Here is a photo of my M1 Carbine compared to my "paratrooper" SKS. The so-called paratrooper SKS was never used by Chinese paratroopers, but was a version made for US import. It has a fixed 10 round magazine and a 16.5" barrel. It is compact, but when compared to the M1 carbine it is heavy. But it uses a more powerful cartridge. I think it makes much more sense as a 16.5" barrel than the 20" barrel of a standard SKS. But the M-1 carbine is light, slim, and handy with minimal recoil and blast compared to the SKS.