Rocinante
Active Member
This is inaccurate: the SKS is usually more accurate than STAMPED AKs because SKS receivers are milled (only a few stamped Type 56 SKS examples exist).
Milled AKs usually can go toe-to-toe with SKSs in terms of raw mechanical accuracy. Short-stroke versus long-stroke piston designs generally have very little effect on the firearm's raw mechanical accuracy. They may, however, effect the SHOOTER'S accuracy due to their respective recoil impulses.
Do you know what the most mechanically accurate service rifle currently is? A SIG-550. Did you also know that it's a Swiss long-stroke AK on a milled receiver?
The same goes with the SVD- it is a MILLED receiver. The PSL is a stamped receiver. A milled receiver does not flex nearly as much as a stamped receiver under recoil. The receiver flexing means the barrel is moving at both ends: the muzzle, and the chamber (which is where it is the strongest and is mounted directly to the receiver). This also screws with the barrel harmonics and induces what is basically "whiplash" onto the projectile itself when traveling down the barrel, leading to faster destabilization while in flight.
More proof- here are two high-speed videos of a stamped and a milled AK, both in 7.62x39:
Stamped:
Milled:
You will note that the barrel flex on the stamped gun is SIGNIFIGANTLY more drastic than the milled gun's barrel.
A more accurate comparison would be an SVD versus a Yugo M76- both are milled receivers. The M76, however, is an AK derivative with a long-stroke piston. The M76, with properly-preserved/loaded M75 ammunition, can achieve ~3/4 MOA (~2MOA with standard ball and other ammunition).
Proof:
Basically, if your barrel does not have a solid anchor point to which it is mounted, it will affect the mechanical accuracy of the weapon.
