California has strict gun laws. Here's how the Gilroy gunman evaded them

[Straw Man]

2. Right.

Last edited Wed Jul 31, 2019, 01:43 PM - Edit history (1)

A standard SKS has a fixed magazine and no pistol grip. It never had a select-fire full-auto variant. It fits no state's definition of "assault weapon." It belongs to a previous generation of military rifles, and has more in common with the M1 Garand of WWII than it does with the AK-47.

From top to bottom: M1 Garand, SKS, AK-47.





Somebody misspoke in a press conference and the media ran with it. The only thing an SKS has in common with an AK-47 is that they were both used by Eastern Bloc armies at one time. The SKS was replaced by the AK-47, just as the M1 Garand was replaced by first the M14 and then the M16.

EDIT TO ADD: Later reports indicate that the weapon used was a WASR-10, which is a civilian AK variant. Initial reports contained conflicting information.