Book Information

Book ID Asin: B0181528GO
Book Title: The SKS 7.62 x 39: The Soviet M1 Carbine, And Predecessor to the AK-47
Book Author: Mike Francis
Book Format and Price:
Book Format Name: Kindle
Book Format Price: $0.00
Book Price: unknown
Book Category: Kindle Store, Kindle eBooks, Crafts, Hobbies & Home and unknown
Book Rating: 35 ratings

Book Product Detail

• Best Sellers Rank: #1,082,453 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • #45 in Antique & Collectible Military
  • #100 in Antique & Collectible Firearms & Weapons
  • #213 in Military Antiques & Collectibles

• Customer Reviews:
  3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

unknown

Book Review

Name: William Seppanen
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: .0 out of 5 stars Very goodvinfo
Date: Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 13, 2022
Review: Goodbinfo

Name: Johnny Cee
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: .0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Date: Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 8, 2016
Review: Just as good as the AK 47 and with new accessories just as versatile.

Name: Kindle Customer
Rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars
Title: .0 out of 5 stars Basically just a long review
Date: Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 26, 2016
Review: Wasn't really expection much for 2.99 but this is literally just the same reviews that everyone seems give for these guns does online and on you tube. Oh and it had a comparison to an M1 carbine.

Also I cringe every time I here a reviewer call these guns "assault rifles". That stupid term hadn't even been thought up yet when these weapons were created.

Name: Pat Patterson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: .0 out of 5 stars Exactly on point for a new SKS owner (like me!)
Date: Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 23, 2019
Review: I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.

The SKS 7.62 x 39 : The Soviet M1 Carbine, and Predecessor to the AK-47.

Mike Francis, writer and publisher. Kindle Edition; 39 pages. Published November 14, 2015

A few weeks ago, an amazing thing happened: a firearms dealer I had done business with in the past advertised SKS rifles for sale. In the 1980s and early 1990s, these had been very popular and inexpensive military surplus rifles, and sold in the US for less than $100, but the Chinese government's firearms exportation policy ran afoul of the Clinton Administration. Further import was banned sometime around 1993 or 1994, and as existing US stocks were depleted, prices skyrocketed.
Whether it was overlooking boxes in a warehouse, or a prescient marketing idea, I do not know. Regardless, a few crates of SKS rifles were stored in a warehouse in Austria and/or Albania, for over 20 years, thus making them eligible for import into the US.

I grabbed one immediately. Then I had to find out how it worked.

Amazon, in the form of firearms writer Mike Francis, came to my rescue. This book provided me with everything I needed to care for my new acquisition, and I downloaded my copy the next day after I placed my order. I LOVE instant transactions, and I especially love the Kindle Unlimited program, which allowed me to get the resource I needed right away, without leaving the comfort of my man cave.

Here's what I got:

Chapter 1. The SKS. In this chapter, the author briefly reviews (and bemoans, as I do) the state of the surplus military firearm market today. Whereas at one time, the supply seemed endless, and both firearms and ammo were cheap, import restrictions have made that a thing of the past. However, after this NECESSARY rabbit trail, he goes into the development history of the SKS and certain design features. I had not known that Stalin himself was behind the Soviets' late entry into the intermediate caliber rifle cartridge. The 7.62x54R, a venerable full-power cartridge roughly equivalent to the American .30-06, and the bolt-action rifle, were both cherished by the tyrant, and it wasn't until very late in the war that he permitted the semi-auto, 7.62x39 platform to be implemented.
At the end of this chap[ter, and EVERY chapter, are clickable links where the reader may obtain further information. I think this feature should be incorporated into every novel published in electronic form. Usually, any links are minimal, although science fiction writer Rob Howell does include links to a growing Wiki of his created worlds.

Chapter 2. Field Strip. This was one of the most significant chapters for me, as I had never handled an SKS before, and had no idea how they functioned. The TEXT portion of this chapter gave clear and detailed instructions on the function of each part, and how it was to be removed and replaced in stripping the firearm. There were no diagrams in this section, but the first clickable link is to a straight-forward disassembly video. However, for reasons unknown, twp additional links show 'Video Unavailable.” I don't know why this should be the case, but I do know that YouTube has been working hard to eliminate gun channel content, using various means.

Chapter 3. Shooting Basics. Discusses the accuracy possible with the SKS; as an intermediate cartridge, the 7.62x39 is really NOT a sniper-grade round. However, at battlefield distances, it's a pretty good choice. In addition, the configuration of the rifle lead to making your shots likely to hit what you are aiming at. Specific instructions for sight adjustment, something that is ESSENTIAL information, are given. Both of the clickable links in this section worked.

Chapter 4. Scopes, Mounts, and Accessories. I have no plans to modify my SKS, but if I WANTED to, I could do all sorts of things to it. I expect that the specific information contained in this section could become obsolete, as manufacturers change offerings (and as the supply of SKS rifles has dried up), but the basic info is here. Personally, I think that people who want an AK-model rifle should buy one, instead of attempting to turn an SKS into an AK. There are quite a few new manufacture AKs available, but nobody is making the SKS. Pity, that. The clickable link is active.

Chapter 5. Troubleshooting and Shooting. Basic, un-common sense advice here on how to not mess things up (as in, don't leave it dirty, etc); what to look for if you DO get a failure, as well as some shooting drills to help you develop your skills. All three links are to demonstrations of these drills, and all are live as of the time of this review.

I looked for contact information for the author, to tell him about the two broken links, and see if he was interested in doing an update. Although he has written extensively about firearms, he does not appear to have an Amazon author page. That's okay. Maybe he will read this review, and that will get the message to him. And, even if not, I went ahead and got his books on the Mosin-Nagant and the Browning Hi-Power, both of which live at my house, although in different bedrooms.

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