Which for some reason we called “Schmeissers”. But this is not true. In a German infantry division, only 312 soldiers were armed with the MP-40. The main weapon of the German infantryman near Moscow and Stalingrad was the Karabiner 98k rifle (or rather, carbine). It is very likely that with the same weapons their fathers rose to attack somewhere near Verdun or the Somme twenty years before.
After all, the Karabiner 98k is nothing more than a modification of the famous Mauser Gewehr 98 infantry rifle, which served with the Kaiser’s army throughout the First World War.
Among the hundreds of weapons created in the last century, there are few that have been in service for almost five decades. It is even more difficult to remember examples of weapons that participated in two world wars at once. Among repeating rifles, the Russian “three-line rifle” had a very similar fate, which was adopted at the end of the 19th century and went through two world wars together with the Russian and Soviet armies. The debate about which of these repeating rifles is better continues to this day.
History of creation
The Mauser rifle, which we know as the Mauser 98k, was released in 1935, but it was only a small modernization of the rifle that was released back in 1898. This weapon turned out to be so successful that it served for more than half a century. The letter k at the end of the acronym stands for the German word Kurz, which means "short".
In 1898, the Mauser brothers were already recognized gunsmiths, and the company they created enjoyed an excellent reputation. Their products were in service not only with Germany, but also with other armies of that time: Spain, Turkey, Belgium.
Development of a new rifle began back in 1871, and that year the Gewehr 1871 (Gew.71) was released. The product turned out to be very successful, and the Prussian War Department placed an order for one hundred thousand units of a new rifle. The rifle turned out so good that in the following years orders poured in one after another. Different countries put forward their own requirements for new weapons, which led to the emergence of several types of rifles, which, however, were not too different from each other. 
In the end, the brothers decided to collect all the successful innovations that emerged as a result of many years of work on various modifications of the Gew.71. In addition, several years before this, the company created a new, very advanced cartridge for that time, 7.92x57 mm, without a protruding flange on the cartridge case. During the work, cartridges of several calibers were tested, but the choice was made in favor of 7.92x57 mm ammunition. It was these works that in 1898 led to the creation of the new Mauser Gewehr 98 rifle, which was in many ways similar to other similar weapons of this period.
This weapon was adopted German army as a single weapon for infantry units. Moreover, the rifle turned out to be so successful that it was soon adopted into service in most of the countries with which the Mauser brothers had worked previously. In 1899, the production of hunting rifles based on the Mauser Gewehr 98 began, and they also became very popular. The high locking strength of the barrel made it possible to use even the most powerful cartridges that existed at that time.
Over the following years, improvements were constantly made to the design of the rifle, and new modifications were created. In 1902, the Radfahrer-Gewehr 98 rifle was created for scooters; it was distinguished by a curved bolt handle stem.
Already during the First World War (in 1915), a sniper modification of the Scharfschitzen-Gewehr 98 rifle appeared, which also had a curved bolt and special mounts for an optical sight. In 1915, it was decided to select the most accurate rifles to install sniper scopes on them; in total, more than 18 thousand such modifications were made before the end of the war.
In 1908, a modification of the Kar.98a was released, which was developed for a pointed bullet with better ballistics. This rifle had modified sights. Although the Kar.98a was considered a carbine, it did not differ from the Gewehr 98 either in barrel length or overall dimensions. The fact is that at that time the Germans considered any rifle adapted for use in cavalry to be a carbine. The main difference in this case was the method of attaching the belt, which for the Kar.98a differed from the standard rifle.
A very interesting modification is called the “trench Mauser”. It is also a creation of the First World War. This rifle had a sector magazine with a capacity of twenty rounds. This weapon was specially designed for assault units, whose fighters complained about the insufficient capacity of the standard magazine. However, it turned out that such a store was not very convenient: it often got stuck, upset the balance of the weapon and increased its weight.
In 1914, a few months before the outbreak of World War II, one of the rifle designers, Peter Paul Mauser, died without ever seeing finest hour his brainchild. After this, no major changes were made to the design of the Mauser Gewehr 98.
In 1923, another modification of the rifle appeared - Kar.98b, and twelve years later - Kar.98k, which is the most famous and most widespread. Kar.98k (Karabiner 98k, Mauser 98k, K98k) was officially adopted in 1935 and became the main weapon of infantry units German troops in World War II. A bolt stop was used on this weapon, and the barrel length was also shortened to 600 mm. At the same time, based on the Mauser 98k carbine, the Zf.Kar.98k sniper modification was created, which, after a number of modifications (mainly related to the sight), became the main weapon of German snipers in the World War.
Interestingly, the creation of the Mauser 98k was the result of not only technical, but also political decisions. The fact is that after the end of the First World War, the Germans were prohibited from having rifles in their arsenal. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, they could only use carbines. The Germans called all their remaining Mauser Gewehr 98 rifles Karabiner 98b carbines, while changing their sights, bending the bolt handle and changing the method of attaching the belt. The Allies did not pay much attention to this German trick.
During the war, some changes were made to the design of the Mauser 98k rifle, the purpose of which was to simplify and reduce the cost of its production. For example, for the manufacture of the stock and butt they began to use not walnut wood, but pressed plywood, which increased the weight of the weapon by 300 grams. Some parts began to be made by cold stamping, spot welding was introduced, sighting devices were somewhat simplified, and the wooden bayonet linings were replaced with bakelite. Although, it should be noted that these changes did not have much impact on the characteristics of the weapon.
The Mauser 98k carbine replaced the Mauser Gewehr 98 rifle, as well as the Karabiner 98a and Karabiner 98b carbines. These weapons were produced until the end of the war; in total, more than 14 million copies were manufactured. The rifle was in service with the armies of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic after the end of World War II, and it is still used today by the Bundeswehr for honor guard duty. Over the years, the Mauser 98k was in service in the armies of more than two dozen countries around the world; it was considered everywhere a very effective and reliable weapon.
Description of the weapon design
The Mauser 98k is a bolt-action repeating rifle. The bolt rotates 90 degrees when the barrel bore is locked; it has as many as three lugs, which ensures exceptionally strong locking. In addition, the bolt has a special gas outlet, which, when powder gases break through, takes them down into the magazine cavity.
The bolt is easily removed from the rifle; no special tools are required. To remove it, just pull the special lock and pull the bolt back.
One of the features of the Mauser 98k action is the massive and very reliable ejector that extracts the cartridges from the chamber.
The trigger mechanism is striker-type, the firing pin is cocked when the handle is turned while the bolt is opening. At the rear of the bolt there is a safety switch that has three positions. All that can be said about the safety lock is that it is very convenient. One horizontal position locks the bolt, in a vertical position the bolt is free, in another horizontal position you can fire.
The safety design is a definite advantage of the Mauser 98k carbine. A raised flag clearly signals to the soldier that shooting is impossible; in addition, it is very ergonomic and comfortable, and can be easily handled with gloves on.
The Mauser 98k has a long and smooth trigger pull, which is why snipers loved this weapon.
The rifle is fed from a magazine with a capacity of five rounds. A few words should be said about it separately. The magazine on the Mauser 98k is double-row, box-shaped and non-removable, it is completely located in the stock. The cartridges in it are placed in a checkerboard pattern. The designers of the Mauser Gewehr 98 and Mauser 98k rifles managed to ensure that the magazine does not protrude beyond the dimensions of the weapon at all. This is very convenient for its use and distinguishes the Mauser 98k from most rifles of that time.
German gunsmiths were able to achieve similar results by using a 7.92x57 mm caliber cartridge, the cartridge case of which did not have a flange, and also by using a “chessboard” arrangement of cartridges in the magazine. The 7.62x54 mm R cartridge, which was used in the Russian “three-line”, had a flange on the cartridge case, which increased the size of the magazine and also created problems when extracting cartridges from the weapon.
The Mauser 98k rifle could be equipped with either a clip or one cartridge at a time. Manually inserting a cartridge into the chamber was strictly prohibited.
The Mauser 98k sights consist of a conventional rear sight and front sight. The dovetail front sight is adjustable. The sight was on the barrel, it was adjustable at distances from 100 to 1000 meters.
The stock is wooden, with a pistol-type handle. The butt has a steel butt plate. At the beginning of the war, the stock and stock were made of walnut, then increasingly stamped plywood was used to make the stock. A special recess was made in the butt for storing accessories.
Both Mauser Gewehr 98 and Mauser 98k were equipped with blade-type bayonets, which were attached to a special tip of the stock. In Germany, seven types of bayonet knives (these are only the main types) for this weapon were developed. The standard bayonet for the Mauser 98k carbine was the SG 84/98, which was significantly shorter and lighter than that of the Mauser Gewehr 98. The importance of bayonet combat during World War II decreased significantly, so in 1944 carbines were no longer equipped with bayonets.
Differences between Mauser Gewehr 98 and Mauser 98k
The differences between these types of small arms were not too great; they can hardly be called fundamental. Here are the main ones:
- The Mauser 98k has a shorter barrel;
- the Mauser 98k has a downward-curved bolt handle, the stock is shorter, and has a recess for the bolt handle;
- the carbine had a special (“cavalry”) belt fastening;
- the Mauser 98k uses a shutter stop.
The main advantages of the Mauser 98k carbine compared to the Mosin rifle
So which rifle is better: the German Mauser 98k or the Russian “three-line”? They were developed around the same time and had similar cartridge calibers and characteristics.
The German rifle has a number of undeniable advantages: it is more convenient, it does not have a protruding magazine, and the safety is very ergonomic. Of note is the cartridge that was used on the Mauser 98k. It was the absence of a flange on the cartridge case that provided many of the advantages of the rifle.
Disassembling the German rifle was simple and did not require additional tools.
In addition, the Mosin rifle had a less convenient stock, which was more suitable for bayonet fighting than for accurate shooting. When reloading the rifle, the butt had to be taken away from the shoulder, which reduced the rate of fire and confused the aim. The “three-ruler” had a tight and long descent, which did not improve shooting accuracy. Russian rifle it was necessary to shoot with a bayonet, otherwise the point of impact would shift to the side, and it was very inconvenient to always carry a rifle with a bayonet. Over time, the bayonet became loose, which significantly reduced accuracy.
The frame clip that was used on the “three-line” did not contribute to the loading speed in battle.
These are just the main disadvantages of the Mosin rifle. Yes, it was very reliable, had a powerful cartridge and was easy to manufacture. But already at the beginning of the First World War it was not the most modern; at the beginning of the Second World War it can safely be called outdated.
Specifications
| Model | Mauser Gewehr 98 | Karabiner 98k |
| Manufacturer | Mauser-Werke A.G. | |
| Cartridge | 7.92x57mm Mauser | |
| Caliber | 7.92 mm | |
| Weight without cartridges | 4.1 kg | 3.7 kg |
| Weight with cartridges | n/a | |
| Length | 1250 (with 1500 bayonet) mm | 1100 (with bayonet 1340) mm |
| Barrel length | 740 mm | 610 mm |
| Number of grooves in the barrel | 4 right-hand | |
| Trigger mechanism (trigger mechanism) | Impact type | |
| Operating principle | Sliding butterfly valve | |
| Fuse | Flag | |
| Aim | Front sight and rear sight | Front sight with muzzle and rear sight |
| Effective range | 500 m | |
| Sighting range | 2000 m | 1000 m |
| Initial bullet speed | 878 m/s | 860 m/s |
| Type of ammunition | Integral two-row magazine | |
| Number of cartridges | 5 | |
| Years of production | 1898–1945 | 1935–1945 |
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Sniper rifles of the Second World War period belonged mainly to the second generation of sniper weapons. Now the rifles were not assembled from a bulk finished batch of linear ones, but were manufactured - based on the same standard military rifle - with better quality and some differences in details. They moved from “adapting” commercial sights to producing special ones that met “military” requirements.
Let's take a look at what weapons were used by snipers from different armies.
USSR
In 1929–1930 in the USSR, a modernization of the 7.62-mm magazine rifle model 1891 (“three-line”) was carried out. The dragoon model was taken as the basis (the infantry rifle with a longer barrel was discontinued back in 1923). The mechanical sight was changed, the front sight became cylindrical and received a fuse, instead of a box-shaped clip, a lighter and more convenient plate clip was introduced, and the device and accessories were improved. This modernization in Once again extended the career of the 7.62 mm rifle cartridge model 1908. And in 1931, a 7.62 mm sniper rifle entered service with the Red Army. From a linear rifle mod. 1891/1930 it was distinguished by the mounting of the optical sight, the quality of manufacture of the barrel and receiver, their fastening in the stock and debugging of the mechanisms.
Mounting a PU sight on a rifle model 1891/30 and a sighting reticle
The rotary, longitudinally sliding one consisted of a bolt stem, a combat cylinder, an ejector, a trigger, a firing pin, a screw mainspring and a connecting strip. The combat cylinder has two symmetrical combat protrusions that fit into the grooves of the receiver when locked. On a sniper rifle, the bolt handle was bent downwards so that when reloading it would not catch on the optical sight. A firing pin with a mainspring is mounted inside the bolt, and a trigger with a “button” is screwed onto the tail section of the bolt. The firing pin is cocked when the bolt is unlocked, which increases safety when reloading. The trigger mechanism is mounted on the receiver and is very simple in design. The sear, which holds the firing pin in the cocked position, is made at the free end of a leaf spring passed through the slot of the trigger, swinging on an axis. When you press the hook, he presses the trigger spring down, removing the sear from under the cocking hammer; the firing pin, under the action of the mainspring, moves forward and pierces the cartridge primer.
Sniper rifle mod. 1891/30 with PU sight. The position of the bolt handle in the locked state and the position of the sight eyepiece relative to the butt are clearly visible
The trigger could be pulled back and rotated 90°, thereby putting the rifle on safety. This operation was provided for all shooters, especially when running with a loaded weapon, although pulling the trigger required a lot of effort, and the system quickly wore out. The sniper rifle was aimed without a bayonet, and did not have one - hand-to-hand combat was considered for a sniper extreme case(although he was supposed to be armed with a knife or dagger) - therefore, the front sight of sniper rifles was slightly higher than that of linear ones. Rifle mod. 1891/1930 had a rather tight descent. Although in sniper rifles the trigger was adjusted to a lower force (2–2.4 kgf), it was not as convenient as a trigger with a warning (self-adjustment of the trigger force is possible by bending the spring, smoothness of the trigger - by filing the sear, filing the upper edge of the trigger slot it was possible to give the descent the character of a descent with a warning). But the corresponding proposals for the “three-line” were made back in 1911 and several times later.
In the box-shaped permanent middle magazine, the cartridges are arranged in one row, which made it necessary to have a special spring cut-off reflector that prevents double feeding of cartridges. A solid stock with a straight butt neck was initially made of walnut, but over time it was necessary to switch to less scarce birch wood for sniper rifles. To improve shooting accuracy, the position of the barrel in the stock was adjusted using the receiver shank pin so that the gap between the barrel and the fore-end was maintained along the entire length of the barrel - the absence of contact between the barrel and the fore-end contributes to the constant vibrations of the barrel when firing, the influence of which is easier to compensate for when zeroing. For the same purpose, it was possible to select excess wood using a chisel or simply a sleeve with a sharpened edge. Although back in 1929 a variant with an improved stock was tested (a “cheek” butt and a neck with a pistol lug), production rifles had a stock of a conventional shape. True, rifles with a shortened “sports” stock were produced in small quantities - such a sniper rifle, for example, was presented to I.V. by Tula gunsmiths in 1934. Stalin.
Apparently, a deeper modernization of the basic rifle would have provided a better basis for a sniper, but it was abandoned in the USSR, since it was expected that an “automatic” rifle would soon be adopted.
Work on a rifle optical sight to set up its own production began in 1925 at the Podolsk Optical Plant (in 1927–1928 it was transferred to Pavshino, Moscow Region, later Krasnogorsk), and German specialists participated in the work. The development task changed several times. Finally, in 1930, the sight was adopted for service under the designation “optical rifle sight mod. 1930", he also received the PT index.
Sniper rifles mod. 1891/30, which entered service with the Red Army, were initially equipped with a sight mod. 1930 (PT) with 4x magnification, mechanisms for introducing horizontal and vertical corrections and a coupling for diopter adjustment of the eyepiece. However, the PT sight did not satisfy the experts Artillery Directorate, and the All-Union Association of Optical-Mechanical Industry, created in 1930, received in 1931 the task of creating a sight based on it with more advanced mechanisms for introducing corrections (again, based on the German Bush sight). The improved sight was adopted for service under designation “rifle sight model 1931” and received the PE code. Abbreviation “V.P. arr. 1931" gave rise to another designation found in the literature - “VP sight”. With the PE sight, the sniper rifle model 1891/1930 was actually adopted in the same 1931.
The PE sight had a magnification factor of 3.87x, a field of view of 5×30, an exit pupil diameter of 7.6 mm, an exit pupil relief of 85 mm, a weight of 620 g, and range settings of up to 1400 m. The disadvantages of the sight include a violation of the tightness of the focusing mechanism, insufficient fixing the drums of the mechanisms for introducing horizontal and vertical corrections.
The Dynamo society, which was under the jurisdiction of the OGPU/NKVD, actively developed shooting in those years. In collaboration with the German company Genschow, the company has developed options for installing a Zeiss sight with a 4x magnification on a rifle mod. 1891 - these installations are known under the designations D2 and DZ (“Dynamo”, the second and third samples, in the literature you can find the designation D III). The optical sight itself had an upper drum setting up to 1000 m, and a side drum was used to introduce lateral corrections. The sighting reticle was made according to the “German” type and consisted of a central stump and two horizontal lines.
Sniper version 7.62 mm self-loading carbine Tokarev (SKT), a modification of the SVT rifle that did not go into production. The SKT is also equipped with a PU sight
Until 1935, two main options for installing an optical sight were tested - on top of the receiver and on its left side. The first system was proposed by the famous shooting enthusiast A.A. Smirnsky (it was similar to the American Belding and Muhl system, but one can hardly speak of a direct borrowing of the American system), the second was based on a system presented by the German company Genschow und Co. According to the Smirnsky system, a base was attached to the receiver in front of its window with six screws, onto which the sight bracket was placed. The sight itself was mounted on such a single-base bracket with two clamps.
In 1936–1937, after the transfer of optical sight production from plant No. 69 (Krasnogorsk) to the Progress plant (in Leningrad), a new modification appeared. The PE sight lost its diopter coupling, and was installed on the rifle according to the “side” mounting scheme, which has become standard since 1936. A bracket of the type proposed by the German company Genschow (Geco) was used. However, the German-style brackets did not satisfy the Soviet military, and their own were created for the PE. To the left of the receiver window there was an overlay - the base. The sight bracket was placed on it using a dovetail mount and secured with two screws. The PE sight also served as the basis for the “civilian” optical sight PO-1, which was installed on small-caliber rifles and hunting rifles.
Red Army sniper pair: one of the snipers (in this moment the acting sniper-observer) is armed with an SVT rifle with a PU optical sight, the other (fighter sniper) is armed with a rifle mod. 1891/30 with PE sight. 1941
Production of sniper rifle mod. 1891/ 1930 and brackets for sights were produced by the Tula Arms Plant since 1932 (from 1936 - plant No. 173, from 1939 - after the reorganization of the defense industry - plant No. 314).
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SNIPER RIFLE REV. 1891/1930.
Cartridge – 7.62x54R (model 1908)
Weapon weight – 4.7 kg (with PE sight)
Weapon length – 1232 mm
Barrel length – 729 mm
Initial bullet speed – 865 m/s
Muzzle energy of the bullet – 3591.5 J
Magazine capacity – 5 rounds
The range of a direct shot at a chest target was 550 m, at a height target - 770 m. The length of the barrel was such that its oscillation unit when fired was located near the muzzle, which helped reduce the dispersion of hits. The permanent middle magazine was loaded with cartridges one at a time - the optical sight mount did not allow inserting a clip.
The last two pre-war years, as is known, were a time of large-scale, high-quality rearmament of the Red Army. This also affected the small arms system, including sniper weapons. Since the repeating rifle was to be replaced by a self-loading rifle as a mass-produced small arms weapon, a sniper version of the latter was also introduced. In 1939, Tula Plant No. 314 produced 35,376 sniper rifles mod. 1891/1930 under the PE sight, in 1940 - 7970 - production was transferred to a self-loading rifle.
As a matter of fact, work on such rifles began much earlier - with the development of extensive work on automatic and self-loading rifles chambered for a rifle cartridge in the second half of the 1920s. It was obvious that the new mass-produced rifle should also have a sniper version. Already in 1928, one of the experimental 7.62 mm automatic rifles by V.G. Fedorov (more precisely, the team of designers - Fedorov, Degtyarev, Kuznetsov, Bezrukov) - this rifle was tested at the shooting range of the Shot course.
The “7.62-mm self-loading rifle mod.” also received an option with the installation of an optical sight. 1930" systems V.A. Degtyareva, who passed military tests in 1933–1934 F.V. Tokarev installed the TsKBSV-63 optical sight mount on his experimental TsKBSV-55 automatic carbine. But in 1936 the S.G. automatic rifle was adopted for service. Simonova (ABC). It also had a sniper version (with a PE sight), produced in small quantities in 1936–1939. in Izhevsk by plant No. 180 (since 1939 - plant No. 74). Such rifles found use during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940. and in the initial period of the Great Patriotic War.
When the F.V. self-loading rifle was finally chosen to rearm the army before the war. Tokarev model 1940 (SVT-40), a sniper version was also created. The drawings and technical specifications for it were approved on April 8, 1940. Note that the Red Army was the first to adopt a self-loading sniper rifle as a mass-produced rifle. The sniper version differed from the standard SVT in better barrel finishing and protrusions on the sides of the receiver for attaching a curved bracket for the PU optical sight. Sniper SVT has become much more widespread than sniper ABC.
The SVT automatics had a gas engine with the removal of powder gases through a transverse hole in the barrel wall into a gas chamber located above the barrel and with a short piston stroke. The camera was supplied gas regulator, changing the amount of exhaust gases, this made it possible to widely adapt the operation of the automation to the conditions of the time of year, the condition of the rifle and the type of cartridge, although working with the regulator was not very convenient. A gas piston with a rod and a separate pusher transmitted the impulse of the powder gases to the bolt and returned forward under the action of its own spring. The absence of a permanent connection between the gas piston rod and the bolt and the partially open receiver at the top made it possible to equip the magazine from a clip.
A multi-slit reactive muzzle brake was attached to the muzzle of the barrel. The barrel bore was locked by tilting the bolt downwards. A firing pin and a spring-loaded ejector are mounted in the bolt frame; a return spring with a guide rod and tube is inserted into the stem channel. The hammer-type trigger mechanism is assembled on a detachable base (trigger guard). Descent comes with a warning. The self-timer served as an automatic safety device that blocked the trigger until the barrel bore was completely locked by the bolt. The guide rod of the mainspring served as a disconnector - when the hammer was turned forward, the rod, pressing the trigger rod, lowered the rod, its protrusion jumped off the ledge of the rocker arm, and then, under the action of the mainspring, it returned with the upper end forward and was ready to capture the cocking of the hammer when the moving system rolled back.
Store – detachable, box-shaped sector shape with a staggered arrangement of 10 rounds. A cartridge with a protruding rim of the cartridge case forced a number of measures to be taken to prevent the cartridges from clinging to each other when feeding - the radius of curvature of the magazine box was selected, the surface of the feeder was profiled so that the rim of each upper cartridge is in front of the rim of the lower one, protrusions were made on the inner walls of the magazine body to hold the cartridges from axial displacement. The stock is wooden, solid, with a pistol neck protrusion; in front of the fore-end, the barrel and gas piston are covered with a perforated metal casing. There was also a wooden barrel guard. To reduce the thermal effects of the barrel and heating of wooden parts, to reduce weight, through holes are made in the metal casing and in the receiver lining.
For the sniper SVT, the “optical rifle sight model 1940” was adopted, created at the NKVD plant No. 3 in Kharkov. Despite its “origin,” the sight was intended not only for the NKVD troops, but also for the People’s Commissariat of Defense. Its production was also carried out by the Progress plant (plant No. 357 of the People's Commissariat of Armaments), where its refinement continued.
The sight received the PU index, had a 3.5-fold magnification, a field of view of 4’30, a weight of 270 g, and allowed shooting at a range from 100 to 1300 m with the most effective range of up to 600 m. The sighting reticle was similar to the PE. The upper drum with a distance scale and the side drum with a lateral correction scale were fastened with semi-countersunk screws - by unfastening these screws, the sniper could correct the position of the drum when shooting. To install an optical sight, there were grooves on the sides of the receiver. The PU optical sight was mounted in such a way that it would not be hit by a spent cartridge case flying out of the receiver window. The curved bracket was fixed with a pin and equipped with a spring-loaded buffer that prevented longitudinal displacement of the sight.
In terms of shooting accuracy, the self-loading sniper SVT was inferior to a repeating rifle. But since during testing the SVT was compared with other “automatic” rifles, attention was not immediately paid to the deterioration in accuracy compared to a magazine rifle. Their comparative tests were carried out only in preparation for mass production. The accuracy of fire of a self-loading rifle at ranges from 800 to 1200 m turned out to be 1.6 times worse, the separation of the first bullet from the dispersion ellipse at a distance of 100 m reached 10–15 cm, and the direct shot range was 20 m less. The reason for this was the imbalance due to the movement and impacts of the movable automation system before the bullet left the barrel, vibrations caused by this movement, and the revealed longitudinal displacement of the barrel and receiver in the stock.
Nevertheless, the sniper SVT was launched into production at Tula Plant No. 314, hoping to improve its parameters during the production process. This could not be done for short term. In addition, by the beginning of the war, the troops were poorly familiar with the new model.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SVT SNIPER RIFLE
Cartridge – 7.62x54R (model 1908)
Weapon weight – 4.5 kg (with PU sight)
Weapon length – 1226 mm
Barrel length – 625 mm
Number of rifling – 4 right-handed
Initial bullet speed – 840 m/s
Combat rate of fire – 10 rds/min
The repeating sniper rifle was discontinued from production. “The plan for current orders of NKOs, NKVMF and NKVD” already for 1940 provided for the production of only 3000 rifles mod. 1891/1930 and only for the People's Commissariat of the Navy.
The scale of production of sniper rifles (and, accordingly, the need for them) at the beginning of the war can be judged by the following figures - in July and August 1941, approximately 7 thousand sniper rifles were produced at the Tula plant.
In 1941, of the planned 1,176,000 linear and 37,500 sniper SVT-40s, 1,031,861 and 34,782 were manufactured, respectively (according to other sources - more than 38,000). In October 1941, the production of SVT was interrupted due to the evacuation of plant No. 314 - from Tula, the production of SVT was evacuated to the Urals, in the city of Mednogorsk, where production was resumed in March 1942. In the SVT troops, according to soldier tradition, it received the unofficial nickname “ Sveta,” they began to attribute a capricious feminine character to her. The rifle really required much more careful care and better preparation than the three-line magazine rifle. The complexity of the system and the presence of small parts also led to a high percentage of failure due to loss of parts (31%, while for the repeating rifle model 1891/30 it was, of course, much lower - only 0.6% ). In addition, its production was much more difficult, which affected the fate of the rifle. However, in the hands of qualified users, including snipers, SVTs worked quite reliably.
At the beginning of 1942, at Izhevsk Plant No. 74 (Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant), and from 1943 at Tula Plant No. 536 (on the site of the evacuated Plant No. 314), production of the magazine sniper rifle mod. 1891/30 The repeating rifle was modernized at the beginning of the war, but not to improve shooting accuracy, but to simplify production. The receiver was made without top edges, the trigger button was reduced, the brass parts of the device were replaced with steel, the finishing of the steel parts was simplified, the stock was not polished or varnished. The combat qualities of the rifle, including shooting accuracy, were also affected by the transition to making stocks from birch blanks, which were more fragile than the previous walnut ones, and gave a leash when exposed to moisture, and the variation in the characteristics of wartime cartridges.
There were also single-shot rifles mod. 1891/30 with a covered magazine box - obviously, to speed up production and with the expectation that the sniper often loads the cartridge manually, keeping spare cartridges in the inner pocket (so as not to cool the powder charge).
Although there remained stocks of PE sights, which were initially used on the newly released sniper rifles model 1891/30, the more compact and durable PU sight became the main one. The production of this sight was carried out by factories No. 357 (evacuated from Leningrad to Omsk), No. 296 (former plant No. 3 of the NKVD, evacuated from Kharkov to Berdsk at the beginning of the war), No. 237 (in Kazan), No. 297 (in Yoshkar-Ola), No. 393 (in Krasnogorsk). Factories made their own changes and improvements to the design and materials of the sight. Despite some deterioration in the optics (during the war, we had to switch to new clay for melting optical glass), the sights retained good quality and fully justified themselves. The decision to install a launcher on a rifle mod. 1891/30 was adopted in the spring of 1942. For this purpose, in Izhevsk, the famous gunsmith designer D.M. Kochetov developed a new bracket, which was attached with its front protrusion to the same base on the left side of the receiver and was fixed with pins and two screws; there were additional screws to prevent self-unscrewing. This mount allowed the use of an open sector sight at a distance of up to 600 m. The sight tube was fixed on the bracket with two couplings. Since the PU tube was noticeably shorter than that of the PE, the eyepiece was very far from the shooter’s eye, so many shooters had to crane their necks when shooting.
In August 1942, comparative tests of SVT sniper rifles with PU and mod. 1891/30 with PE and PU sights. Based on the test results, continued production of the SVT sniper was considered inappropriate, and it was discontinued on October 1, 1942 (production of linear rifles continued). Sniper rifles accounted for only about 3.5% of the total number of SVTs issued. Kochetov bracket for installing PU on a rifle mod. 1891/30 was adopted for service as a “bracket mod. 1942."
When shooting from a rifle model 1891/30. at a distance of 100 m with a PU sight, all hits had to fit into a circle with a diameter of 7 cm, 200 m - 15 cm, 400 m - 36 cm.
In 1943, Izhevsk Plant No. 74 produced 159,600 repeating sniper rifles with PU sights, Tula Plant No. 536 - 59,112, in 1943 - 127,020 and 24,362, respectively (according to B.V. Davydov and S.A. Savenko). By 1943, this amounted to 5.7% of the total production of rifles and carbines, by 1944 – 7.3%. Evidence of the great attention paid to sniping in the Armed Forces.
The PU sight was later used on anti-aircraft machine gun mounts; they tried to install it on 14.5 mm anti-tank rifles, especially since many snipers, along with a standard sniper rifle, mastered anti-aircraft guns for shooting at long ranges or at protected targets. After the war, PUs with corresponding brackets were installed on small-caliber hunting rifles.
Production of the PE sight was also resumed during the war, but only in besieged Leningrad at plant No. 349.
Partisans operating behind enemy lines, groups and detachments special purpose The NKVD and GRU often used a rifle with a silent and flameless shooting type "Bramith" (systems of the brothers V.G. and I.G. Mitin). The device included a cylindrical expansion chamber, blocked at the front and back with rubber plugs and was designed for only a few shots.
During the war, attempts to modernize the rifle continued: in 1943, a version with a shortened fore-end and a raised butt was tested, and in 1944, a shortened version was tested. After the war, a slightly modernized version was produced. The “Three Line” also served as the basis for the 7.62 mm AB and AVL sports rifles, which were used not only by athletes, but also for training snipers.
Sniper rifle mod. 1891/30 was in service with a number of armies of the Warsaw Pact countries, Albania, China, North Korea, Vietnam and other countries. It turned out to be perhaps the most “long-fighting” among its contemporaries - for a decade and a half it has been used in local conflicts in the territory former USSR(sometimes snipers prefer well-preserved or restored self-loading SVDs).
Germany
At the beginning of World War II, the German Wehrmacht did not have a satisfactory standard sniper rifle. True, back in the late 20s, the Germans planned to have an optical sight for “every fifth or eighth shooter,” but this was rather a desire to highlight the best shooters and aroused interest not so much in sniper rifles as in selected carbines with optical sights.
Mauser-Werke produced a sniper version of the 7.92 mm repeating carbine (“short rifle”) 98k; the 98k carbine, which appeared in 1935, became the main small arms of the Wehrmacht. The best carbines from the production batch were equipped with lugs on top of the receiver with grooves for attaching an optical sight bracket. Commercial scopes with 4x and 6x magnification were used. The effective firing range was 400–600 m, the maximum sighting range was 800 m.
In 1939, the Zf.Kar.98k sniper model with the ZF.39 sight (“sighting tube 1939”) of fourfold magnification was adopted for service. The sight was mounted on two posts above the receiver window. Such sniper rifles found use already in 1939 in Poland. A number of complaints about the ZF.39 sight received from parts forced us to give preference to the 1.5x ZF.40 and ZF.41, which was more consistent with the capabilities of the carbine. The 1.5x sight weighed only 450 g with bracket. The sighting range was set from 100 to 800 m using a rotating coupling. The sight bracket was fixed on the rifle lever device with a latch, two spring-loaded rollers of the bracket eliminated its swinging. To install the bracket on the block of the standard sector sight on the left, a T-section was made. At least some of these carbines had a “cheek” on the butt.
Sniper pair of SS troops. Both snipers are armed with a 7.92 mm Zf.Kar.98k repeating rifle (carbine) with a ZF.39 optical sight
Attaching the bracket to the sighting block freed up the receiver window and made it possible to use a standard sight (this type of mounting of an optical sight on a shortened rifle is reminiscent of the later American idea of a Scout-type rifle). But at the same time, the distance of the eyepiece from the shooter’s eye turned out to be too far and the field of view of the sight narrowed. Such sniper carbines played a supporting role.
From 1942, up to 6% of all Kar.98ks had to be made with bosses for attaching the optical sight mount. However, it was not always possible to maintain this ratio.
Overall, the Mausers were convenient and effective weapons. It’s worth paying special attention to his system, since it still serves as a model for the creation of repeating rifles, including sniper rifles. Its characteristic features were: shutter design; a magazine that does not protrude from the stock with a staggered arrangement of cartridges and a stepped feeder; comfortable stock with a pistol grip on the butt neck. The Mauser's rotating longitudinally sliding bolt had two lugs on the cylinder and one near the handle - the latter prevented the bolt from moving and self-unlocking. When the barrel bore was locked, the combat lugs entered the annular groove of the receiver and were located in a vertical plane - this distribution of the recoil effect on the box reduces the sideways movement of the weapon.
7.92 mm repeating sniper rifle (carbine) 98k with ZF.40 optical sight. The sight mount is visible
Combat and safety cockings were carried out on a trigger mounted on the tail of the firing pin. When the bolt was turned to unlock, the firing pin mounted in it was cocked due to the interaction of the inclined surfaces of the bolt stem and the hammer, compressing the screw mainspring, so that during the entire reloading process the firing pin did not protrude above the bolt mirror. At the rear of the bolt there was a safety lever in three positions: right - blocked by the hammer, vertical - blocked by the trigger (used only during disassembly) and left - “fire”. A wide spring ejector pressed the cartridge against the bolt mirror, but did not rotate with the bolt, being held in the longitudinal groove of the receiver. This ensured reliable direction of the cartridge during chambering and removal. For the passage of a rigid reflector, there is a cutout in the left lug of the bolt.
The 98k bolt handle is bent down at an angle of 90°. In addition to reducing the transverse dimensions of the weapon and bringing the handle closer to the shooting hand - in the locked position, the handle is in the recess of the stock directly above the trigger guard, which speeds up reloading - this also prevented snagging when reloading with the handle of the optical sight. When the optical sight was located above the receiver window, it had to be placed on high brackets so as not to interfere with the extraction of the cartridge case and work with the fuse box.
Training 5.6-mm KKW carbine, made like the combat Mauser 98k, but chambered for .22 LR, and equipped with a ZF.41 optical sight
Descent comes with a warning. When the trigger was pressed, its rear protrusion reached a stop, the sear dropped slightly, and the arrow had to make a short movement to release the striker, which did not interfere with aiming much.
All this made the Mauser a good basis for creating a sniper rifle. However, optical sights were often simply placed on rifles and carbines, which did not allow for the accuracy required for sniper weapons.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 98k CARBINE
Cartridge – 7.92×57
Weapon weight without sight – 4.3 kg
Weapon length – 1110 mm
Barrel length – 600 mm
Number of rifling – 4 right-handed
Initial bullet speed – 745 m/s
Muzzle energy of the bullet – 3698 J
Magazine capacity – 5 rounds.
Mountain ranger carbines “33/40 (t)” of the Mauser system (Czech production) were also converted into sniper ones - a bracket was attached to the left side of the receiver, on which a 4x20 type sight was mounted. For training snipers, a 5.6-mm KWK carbine was used, repeating the 98k design, with a 2x optical sight. Expansion type silencers were produced for sniper rifles.
The Germans also failed in their attempt to create a self-loading sniper rifle. The basis for this was initially the 7.92-mm self-loading rifle G.41 (W) with an original gas engine design - ZF sights were installed on this rifle. 40 and 41. Having failed to develop the G.41 (W) “Walter” and G.41 (M) “Mauser”, in the middle of the war the Germans adopted the G.43 chambered for the same 7.92×57 “Mauser” cartridge – an independent system, but bearing certain traces of the influence of the Soviet SVT (layout of the gas outlet unit, short piston stroke, detachable magazine).
The G.43 had an automatic gas engine with removal of powder gases through a side hole in the barrel wall and a short piston stroke. The barrel bore was locked by two lugs moved to the sides. The reloading handle was located on the left. The impact mechanism is trigger. There was a non-automatic fuse. The cartridges are fed from a detachable box magazine. The G.43 was mainly used as a sniper with a ZF.4 sight, mounted on a special lug on the right side of the receiver. The ZF.4 sight (also referred to as KaKZF.43) had a 4x magnification. Created with the expectation of installation on a self-loading rifle, it was also installed on magazine rifles - here you can also see an analogy with the SVT sniper.
A sniper version of the Kag.43 carbine was also produced, which differed from the G.43 in its length reduced by 50 mm and with an enlarged trigger guard. G.43 and its Kag.43 did not become widespread in the German army - in 1943–1945. released about 349,300 linear G.43 and Kag.43 and 53,435 sniper (13% of the total - it is worth noting that the Germans attached great importance to self-loading rifles with optical sights).
7.92 mm self-loading sniper rifle G.43 with ZF.4 optical sight
It is no coincidence that captured sniper SVTs, designated SI GewZf260(r), were popular among German soldiers. A “Russian self-loading rifle with an optical sight” was listed, for example, as one of the “best weapons” for anti-partisan “yagdkommandos”. Magazine sniper rifles mod. 1891/30 As for the G.43 and Kag.43, after the war they were used for some time by the Czechoslovak army.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SNIPER G.43
Cartridge – 7.62×57
Weapon weight without sight, kg – 4.33 kg
Weapon length – 1117 mm
Barrel length – 558 mm
Number of rifling – 4 right-handed
Initial bullet speed – 746 m/s
Combat rate of fire – 15–20 rounds/min.
The automatic 7.92-mm rifle FG.42, created for parachute units, even with an optical sight, was more reminiscent of a light machine gun than a sniper weapon. The FG.42 had automatic operation with a gas engine, the barrel bore was locked by turning the bolt, it could conduct single and automatic fire, and was equipped with a folding bipod. A 20-round magazine was attached to the left.
7.92 mm FG.42 automatic rifle, equipped with a ZFG.42 optical sight
The option with the installation of the ZF.4 optical sight also had a 7.92-mm assault rifle (assault rifle, “assault carbine”) MP.43/1 of the X. Schmeisser system chambered for the 7.92×33 Kurz cartridge. With a mass of about 6 kg, the MP.43/1 gave good accuracy of fire at short ranges and was quite suitable as an “ersatz” sniper carbine. The ZG.1229 “Vampire” illuminated night sight was also installed on it. However, its use was severely limited by the weight of both the sight itself with an IR illuminator, and the backpack with batteries and a gas cylinder for cooling the OOP.
Thus, the German army simultaneously had several sniper and “ersatz sniper” rifles and carbines, and sometimes different types of troops had their own.
Finland
In the Finnish army, snipers were armed with 7.62 mm rifles M/28-30 and M/39 - repeating rifles of the Russian system produced in Finland - with an optical sight mounted on top of the receiver. In general, before 1939 there were few sniper rifles in the Finnish army. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the work of Finnish snipers, armed with hastily converted rifles, in the conditions of the northern, sharply rugged, wooded area our troops were able to evaluate it in the winter of 1939/1940. During this war, by the way, a surprisingly persistent rumor arose about Finnish “cuckoos” - snipers and machine gunners who allegedly occupied camouflaged positions in the trees. Although the Finns themselves deny the existence of such “cuckoos”. During the war of 1939–1940 and at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War (for the Finns this is the “Long War”), the Finnish army replenished its “sniper arsenal” with captured Soviet rifles. Sometimes the Finns adapted Soviet optical sights to their rifles, sometimes they were forced to modernize trophies - for example, adapting a PU sight to a PE bracket.
7.62 mm M39 repeating sniper rifle with M43 "Ayak" optical sight
In 1942, the Finns ordered about 2,500 Ajak sights with a 4x magnification from Germany, but they were able to receive only part of the order. The Väisälä Society has developed its own version of the sight, compatible with German brackets. The sight managed to receive the designation M/44, but Finland left the war before its mass production began.
Italy
The few Italian snipers used mainly the old 6.5 mm Model 1891 Mannlicher-Carcano rifles, equipped with an optical sight. Despite the clearly outdated cartridge with a mortar-point bullet, it had a highly flat trajectory and good accuracy thanks to its small caliber, heavy bullet and progressive barrel rifling.
The rifle was developed in 1890–1891. under the leadership of Colonel Carcano and General Paravicino, based on the bolt of the “Belgian Mauser” of 1889 and Mannlicher’s stacked middle magazine. Carcano introduced an original fuse in the form of a bushing with a flag attached to the firing pin - by pulling the flag back and turning to the left, it was possible to block the firing pin in the cocked position, the protrusion of the fuse went into the transverse groove of the stem, and its tube did not allow the trigger to move forward, and the flag blocked the aiming line . It was possible to turn off the safety without lifting the butt from the shoulder, and the mainspring was additionally pressed. Descent comes with a warning. Solid stock (walnut or beech) - with a straight butt neck. By the beginning of World War II, the rifle was already outdated, but for sniper work it was the most suitable of what the Italian army had - the rest were mainly 7.35- and 6.5-mm carbines and shortened rifles of the same system with worse ballistics. By the way, in the case of the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, the 6.5-mm Mannlicher-Carcano rifle featured a shortened Model 91/38, i.e., much worse accuracy and accuracy, and even with an ineffective Japanese sight - this one of the main reasons for doubts about the official version of the murder.
Japan
Questions in Japan combat use snipers were understood in the Field Manual of 1928, but the 6.5 mm sniper rifle with an optical sight was officially adopted only in 1937. It was a 6.5 mm rifle Type 97 (Type 2597, i.e. models 1937) of the Arisaka system, which was distinguished by a simple and rational design of the shutter, the presence of a special shutter cover to prevent clogging. The barrel bore was locked by a bolt stem with two lugs in the front part.
6.5 mm Type 97 repeating sniper rifle. The bolt of the rifle is moved to the rear position, its handle is visible behind the optical sight
In the locked position, the bolt lugs were located in a vertical plane. The impact mechanism is of the striker type; the firing pin was cocked when the bolt was locked. Working with the shutter was simplified by its elongated handle. The fuse was the bolt coupling. The rifle was put on safety with the striker cocked. To do this, it was necessary to press the notched head of the coupling with the palm of your hand and turn it clockwise 1/8 of a turn - in this case, the protrusions of the coupling would simultaneously block the firing pin and the bolt. To switch to the “fire” position, the clutch head had to be turned to the left. The trigger mechanism ensured descent with warning.
The Type 97 rifle was created by the Kokura arsenal and differed from the “classic” Type 38 primarily in the mounting of an optical sight on the dovetail on the left side of the receiver, so as not to interfere with loading a magazine from a clip and using an open frame sight. The sight had a magnification of 2.5x and a field of view of 10°, an aiming reticle in the form of a crosshair, a rubber eyecup, was not equipped with an adjustment mechanism, and was worn on the march in a special bag over the shoulder; its mount was individually adjusted to a specific rifle. The shutter handle was slightly bent down. Shooting with an optical sight was carried out at ranges of up to 800 m. The rifle was equipped with a wire bipod, hingedly attached to the lower stock ring and pressed against the fore-end in the folded position. The small muzzle flash of the 6.5 mm rifle contributed to the secrecy of the actions of shooters and snipers. The complexity of manufacturing and the high cost of such weapons limited production to 19,500 pieces - not much for a mass army.
Snipers Japanese army They were also armed with a sniper version of the Type 99 rifle, which was part of the 7.7-mm “branch” of Arisaka rifles. The main reason for the transition to an increased caliber can be considered the need to increase the power of machine-gun fire and expand the range of special bullets (incendiary, armor-piercing incendiary), which were then easier to carry out in more large caliber than 6.5 mm. The Type 99 rifle differed from the Type 38, in addition to the caliber, by a slightly modified bolt of shorter length and weight, but its most characteristic features were a sight with a diopter rear sight and a lightweight folding wire bipod attached to the lower stock ring. In 1942, for the complete standardization of infantry weapons, the 7.7 mm Type 99 sniper rifle was adopted. The sight was also mounted on the left side, and the bolt handle was bent downwards. At first, the Kokura arsenal installed the same 2.5-fold optical sight Type 97 on it, then the arsenal in Nagoya began installing Type 2 sights that met sniper requirements with a magnification factor of 4x and a field of view of 7° (the Japanese appreciated the value of sights with higher magnification during the battles on Khalkhin Gol river in the summer of 1939, when Soviet snipers fired at ranges of 700–800 m, and the Japanese no further than 300 m). By the end of the war, improved Type 4 4x sights with an adjustment mechanism appeared. In total, as indicated in the literature, no more than 10 thousand of these rifles were produced.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TYPE 97 SNIPER RIFLE
Cartridge – 6.5x50SR (Type 38)
Weight of weapon without cartridges and bayonet – 4.0 kg
Weapon length without bayonet – 1275 mm
Barrel length – 810 mm
Number of rifling – 4 or 6 right-handed
Initial bullet speed – 730 m/s
Magazine capacity – 5 rounds
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TYPE 99 SNIPER RIFLE
Cartridge – 7.7×58 (Type 99)
Weight of weapon without sight, cartridges and bayonet – 3.96 kg
Weapon length – 1270 mm
Barrel length – 800 mm
Initial bullet speed – 725 m/s
Magazine capacity – 5 rounds
UK and Commonwealth countries
The British, who were among the pioneers of sniping, did not neglect it in World War II. In this case, the Enfield rifles No. 3 MkI (T), SMLE (Lee-Enfield) No. 4 (T) and No. 4 (T) A were used - the T index meant “telescopic”, i.e. the presence of an optical sight. They were carried out under the .303 British Service cartridge.
Among the features of the British SMLE rifle (Lee-Enfield) were the presence of 5 rifling in the barrel instead of the usual 4, the bolt design and magazine capacity. The lugs are located not on the bolt cylinder, but in the middle part of its stem. The lugs fit into the grooves of the receiver, which had an inclined surface, so that when the bolt began to rotate, it also began to move backward and preliminarily remove the spent cartridge case, and when chambering the cartridge, it began to rotate even before reaching the extreme forward position.
7.71 mm repeating sniper rifle SMLE No. 4(T) with scope No. 32
Having moved the bolt to the forward position, the shooter turned the handle down, while the bolt moved forward a little more, supported the bottom of the cartridge case and locked with its lugs in the receiver. The combat larva is non-rotating. A spring-loaded ejector is mounted on the cylinder. The downward curved bolt handle was integral with its stem and was located behind the receiver and trigger guard. The firing pin was cocked when the bolt was locked. A hammer was attached to the protruding tail of the firing pin, allowing the firing pin to be cocked when the bolt was locked. The trigger carried the combat platoon. A non-automatic flag safety was mounted on the left side of the receiver, the front position of the flag corresponded to the “fire” state, the rear position corresponded to the “fuse” (the trigger was blocked). The trigger mechanism ensured descent with warning. A permanent box magazine for 10 rounds was loaded from a clip. The stock is a wooden compound with a long fore-end and a barrel lining, up to the muzzle of the barrel, and a straight butt. Behind the neck of the butt there was a lug-rest for the shooter's hand.
Introduced on February 12, 1942, rifle No. 4(T) was based on the SMLE No. 4 linear rifle. About 25 thousand No. 4 Mkl linear rifles with the best accuracy indicators were selected, and the famous London company “Holland-Holland” was involved in converting them into sniper rifles. . The resulting rifles were distinguished by the fit of the barrel to the stock, a sector sight, a “cheek” on the butt, and were equipped with sight No. 32 with a magnification factor of 3x and a field of view of 9°. Both the optical sight and its mount were previously created for the Bran light machine gun, so the sight was shifted to the left (the machine gun had a magazine mounted on top), but this only facilitated loading the magazine from the clip. “Lee-Enfield” No. 4(T) was also used by the armies of the British Commonwealth countries - in Canada, for example, it was equipped with a C67 3.5x sight. In service English army it lasted until the end of the 1950s and served as the basis for the creation of subsequent models. Select rifles, as stated in the literature, at a distance of 800 m gave a dispersion diameter of about 23 cm, i.e., the accuracy was within one minute of arc.
New Zealand sniper with 7.71 mm SMLE No. 4(T) repeating rifle, 1944.
Rifle No. 4 (T) was distinguished from the linear rifle by the manufacture of the barrel and its fit to the stock.
SMLE No. 4(T) was equipped with sight No. 32 (type 3x40) of the same magnification, but with a field of view of 9°, as well as with a “cheek” on the butt.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS "LEE-ENFIELD" No. 4(T)
Cartridge – 7.7×56 (.303 “British service”)
Weapon weight without sight – 4.11 kg
Weapon length – 1128 mm
Barrel length – 640 mm
Number of rifling – 2 or 5 right-handed
Initial bullet speed – 740 m/s
Muzzle energy of the bullet – 3086 J
Magazine capacity – 10 rounds
The 7.71mm Enfield No. 3 Mkl rifle was a different system. Being a British development, it was in 1915–1917. was produced under British contracts in the USA by Remington and Winchester, and became known as “Patent No. 14” (P14). With the outbreak of World War II, they were issued from warehouses - mainly to local self-defense units.
The rotating longitudinally sliding bolt of the rifle is made according to the Mauser type (which is why the rifle is often called the “Enfield-Mauser”), with two lugs on the combat cylinder, made integral with the stem. The bolt handle is also integral with the stem and bent down and back so that in the locked position it is located above the trigger guard. The trigger mechanism is mounted on the receiver and provides a warning release. The non-automatic flag fuse was located with right side the receiver behind the bolt handle; the front position of the flag is “fire”, the rear position is “safety” (the shutter was blocked when the firing pin was cocked or released). A box-shaped double-row permanent magazine with a capacity of 5 rounds is completely hidden in the stock. On No. 3 MkI (T), adopted in the same February 1942, an optical sight with a magnification of 3x and a field of view of 7.5° was attached. Sniper version No. 3 Mkl (T) has gained popularity due to its good accuracy of fire. Enfield rifles chambered for the .30-06 Springfield cartridge were also adopted by the US Army under the designation M1917. During World War II, the M1917 Enfield with a telescopic sight was used for sniper training. The optical sight was mounted on a groove in front of the receiver window and on the mechanical sight block.
Canadian 7.71 mm repeating sniper rifle "Ross" Mklll with a prismatic optical sight. The rifle bolt is moved to the rear position
Allied sniper rifles - British 7.71 mm magazine SMLE No. 4 (T) and American 7.62 mm self-loading M1D Garand. The sight mount is visible
Canadian snipers, in addition to the common SMLE for the British Commonwealth, also used the Ross Mkl 11 repeating rifle (chambered 303 British Service) from the First World War with an American Warner & Swazy 5.2x scope, similar to the M1913 scope. The rifle was distinguished by Ross's original bolt system - three lugs looked like sectors of a helical surface, and when reloading the handle moved only in a straight line (a "direct movement" bolt). This slightly increased the reloading speed, although the “direct movement” of the handle increased the length of its stroke. The shape of the 5-round magazine was reminiscent of the Mannlicher rifle, but the equipment was made from a Lee-Enfield type clip. The fuse blocking the firing pin in the rear position was located at the rear end of the bolt. Descent comes with a warning. The solid wooden stock had a pistol neck protrusion. The optical sight was attached to the spruce side of the receiver so as not to interfere with the magazine's equipment and to maintain the ability to use the diopter sight. The sniper rifle was also distinguished by a barrel extended to 775 mm. The Ross Mkll rifle was distinguished by good accuracy, comparable to a sports rifle, and ease of handling. Due to their high sensitivity to dirt and dust, linear rifles were removed from army units, but sniper rifles continued to be used for quite a long time.
USA
During the interwar period, the US Army conducted a number of experiments with sniper rifles - 12 optical sight mounting systems alone were tested from 1918 to 1935. However, by the beginning of World War II, the United States still did not have a standard sniper rifle. Weapons for snipers had to be created during the war, “remaking” the 7.62-mm rifles adopted for service under the very powerful 30-06 Springfield cartridge - the self-loading M1 Garand and the magazine-fed M1903 Springfield.
The M1 Garand was automatic with a gas engine and worked by venting powder gases through a side hole in the barrel wall into a gas chamber located at the bottom of the barrel. The barrel bore was locked by turning the bolt with two symmetrically located lugs in the front part. The bolt frame was made integral with the rod and gas piston. The trigger mechanism was assembled on the trigger guard. The impact mechanism is trigger. The trigger mechanism allowed only single fire. A non-automatic safety box was placed in front of the trigger guard, blocking the hammer and trigger. The rifle had a non-protruding permanent burst-loading magazine. The magazine box was combined with the receiver. The magazine was loaded with cartridges using a pack of 8 rounds. Characteristic feature was the use of a return spring located in the bolt frame rod as a magazine feed spring. After the cartridges in the magazine were used up, the bolt stop (shutter stop) held the bolt frame in the rear position. The M1 rifle had an open diopter sight.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS M1
Cartridge – 7.62×63 (.30–09 US)
Weapon length – 1104 mm
Barrel length – 566 mm
Number of rifling – 4 right-handed
Initial bullet speed – 810 m/s
Muzzle energy of the bullet – 3658 J
Magazine capacity – 8 rounds
Sniper variants were equipped with a better-made barrel and a 2.2x optical sight based on a commercial one. Of the 5.5 million Garand rifles produced, about 37,000 were sniper rifles. The installation of the optical sight was tested on an experimental M1E2 rifle. Then, based on the experimental M1E6, they created the M1E7 sniper with the M73 (Lyman Alaskan) or M73B1 (Weaver 330) sight. The sight was shifted to the left so as not to interfere with the ejection of spent cartridges and loading the magazine with a pack. The scope mount base, designed by Griffin & Howe, was bolted to the left side of the receiver. The next M1E8 sniper rifle was equipped with an M81 or M82 sight, the first had a regular reticle in the form of a crosshair of two threads, the second had a triangular aiming mark, as well as an integral bracket. In June 1944, M1E7 was renamed M1C, and M1E8 was renamed M1D. In 1945, a conical flash suppressor began to be attached to the M1C and D barrels, and a leather “cheek” was put on the butt. The bayonet mount was retained. M1D with M84 sight was also used during Korean War. The M1E, which “didn’t make it to the fronts of World War II,” was distinguished by its sight mount, which allowed for its quick installation without mandatory zeroing.
7.62 mm M3 automatic carbine with Sniper night sight and flash hider
Already in 1951, the M1C was modernized by installing the M84 4x30 type sight with easier adjustment and protective cylinder covers. A modification of the MC1952 with the 4XD MC-1 sight was released for the Marine Corps.
They also tried to convert the 7.62-mm M1 and M2 carbines into a “sniper” one chambered for the intermediate type .30 “carbine” cartridge. The M1E7 carbine with an optical sight was not successful. Based on the M2, we made an M3 carbine with a mount for the Sniperscope illuminated night sight in place of the standard open one. To reduce the illumination of the sight by the flash of a shot, the carbine was equipped with a flash suppressor. Only 2100 pieces were produced. On about. Okinawa in early 1945, riflemen using night sights allegedly killed up to 30% of the Japanese killed in all firefights.
7.62-mm M1903A4 "Springfield" repeating sniper rifle with a "Weaver" optical sight
The M1903A4 "Springfield" sniper rifle was a variant of the M1903A3 linear magazine rifle, devoid of a cannon and mechanical sight - the rifle had only an optical sight. The rifle had a rotary sliding bolt with two lugs in the front and a non-automatic safety, reminiscent of the Mauser bolt, which did not protrude and lay out a permanent double-row magazine (the Springfield rifle was also called the Springfield-Mauser). Mounted in the gate impact mechanism striker type, combat cocking was carried out on the trigger. The trigger mechanism ensured descent with warning. The bolt stop of the rifle also controlled the feed mechanism: when the flag was raised, the supply of cartridges from the magazine was turned off, when it was lowered, it was turned off, and when the flag was in a horizontal position, it was possible to remove the bolt from the receiver.
As a rule, a “commercial” Weaver 23 °C optical sight with 2.2x magnification or a Lyman, mounted on the receiver using a “bridge” bracket, was installed on the rifle. There were 6 or 4 grooves in the barrel bore. Like the M1903A3, the M1903A4 modification had a number of stamped parts in its design. The M1903A4 sniper was produced until 1944.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS M1903A4 "SPRINGFIELD"
Cartridge – 7.62×63 (.30–06 US)
Weight of weapon without sight – 4.0 kg
Weapon length – 1100 mm
Barrel length – 640 mm
Number of rifling – 4 left-handed
Initial bullet speed – 820 m/s
Muzzle energy of the bullet – 3749 J
Effective range – 545 m
Magazine capacity – 5 rounds
5.6 mm Winchester Model 74 self-loading carbine with optical sight, removable silencer, 14-round magazine
Marine snipers used the M1903 Springfield with a rather bulky Unertle scope with 8x magnification. Already in 1947, a removable expansion-type muffler with rubber washers was adopted for use with the M1903A4; The muffler was put on the muzzle of the barrel and fixed like a bayonet.
A target modification of the M1903A1 “National Match” rifle chambered for .270 Winchester cartridge with a “Unertl” sight was also used for sniper purposes.
As an example of a special-purpose “sniper” rifle, we can cite the silent modifications of the Model 74 Winchester self-loading carbine. This sporting weapon, in its original role, chambered for a 5.6 mm 22 LR cartridge with a magazine capacity of 14 rounds, attracted the attention of the special services for conversion into a “silent” one. . During the Second World War, on its basis, a “silent sniper rifle” with a removable expansion-type silencer (“Maxim type”) and the installation of an optical sight was manufactured for the British Special Operations Executive. The sighting range of such a rifle was limited to 100 yards (91.4 m), and the rifle was quite bulky - length 1321 mm with a silencer, 1118 mm without a silencer.
A quarter of a century later, a rifle with an integrated silencer and the same sighting range was made for the CIA on the same basis. The length of the rifle with the new barrel-silencer unit was reduced to 1029 mm, the weight was 3.2 kg. True, here we limited ourselves to a simple open sight with a replaceable front sight.
Air rifle "Crossman" Model 102 caliber 5.6 mm (.22). An optical sight could be mounted on the rifle. Variants of “combat” bullets in an air rifle were even developed - incendiary and “armor-piercing”
During World War II, pneumatic weapons tried to compete with silent firearms. And to solve “sniper” tasks, the Americans chose air rifle"Crossman" Model 102 with an under-barrel compressor, pumped using a lever. To increase the penetrating effect of the bullet, they decided to replace lead with steel, and head part make the bullets pointed, and besides, reducing the mass increased the initial speed (although the loss of speed in flight for a light bullet was greater). So that steel bullet did not spoil the relatively “soft” barrel of the weapon; it was covered with a thin layer of copper. However, in 1944, the US Office of Strategic Services ordered the Crossman company together with 1000 Model 102 rifles of 5.6 mm caliber and lead bullets for them, requiring only higher precision in the manufacture of bullets, which indicates the intention to use rifles for “sniping” on small ranges, even with dubious lethality. Part of this batch was sent to Burma to the 101st Special Operations Command unit, which operated against the Japanese army, but the specific use of weapons and its results are not reported. Silent firearms, coming out of adolescence, soon left behind pneumatic competitors.
Second World War is the greatest military conflict in human history. Most countries in the world have something to do with it. During the war, soldiers used the most modern weapons at that time. Many types of weapons have become very popular for one reason or another. In this top we will look at the most popular weapons of the Second World War.
10 SVT-40 Tokarev self-loading rifle
This rifle is designed Soviet designer Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev in 1940 and in the same year it was adopted by the Red Army. During the Great Patriotic War, it was the most popular rifle, and it was also mass-produced. Despite its shortcomings, such as unreliability, large dimensions and sensitivity to pollution, it was popular among soldiers in Germany, the United States and Finland. This SVT-40 rifle was produced until the end of World War II, and then was discontinued due to its shortcomings.
9 StG 44
This assault rifle was developed by Hugo Schmeisser in 1943 and adopted by the Third Reich in the same year. This rifle was the first to implement the idea intermediate cartridge, which was something in between a pistol and rifle cartridge. The StG 44 had high shooting accuracy at short and medium distances, and was also distinguished by its rate of fire, convenience and compactness. However, it also had disadvantages, such as excess weight and fragility of the stem. This weapon became the prototype for many other types of weapons. Its production ceased in 1945, with the fall of the Third Reich.
8 M1 Garand
Developed in 1936, the rifle was adopted by the US Army in 1931 and was used by US forces throughout US involvement in World War II. This rifle was distinguished by reliability, good accuracy, and also a high rate of fire, twice that of conventional rifles. However, due to the overly powerful cartridge, it was overweight and expensive to produce. The M1 Garand rifle was discontinued in 1957.
7
This rifle, developed in 1935, was adopted the same year and became the most popular rifle of the Third Reich army. Its main advantages include its good penetration capabilities, convenience compared to analogues, and a hidden magazine. Disadvantages are the rifle's low magazine capacity - 5 rounds, strong recoil, not very high rate of fire and high cost of production. This was produced until the end of World War II.
6 Thompson Thompson submachine gun
This submachine gun was developed in 1920, which did not prevent it from remaining in production until 1971. It had a high rate of fire and the ability to use a disk magazine, which increased the number of cartridges in the magazine several times. He was also different high quality. However, it was heavy, and its production was expensive and difficult.
5 Mosin rifle
The Mosin rifle was developed in 1891 by Sergei Ivanovich Mosin and was produced until 1965. This rifle was extremely easy to manufacture, maintain and use. It was also distinguished by its reliability and good accuracy. However, despite all these advantages, it was very inconvenient, since during the Second World War it was already obsolete.
4 TT Tula Tokareva
This pistol was developed in 1930 by Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev. It was developed on a competitive basis in order to replace the outdated Nagan pistol, which is in service with the Red Army. The gun is inexpensive and is also easy to manufacture and maintain. TT has high accuracy and high penetrating ability. This pistol continues to be used today.
3 Luger Parabellum Luger Pistol
This pistol was developed in 1900 by designer Georg Luger. This pistol was very expensive and difficult to manufacture, but had very high accuracy, as well as a high rate of fire for its time. This pistol is a fairly successful model of pistols, and therefore is still produced to this day.
2 PPSh Shpagin submachine gun
This submachine gun was developed by designer Georgy Semyonovich Shpagin in 1940. In the same year, it was adopted by the USSR Army. It remained the main submachine gun Soviet army until the 60s, when it was replaced by the Kalashnikov assault rifle. The PPSh was distinguished by its low cost and ease of production, ease of use, reliability, rate of fire and high penetration ability. However, it also had disadvantages, such as a high probability of spontaneous discharge when falling. It also often jammed due to the not very successful structure of the cartridges.
1 MP-40
Thanks to Soviet cinema, this submachine gun, developed in Germany in 1938, became a kind of personification of the army of the Third Reich. However, this submachine gun was not the most popular machine gun in the German army, as it was presented. This is primarily due to the high cost of production. However, now in the minds of contemporaries this machine gun is the most famous weapon of the Wehrmacht. The MP-40 submachine gun was distinguished by high accuracy and accuracy of fire. Thanks to all these factors, it became the most popular weapon of the Second World War and a kind of symbol of the Third Reich.
It is generally accepted, with the light hand of Soviet historians, that the Nazi hordes that attacked the USSR in 1941 were entirely armed with machine guns, which almost every Wehrmacht soldier scribbled almost continuously from his “Schmeisser”. As it turned out in the last two decades, after an objective study of the facts, this was not entirely true. Firstly, German, depending on the modification, MP.38 or MP.40, and secondly, the designer H. Schmeisser did not develop it, but made a number of changes to its design (including a wooden butt), creating a rapid-fire assault rifle, which received his name, and this happened later. And thirdly, the main weapon of the Nazi occupiers throughout the war was quite powerful rifle Mauser Gewehr-98. If you carefully read the chronicle footage of the invasion period, you can see this, as well as the horse convoys that made up the main Germans. In the Red Army things were much the same. The three-ruler Mosin, the canvas belt of which was mentioned by the poet Tvardovsky, faithfully served the Motherland for a good half century.
Mauser rifle: prototype and development
Hitler was a conservative. He went through the First World War, and although some of his biographers hint at the rather curious circumstances of his receiving the Iron Cross, the future “Führer of the German people” still had to fight. He did not really trust rapid-firing compact weapons and considered Mauser the best gunsmith designer in the world, who managed to create an unsurpassed model. That's why german rifles The Second World War were practically the same ones that the soldiers of Germany and Austria-Hungary fought with in 1914-1918, with minor design changes. Its prototype was the Gew.71, developed by the brothers Wilhelm and Peter-Paul Mauser, as is clear from the index, in 1871. Then new, improved models appeared (“88”, “89”, “92” and “94”), taking into account proposals for improving characteristics coming from the military. Ultimately, all these changes were reflected in the final Mausers of '71. These were the most popular German rifles of World War II.
History of the Mosin three-line
Stalin thought more progressively, which produced results. 6 times more assault rifles were produced in the USSR than in fascist Germany(six million to one). But this does not mean that no attention was paid to traditional small arms. New models were being developed, they were tested in combat conditions (and there were plenty of them: Khalkhin Gol, the Karelian Isthmus), and their advantages and disadvantages were determined. But, oddly enough, the best weapon of the Red Army soldier remained the three-line Mosin, created under the Tsar. It was reliable, easy to manufacture and was distinguished by a happy combination of excellent tactical and technical data with ease of handling.
It has its own history, dating back to the sixties of the last century. At that time, the Russian army needed new small arms, and this problem was initially solved haphazardly. Then, in 1892, a competition was announced, in which many companies willingly took part, in search of profitable and large orders: the Austrian Mannlicher, the Danish Krag-Jorgensen, the Belgian Nagan. The Russian gunsmith S.I. Mosin did not stand aside either. Ultimately, the domestic model won, although the author had to make a number of changes to its design, borrowing them from competitors.
German Mauser carbine
Design ideas of gunsmiths late XIX centuries worked in approximately the same direction. A review of the Gew.98 rifle will not reveal any particular revolutionary daring. The only difference is that the lever safety design is novel, and the five-cartridge magazine is compact in size, due to the double-row arrangement of ammunition. By the way, it was proposed to increase the clip capacity to seven or even ten charges, but the German General Staff decided that five would be enough. The Mauser brothers created their own cartridge, taking care of the sale of “consumables”, and also improving their characteristics (its size is 7.92 x 57). The sight is slatted, with an intended range of up to 2 km. And, of course, a cleaver-shaped bayonet, although other types were also proposed.
As for the name “carabiner,” it changed practically nothing except the method of attaching the belt.
Mosin design
The design characteristics as a whole differ little from the description of the German analogue. The three-line caliber (0.3'') was the Russian standard, the barrel was long (more than a hundred calibers). The magazine is box-shaped and integral; its capacity is four rounds. Reloading is carried out manually, the bolt is of a longitudinally sliding type. The safety is very simple and original in Russian: to avoid an accidental shot, you had to pull the trigger and turn it slightly around its axis, after which the firing pin could no longer hit the primer. The sight had slightly greater calibration accuracy due to its two possible positions. The step of each scale is 200 meters.
The bayonet with which Soviet rifles of the Second World War were equipped deserves special words. It was tetrahedral with a flat point (it could be used as a tool during disassembly). He was terrible: the edges of the wound he inflicted immediately converged, and internal hemorrhage occurred. The Russian faceted bayonet was subsequently banned by international conventions.
After 1939, the troops received modernized Mosin rifles, which differed from the prototype in some design features, however, minor ones. The stock rings and methods of fixing the bayonet and ramrod were changed, and the sight graduations were made metric.
In other countries
Not only in the two main warring countries, but throughout the rest of the world, the attitude towards automatic types (at that time mainly submachine guns) was wary. Rearmament required a huge investment of funds, and no one could predict the result. The accuracy and reliability of the new models were questionable; development and testing required an increase in defense budgets. In addition, it was clear to everyone that the already considerable load carried by a soldier would become even greater, since you couldn’t find enough cartridges for all these machine guns. The most popular rifles of the Second World War were produced, in addition to the USSR and Germany, in the USA (Springfield and Garand), in Britain (Lee Enfield), in Italy (Mk I No. 4) and in Japan (Arisaka). . All of them had disadvantages and advantages, but in general they showed themselves to be quite equivalent. And the main rivals remained Soviet and German gunsmiths.
Automatic ABC-36
These guns are called rifles because their barrel is threaded, creating a torque for the bullet, which as a result has less deviation from the target. The weapon is good in all respects, but mass-produced models from both the Red Army and the Wehrmacht had a significant drawback - a low rate of fire. After the shot, the fighter had to jerk the bolt to send the next charge into the chamber, and this took up precious time. The 7.62-caliber Simonov rifle, adopted for service in 1936, had a more complex design compared to the three-line rifle - it was self-cocking, powered by the energy of powder gases. In addition, by reducing recoil, it increased the accuracy of hits. However, with all these advantages, excessive ammunition consumption worsened combat properties weapons, and the 15-round magazine increased the weight. The command was inclined to believe that it was advisable to replace the ABC-36 with a more advanced model.
Self-loading system Tokarev SVT-38
The design of the Tokarev SVT-38 corresponded to the concept of self-loading rather than automatic rifle. Compared to the ABC-36, it had a longer sighting range and improved ease of maintenance, but, unfortunately, it turned out to be too bulky and capricious. These shortcomings especially manifested themselves during the Winter War, when, in conditions low temperatures refusals have become more frequent. However, despite the fact that the model was discontinued back in 1940, the Tokarev SVT-38 served during the years of the fight against the fascist invasion. They were used mainly when accuracy was more important than reliability.
The next design of Tokarev SVT-40
The design flaws of the SVT-38 were partially eliminated in the next model of 1940. Designers fought against bulkiness and excess weight by drilling holes and deepening chamfers wherever possible. The SVT-40 became even lighter than the three-line, but was inferior to it in the main quality most valued by soldiers - reliability. In addition, the poor technical training of the personnel of most of the Red Army prevented the competent maintenance of this rather complex weapon. Accuracy was also poor. But the SVT-40 found its application in special units designed for precise fire. It didn't make the best sniper rifle, but it was quite decent. Each “barrel” has its own disposition and character, and if the shooter was talented, he soon got used to his weapon, adapted to it and achieved excellent results.
Semi-automatic AVT-40
The production of an assault rifle was more expensive than a rifle. Before the war and at its beginning, this was of great importance, so Tokarev created something in between and, as it seemed, optimal. A fighter armed with an AVT-40 rifle could fire single shots and bursts. The magazine held ten rounds. However, it soon became clear that the receiver could not withstand prolonged shock loads, and automatic shooting was banned. The main advantage of the sample turned out to be useless, and in all other respects the sample was inferior to the Mosin rifle.
There is a category of small arms, during the development of which all the usual characteristics of mass-produced models fade into the background. The main goal of the designer is to ensure the shooter’s ability to hit the target from a long distance. Accuracy is most important. Soviet sniper rifles of World War II were produced in two main systems. In 1931, the same Mosin three-ruler, with a slightly modified bolt handle, and made with special quality, received an Externally it differed from the original design in that its bolt stem was directed downward, and not upward, as on the prototype.
Soviet World War II sniper rifles SVT-40 are described above. It only remains to add that during their manufacture the greatest precision of metalworking was demonstrated and, of course, a bracket for optics was structurally provided.
...and German
At the beginning of the war, the advancing fascists managed to capture significant reserves of Soviet weapons. They did not fail to use them. As a result, many Soviet rifles of World War II, including sniper rifles, entered service with the Wehrmacht. Despite the simplicity of their design, they received high praise from the enemy, who until 1942 had at his disposal not the most advanced models. These include the Zf.Kar.98k sniper rifles, which are a slightly improved Mauser of 1898, and a number of captured units captured in previously occupied countries (Czechoslovakia, France, Belgium, etc.). A very interesting attempt to create a kind of hybrid of a machine gun and sniper weapons. The design was called the Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 (parachutist rifle). Some experts even tend to believe that it was the best sniper rifle. In any case, at that time it was the most modern development and was available only in elite units paratroopers and SS.
After the war
Currently, all over the world, automatic small arms have replaced rifles. Now only snipers shoot from them. The most common special weapons Throughout the entire post-Soviet space and far beyond its borders, the Dragunov rifle, developed in 1963, remains today. The reason for its popularity is typical for all Russian weapons. It is unpretentious, reliable, relatively inexpensive and has excellent characteristics. The SVD design combines all the best qualities that sniper rifles of World War II, especially Soviet ones, had. Many design solutions invented or improved in the 30s and 40s found application in its design.
Comparison with the American counterpart M24, at first glance, convinces of the superiority of the American model. Overseas engineers managed to achieve a high level of accuracy by using a rifling pitch of 320 mm. However, in reality it turns out that, unlike it, the Dragunov rifle is universal and can fire all types of ammunition, including armor-piercing incendiary. During operation, there have been cases when the SVD was able to shoot down even such difficult-to-kill aircraft as UAVs, helicopters and attack jets.
The Second World War significantly influenced the development of small arms, which remained the most in mass form weapons. The share of combat losses from it was 28-30%, which is quite an impressive figure, considering mass application aviation, artillery and tanks...
The war showed that with the creation of the most modern means armed struggle, the role of small arms did not decrease, and the attention that was paid to them in the warring states during these years increased significantly. The experience gained in the use of weapons during the war is not outdated today, having become the basis for the development and improvement of small arms.
7.62 mm rifle model 1891 Mosin system
The rifle was developed by Russian army captain S.I. Mosin and in 1891 adopted by the Russian army under the designation “7.62 mm rifle model 1891”. After modernization in 1930, it was put into mass production and was in service with the Red Army before World War II and during the war. Rifle mod. 1891/1930 was distinguished by high reliability, accuracy, simplicity and ease of use. In total, more than 12 million model rifles were manufactured during the war years. 1891/1930 and carbines created on its basis.
7.62 mm sniper rifle of the Mosin system
The sniper rifle differed from a regular rifle by the presence of an optical sight, a bolt handle bent to the bottom, and improved processing of the barrel bore.
7.62 mm rifle of the 1940 model of the Tokarev system
The rifle was developed by F.V. Tokarev, in accordance with the desire of the military command and the highest political leadership of the country to have a self-loading rifle in service with the Red Army, which would allow rational consumption of cartridges and provide a greater target range of fire. Mass production of SVT-38 rifles began in the second half of 1939. The first batches of rifles were sent to the Red Army units involved in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939–1940. In the extreme conditions of this “winter” war, such shortcomings of the rifle as bulkiness, heavy weight, inconvenience of gas control, sensitivity to pollution and low temperature were revealed. To eliminate these shortcomings, the rifle was modernized, and production of its modernized version, SVT-40, began on June 1, 1940.
7.62 mm sniper rifle of the Tokarev system
The sniper version of the SVT-40 differed from the production samples by a more careful fitting of the trigger elements, qualitatively better processing of the barrel bore and a special boss on the receiver for installing a bracket with an optical sight on it. The SVT-40 sniper rifle was equipped with a specially created PU sight (universal sight) with 3.5x magnification. It allowed firing at a range of up to 1300 meters. The weight of the rifle with the sight was 4.5 kg. Sight weight - 270 g.
14.5 mm anti-tank rifle PTRD-41
This gun was developed by V.A. Degtyarev in 1941 to fight enemy tanks. PTRD was powerful weapon- at a distance of up to 300 m, his bullet penetrated armor 35-40 mm thick. The incendiary effect of the bullets was also high. Thanks to this, the gun was successfully used throughout the Second World War. Its production was discontinued only in January 1945.
7.62 mm DP light machine gun
A light machine gun created by designer V.A. Degtyarev in 1926, became the most powerful automatic weapon of the rifle departments of the Red Army. The machine gun was put into service in February 1927 under the name "7.62-mm light machine gun DP" (DP meant Degtyarev - infantry). The low weight (for a machine gun) was achieved thanks to the use of an automation scheme based on the principle of removal of powder gases through a hole in a fixed barrel, a rational design and arrangement of parts of the moving system, as well as the use of air cooling of the barrel. The target firing range of a machine gun is 1500 m, the maximum flight range of a bullet is 3000 m. Of the 1515.9 thousand machine guns fired during the Great Patriotic War, the vast majority were Degtyarev light machine guns.
7.62 mm submachine gun of the Degtyarev system
The PPD was adopted for service in 1935, becoming the first submachine gun to become widespread in the Red Army. The PPD was designed for a modified 7.62 Mauser pistol cartridge. The firing range of the PPD reached 500 meters. The trigger mechanism of the weapon made it possible to fire both single shots and bursts. There were a number of modifications of the PPD with improved magazine mounting and modified production technology.
7.62 mm submachine gun of the Shpagin system mod. 1941
The PPSh (Shpagin submachine gun) was adopted by the Red Army in December 1940 under the name “7.62 mm Shpagin system submachine gun model 1941 (PPSh-41).” The main advantage of the PPSh-41 was that only its barrel needed careful machining. All other metal parts were made mainly by cold stamping from sheet metal. The parts were connected using spot and arc electric welding and rivets. You can disassemble and reassemble the submachine gun without a screwdriver - there is not a single screw connection in it. From the first quarter of 1944, submachine guns began to be equipped with sector magazines with a capacity of 35 rounds, which were more convenient and cheaper to produce. In total, more than six million PPSh were produced.
7.62 mm pistol of the Tokarev system mod. 1933
The development of pistols in the USSR practically began from scratch. However, already at the beginning of 1931, the Tokarev system pistol, recognized as the most reliable, light and compact, was adopted for service. In mass production of the TT (Tula, Tokarev), which began in 1933, the details of the trigger mechanism, barrel and frame were changed. The target firing range of the TT is 50 meters, the bullet flight range is from 800 meters to 1 kilometer. Capacity – 8 rounds of 7.62 mm caliber. The total production of TT pistols for the period from 1933 to the end of their production in the mid-50s is estimated at 1,740,000 units.
PPS-42(43)
The PPSh-41, which was in service with the Red Army, turned out to be - mainly due to its too large size and weight - not convenient enough when conducting combat in populated areas, indoors, for reconnaissance officers, paratroopers and crews of combat vehicles. In addition, in wartime conditions it was necessary to reduce the costs of mass production of submachine guns. In this regard, a competition was announced to develop a new submachine gun for the army. The Sudayev submachine gun, developed in 1942, won this competition and was put into service at the end of 1942 under the name PPS-42. The design, modified the following year, called PPS-43 (the barrel and butt were shortened, the cocking handle, the safety box and the shoulder rest latch were changed, the barrel casing and receiver were combined into one part) was also adopted. The PPS is often called the best submachine gun of World War II. It is distinguished by its convenience, sufficiently high combat capabilities for a submachine gun, high reliability, and compactness. At the same time, the PPS is very technologically advanced, simple and cheap to produce, which was especially important in conditions of a difficult, protracted war, with a constant lack of material and labor resources. The PPS was developed in besieged Leningrad, based on a compilation of its own project and the project of Lieutenant Technician I.K. Bezruchko-Vysotsky (design of the shutter and return system). Its production was launched there, at the Sestroretsk Arms Plant, initially for the needs of the Leningrad Front. While food for Leningraders was coming to the besieged city along the road of life, not only refugees, but also new weapons were being taken back from the city.
In total, about 500,000 units of PPS of both modifications were produced during the war.
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