon.



[this version of the SKS has both the improved hi-tech pistol grip stock AND the optical telescopic sight. Does NOT even bear a resemblance to the original product, does it not!!]

And improved sights are available for the SKS too. Some sort of iron sights with rear peep sight, and also a rail [??] for mounting a telescopic sight. This latter device is popular with deer hunters that use the SKS.

[see the above picture!!]

[when I speak of night sights, I am thinking of luminous front and rear sights on the weapon that allow for efficient employment during times of darkness. The Yugoslav SKS DOES come with flip-up luminous sights in the basic unimproved model!!]



BUT, all the above seems to be irrelevant.

The SKS DOES NOT HAVE a DETACHABLE high capacity magazine. It has a magazine built in to the weapon that WILL hold ten rounds. But to my knowledge this is NOT a detachable magazine. YOU MUST load the ten rounds, all by hand, either singly or by a loading strip.

If you go by the exact wording of the law defining an assault weapon, and WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU GO BY [??], the SKS carbine therefore IS NOT an assault weapon.

I am sure in many circles this is hard to go by. To the anti-gun layman, the SKS IS an assault weapon, even if it does not meet the criteria as defined by law. I guess that having a weapon that possesses a detachable high capacity magazine is the one thing that is most crucial. YOU JUST HAVE such a greater ability to put more lead on the target faster.

Ancillary features of the weapon are just so much window dressing to the law.

coolbert.