First designed and produced during the closing stages of World War II, the SKS was the first Soviet weapon to use the now standard 7.62 mm intermediate catridge.

The action of the weapon is locked by the bolt being tilted into lugs in the receiver by the bolt carrier. The gas system uses a piston with a piston-rod to unlock the action and force it to the rear for the first 20 mm, thereafter inertia takes over, combined with the 

return-spring to complete the loading cycle. The SKS is loaded using either a 10 round charger (or stripper clip) or individual rounds. The magazine is non-detachable, but it can swing downwards, allowing rounds to be spilled out during unloading. It also has a permanently attached folding bayonet. No longer in first-line service with the Soviet Army since the late 70s, it was still used in most communist countries up to the late 80s and early 90s, including Angola.

It is still widely used for ceremonial purposes, especially the Russian honor guards

The SKS was a stop-gap until the arrival of the newer AK-47, and was to be a fallback if the AK-47 design proved to be a failure.