Despite the fact that the Fedorov automatic rifle performed well during a number of operations carried out by the Red Army in the early 1920s, the operation of this rifle caused a number of significant criticisms. In particular, it was noted that the automatic rifle malfunctioned, and sometimes even failed even when the mechanisms were slightly dirty, and when firing in bursts, only the first bullets reached the target. In addition, the industry of the young Soviet state was never able to organize the production of specialized 6.5mm Fedorov cartridges in the quantities required for the army. In addition, the government’s decision to increase production volumes of the standard Mosin rifle cartridge mod. 1908 7.62mm caliber as the main ammunition for most existing and developing rifles and machine guns. This led to the fact that by mid-1925. production of automatic rifles of the Fedorov system was discontinued. However, the very idea of ​​​​creating highly effective automatic weapons was not forgotten.

In the late 20s - early 30s, the USSR adopted a program to modernize the weapons of the Red Army. In particular, this program provided for the partial (later complete) replacement of the Mosin system magazine rifle with an automatic rifle in the rifle units, which significantly increased the fire capabilities of the infantry. The first competitive tests of new automatic rifles were carried out in the USSR in 1926; none of the rifles tested passed these tests. But already at the end of the 30s. an automatic carbine appeared, developed by S.G. Simonov, which successfully passed the tests and was put into service in 1938. (AKS-38).

The first project of an automatic rifle was created by S. G. Simonov already at the beginning of 1926. however, the shortcomings of its design led to the fact that in April 1926. The Artillery Committee, which was reviewing the project for an automatic rifle of the Simonov system, rejected the inventor’s proposals to release a trial batch of weapons and conduct official tests. At the same time, it was noted that, although the automatic rifle does not have advantages over already known systems, its design is quite simple. S. G. Simonov’s attempts in 1928 and 1930 were also unsuccessful. present to the commission improved models of an automatic rifle of your design. They, like their predecessor, were not allowed to undergo field testing. Each time, the commission noted a number of design flaws that caused delays in firing and automatic breakdowns.

In 1931 he created an improved automatic rifle, the operation of which, like its predecessors, was based on the removal of powder gases through a side hole in the barrel. In addition, for the first time in weapons of this class, the barrel bore was locked with a wedge that moved in the vertical grooves of the receiver. Also in 1931. The automatic rifle of the Simonov system quite successfully passed the factory tests and was admitted to field tests, during which a number of defects of a constructive nature were identified.

Another model of an automatic rifle of the Simonov system mod. 1933 passed field tests more successfully and was recommended by the commission for transfer to the army for military testing. In September 1934 Simonov created an automatic carbine (AKSI). Its main difference from the rifle is the shortened barrel and lightweight design of individual parts, due to which its total weight decreased by 400 g. Field tests of the carbine were carried out on April 16, 1935, but due to the unsuccessful design of the retarder, the test site did not recommend the production of a serial batch of automatic rifles. Simonov carbines. In addition, on March 22, 1934. The Defense Committee adopted a resolution on development in 1935. capacities for the production of automatic rifles of the Simonov system. However, this decision was soon reversed. Only after, as a result of a series of comparative tests with samples of automatic weapons of the Tokarev and Degtyarev systems, which took place in 1935-1936, the Simonov automatic rifle showed the best results, it was put into pilot production. And although some copies failed prematurely, as the commission noted, the reason for this was mainly manufacturing defects, not design. “This can be confirmed,” as stated in the protocol of the testing commission in July 1935, “by the first ABC prototypes, which withstood up to 27,000 shots and did not have the kind of breakdowns that were observed in the tested samples.”

After this conclusion, the rifle was adopted by the rifle units of the Red Army under the designation ABC-36 (“automatic rifle of the Simonov system model 1936”).

As in previous models, the operation of the ABC-36 automation was based on the principle of removing powder gases generated during a shot from the muzzle of the barrel. However, this time S. G. Simonov positioned the gas exhaust system not, as usual, on the right, but above the barrel. The rifle's trigger mechanism was mainly designed for single-shot fire, but also allowed fully automatic fire. Its accuracy and efficiency were increased by a muzzle brake-compensator and a well-placed bayonet, which, when rotated 90°, turned into an additional bipod. At the same time, the rate of fire of the ABC-36 with single fire reached 25 rds/min, and when firing in bursts - 40 rds/min.

It would seem that everything is fine, but suddenly: May 22, 1936 By order of the NPO and NKOP, a competition was announced for the development of a self-loading rifle. The Tokarev system was recognized as the best, as it provides the necessary survivability. The designers were asked to improve some components, increase the strength of individual parts, simplify some parts, improve the external design of the rifles and submit them for final testing. But Simonov fulfilled the commission’s proposals ahead of schedule and reported on them: January 19, 1936. Simonov reported to the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks that he had eliminated all the discovered deficiencies and achieved great survivability of the system and reliability of shooting. May 20, 1937 By order of the People's Commissar of Armaments of the USSR and the Head of the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army, a commission was created to compare and evaluate the Simonov and Tokarev self-loading rifles in production and economic terms.

The commission came to the conclusion that for all technical and economic indicators: weight, number of parts, number and content of dimensions, manufacturing technology, consumption of metal, tools, fixtures, equipment, production space and cost of the product, The Simonov rifle has great advantages over the Tokarev rifle. The Simonov rifle is easier to manufacture, requires less metal and material consumption and is cheaper, as a result of which it should be taken as the main model of an automatic rifle for production. As a result of the conclusions of the commission and a cycle of comparative tests (including military tests), the modified ABC-36 again emerged victorious.

In order to unify the small arms of the Red Army, Simonov in 1938. developed a new unified weapon system based on the modified SVT-36, which included an automatic carbine and an automatic carbine for the airborne forces. Which in 1938 was put into service under the designation “Automatic carbine Simonov arr. 1938 "(AKS - 38).

It differed from the ABC-36 by reducing the overall length to 1246mm, the barrel length to 510mm, the weight was reduced by 400g, and the target firing range was reduced to 1000m. The barrel was strengthened by increasing the thickness of its walls, and the magazine capacity was increased to 20 rounds. The trigger mechanism was modernized in such a way that it provided single and automatic fire (limited to four shots). The carbine was equipped with a lightweight folding bipod, and the model for the Airborne Forces received a retractable shoulder rest similar to a DT machine gun and a pistol grip. The bayonet and the method of attaching it were borrowed from the SVT, but it was lightened and shortened. Each carbine came with six magazines. Some of the carbines were equipped with optical sights.

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The issue of creating an automatic rifle in Russia began to receive great attention after the end of the civil war. The advantages were obvious - more intense and accurate fire, because the shooter could not interrupt observation of the target and make several accurate shots in a row. At the end of the 20s, technical requirements were formulated - a mass of no more than 4 kg, the ability to fire in bursts and single shots. The problem of creating such a rifle was solved in the early 30s. This merit belongs to S. Simonov, who spent 5 years on development. In 1931, a prototype was submitted for testing. In 1936, the rifle was adopted for service as the “7.62mm automatic rifle of the Simonov system mod. 1936 (ABC-36)."

The automation operates on the basis of removing part of the powder gases from the barrel; we note that here, for the first time in the world, the location of the gas outlet tube above the barrel was used. The barrel is locked by a wedge bolt moving in vertical grooves. Unlocking occurred when a special clutch connected to a gas piston pressed the locking block down from the bolt grooves. The barrel is equipped with a massive muzzle brake. It is possible to attach a bayonet. The weapon was distinguished by a complex trigger mechanism (trigger mechanism) - inside the bolt there was a firing pin with a mainspring and a special anti-rebound mechanism. Single and burst fire is possible. The translator was located in front of the trigger guard. Safety was ensured by a fuse against accidental shots. The open sight is designed for ranges from 100 to 1,500 meters and is marked in 100-meter increments. Feeds from a detachable box magazine with a capacity of 15 rounds.

ABC was used in the following conflicts:

Battles at Khalkhin Gol

Soviet-Finnish War

The Great Patriotic War.

The combat use of the ABC in the difficult conditions of the Soviet-Finnish War demonstrated all its shortcomings:

Low efficiency of automatic fire, because The shooters could not cope with the recoil and “dive” of the rifle after each shot.

Low reliability of the mechanism, sensitive to contamination and shock.

High weight and considerable length of the weapon.

Of course, the ABC-36 is the first example of an automatic rifle in the USSR and one could hardly expect ideal results, but during its development and use significant experience was accumulated and new design solutions were tested. All this was taken into account when creating subsequent models - for example, the SVT (Tokarev self-loading rifle).

Published: April 16, 2014
In this article I would like to talk about a weapon that was ahead of its time by at least 5-10 years, but was always in the shadow of its later and more successful competitor and today is unreasonably forgotten - the Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov ABC-36 automatic rifle.

Simonov automatic rifle

In this article I would like to talk about a weapon that was ahead of its time by at least 5-10 years, but was always in the shadow of its later and more successful competitor and today is unreasonably forgotten - the Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov ABC-36 automatic rifle.

Undoubtedly, for its time this rifle became a huge achievement of Soviet weapons thought, and, of course, technology too. None of the leading states at that time had in their armies a light and powerful automatic rifle, which was also produced en masse. Despite the general attractiveness of the idea, the level of technological development often simply did not allow the creation of a fail-safe system capable of working well in different conditions. Only the United States accelerated the final development and delivery of the John Garand design to the troops, but, alas, only a self-loading one.

Self-loading rifle Garanda M1

The first project of an automatic rifle was created by Simonov at the beginning of 1926. Its mechanism worked on the principle of removing powder gases. The rifle turned out to be quite simple in design, but, despite the reliable interaction of the mechanisms, it had a number of significant drawbacks, such as poor layout, poor balance of the weapon, low accuracy, sensitivity to dust and dirt, poor performance, a very wide forend (due to the placement gas system on the right side of the rifle

Simonov’s attempts in 1928, 1930 and 1931 were also unsuccessful. present improved models of automatic rifles. Each time there were design flaws that caused delays during firing and breakdowns of the automation. The disadvantages were also due to the low survivability of some parts, a short sighting line, low shooting accuracy, significant weight and insufficient reliability.

And only a rifle mod. 1933 successfully passed field tests and was recommended for transfer to the army for military trials.

Experimental rifle model 1931-1933

As a result of a series of comparative tests with samples of automatic weapons of the Tokarev and Degtyarev systems, which took place in 1935-1936, the Simonov rifle showed the best results. It was adopted by the rifle units of the Red Army under the designation ABC-36 (“automatic rifle of the Simonov system model 1936”) and put into production.

As in previous models, the operation of the ABC-36 automation was based on the principle of removing powder gases generated during a shot from the muzzle of the barrel. However, this time Simonov placed the gas exhaust system above the barrel. Subsequently, this placement of the gas exhaust mechanism became classic and is still used today. The USM was designed for single-shot fire, but also allowed fully automatic fire. Its accuracy and efficiency were increased by a powerful muzzle brake-compensator and a bayonet, which, when rotated 90°, turned into a one-legged bipod. The rate of fire of the ABC-36 with single fire reached 25 rds/min, and when firing in bursts - 40 rds/min. Thus, one fighter armed with ABC-36 could create the same density of fire that was achieved by a group of three or four shooters armed with Mosin repeating rifles.

The rifle had been produced in small series since 1935; by March 1938, the ABC-36 was mastered and put into mass production, and was officially shown at the May Day parade of 1938. Only the 1st Moscow Proletarian Division, an elite rifle unit of the Red Army, was armed with it en masse.

Red Army soldier armed with an ABC-36 rifle. Reconstruction

A total of four (!) types of ABC-36 were produced - standard for arming linear rifle units, a sniper version, a carbine (including a special one, with the possibility of using a BBBS!) and a version for airborne troops. All models of the rifle were equipped with a blade-type bayonet, and also had a groove for a bracket for an optical sight - this phenomenon became widespread on hand-held firearms only in the late 20th - early 21st centuries. Not a single army in the world at that time could boast of having such weapons!

ABC-36 rifle variants

The picture above shows the installation of an optical sight on a carbine of the SVT-38/40 type

The airborne version of the ABC-36 had a shortened barrel, a sliding butt like a DT machine gun and a pistol grip.

The ABC-36 sniper version had virtually no differences from the base model. During the manufacture of the rifle, which was planned to be equipped with optics, additional processing of the barrel bore was carried out to increase the accuracy of fire.

Installing an optical sight on the ABC-36 rifle. Option

A Red Army soldier armed with a sniper version of the ABC-36 rifle. Lake Khasan area, Mongolia, 1938

Despite its advanced position, the future fate of ABC-36 was difficult. Plans for arming the Red Army with an automatic rifle were changed to a self-loading rifle, based on a more rational consumption of ammunition and maintaining a greater sighting range. The ABC-36 was superior to the SVT-38 in many respects, but it turned out to be less durable and more likely to break down, the design turned out to be low-tech, and the cost was higher than the DP-27 light machine gun.

During combat use, ABC-36 showed poor performance. The trigger provided continuous fire at a rate that was too fast. The modernization did not provide satisfactory shooting accuracy. The ABC-36 automation quickly wore out and began to work less reliably. In addition, there were other complaints - the loud sound of the shot, too much recoil and shaking when fired, difficulty in assembling and disassembling.

One way or another, already in 1939 the production of ABC-36 was reduced, and in 1940 it was stopped altogether. Factories previously involved in the production of ABC-36 were reoriented to the production of self-loading rifles of the Tokarev SVT-38/40 system. Total production of automatic rifles of the Simonov system mod. 1936 amounted to about, according to various estimates, from 35 to 66 thousand units.

Ruslan Chumak. A rifle ahead of its time

ABC-36. Having heard this abbreviation, many will say: how come, we know, this is a 7.62-mm automatic rifle of the Simonov system mod. 1936, could fire in bursts, had a magazine for 15 rounds. And they will be absolutely right. But what follows, as a rule, is categorical: ABC turned out to be complex and unreliable, which is why it was discontinued even before the start of the Great Patriotic War. And this is true, but not all...

Few people have been able to see the ABC-36, so to speak, “live” and, moreover, become familiar with its design. As a rule, our knowledge about the rifle is limited to a couple of paragraphs in Bolotin’s book “Soviet Small Arms”. Meanwhile, the ABC design deserves a more detailed description. The ABC-36 rifle is a further development of the design of the Simonov automatic rifle mod. 1931. At that time, the ABC design was original, very bold, one might say “on the verge of fantasy.”

Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov

Simonov automatic rifle mod. 1936 belongs to weapon systems in which the reloading mechanism is driven by powder gases vented from the barrel. The bolt is locked by a vertically moving wedge. The striker-type trigger mechanism, driven by a separate mainspring located inside the bolt, allows for both single and continuous fire. Switching fire modes is done by a translator, who was initially located in front of the trigger guard.

ABC-36. Left view

ABC-36. Right view

Removal of the spent cartridge case is carried out by an extractor located in the upper part of the bolt, reflection - by a spring-loaded reflector at the bottom of the receiver (box). The direction of cartridge extraction is upward and forward. Cartridges are fed from a detachable box-shaped double-row magazine with a capacity of 15 rounds. The magazine attached to the rifle could be loaded with cartridges from standard rifle clips, and it could also be loaded in the usual way. When the magazine runs out of rounds, the bolt stops on the slide stop and supports the trigger. The sector-type sight is aimed at a distance of up to 1500 m. The rifle is equipped with an effective single-chamber muzzle brake. For hand-to-hand combat, a bladed bayonet is attached to it. The rifle is zeroed without a bayonet.

In many ways, the definition of “for the first time” can be applied to the ABC construction. A number of technical solutions implemented at ABC had no analogues, both in domestic and world weapons practice. For the first time, a serial domestic 7.62 mm rifle received a bladed bayonet and a muzzle brake, as well as an unprecedentedly capacious universal magazine. For the first time in world practice, the gas chamber of a rifle was located above the barrel. For the first time in the world, the principle of wedge locking of the bolt was implemented in a weapon of this caliber.

ABC has some technical features that need description. The main feature of ABC is the locking unit. The bolt (namely the bolt!) is locked by a vertically moving wedge. The wedge is a rectangular prism with a through window for the passage of the bolt and the bolt stem. In the locked position, the wedge seems to “prop up” the bolt from below. This is a very important point, since all publications, with the possible exception of Blagonravov’s reference book, indicate the wedge method of locking the barrel, not the bolt. The lowering of the wedge to disengage it from the bolt is carried out by the cocking coupling - a special part driven by a gas piston. The wedge is lifted by the bolt stem during retraction.

The position of the rifle parts when the bolt is locked. The drummer is held in place by a sear.

The problem of fixing a bayonet on a rifle barrel was solved in an original way. The latch function is performed by a movable spring-loaded bayonet handle. The rifle stock was made of walnut. Some of the rifles were produced in a sniper version and were equipped with an optical sight VP mod. 1931. In order not to interfere with the ejection of cartridges, an optical sight was installed on the left wall of the receiver.

ABC-36 was equipped with a detachable blade bayonet. In the photo with a rifle, the keeper of the background of domestic weapons VIMAIViVS Petr Goreglyad

For maintenance purposes, ABC was assigned an affiliation. In addition to the usual brush, wiper, punch and cleaning rod, the accessory also included a key for locking the translator, a screwdriver-key for switching the gas regulator and a cleaning rod extension. All accessories were placed in a pencil case (with the exception, of course, of the cleaning rod), which is the handle of a screwdriver and the handle of the cleaning rod for cleaning. The lid of the pencil case served as a muzzle pad. This design for packing accessories was used for the first time in our army and later became traditional. The ramrod was located to the right of the barrel and was fixed with the head in the cutout of the muzzle brake due to its own elasticity.

The ABC-36 sighting block was mounted on the breech of the barrel. The rifle's cleaning rod is located on the right side of the stock

The accessory also included a case for carrying the rifle. The case protects the weapon from dust, dirt and scratches while hiking, in transport - in all cases where it is not intended to be used immediately. In the case of ABC, the case served another function - it protected the rifle from prying eyes. After all, ABC was an ultra-modern example of those years, so the secrecy was completely justified.

Getting ABC into production wasn't easy. The decision to launch the rifle into production took place in 1932, but in fact production began only in 1934. ABC went into production without being officially put into service, which caused serious difficulties in mastering production. The difficulties were such that to organize production, rifle designer S.G. Simonov was sent to the Izhevsk Arms Plant, who was forced to leave his studies at the Industrial Academy for this purpose. Upon Simonov’s arrival, it became clear that the plant was completely unsuited to the production of modern automatic weapons, both technically and organizationally. Technological discipline at the plant was very weak. For example, hardening of parts was carried out “by eye”. The parts were made with unacceptably large allowances, and there was no question of any interchangeability. Only the energy and special powers of Simonov, as well as the intervention of People's Commissar S. Ordzhonikidze, made it possible to move the matter forward.

Ultimately, the difficulties of mastering production were left behind. In 1936, the ABC rifle was officially adopted by the Red Army under the designation ABC-36 (index 56-A-225). ABC-36 was significantly different from ABC mod. 1931 In 1932, the folding needle bayonet was replaced with a detachable blade bayonet, and a muzzle brake appeared.

Rifles produced before 1936 were equipped with magazines with a capacity of 10, 15 and even 20 rounds, since 1936 - only 15 rounds. The cut-off mentioned above was introduced into the design of the rifle in 1935; in 1936, its final version was installed on the rifle, as well as a significantly simplified version of the trigger mechanism. The fire mode switch was moved to the right side of the box and began to be activated by the latch of the receiver cover pin. There were differences in the shutter and other components and parts.

The rifle's safety was located at the rear of the trigger guard and locked the trigger (the safety is on in the photo)

With the adoption of the ABC-36, the Soviet Union became one of the first countries in the world to equip its army with the most modern small arms. The 7.62-mm Garanda Ml self-loading rifle, adopted by the US Army in the same year, was inferior to ABC in a number of respects.

There are a number of myths associated with ABC. The first is the bipod bayonet that was equipped with the ABC-36. In fact, only some of the rifles produced before mid-1936 were equipped with a bipod bayonet. The bipod bayonet did not justify itself, and the rifle went into the main series (1936-40) without it. Another myth. They say that ABC could replace a light machine gun and even compete on equal terms with the German single machine gun MG-34. Deep misconception. The ABC-36 may be an automatic rifle, but the main type of fire from it was single-shot fire. Firing in continuous bursts was allowed only when repelling an attack, and then no more than 4 magazines in a row, otherwise the rifle could fail due to overheating. The reader can evaluate the effectiveness of automatic fire for himself from the table.

Accuracy characteristics of fire from ABC-36

The shooting was carried out prone from a rest position by experienced shooters in a firing range, continuous fire - 15 rounds in a burst. In terms of the accuracy of automatic fire, the ABC barely reached the level of submachine guns of those years. So there was no question of any opposition to the ABC machine gun. At best, the ABC could be considered a high-power rifle, but not an analogue of a light machine gun.

We will try to be objective in everything. Some parts of the ABC-36 were expensive and labor-intensive to produce, especially the box. In addition, the rifle was distinguished by increased sensitivity to the quality of the steels used and their heat treatment. This directly affected the reliability of the weapon as a whole, since in order to ensure the required service life and at the same time comply with strict weight restrictions, a number of critical automation parts were made from special materials. steels However, if all the requirements of the technical specifications were met, the rifle had a technical life of at least 27,000 rounds, which is comparable to the life of a modern PKM machine gun - at least 30,000 rounds.

ABC-36 had a number of operational features. The presence of automation caused delays previously unknown to the ordinary soldier. These include, for example, double shots, incomplete rollbacks of moving parts, etc. Most of the delays were associated with contamination of gas paths or thickening of the lubricant. At the same time, not everything was thought out from the point of view of ease of maintenance of the rifle.

General view of parts when partially disassembling the rifle

To remove the receiver lining and get to the gas chamber, it was necessary to separate the barrel from the stock. The ABC showdown held a number of surprises. For example, when taking out a rifle, there was a possibility of pinching your fingers when the firing pin came off the self-timer (the compressed mainspring is located inside the bolt!). Assembling the bolt also required a certain amount of dexterity from the shooter. Of course, such a design of the rifle design did not contribute to the soldier’s desire to promptly and thoroughly clean his weapon. However, these were precisely the operating features, and not the design flaws of the rifle. Unfortunately, it is customary for us to “accept with hostility” any feature if it leads to a breakdown of established orders. This happened this time too. Despite the rather cautious introduction of the rifle into the army and the participation of the ABC in pre-war conflicts (Khalkin Gol, the Finnish campaign), the ABC-36 did not receive recognition among the troops. The main complaints against ABC have reached us: the rifle is unreliable, sensitive to weather conditions, and complex in design. Is it really?

The arrow shows the gas regulator

The answer is far from clear. Anyone who is familiar with the device of the same age as the ABC-36 - the American self-loading rifle Garanda Ml mod. 1936, - not superficially, but in detail, he will not say that our ABC is an overly complex weapon. And reliability... Here you need to take into account the following factors. ABC production began in 1932-35. This was the period of formation of the domestic heavy and steel industries, precision engineering. At this time, the USSR was just mastering the production of new steels, equipment, and machine tools. It is necessary to clearly understand that the technological culture of weapons production in the USSR in those years was still very far from ideal. And not only at the Izhevsk Arms Plant... Under these conditions, it was impossible to achieve stable manufacturing quality of serial automatic rifles. This explains the long service life of ABC prototypes, and at the same time the premature failure of rifles from production batches. Operating the rifle was also a significant challenge. ABC required careful preparation, high responsibility and a certain level of technical literacy of the shooters. And with literacy in a country that recently ended a chain of bloody wars, it was not easy.

Soviet industry was rapidly gaining momentum, and ABC production was continuously growing. If in 1934 only 106 rifles were produced, and in 1935 – 286 units, then in 1937 – already 10280 units, and in 1938 – 23401 units.

A total of 65,800 units were produced before 1940. ABC. Simonov continuously improved the ABC design, but... More modern models of self-loading rifles have already appeared, simple in design and technologically advanced in manufacturing. In 1940, the ABC-36 was discontinued, freeing up capacity for the production of a new rifle, the Tokarev SVT. The ABC-36 rifle was not just a failure, it was doomed to failure. Perhaps if she had appeared later, her fate would have turned out differently. But we, today, need to remember - ABC was still the first mass-produced automatic rifle in a very young country. The country learned. I learned to work. I learned to make weapons. I learned to fight. ABC has given our industry and military an invaluable asset. This is an experience. Don't forget about this.

Partial disassembly of ABC-36

1. Detach the magazine

2. Check for the presence of a cartridge in the chamber

3, Remove the locking flag of the receiver cover

4. Separate the receiver cover with the return spring

5. Separate the bolt with the bolt stem and the firing pin

Performance characteristics of the ABC-36 automatic rifle

Weight with bayonet in sheath, with optical sight and magazine filled with cartridges, kg - 5.95

Weight without bayonet, without optical sight and without magazine, kg – 4.05

Weight of magazine with 15 rounds, kg – 0.68

Weight of bayonet with scabbard, kg – 0.55

Total length of the rifle without bayonet, mm – 7260

Total length of a rifle with a bayonet, mm – 1520

Rate of fire, rds/min. – 800

Combat rate of fire: primary fire, rds/min. – 20…25

short bursts, rds/min. – 40…50

continuous fire, rds/min. – 70…80

Initial bullet speed, m/s – 840

Length of the rifled part of the barrel, mm – 557

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7.62 mm automatic rifle of the Simonov system, model 1936, ABC-36(GAU index - 56-A-225 listen)) is a Soviet automatic rifle developed by gunsmith Sergei Simonov.

It was originally developed as a self-loading rifle, but during improvements an automatic fire mode was added for use in an emergency. The first automatic rifle developed in the USSR and put into service.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS SIMONOV AUTOMATIC RIFLE REV. 1936
Manufacturer:	Izhmash
Cartridge:
Caliber:	7.62 mm
Weight without cartridges:	4.4 kg
Weight with cartridges:	4.725 kg
Length:	1260 (with bayonet 1520) mm
Barrel length:	612 mm
Number of rifling in the barrel:	4
Trigger mechanism (trigger):	Impact type
Operating principle:	Removal of powder gases, wedge locking
Rate of fire:	800 rounds/min
Fuse:	At the rear of the trigger guard, when turned on, it blocks the trigger
Aim:	Front sight with namushnik and sector sight
Effective range:	400 m
Sighting range:	1500 m
Initial bullet speed:	840 m/s
Type of ammunition:	Detachable magazine
Number of cartridges:	15
Years of production:	1934–1940

History of creation and production

The first model of an automatic rifle was presented by S. G. Simonov at the beginning of 1926. In April 1926, the Artillery Committee, having examined the proposed rifle design, came to the conclusion that it could not be approved for testing.

After the 1930 competition, the greatest successes in the design of automatic rifles were achieved by Simonov and F.V. Tokarev. Continuing to work on improving the rifle, in 1931 Simonov created a new model.

Simonov's automatic rifle successfully passed field tests. It was decided to produce an experimental batch of rifles and conduct extensive military tests. At the same time, it was proposed to accelerate the development of the technological process in order to launch a batch of rifles into production already in the first quarter of 1934, and from the beginning of the second half of the year to prepare for gross production. To assist in organizing the production of Simonov rifles, the designer himself was sent to Izhevsk.

On March 22, 1934, the Defense Committee adopted a resolution on the development in 1935 of capacities for the production of automatic rifles of the Simonov system.

As a result of a series of tests that took place in 1935-1936, the Simonov automatic rifle showed better results compared to the Tokarev model. And although some copies failed prematurely, as the commission noted, the reason for this was mainly manufacturing defects, not design. “Confirmation of this,” as stated in the test site protocol in July 1935, “can be the first prototypes of the ABC, which withstood up to 27,000 shots and did not have the kind of breakdowns that were observed in the tested samples.”

In 1936, the Simonov automatic rifle (ABC-36) was adopted by the Red Army. ABC-36 became the first automatic rifle to enter service with the Red Army after the Fedorov assault rifle. It differed from the original model proposed by the designer in 1931 in the following ways: a muzzle brake was installed, the configuration of individual parts was changed, the method of attaching the bayonet was made, and some other changes were made.

ABC-36 automatic rifles were first shown at the May Day parade in 1938; they were armed with soldiers of the 1st Moscow Proletarian Rifle Division.

On February 26, 1938, the director of the Izhevsk arms plant, A.I. Bykhovsky, reported that the automatic rifle of the Simonov system was mastered at the plant and put into mass production.

After the adoption of Simonov automatic rifles, their production, previously produced in separate batches, increases noticeably. So, if in 1934 106 rifles were produced, and in 1935 - 286, then in 1937 - already 10,280, and in 1938 - 23,401 units.

Production of the ABC-36 ceased in 1940, with a total of 65,800 produced.

Subsequently, ABC-36 was replaced in production by SVT-38. As the People's Commissar of Armaments B.L. Vannikov recalled, Stalin demanded the creation of a self-loading rifle, from which automatic fire would be excluded, since in battle conditions aimless continuous shooting is possible, leading only to the irrational consumption of a large number of cartridges.

Options and modifications

Design and principle of operation

ABC is an automatic weapon, built on the removal of powder gases, and can conduct both single and automatic fire. The fire mode switch is located on the receiver on the right side. The main fire mode was single. It was supposed to fire in short bursts when there were insufficient numbers of light machine guns, and continuous fire only as a last resort, when repelling sudden enemy attacks at a distance of no more than 150 meters. At the same time, it was forbidden to use more than 4 magazines in a row, so as not to overheat and wear out the barrel and other parts. According to the instructions, the ABC fire type translator was locked with a special key kept by the squad commander, who only if necessary could allow some of the soldiers to fire in bursts (whether this function of the rifle was used in practice is a controversial issue; however, it is curious that the Fedorov 1916 assault rifle d. the fire translator was issued to the shooter only after passing a kind of exam. It was recommended to fire automatically from a prone position from a rest, with the same butt as when shooting from a DP light machine gun. When firing single shots, sitting or standing, it is recommended to hold the rifle with your left hand for the store below.

The automatic rifle has a technical rate of fire of about 800 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire during aimed shooting is significantly lower than the technical rate. A well-trained shooter with magazines pre-filled with cartridges can produce: about 20–25 hpm with single fire (at a distance of up to 400 m), 40–50 hpm in bursts of 3–5 shots (up to 300 m), 70– 80 rpm with continuous fire (up to 100–150 m).

Red Army soldiers at a halt, they are armed with PPSh-41 assault rifles, a DP light machine gun and an ABC-36 rifle

A gas outlet unit with a short stroke of the gas piston is located above the barrel. The barrel was locked using a vertical block (wedge), which moved in the grooves of the receiver (in fact, the line of movement of the wedge had a small, about 5°, angle with the vertical, which was done to facilitate unlocking the bolt manually). When the block moved upward under the action of a spring (during manual reloading) or a special bevel of the bolt frame (during firing), it entered the grooves of the bolt, locking it. Unlocking occurred after a special clutch, which was connected to the gas piston, squeezed the locking block down from the bolt grooves. Since the locking block was located between the breech of the barrel and the magazine, the trajectory of feeding cartridges into the chamber was quite long and steep, which served as a source of delays when firing. In addition, this led to the fact that the receiver was complex in design and had a large length. The design of the ABC bolt was also very complex, since a firing pin with a mainspring, separate parts of the trigger mechanism, and a special anti-rebound device were placed inside it. Automatic rifles manufactured before 1936 differ in the cut-off device, trigger mechanism and mainspring stop.

The rifle was fed from detachable magazines of the original sickle shape (due to the presence of a protruding rim on the cartridge used), each containing 15 rounds. Magazines could be equipped either separately from the rifle or directly on it, with the bolt open, from three standard clips for the rifle mod. 1891/30. Rifles manufactured before 1936 have magazines for 10 and 20 rounds.

The rifle barrel had a massive muzzle brake and a bayonet mount. On early issues of ABC, the bayonet could be attached not only horizontally, but also vertically, with the blade down. In this position it was supposed to be used as a one-legged ersatz bipod for shooting from a rest. However, the corrected description of the rifle, already published in 1937, categorically prohibits this, ordering instead automatic fire from a prone position from a rest in the form of a roll or turf. It also states that from the second half of 1936, they stopped equipping rifles with a bipod bayonet. Obviously, this idea, which looks attractive in theory, has not justified itself in practice. In the stowed position, the bayonet was carried in a sheath on the fighter’s belt and when firing, unlike the rifle mod. 1891/30, not adjacent. The open sight was notched at a range from 100 to 1,500 meters in 100-meter increments.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• Weight like a Mosin rifle mod. 1891/30 with three times the magazine capacity and the ability to fire automatically;
• The detachable magazine allows you to reload the rifle without lowering it or removing it from the parapet. The magazine can be loaded without removing it from the rifle;
• Stopping the shutter in the rear position signals the use of cartridges and prevents attempts to shoot with an empty magazine;
• The muzzle brake-compensator reduces recoil and flame from shots, increases the accuracy of fire;
• High rate of fire of the rifle.

Flaws

• Slots at the bottom of the muzzle brake lead to the formation of a cloud of dust when fired, unmasking the shooter;
• The survivability of the striker and ejector is insufficient;
• The rifle is sensitive to contamination and temperature fluctuations;
• There are often delays during shooting caused by misalignment of the cartridge with the rim on the sleeve;
• In operation, the rifle requires careful handling;
• The sniper version has a large dispersion of bullets, significantly inferior in accuracy and accuracy to rifles with manual reloading.

Usage

The rifle was used in the initial period of World War II.