It could not boast of high performance, which is why, after a few shots, the armies had to switch to bayonet combat. This feature of past wars is immortalized in the famous thesis of A.V. Suvorov: “The bullet is a fool, but the bayonet is a good fellow.” Subsequently, more advanced weapons with improved characteristics appeared, which led to a noticeable reduction in the role of the bayonet in battle. Moreover, a curious consequence of this process was the fact that when examining various samples small arms bayonets are not given due attention. Let's fill this gap and look at several samples of bayonets used by our army in different periods.
In 1869, the Berdan rifle was adopted by the Russian army. This weapon was actively used by the army for several decades and gave way only to the so-called. Russian three-line rifle mod. 1891 (Mosin rifle). A curious feature of the Berdanka was the use of a new needle bayonet, which later became the basis for several new designs used in later weapons. In addition, Berdan rifles of different modifications had different bayonets.
Berdan rifle No. 1. Drawing Kalashnikov.ru
Berdan infantry rifle mod. 1868 was equipped with a triangular bayonet, which was repeatedly modified in the future in order to change the characteristics and ergonomics of the weapon. The bayonet was attached to the muzzle of the rifle barrel using a tubular sleeve. This part had an L-shaped cutout in the side surface, intended for fastening the bayonet in the desired position using the so-called. bayonet stand soldered to the barrel. In addition, a metal clamp with a screw passed over the cutout. With this device, the base of the bayonet was supposed to clamp the barrel and stay on it due to friction.
On the lower surface of the tubular sleeve there was a bayonet support, made in the form of one L-shaped part with the blade itself. For greater rigidity and safe handling the elongated blade of the bayonet had a triangular shape without sharpening on the edges. The rigidity of the structure was ensured by the fullers in the side surfaces of the bayonet. Characteristic feature The bayonet for Berdan rifles, both No. 1 and the later No. 2, had the blade sharpened. Its tip was made in the form of a narrow sharp plate, which made it possible to use the bayonet as a screwdriver. This feature of the bayonet greatly simplified the maintenance of the weapon with its complete or incomplete disassembly.
Berdan rifle No. 2. Drawing Kalashnikov.ru
The Berdan Rifle No. 1 bayonet reportedly had a blade 20 inches (510 mm) long and weighed 1 pound (just over 400 g). The bayonet was supposed to be kept on the rifle at all times, with the exception of weapon maintenance operations. The shooting was also carried out with a fixed bayonet. Due to its relatively large length and weight, the blade had a noticeable effect on the shooting characteristics of the rifle.
In 1870, the so-called Berdan rifle No. 2. It had a number of important differences from the first modification, as well as an updated bayonet. The main design features of the bayonet remained the same, the method of attachment did not change, but the shape and location of the blade were modified. Instead of a triangular shape, it was decided to use a tetrahedral one, which provided greater rigidity and strength. To compensate for the derivation that occurs during the flight of a bullet, it was decided to move the blade from under the barrel to its right side. Thus, the bayonet and support were transferred to another part of the tubular sleeve, the design of which, however, did not change. As before, fastening to the muzzle of the barrel was carried out using a clamp with a screw.
Berdan rifle bayonet. Photo Germans-medal.com
The dimensions, weight and shape of the bayonet of the updated design, despite all the changes, have remained virtually unchanged. All these parameters have already been worked out within the framework of the basic project, which makes it possible not to introduce fundamental innovations while maintaining acceptable characteristics. The requirement regarding the constant use of a rifle with an attached bayonet also remained. In this case, this requirement made it possible to increase the accuracy of fire at the cost of some reduction in the ease of use of the rifle.
Berdanka No. 2 was produced in several modifications: troops received an infantry, dragoon and Cossack rifle, as well as a carbine. They were different from each other various features structures, including bayonets. Thus, a copy of the basic bayonet from rifle No. 1 with a modified position of the blade was equipped with an infantry rifle. The dragoon rifle differed from the infantry rifle in its smaller size, which was achieved, among other things, due to the design of the bayonet. The main difference of the latter was the reduced length of the support connecting the blade and the sleeve. The Cossack rifle and carbine, in turn, were supplied to the troops without bayonets. The use of this device was not intended.
An alternative bayonet is known to exist and was used by some army units. Thus, Berdan rifles equipped not with a tetrahedral needle bayonet, but with a cleaver, were supplied to the guards units. The cleaver had the same fastenings as the needle bayonet, but differed in blade shape and length. The cleaver rifle was half an inch longer than the needle bayonet weapon and also weighed 60 spools (255 g) more.
The Berdan rifle bayonet of two modifications has proven itself well during use in the army. Being a further development of previously existing ideas, already tested and tested in practice, such a bayonet made it possible to effectively solve the assigned tasks. The rifle, equipped with a needle bayonet, was a universal weapon, suitable for shooting at the enemy and for use in combat with bladed weapons. In the case of the latter, the greater length of the weapon and bayonet could provide some advantage over an enemy with different weapons.
General view of the bayonet of a dragoon rifle. Photo: Forum.guns.ru
In parallel with the creation of the Berdan rifle, and also for some time after its adoption, there were disputes among the army command about the prospects of the bayonet. Some military leaders proposed reworking infantry weapon according to the model foreign countries. By this time, the Prussian army began to abandon needle bayonets and switch to cleaver bayonets, which had some advantages over their predecessors. Several times the controversy reached its peak, but supporters of the needle design managed to defend its preservation. Supporters of cutlasses still managed to “push through” similar bayonets for guards units, but the rest of the army, as before, had to use needle blades.
Also at that time, the issue of carrying and attaching bayonets was considered. According to the weapon manuals, the bayonet had to be constantly on the barrel of the weapon, both during transportation and in combat. However, it was proposed to change this order based on ergonomic considerations. It was proposed to carry the weapon without a bayonet, which shortened its length and, as a result, affected its convenience, attaching the blade only before battle. According to some reports, even Emperor Alexander II was a supporter of such changes. However, even the support of the authorities did not help this proposal. Supporters of the existing approach to handling weapons managed to defend it.
Bayonet attachment point. Photo: Forum.guns.ru
Berdan rifles in infantry and dragoon modifications with bayonets of several designs were used by the Russian army until late XIX century. After the transition to the “Three Line” began, the decommissioning of obsolete Berdanoks began, but a number of units continued to use these weapons over the next few years. Rifles decommissioned were sent to warehouses and became reserves that could be used if necessary.
At the end of the eighties of the century before last, work began again on creating promising weapons for infantry. In this regard, proposals were again made to switch to cleaver bayonets, but the army command chose to leave the existing design, albeit in a modified form. In 1891, the Russian three-line rifle was adopted for service, which was equipped with a tetrahedral needle bayonet based on the corresponding unit of the Berdan rifle. It allowed needle bayonets maintain its place in the range of infantry weapons over the next few decades.
Based on materials from sites:
http://kalashnikov.ru/
http://ww1.milua.org/
http://opoccuu.com/
http://forum.guns.ru/
http://zemlyanka-bayonets.ru/
http://germans-medal.com/
This word evokes an association with the image of an elderly bearded hunter in a sheepskin coat and felt boots with a sly squint. Behind his back he has an old hunting rifle, a Berdanka, with which there is nothing to be afraid of in the forest. It is reliable and quite powerful. The name of the weapon seems Russian to most people, it has become commonplace, and even an ordinary three-ruler, converted to a hunting cartridge, is often called that. In fact, the design of the gun was based on the legendary Berdan rifle. There will be a story about who the inventor was and how this model was “Russified”.
Russian officers in America
The Russian military leadership in the second half of the nineteenth century began large-scale rearmament, which concerned mainly the transition to new shooting samples. The six-line caliber had, of course, enormous penetrating and knockback power, but the experience of combat dictated a reduction in the weight of the bullet in favor of lightening the load carried by a soldier on a campaign. The principle of reasonable sufficiency finally triumphed, and the General Staff began to show interest in foreign experience. Leader among countries - mass producers small arms were the North American States. The United States had enough war experience, the Indians added worries from time to time, and the requirements for equipment were high here. A delegation consisting of Colonel Gorlov and Staff Captain Gunius, who were well acquainted with the urgent needs of the Russian Army, went to America. They were joyfully greeted by Colonel Hiram Berdan, an officer and inventor. He had already sold his patent to the armies of Britain and Spain and hoped to interest representatives of the Russian Imperial Artillery Department in it. The four-line rifle of the Berdan system made the best impression on Gorlov and Gunius.
Author
Hiram Berdan was a professional military man, a participant in the Civil War, but as a military leader he was not particularly brave. Under enemy fire, he experienced an overwhelming fear that he could not hide. He was even tried for cowardice, but the reason, most likely, was not the officer’s unsuitability for military service, but the incorrect use of his talent. The best shooter in the United States, who was fond of invention from a young age, he could not be good at everything. Where an ordinary infantry commander was needed, Hiram failed, but showed himself to be a talented engineer. For prospectors in Alaska and California, he came up with a specially designed press that made it easy and convenient to crush gold-bearing quartz. For this patent he received astronomical amount in 200 thousand dollars (today this amount of money can be imagined as approximately a hundredweight of gold), after which he bought a house in New York and got married. Although Berdan was not very brave, he was a good organizer. He created a special sniper regiment, fighting at a distance and effectively. Sharpe's gun, the main weapon of his fighters, did not give the colonel peace; it had a number of disadvantages due to the paper casing. The Berdan rifle cartridge was made of metal, with a neck like a bottle.
Number one
The Russian delegates generally approved of the model, but, unlike the Spaniards and the British, they put forward a number of demands for the constructive improvement of both the weapon and its ammunition. These comments were taken into account in design work took part Russian specialists, who turned out to be no less knowledgeable than the American ones in this specific mechanics.
After changes were made to the drawing of the Berdan rifle, it received the name “small rifle of the 1868 model.” In the USA she was nicknamed “Russian”. She was also named after Gunius and Gorlov. Another index by which it was designated in Russia is “Berdan rifle No. 1.”
The Colt plant received a large order for the production of the first batch.
"Inhumane" cartridge and bayonet
The ammunition, which was given the role of a new standard, was revolutionary for its time. Its caliber was 4.2 lines, which translated into metric units means approximately 10.7 mm. The sleeve became seamless, filled with brown gunpowder, which was later replaced with a smokeless one so that it would not unmask the shooter. The first batches of bullets were cast, then switched to stamping technology. The shell as such was absent, which subsequently allowed Austro-Hungarian and German propagandists to accuse the Russian Army of using a “barbaric” type of weapon. Not only the cartridge, but also the tetrahedral bayonet for the Berdan rifle served as a target for advocates of humane killing. This concern for human suffering looks especially ambiguous when we consider that it was the Germans who used toxic substances on the battlefield.
New shutter and “Number 2”
In 1869, H. Berdan came to Russia, to St. Petersburg. He had ideas for improving the weapon he had invented, he formulated them, and they were approved. In particular, it was proposed to replace the flap gate with a longitudinally sliding rotary one. This design change became especially relevant after complete failure from paper cartridges in favor of solid-drawn ones with a transverse groove, for which the Berdan rifle was designed. In addition to chambering, it became possible to automatically remove the spent cartridge case during reloading, which speeded up and simplified the whole process. Fire became faster, and Hiram's bolt action soon found its way into many (and later all) small arms systems around the world. The Russian model equipped with it was called the “Berdan rifle No. 2”.
"Demobilization" of the sample
The military career of the rapid-fire small-caliber rifle No. 2 was short-lived, but during its time the Russian industry managed to master several modifications. Among them are infantry, dragoon, Cossack (without trigger guard) and carbine variants. The differences were in the length of the barrel, the wood of the butt and stock (birch, walnut). Berdan rifle No. 2 became the last single-shot model of small arms in service with the Russian Army. By 1885, its mass replacement began with a more modern type, the Mosin rifle. The question arose about what to do with the considerable reserves of well-made and, in general, good weapons. There were only two options - melt down or sell. It was also possible to use a certain amount to arm auxiliary units on guard duty.
Conversion
Berdanki remained in the military educational institutions, where cadets mastered shooting accuracy and hand-to-hand bayonet fighting techniques. Most total number rifles were coated with grease, packed and sent to warehouses as a mobilization reserve. Arms factories were then allowed to remake military weapon in hunting. For several years, the domestic market was filled with inexpensive and very high-quality conversion products. To understand the degree of affordability of prices, it is enough to consider that the average salary of a skilled worker in Russian Empire the end of the 19th century approximately corresponded to the amount of 60 rubles. A Berdan hunting rifle (converted from a combat rifle, with a drilled smooth barrel) cost up to 20 rubles, and in the economical version - 15, or even 10. A package of cartridges (100 pieces) cost 6 rubles. Factories also accepted individual orders for the production of especially beautiful specimens with nickel-plated metal parts, with a stock and forearm made of valuable wood and with dedicatory or commemorative engravings. At the request of the client, even “children’s” berdanks were produced. Typically, such widespread availability of weapons had no effect on the crime rate.
The reworking process was facilitated by the large thickness of the barrel, which the Berdan rifle could boast of. The caliber of hunting samples could reach 12 (18.5 mm), but more often it was sixteenth (16.8 mm).
Latest military use
It seemed that the issue of disposing of Berdan tanks had been resolved. The barrels and boxes were drilled out at arms factories, and highly qualified artisans, of whom there have always been many in Russia, also joined the production and conversion process. They fulfilled the orders of particularly fastidious clients who wanted to have a gun of unprecedented precision and handmade craftsmanship. But the trouble was that a lot of these guns were produced. Soon the domestic market became overstocked, and the external market also turned out to be limited. Berdankas were remembered after the outbreak of the First World War. At first, they were armed with riflemen guarding rear defense facilities, and after the first significant losses and the destruction by the enemy of part of the strategic reserves, they began to be sent to the front line. However, the situation was not critical for long. The defense of the Novogeorgievsk fortress, when a third of the defenders fought with berdanks in their hands, and half went into battle without weapons at all, did take place, but soon Russian industry demonstrated high potential, and so many Mosin three-line guns were made that it was enough for the entire Civil War, and there's still more left.
Discontinued
It is quite natural that with the beginning of full-scale hostilities, the production of hunting weapons in the Russian Empire was actually curtailed. However, individual small batches of Berdan system guns arrived in retail sales with drilled for 12th and 16th gauges until 1915. Then a break followed, and in the years of peace (the second half of the 20s and 30s), Tula and Izhevsk enterprises resumed the production of hunting rifles, adding 28 caliber (12.7 mm) to the range. It seemed that the fate of the legendary Berdankas would end in these last games. Other models produced in the USSR were popular among hunters. Gunsmith designer P. N. Frolov adapted the Mosin three-line, magazine-loading, for peaceful needs, and the caliber range of the “frolovkas” was wider (32, 28, 24 and 20). This model was produced until 1941, until the next war began. After the Victory, Tula gunsmiths pleased Soviet hunters with the TOZ-32 rifle (aka T-1). But the story of the Berdan women did not end there.
Where can you see Berdankas today?
They can still be seen occasionally today; these guns are passed down from generation to generation in those families in which hunting has become a tradition. In the 10s, 20s or 30s of the 20th century, berdankas, as a rule, were purchased by people of average income who did not have enough money to buy luxury weapons. They often hunted not for fun; it served as a tool for obtaining their daily bread. But today, decades later, antique guns have become a source of pride and, in some cases, collectibles. There are houses where my grandfather’s Berdan rifle hangs on the wall. Photo of its first owner against the background of some hunting trophy reminds of those distant years when there was more game in the forests and people were kinder. Such relics are treasured.
"Berdanka" is a common noun for samples, rifles, and carbines. Mosin’s three-rulers are often called “Berdanka”, but not everyone knows where this word comes from and what it means.
Any hunter has heard of the Berdanka, and some parents even hunted with it. However, these days, few people know exactly what it is. One believes that Berdanka is combat rifle; others are a hunting rifle converted from a combat rifle; third - a hunting rifle of a special design; fourth - a smoothbore gun converted from a combat rifle; fifth - a smooth-bore gun, converted from a combat rifle of any system... The vast majority of hunters are convinced: smooth-bore Berdan guns were certainly of small calibers, which, let’s say right away, is not true.
It should be noted that some people confuse a smooth-bore Berdanka with a single-barreled hunting rifle converted from a S.I. Mosin rifle. The design of the hunting weapon, created on the basis of the famous three-line, was developed by P. N. Frolov; This gun was produced from the first years of Soviet power until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Unlike Berdankas, which were single-shot, frolovkas (as hunters began to call this gun) were produced in both single-shot and magazine versions, 20, 24, 28 and 32 calibers.
In 1945-1947, the USSR produced a single-shot 32-caliber hunting rifle using parts from a Mosin rifle, which was called TOZ-32 (T-1). Well, let’s talk more about Berdankas
In 1866, Colonel GAU (Main Artillery Directorate) A.P. Gorlov and the clerk of the Armory Commission, Lieutenant K.I. Gunius was sent to the United States to select new weapons for the Russian army. At that time, the leading position of American designers and industrialists in the creation of effective small arms was no longer in doubt.
During their business trip, Gorlov and Gunius drew attention to the Berdan rifle with a forward-swinging bolt, which was already purchased by Great Britain and Spain.
However, according to Russian experts, the rifle and cartridge needed significant improvement. The result was a 4.2-linear (10.67 mm) cartridge with a solid-drawn case and a rifle with a folding bolt and an internal linearly moving trigger. In the USA they were called “Russians”, in Russia they were called “Berdan systems”. And if this was applicable to the cartridge, then the rifle itself would be more correctly called the Gorlov-Gunius system. It entered service under the designation “Rifle rifle mod. 1868." At first, individual rifle units were re-equipped with the new rifle due to its excellent accuracy at that time.
The Gorlov-Gunius rifle (aka Berdan No. 1) was ordered from the Colt plant, and the cartridges were ordered from the Bridgeport plant.
But the Gorlov-Gunius rifle did not manage to become an infantry rifle. Hiram Berdan, who arrived in Russia in April 1869, proposed adapting a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt to a 4.2-line rifle. The metal cartridge made it possible to reveal all the advantages of a longitudinally sliding bolt, which sent the cartridge into the chamber and ejected the spent cartridge case, simplified and accelerated the reloading process and soon became the most commonly used in small arms.
A rifle called “Quick-Fire small caliber rifle Berdan number 2" was adopted by the Russian army. Rifle entering service rifle units designated as "Infantry rifle of the Berdan system No. 2."
In the same 1870 and the following 1871, samples of cavalry rifles were manufactured, tested and approved: dragoon, Cossack and cavalry carbine, all of the same Berdan system with a sliding bolt.
The Russian 4.2-line cartridge was the first to receive a bottle case; the ratio between the weight of the bullet and the charge turned out to be well chosen (brown gunpowder was chosen for it). The bullet was made by casting, later by stamping, and in the cartridge it was wrapped in paper, the color of which indicated a full or weakened charge. The Berdanka, as the rifle soon became known, was equipped with a tetrahedral bayonet. According to its design and characteristics, the rifle mod. 1870 turned out to be one of the best for that time.
Berdan No. 2 was the last single-shot Russian rifle, which was in service until the 1890s, i.e. until a new large-scale rearmament of the army.
But even after it, the “Berdanka” was destined to have a long history - after being replaced by the Mosin “three-line” rifle, large numbers of old rifles were converted into hunting rifles, and others served in this capacity for many decades (and are still serving!).
Besides, most of The military schools of Imperial Russia retained a number of these rifles. Berdan rifles and ammunition for them were stored in warehouses and fortresses in huge quantities as a mobilization reserve. The destruction of old rifles was an expensive affair, which is why it was much more profitable for the treasury to convert them into civilian weapons, rather than recycling by melting down. However, such large stocks of rifles, even at a price of 10–15 pre-war rubles, clearly exceeded the potential capacity of the Russian domestic arms market, therefore at the beginning of 1914 there were a lot of Berdan rifles in warehouses. Losses of rifles in the first battles " Great War“and the impossibility of quickly launching the production of Mosin rifles forced the GAU to remember old stocks. Initially, they did not intend to use outdated weapons at the front, wanting to limit themselves to rear use to protect bridges, railways and warehouses in the depths of Russia. This use of Berdan rifles was a completely reasonable measure. Mosin rifles not used for combat purposes could be transferred to the front. But the rapidly growing shortage of weapons forced the use of outdated Berdan rifles on the front line, for example, during the defense of the Novogeorgievsk fortress, about half of the fighters of its garrison were unarmed, and about a third of the armed defenders had Berdan rifles and only 300 rounds of ammunition per rifle. On the front line, the problem was with with weapons the situation was even worse. In such a situation, any weapon was considered combat-ready, even outdated single-shot Berdan rifles. Moreover, at first the Entente offered Russia “help” in the form of French Gras-Kropachek and Italian Vetterli-Vitali rifles that had been removed from service.
With the meager quantities of ammunition supplied for these rifles, their serious combat use there was no question of it, although in terms of rate of fire they were superior to the Berdan Rifle due to the magazine feed.
Black powder rifles did not stay on the front line for long: the smoke unmasking the shooter and the insufficient rate of fire did not allow the unit armed with them to restrain the enemy, much less fight successfully. In addition, the Germans, in their propaganda, hysterically condemned the use of non-jacketed bullets, citing the fact that the wounds they inflict are much worse than those caused by bullets from modern rifles, drawing a parallel with “dum-dum” bullets, which, of course, is technically incorrect . One way or another, the use of old black powder rifles was a forced and temporary measure; they very soon left the battlefields forever.
After the rearmament of the Russian army with Mosin rifles, the question arose of what to do with the hundreds of thousands of Berdan rifles that had been withdrawn from service. The way out of this situation was found quite simply. In the Chief's letter Artillery Directorate(1902) we read the following; “The Military Council decided: 1) to allow the delivery of 50 thousand barrels and boxes... of Berdan rifles from artillery warehouses for drilling to the Imperial Tula Arms Factory... 2) to allow... the factory for drilling barrels and boxes... to sell them to artisans and small arms manufacturers...” After 1915, due to the First World War, the production of hunting rifles, both by the factory and by artisans, ceased. It was resumed under Soviet rule. In 1920-1930 a number of smooth-bore Berdan guns were produced in Tula and Izhevsk.
So, we see that in our country there were the following types of weapons associated with the name of the American designer Berdan: 1 - Berdan No. 1 combat rifle with a folding bolt; 2 - Berdan No. 2 combat rifle with a longitudinally sliding bolt; 3 - hunting rifles and carbines of various calibers, converted from the Berdan No. 2 combat rifle; 4 - hunting smoothbore shotguns of various calibers, converted from the Berdan No. 2 combat rifle.
The Berdan rifle is known to most people as the "Berdanka". This ancient weapons 19th century, born during the American Civil War between the states of the North and South.
Russian officers who visited America modified the rifle, after which it received a new name in the West - Russian musket. Subsequently, Berdanka will become common noun most types of rifles and various carbines. The article will discuss a unique weapon created closer to the second half of the 19th century.
History of creation
The hero of the Civil War, inventor of small arms accessories, Hiram Berdan (1824-1893) invented and created a new rifle in 1868. Single shot rifled rifle Its design had a hinged bolt and a direct action cocked hammer. This weapon was named Berdan rifle No. 1.
During operation, some shortcomings of the new mechanism were revealed: humidity had a bad effect on the performance of the shutter, the impact mechanism misfired, the wear of the shutter had to be monitored, since after intense shooting and the production of metal it gave backlash and could open when fired.
Two Russian officers showed particular interest in the rifle: Karl Ivanovich Gunius and his colleague Alexander Pavlovich Gorlov. They had been in America on official business since 1860. It occurred to them to improve original appearance Berdan rifles.
The design has undergone 25 new improvements. The caliber was also changed, now it was 4.2 lines (10.75 mm), using a new cartridge with a solid metal sleeve, it was loaded and had a center firing capsule.
The modernized Berdan rifle acquired a new name in the United States of America - Russian musket.
IN Russian army the rifle received the official name rifle mod. 1868. Since, due to the presence of so many changes, the military department did not consider it necessary to indicate the author of the rifle. In the history of the people, this model of weapon remained Berdan No. 1.
Excellent ballistic qualities brought the new gun to the top of the list of weapons for military units, especially mobile ones. In total, at least 37 thousand units of such weapons were produced.
Already in 1870, Hiram Berdan proposed improving the rifle bolt group. Instead of a hinged bolt, a longitudinally sliding gate was introduced into the design, also known as a bolt gate.
Currently considered the most optimal solution for manual reloading. The rifle with this bolt was called Berdan No. 2. This weapon was gradually introduced into army units, but still the first sign was the Guards Corps, together with the Life Guards, the Berdan rifle No. 2 received baptism of fire V Russian-Turkish war 1877-1878.
In nine years, it was possible to produce 384,682 units of a new type of weapon and for the Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), Russian soldiers were considered well armed.
But it is worth noting that at that time Berdan rifles were in service only with part of the rifle and guards units, so the infantry regiments were armed with Krnka rifles, naval crews with Albini-Baranova, which in turn extremely complicated the logistics and repair of weapons.
Berdan rifles were produced in several versions:
- Infantry rifle, barrel length 830 mm, bayonet mount, for the guard the bayonet is replaced with a cleaver;
- Dragoon rifle - a shortened barrel up to 70 cm, a safety lock against an accidental shot when falling, installation of a bayonet or cleaver;
- Cossack rifle - shortened barrel, lack of bayonet mount, slightly modified trigger mechanism;
- Cavalry carbine, adopted for arming the gendarmerie, barrel length 475 mm, bayonet mount is not provided.
Modified Berdan No. 2 guns entered military service since 1871, gradually replacing the main model of early development.
Berdan rifle No. 1 (dragoon, infantry) - 27,914 pieces
Berdan rifle No. 2 (dragoon, infantry, Cossack, carbine) - 356,768 pieces.
The headquarters command did not dare to completely rearm the Russian army. A large number of manufactured weapons were kept in warehouses, forming a strategic reserve. During the first half of the war with Turkey, the soldiers used mostly old weapons, since the new ones did not instill confidence in the command staff.
In addition, the war in the Caucasus proved the reliability of the Krnka rifle system, the Czech inventor. His six-line caliber rifle (15.24mm) seemed to be a more reliable military weapon.
By 1878, 21 divisions of the Russian Empire were armed with Berdan No. 2 rifles.
However, it was decided to send only part of the units with new weapons to participate in hostilities. In the future, the Berdanka will replace the Albini-Baranov rifle, which was in service with naval units.
The constant modernization of the enemy's small arms forced the Main Artillery Command in 1882 to set a task for gunsmiths to create a new rifle with a multi-charge magazine. However, this did not prevent the Berdanka from remaining in service with the Russian army until the beginning of the twentieth century, losing to the Mosin rifle in an unconditional victory.
Berdankas that were withdrawn from service were sold to the population for subsequent use as hunting weapons. A commission of the Main Directorate of the General Staff came to this decision in 1910. There were more than 800,000 units of rifles suitable for shooting and more than 270 million cartridges for them in warehouses.
Such a quantity significantly cluttered the already crowded warehouses. According to the commission’s calculations, arming militia units with rifles and supplying the population with stocks of hunting rifles will significantly replenish the treasury. And it was decided to turn the remaining guns into scrap for recycling the metal.
By 1914, on the eve of the First World War, for 5 million soldiers of the Russian army there were more than 4.65 million rifles of various production, of which more than 360 thousand were modified Berdan No. 2 models.
The mounted regiments had standard cavalry carbines, but the resulting shortage of weapons during military clashes forced them to resort to stocks of Berdan No. 2 rifles. Gradually, by 1915, “Berdanks” were partially armed with militia units and soldiers active army.
design
Appearance The Berdanki was no different from the rifles of that time. It had a wooden bed with a long trunk attached to it. Shooting was carried out with 10.75x58 mm cartridges, which were alternately inserted into the chamber with right side open shutter. The barrel was locked by turning the bolt.
After the shot, the bolt mechanism opened in the reverse order and the spent cartridge case jumped out of the chamber using an extractor, which cocks the striking mechanism when the cartridge is fed into the chamber.
When you press the trigger, the firing pin hits the primer, after which the gunpowder ignites and the bullet fires. In addition to shooting, soldiers often resorted to hand-to-hand combat. The bayonet for the Berdan rifle was mandatory equipment during the clash.
Improved shutter along with positive qualities had a number of disadvantages. The most significant was the bolt locking mechanism, the firing position, which was at an angle of 45 degrees, which is very unreliable.
This position often contributed to the arbitrary opening of the shutter when firing. The bolt flew into the shooter's face, causing significant injury. Although these cases were associated with worn-out mechanisms and converted rifles, the fact of injury to many citizens was still recorded.
The second drawback was considered to be the cocking of the hammer, produced by the shooter's finger, used in early versions of the design. Subsequently, the mainspring was replaced with a weaker one. Over-lubricated mechanism trigger mechanism it froze in the cold, which prevented the weak spring from breaking the capsule with sufficient force. On the Mauser and Gra models that appeared, the hammer was cocked during reloading.
Cavalrymen sometimes lost the bolt, which could fall out during strong shaking.
The retaining mechanism was too weak and the ejector tooth was prone to breakage. These shortcomings of the bolt mechanism were going to be corrected, but the war with Turkey prevented this. The command's priority fell on the production of repeating rifles.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the Berdana 2 rifle
| Plant manufacturer | Sestroretsky, Tula, Izhevsky |
| Weight, kg | 4,2 |
| Caliber, mm | 10.75 (4.2 lines) |
| Cartridge | 10.75 x 58 R |
| Length, mm | 1300 |
| Barrel length, mm | 830 |
| Rifling in the barrel, pcs. | 6 |
| Trigger mechanism | trigger |
| Practical shot range, m | 852 |
| Effective damage, m | 254 |
| Chuck feed type | Single shot |
| Years of manufacture | 1870-1891 |
Conclusion
Berdan rifles, despite their short military service left their mark on weapons history. Although it became famous not as a small rifle, but rather as a “berdanska” - a weapon of a commercial hunter or forester.
These weapons have been supplied to forest defenders, rangers and military personnel of various ministries since the beginning of the 20th century.
It is necessary to remember that “frolovkas”, drilled for smooth-bore calibers, were widely used for commercial hunting from the beginning to the middle of the twentieth century.
Today, “Berdanka” cannot be found in a hunter’s arsenal. This type of rifle is kept in museums as an exhibition item, recalling the progress of engineering in military affairs.
Video
When most people hear the words “Berdank rifle,” they imagine the Russian winter and a hunter slowly wandering through winter forest with an old rifle over his shoulders. Not everyone knows that this weapon It was powerful enough that you could hunt a bear with it without fear. Since old hunters can find the old three-line Mosin rifle, it is also mistakenly called a Berdanka, but this is a converted hunting rifle of a completely different system, which has a magazine.
For most people, the Berdanka is an original Russian hunting rifle, which traces its ancestry almost from Kutuzov himself. In fact, it is an American development that came to Russia only in the second half of the 19th century.
How an American Berdan woman ended up in Russia
The high command of the Tsarist Army of Russia in the second half of the 19th century decided to carry out a large-scale rearmament of the army. The whole point was that the KRNKA rifles that were in service with the Tsarist Russian Army were already outdated by that time. Although they were distinguished by excellent fighting qualities, the power and, most importantly, the weight of the six-line rifle was excessive. Most armies in Europe have long switched to a smaller caliber, which significantly lightened the weight of soldiers' ammunition. In addition, the economic benefits of using a smaller caliber were obvious.
Since the Russian military command wanted to rearm the army with the best models of small arms available at that time, it was decided to send a delegation to America to select the best model of rifle and make a personal agreement on supplies. The delegation included Colonel Gorlov and Staff Captain Gunius, who knew very well what kind of weapons the Russian army needed.
Immediately upon arrival in America, the Russian military paid attention to the Berdan system rifle, which was distinguished by its reliability and excellent technical characteristics for its time. Having met with the author and developer of the rifle, the Russians noticed that Britain and Spain had already acquired patents for the production of this weapon. In general, Russian officers liked the Berdan system rifle, as it was the best option that time.
A few words about the author of the famous rifle
The inventor of the rifle, Hiram Berdan, was a professional military man. He participated in the American Civil War, although he showed himself only on the bad side.
Hiram was not distinguished by courage, but was an excellent shooter and inventor. One day he came up with a special press designed for gold miners, for which he received a patent. Subsequently, he sold this patent for $200,000, which at that time was simply an astronomical sum.
Having money and position in society, Colonel Berdan created one of the first sniper regiments, consisting of professional hunters. Although they were called cowards in the army, snipers showed how effective their units were during full-scale combat.
Trying to equip your snipers with the most modern rifles, Hiram Berdan more than once encountered a number of shortcomings inherent in the guns of those years. The main problems with the Sharpe rifles used by Colonel Berdan's snipers were due to the use of paper cartridges.
Soon, Colonel Berdaa developed not only a rifle of his own design, but also a cartridge that received a bottle-shaped metal sleeve. This rifle turned out to be so successful that the patent for its production was soon purchased by several European states, including Russia.
Berdanka for the Russian Tsarist Army
Having carefully familiarized themselves with the design and features of the Berdan system rifle, Russian officers agreed to purchase a patent for the tsarist army, but put forward a number of mandatory conditions for the modification of the rifle and its ammunition. All comments were taken into account, especially since the American designers were joined by a whole team of Russian weapons specialists who adjusted the improvements taking into account the characteristics of the Russian weapons industry.
After making the necessary modifications, the drawings of the rifle, called the “1868 Model Rifle,” or, as it was called in the USA, “Russian,” were sent to the Colt factory for serial production first batch of weapons.
The new army rifle had the following features:
- The main difference from the old Russian rifles became a completely new ammunition, four-line caliber. If we translate this into a measurement system that is more understandable to us, then this caliber will be equal to 10.7 mm;
- The cartridges for the new rifle became seamless. The first cartridges had brown smoky powder, later it was replaced with smokeless powder, since the use of smoky powder unmasked the shooter;
- The bullets were first traditionally cast, then switched to stamping technology, which significantly speeded up the production process;
- The bullets for the Berdan rifle were non-jacketed, which gave rise to the Germans accusing Russia of using inhumane weapons that inflict fatal wounds;
- Another feature of the Russian Berdanka was its tetrahedral bayonet, which, although seemingly quite thin and harmless, inflicted more terrible wounds than the wide knife-type bayonets used by the armies of other European states.
New Berdanka shutter and model No. 2
Colonel H. Berdan was very interested in the fate of his rifle, so in 1869 he came to Russia with new ideas to improve his creation. The most important improvement was the proposal to replace the rifle's bolt action with a bolt-action type. It is unknown why Berdan did not use this type of bolt when developing the first version of the rifle of his design, because this system was used back in 1841 on the Dreyse rifle.
Realizing the advantages of a new type of bolt in reloading speed, the Russian military command hastened to begin production of a modernized rifle, called the “Berdan rifle No. 2.” The advantage of the new bolt became especially noticeable after the complete transition from paper cartridges to solid metal ones, for the use of which the Berdan system rifle was originally designed.
Although the bolt-action system had been used many times before, it was the Berdan system bolt that showed the world what a rifle bolt should be like. Even most modern precision rifles have this type of design.
The fleeting military career of the Russian Berdan woman
The Berdan system rifle served as the main rifle of the Russian army for a fairly short period of time; already in 1885, its mass replacement began with Mosin system rifles, which were multi-shot. Despite this, the military industry Tsarist Russia managed to release several modifications of the Berdan system rifle:
- The most numerous and widespread was the infantry version of the rifle;
- The Dragoon version had a shorter barrel;
- The Cossack version was distinguished by the absence of a trigger guard;
- The rarest was the carbine version. It was a special shortened and lightweight gun. The bayonet was not installed on it. The carbine cartridges had a lighter weight of gunpowder. After some time, the production of this carbine was considered inappropriate, so it was quickly discontinued.
Various modifications of the Berdan system rifle differed in both barrel length and different types of wood used to make stocks and butts.
After all Berdan system rifles were replaced in the army with Mosin rifles, the question arose about using the huge number of Berdan rifles that remained in army warehouses. Since it was economically unprofitable to send such a quantity of excellent weapons for melting down, it was decided to proceed as follows:
- A small percentage of Berdankas should be left for military educational institutions;
- Some of the rifles will be transferred to the arsenal of security guard services and auxiliary units;
- It was decided to preserve the bulk of the rifles as a mobilization reserve.
After some time, rifles of the Berdan system were allowed to be sold as a set of parts for conversion into hunting weapon to the population and in batches to factories for factory conversion into weapons for hunting.
Handicraft production of hunting Berdans
The sale of kits for self-assembly of hunting rifles based on Berdan guns continued until the outbreak of the First World War. Moreover, parts of the weapon could be sold either as a set or separately. Many Tula craftsmen were engaged in self-assembly and conversion of Berdan system rifles into hunting weapons. The entire kit for assembling weapons cost 2 rubles 81 kopecks. A finished hunting rifle was sold at prices ranging from 6 to 14 rubles. Basically, the barrels were re-drilled for sixteenth and twentieth calibers, although guns of 12, 28 and 32 calibers were often found.
The most popular 20- and 16-gauge shotguns were often decorated with engraving, nickel-plating, or blue-plating of the metal. There was even a children's modification of a hunting rifle based on the Berdan system rifle. It came in 12, 16 or 20 gauge.
Since caliber 28 and 32 were quite rare, artisans made these guns only to order. Hunting berdanks of 32, 28 and 16 calibers, which are real works of art, have still been preserved.
Factory assembly of hunting Berdans
The main buyer of components from the Berdan system rifle was the Tula Arms Plant. At its base, a whole specialized workshop was organized, which was engaged in drilling barrels and converting Berdans into hunting rifles of various calibers. The plant produced hunting Berdans of the following calibers:
The most popular shotguns were 16 and 20 gauge (as was the case with artisanal guns). Shotguns in 28 and 32 calibers were mostly made to order, with 32 caliber shotguns being a real rarity.
Few people know that hunting rifles were produced based on the Berdan rifle. rifled carbines chambered for Smith & Wesson and Winchester 44 caliber.
The last massive military use of Berdan guns
When the hunting market was saturated with weapons made on the basis of rifles of the Berdan system, a huge number of them continued to be stored in warehouses. As it turned out, the rifles were not stored in vain. With the outbreak of World War I, the tsarist command again had to use the old Berdan guns. At first, they were armed with rear units that guarded defense and strategic facilities, and then, when the enemy managed to capture and destroy part of the weapons depots, Berdan rifles were sent to the front line.
Soon the Russian military industry began to work in emergency mode, and the army received great amount Mosin rifles, which were enough not only for the First World War, but also for the Civil War in Russia.
Currently, most of the surviving rifles and hunting rifles of the Berdan system are in museums and private collections. It is very rare in taiga villages to find miraculously preserved hunting rifles of the Berdan system, which were carefully passed down from generation to generation. Such guns are true hunting relics.
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