The Izhevsk Arsenal produced the SKS from 1953 to 1954, along with the Tula Arsenal from 1949 to 1958. The Soviet Union produced a total of 2.7 million SKS carbines. During the Cold War, the People's Republic of China and other Eastern Bloc countries also manufactured millions of SKS carbines. The SKS was a popular weapon with insurgent forces around the world due to its light weight and practicality for guerrilla warfare. It was also used as a primary infantry weapon by the North Korean and Chinese armies during the Korean War, and continued to be effective in the Vietnam conflict. Overall condition of this firearm is excellent and mechanically good.