SKS-D (Type 56 Model D)
Norinco (China North Industries Corporation) · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1991
Also known as: Type 56 Model D, Type 56-D, SKS-D, Detachable Magazine SKS
Overview
The SKS-D (officially Type 56 Model D, with 'D' standing for 'Detachable') is a Chinese-produced SKS variant engineered to accept standard AK-47/AKM detachable box magazines instead of the SKS's traditional 10-round fixed internal magazine. Manufactured by Norinco in the early 1990s primarily for US commercial export, the SKS-D features a shortened gas tube with the gas block repositioned rearward to clear the magazine well, a modified trigger group with welded extensions accommodating an AK-style magazine release, and a rebuilt receiver opening sized for AK magazines. Both standard 521mm (20.5-inch) and 'paratrooper' 419mm (16.5-inch) barrel lengths were offered. Pre-1994 SKS-Ds retain the bayonet lug and removable spike bayonet; the closely related Type 56 Model M (SKS-M) was the post-ban-compliant version with the bayonet lug ground off and a sporterized stock. Importation ended in 1994 with the Clinton-era Chinese small arms import ban, making surviving examples increasingly collectible.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3850 g (135.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1025 mm (40.35") |
| Barrel Length | 521 mm (20.51") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 735 m/s (2411 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2130 J (1571 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 35 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x39mm · primary — also known as 7.62mm Soviet, 7.62x39mm M43
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Lever, Trigger Block Safety
- Features: Accepts Ak 47 Magazines, Shortened Gas Tube, Rebuilt Trigger Group, Removable Spike Bayonet, Bayonet Lug Present, Chrome Lined Barrel, Ak Style Magazine Release
Variants
- Type 56 Model M (SKS-M) — Us Compliant No Bayonet
Base model
Service history
Operators
- US civilian market · adopted 1991
Production
Production years: 1991-1994
Produced almost exclusively for the US commercial market in a brief window before the 1994 Chinese import ban; relatively low total production has made surviving examples collectible
Origin
Country of origin: China
Designer: Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov
Discontinued: 1994
Notes
The 'SKS-D' name was coined by American importers; Chinese factory markings simply read 'Type 56'. Some early SKS-Ds use proprietary magazines incompatible with standard AK pattern mags; later production runs accept any standard AKM magazine. The shortened gas system can be sensitive to ammunition power factor and may short-stroke with weak commercial loads.
Background
The SKS-D was Norinco's attempt to bridge the gap between the obsolete-but-cheap SKS and the AK-47, giving budget-conscious American shooters detachable magazines without paying AK-pattern prices. The window of legal importation slammed shut in 1994 - barely three years after the design debuted - making the SKS-D a brief, ironic footnote: a Chinese rifle designed entirely for an American market that abruptly stopped being allowed to buy it.