Development of the SKS-45

[Greasemonkey]

I believe the transition from x54R to x39 in the ‘SKS’ didn’t occur until after the war was over no?   If true I’d think that The prototypes supposedly used in WWII surely were in that caliber and only slightly resembled the post ‘48 SKS45 that we all know and love.

As I have seen... the x39 was not formally adopted until 1949... But both the pre SKS45 and the AK-46.. yes there was an AK-46, and an RPD were all prototyped originally in 7.62x41mm, probably after 54r was tried.
https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/7-62x41mm/1621
https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/soviet-7-62x41-pre-7-62x39mm/13454/4
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=223231
https://www.kalashnikov.ru/sks-kotoryj-tak-i-ne-vstupil-v-boj/

[Boris Badinov]

Ahhh! They were using the x41mm cartridge.

I see.

So the cartridge they were testing wasn't the x39mm M43, it was the x41mm.  I was under the impression from the Chumak translation, that the severe injury/bruising he describes from felt recoil, was related to rifle design alone; and i failed to consider the cartridge was the larger cased x41

This possibly also explains the reports of exceedingly large fireball muzzle flash.

Thanks for the clarification gentlemen!

[Greasemonkey]

Must have been a really, really poor design or Russian troops that were sensitive to recoil or just issued PPSHs, considering they used the x54r in the M38/M44, that size wise equal the SKS. The CKC-31 in x54r I could see excessive recoil and muzzle flash. From what I understand, the only real difference in the x41 and x39 was a slightly different powder and 2mm shaved off the neck.