One of my favorite Siminov pattern rifles was produced in the former country of Yugoslavia by Zastava Arms. In fact, my first rifle was a Yugo SKS (though this one is a relatively new acquisition). I always liked the features on this model, particularly the gas-shutoff and grenade launcher (pictured in some detail above).
There are ergonomic limits to the humble Simonov pattern rifle. The Tapco chassis and ACE folding mechanism/ stock addition are stop gap measures to modernize the original Monte Carlo style set up. It may not win any beauty contests, but this is what peak performance looks like from the platform. (Chinese Norinco paratropper model-M pictured, the bell of my collection)…
