Rifles at Royal Palace

[vladimir]

What rifles do the sentries at the Royal Palace shoulder?
Look similar to a Lee Enfield .303 (same-same but different) French origin?
LL? Ken?

[doktor_d]

They've got Chinese type 56 rifles (or possibly Russian SKS rifles) I believe..

[Lucky Lucan]

They've got Chinese type 56 rifles (or possibly Russian SKS rifles) I believe..

Sounds about right. This guy is more like the usual sangkat cop, but you can see the rifle clearly:



Here's one with the ceremonial uniform but the gun isn't as clear:



Here's one with an M16:



And a bunch of them with ceremonial uniforms and rifles.

[doktor_d]

It's a semi-automatic rifle. I'm quite sure the rifle the guards use is either a Russian SKS or Chinese Norinko type-56 carbine. It's still used as a ceremonial arm in several countries today.

Here's a pic of a guard from google. An illustration of a guard in 1980 with the same rifle, and an illustration of a NVA soldier using another version of the same rifle. (Illustrations from different Osprey books)


Text from NVA illustration:


Here's a close up:


From Wikipedia:

The SKS is a Soviet semi-automatic rifle chambered for the 7.62x39mm round, designed in 1943 by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. Its complete designation, SKS-45, is an acronym for Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova, 1945 (Russian: Самозарядный карабин системы Симонова, 1945; Self-loading Carbine of (the) Simonov system, 1945), or SKS 45. In the early 1950's, the Soviets took the SKS carbine out of front-line service and replaced it with the AK-47; however, the SKS remained in second-line service for decades. It is still used as a ceremonial arm today. The SKS was widely exported, and was also produced by some former Eastern Bloc nations as well as China, where it was designated the "Type 56", East Germany as the Karabiner S and in North Korea as the "Type 63". The SKS is currently popular on the civilian surplus market in many countries, including the United States. It was one of the first weapons chambered for the 7.62x39mm M43 round, which was also used later in the AK-47.

It's listed under "Infantry weapons" on Wikipedia's "Royal Cambodian Army" page

Soviet Union SKS - Semi-Automatic Carbine - Used by Cambodian Royal Guards. Decommissioned and replaced by QBZ-97B.

[Lucky Lucan]

You're right, I edited my post before I saw your new one. When I first searched for those models loads of more modern assault rifles came up.


Simonov Sks


Chinese type 56

The close up shots look like a slightly different, much shorter model, there isn't such a wide gap between the magazine and the trigger guard.

[vladimir]

Thanks guys, looking at the shorter ones, I see very distinct similarities between them and the AK47, which I assume was a later one?

[doktor_d]

The AK came after the SKS. I think the first SKS was designed in 1943 or 44..

[giblet]

So...which war are these from, then?

[Lucky Lucan]

I see very distinct similarities between them and the AK47, which I assume was a later one?

So...which war are these from, then?

All of them.

[ken svay]

AK 47 was post WW2 as I remember but has starred in every war since.
It has to be by far the best all round weapon ever produced.
Apart from the sarcasm often found on this site.

[Lucky Lucan]

As you could guess from the name, it was first introduced in 1947. However, it seems that because of early manufacturing problems, it wasn't produced in large numbers till 1956.

[giblet]

As you could guess from the name, it was first introduced in 1947. However, it seems that because of early manufacturing problems, it wasn't produced in large numbers till 1956.

I don't know anything about guns and I always assumed that the AK-47 was newer than that because rappers talk about them and stuff.

[Lucky Lucan]

Actual AK47s use a machined receiver and aren't common. What you see around are usually AKMs or Chinese type 56s which use a stamped steel receiver, and are much lighter.

[cambod]

As you could guess from the name, it was first introduced in 1947. ...

I never guessed that, actually. Glad I learned something new today!

And the M16? Now that's old!

[Bitteeinbit]

In the drawing above, they show them with bolt-action rifles. Anyone have recent pictures? Do they still have a bolt-action version? I have some at home so I'll check but wondering if anyone has a picture from a different angle.