Personally, I see no functional difference between a Russian SKS and a Yugo M59/66, other than the grenade launching system. I personally owned a Yugo model while a friend owned a Chinese model. The two were nearly identical other than the above-mentioned launching system and a few cosmetic differences. I even used components from his rifle inside my own rifle out of curiosity, and it worked flawlessly.
So what point is there in having both a Russian SKS and Yugo SKS in a game? If the grenade launcher works, then that's your answer. If it doesn't work, then the answer is "None".
The developers were far from being firearms experts, and probably not even one of them was a prior-service military soldier. They probably wouldn't know the difference between an AK-47 and AK-74 without having to read spec sheets a dozen times over. So just because those guys decided to add in multiple "copies" of the same firearm doesn't mean that R@S or any mod maker should do the same. R@S has a chance to avoid the same mistakes the original developers made. Maybe the developers even used different ballistics data to distinguish the two weapons, when in reality that would have been false. Again, R@S and the others have been using more accurate ballistics data.
So in the example of the SKS, my opinion is to either add the Yugo M59/66 OR the Simonov SKS, not both. It doesn't matter which one you add, hell it could be Chinese, Romanian, Albanian, Yugoslavian, what ever. Just choose one and use it, dump the rest.
In note to the M70AB2, there is quite a bit of difference between those and the AK-47. It would more closely relate to the AKS-47/AKMS, which like the M70AB2 have an under-folding stock and stamped receiver. Of course the M70AB2 also has the grenade system, but other than that their functional differences are minimal.
I can see having various models of the AK family, with different barrel lengths, stock types, calibers, etc. But why have two weapons that look the same, feel the same, shoot the same, share the same parts, have 98% identical ballistics performance, and have the same functions/capabilities? So again, my opinion is to pick ONE model of each variant, I don't care what the origin, and lose the rest. If it gives you a chubby to see an M70AB2 in the game instead of an AKS-47/AKMS, then I have no problem with that. I just don't want to see both.
It's the same reason I don't want to see a Colt AR-15, DPMS AR-15, Bushmaster AR-15, Armalite AR-15, etc all in the game at the same time when they are all equipped with the exact same features. If they all have the same caliber, barrel length, stock type, furniture, etc then the name doesn't mean shit. Pick one, and only one, and leave the rest out. They're the same damn rifle, with their only difference being the name engraved on the side of the receiver.
You get what I'm trying to say?
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