Out of these three rifles, I’d have to go with the SKS by preference. SVT40 has a harsh recoil and complex disassembly, K31 has an awkward safety and the paper/foil clips have to be oriented in a specific way for loading. SKS, at least compared to the other two, comes across as a more modern and ergonomic weapon.
As you can see from the patch, Suarez training is well regarded by the Swiss. Several people spoke well of his teaching style and doctrines.
All 3 are WWII designs – the SKS was the only one that prospered over the years, good solid design.
Now is someone would produce an accurized version of the SKS.
Suarez International’s training methods and weapon / blade innovations are excellent. I highly recommend their courses, equipment selection and customized forearms to anybody wishing to learn to “fight” with their firearms.
stupid auto-complete…I meant “customized firearms” especially their Glock pistols with a Trijicon RMR mounted atop and aligned with raised suppressor sights.
I was at their Ultimate Combat Skills Week in Prescott Arizona May 16 to May 20th and I was hitting a 4 foot high steel gong 230 yards up on top of a hill at the range like it was cool with my Glock 22 / RMR combo.
I also won a “gang unit” stealth knife and a Cold Steel Spetznaz-type sharpened throwing shovel in a drawing from them as well. Good stuff!
http://www.onesourcetactical.com
Looks like quite a fun trip, Oleg!
I’d love to take that SVT-40 home with me (and I would give the current owner a fair price for it)…
Is the fellow on the right really that tall, or is the guy in the middle just really short (or both)? It almost looks like an optical illusion.
Don’t mess with them anyway 😉
Both. The warrior in the middle stands about 5ft and that didn’t stop him from being effective with a .30cal bolt action despite a huge rucksack on his back. I liked his attitude, so he ended up showing in many of my photos.
K, I’d be happy to find a way to actually improve the trigger.
Harsh recoil?
If SVT-40 which has both a gas system and a muzzle-brake is harsh, what then is the recoil of a Mosin?
Probably the least unpleasant of WWII semi-automatic rifles, at least judging from the numbers.
Both 30-06 and 8mm are more powerful rounds..
SVT40 seems to flex on firing. FN49 in 8mm Mauser is far, far easier to shoot. Mosins are plain painful to shoot, IMO. Strangely, K31 isn’t.
Yeah, it seems they went a little too far where weight-saving was concerned, since it is lighter than a Mosin, and a pound lighter than the Garand..
K31 not being painful seems .. weird. Both rifles weigh the same, the ammo is about equally powerful?
The SVT is definitely a special monster. The “flex” comes from, I think, the hard stop the gas cylinder/op rod makes against the receiver. Note that the gas system is adjustable, if you play with it for a given ammo, you can calm it down a bit. Most surp ammo for it is probably loaded hot for BFMGs, which won’t help. Imagine how terrifying the full-auto AVT was. When the SVT is blank-adapted, you get visible flame from muzzle, hand guard vents, and breach, in full daylight.
Crap.
Pity there are no other reasonably-priced rifles in 7.62×54…
For some reason my first take was “people lined up against a wall.”
But my second take was “and the firing squad is in deep s**t.”
In addition to the strange sight of pistols being employed at 200 meters, is the even stranger sight of gaiters on most warriors’ legs. Our Army used to issue them, but ended the practice during or just after WW2, and now one can only get the mountain-climbing variety of gaiters here. The gaiter, of course, protects the lower leg opening of the field trousers from the entry of all sorts of nasties you don’t really want inside your pant-legs and down into your field boots. We blouse our field trousers here, but the gaiters do a better job than blousing.
The gaiters were used because the kneehigh grass was wet as hell, it also rained during the training.
I have at least one of each of them. Each has it’s purpose.
The gaiters are normaly for the mountain infantery who use them with ski boots. But if you walk in wet grass and mood your pants are sucking up all the water and give it back in the boots, therefore there are really usefull and has nothing to do with old fashionned. It’s just a question to have the right gear at the right place.
Now, I’ve had some practice with the K-31, so it isn’t that awkward to me. I’d like to get an SVT40, that is, if my minders here in People’s Republic of Kalifornia allow me to.
Count me as another satisfied Suarez International customer. Their training is outstanding, particularly with regard to mindset and an aggressive approach to the gunfight – well superior to the military training I’ve received.
And I love the old rifles….