Firearms 2 world war. Rifles of World War II. Weapon. Three-ruler Mosin

Mauser Gewehr 98 (Mauser 98)- repeating rifle of the 1898 model, developed by German designers, brothers Wilhelm and Paul Mauser.

Rifle Mauser 98 was in service with many armies of the world until the end of World War II and gained a reputation for accurate and reliable weapons.

Mauser 98k (Mauser 98k)- magazine rifle (in German sources: Karabiner 98k, Kar98k or K98k), officially adopted in 1935. It was the main and most massive small arms of the Wehrmacht. Structurally, it is a shortened and slightly modified modification of the rifle Mauser 98.

PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Model:	Mauser Gewehr 98	Karabiner 98k
Manufacturer:	Mauser-Werke A.G. and others (see below).
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 bayonet 1500) mm	1100 (with bayonet 1340) mm
Barrel length:	740 mm	610 mm
Number of grooves in the barrel:	4 right hand
Trigger mechanism (USM):	Impact type
Operating principle:	Sliding Butterfly Valve
Flag
Aim:	Front sight and rear sight, adjustable in range	Front sight with namushnik and rear sight, adjustable in range
Effective range:	500 m
Sighting range:	2000 m	1000 m
starting speed bullets:	878 m/s	860 m/s
Type of ammunition:	Integral two-row store
Number of rounds:	5
Years of production:	1898–1945	1935–1945

History of creation and production

Rifle Gewehr 98 was patented by Paul Mauser on September 9, 1895. This repeating rifle is a further development 7.92 mm rifles of the 1888 model, created on the basis of the experience gained by the German army during the wars of 1864, 1866 and 1870-71. According to the decision of the commission Gewehr‑Prüfungskommission(G.P.K.) Gewehr 98(also referred to G98 or Gew.98- a rifle of the 1898 model of the year) was adopted by the German army on April 5, 1898.

The first combat use of rifles Mauser 98 was their use in the suppression of the "Boxer Rebellion" in China in 1900-1901.

In 1904, contracts were signed with Waffenfabrik Mauser for 290,000 rifles and Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken(DWM) for 210,000 rifles.

In the spring of 1915, a decision was made to select 15,000 Mauser 98 rifles, for exceptional shooting accuracy during factory tests, for mounting optical sights on them and using them as snipers. To install an optical sight, the shutter handle was bent down. 2.5x and 3x optical sights from manufacturers such as Gortz, Gerard, Oige, Zeiss, Hensoldt, Voigtlander, as well as models from various civilian manufacturers bock, Busch and Fuss. By the end of the war, 18,421 Gewehr 98 rifles had been converted, fitted with optical sights, and issued to German snipers. Sniper versions of the Gewehr 98 rifle entered service with the Reichswehr, and then the Wehrmacht, and were used in World War II.

New rifle turned out to be so successful that it served almost unchanged in German army until the end of World War II, and various options was exported and produced under license in various countries (Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, etc.).

Carbine Kar.98a

Along with a rifle Gew.98 a carbine was also released Kar.98, however, it was produced in its original form only until 1904 or 1905, when the Gew.98 system underwent the first changes in connection with the adoption of a new 7.92 × 57 mm cartridge, which had a pointed bullet instead of a blunt one. The new bullet had much better ballistics, and the rifles received new sights recalibrated for a longer-range cartridge as a result. In 1908, another version of the carbine appeared based on the Gew.98, which received the designation (K98a) from the beginning of the 1920s. In addition to the reduced length of the stock and barrel relative to the Gew.98 , the K98a had a bolt handle bent down and a hook for setting in goats under the muzzle of the barrel . The next, most massive modification was Karabiner 98 Kurz- a carbine, released in 1935 and adopted as the main individual weapon of the Wehrmacht infantry. The carbine was distinguished by minor improvements, the scheme of fastening the gun belt, sights (front sight in the front sight).

The original designation "carbine" for this sample is not correct in terms of Russian terminology: Mauser 98k it is more correct to call it a "shortened" or "lightweight" rifle, since the German term for "carbine" (Karabiner) in its meaning used in those years does not correspond to the understanding of this word adopted in Russian. In terms of its dimensions, this "carbine" was only very slightly inferior, for example, to the Soviet "three-ruler". The fact is that this word in German at that time meant only the presence of more convenient side, "cavalry" mounts for the belt - instead of "infantry" sling swivelslocated below on the bed. For example, some German "carbines" were significantly longer than rifles of the same model. Such a terminological difference gives rise to a certain confusion, aggravated by the fact that later in the German language the term "carbine" acquired its "usual" meaning and also began to denote a greatly shortened rifle.

During the war, in order to rationalize production and reduce the relatively high cost of the 98k carbine, which became the main model of Wehrmacht small arms, the following changes were made to its design:

for the manufacture of the stock, they began to use beech plywood instead of walnut (which resulted in an increase in the weight of the carbine by 0.3 kg);
some parts began to be made from sheet steel by stamping;
spot welding of individual parts was introduced;
a simplified sight and breech was used;
instead of bluing, the outer surfaces of the parts were subjected to phosphating;
the lining of the handle of the bladed bayonet began to be made not from wood, but from Bakelite.

For the Wehrmacht and the SS troops Mauser 98k was produced by the following companies:

Mauser Werke A.G., factory in Oberndorf am Neckar;
Mauser Werke A.G., plant in Borsigwald, a suburb of Berlin;
J.P. Sauer und Sohn Gewehrfabrik, factory in Suhl;
Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (ERMA), plant in Erfurt;
Berlin-Lübecker Maschinenfabrik, factory in Lübeck;
Berlin-Suhler-Waffen and Fahrzuegerke;
Gustloff Werke, factory in Weimar;
Steyr-Daimler-Puch A.G., plant in Steyr (Austria);
Steyr-Daimler-Puch A.G., workshops in the Mauthausen concentration camp (Austria);
Waffen Werke Brunn A.G., plant in Povazhska Bystrica (Slovakia).

Until 1945, German industry, as well as the industry of the countries occupied by Germany (Austria, Poland, Czech Republic) produced more than 14 million rifles and carbines of this system.

Variants and modifications

Sniper variant- standard rifles were used as sniper rifles, specimens were selected from the batch, giving maximum accuracy. For shooting, SmE cartridges were used (Spitzgeschoss mit Eisenkern - a pointed bullet with a steel core).

The first type of telescopic sight officially adopted by the German army was ZF 39(German Zielfemrohr 1939). Otherwise, this sight was called Zielvier(“fourfold”), this name was also applied to other sights that provide a fourfold increase. In 1940, the sight received a standard graduation for a distance of up to 1200 m. It was installed above the bolt; during the war, the mounting design was repeatedly improved.

In July 1941, another sight was adopted - ZF 41(German Zielfernrohr 41), also known as ZF 40 and ZF 41/1. Rifles Kar.98k, equipped with ZF 41, began to enter the troops from the end of 1941. With a length of 13 cm, it provided only a one and a half times increase, it was mounted on the left side of the rear sight, due to which it did not interfere with loading the magazine from the clip. Due to the one and a half times increase, this sight could only be used for shooting at medium distances. A rifle with such a sight was positioned as a rifle for high-precision shooting, and not as a sniper. At the beginning of 1944, ZF 41 sights were removed from many rifles, but their production continued until the end of the war.

telescopic sight ZF4(or ZF 43, ZFK 43 and ZFK 43/1) was intended for the G43 self-loading rifle and was a copy of the Soviet sight. It was not possible to establish the release of the G43 in sufficient quantities, the new sight had to be adapted to the old rifle. The sight was placed above the bolt on an arrow-shaped mount, adopted a few months before the end of the war and produced in a limited series.

There were other types of sights. For example, sight Opticotechna. Quadruple telescopic sights Dialytan and Hensoldt & Soehne. Rare six-fold telescopic sight Carl Zeiss Jena Zielsechs.

According to a very rough estimate, about 200,000 rifles were equipped with telescopic sights. Kar.98k. Approximately half of this amount falls on the ZF 41 sight, and the other half on sights of other types.
Special options for paratroopers- German paratroopers received a fairly large number of samples of small arms, designed to meet the requirements of the command of the Airborne Forces.
Collapsible, with fastening of the barrel in the receiver on a discontinuous thread (German. Abnehmbarer Lauf).

shortened Kar 98/42, created on the basis of the infantry 98k and differing from it only in a slightly smaller length and weight.

Folding - with a folding wooden butt 33/40 Klappschaft. The length of the weapon without a bayonet was 995 mm, the barrel length was 490 mm. Weight without bayonet - 3.35 kg.

Folding carbine 33/40, right view The folding unit was located immediately behind the end of the bolt and the trigger guard. The initial speed of the bullet - 820 m / s, the aiming range reached 1000 meters. The rifle was supplied with a standard German knife bayonet. In the parachute units, there were also sniper versions of folding rifles. 33/40 , equipped with an optical sight (indicated by the index ZF).
Rifle Vz. 24(Czech. Puska vz. 24, a rifle of the 1924 model of the year) is a Czechoslovakian magazine rifle with a sliding bolt.

Produced in Czechoslovakia from 1924 to 1942. Structurally, it was a modification of the German Mauser 98 magazine rifle. The rifle had a different design, it was shorter and more convenient than the Mauser 98. It was produced in the city of Povazska Bystrica.
Carbine Vz. 33- a carbine based on the Vz. 24, intended for the police, treasury guards and other similar services, was distinguished by a barrel shortened to 490 mm, a total length of 995 mm and a curved bolt handle, as well as a new bayonet with a shortened handle. In production since 1934.

After the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the carbine was slightly modified and its production was continued until 1942, already for the needs of the Wehrmacht, where it was adopted by mountain rifle and parachute units under the name Gewehr 33/40(t).

Private Wehrmacht on guard on the coast North Sea in Holland. A soldier is armed with a Mauser Gewehr 33/40 carbine
Rifle wz. 98a(Polish Karabin wz. 98a listen)) - Polish Mauser. Produced in Poland from 1936 to 1939. Captured rifles of the Polish army entered service with the Wehrmacht under the name Gewehr 299(p).
(Polish Karabinek wz. 29) - a shortened version of the Polish rifle wz. 98a. Produced in Poland from 1930 to 1939. Captured carbines of the Polish army entered service with the Wehrmacht under the name Gewehr 298(p).
Polish carbine wz. 29
M24 rifle(Serbian-choir. Sokolska puska M. 1924) is a Yugoslav version of the Mauser rifle, similar to the Czech Vz. 24. Produced in Yugoslavia from 1925 to 1945.
Rifle M1935(fr. Fusil Mle. 1935) - the Mauser rifle adopted by the Belgian army, is a development of the Belgian rifle of the 1924 model produced by FN Herstal for export sales. The main difference is the front sight of their own design and a modified needle bayonet mount.
Zhongzhen type rifle(Chinese 中正式), known as Rifle Chiang Kai-shek or Type 24(Chinese 二四式) - Chinese rifle, licensed copy german rifle Mauser 98, the forerunner of another Wehrmacht rifle Mauser 98k. Production of the Chiang Kai-shek rifle began in August 1935 (or 24 ROC calendar, after which it was named the Type 24). Later it received the name Zhongzhen type. In the Chinese Red Army was known as Type 79. Despite the fact that the Type 24 was adopted in 1935, it was not the most common rifle in the history of the Republic of China, and it began to be actively used only during the years of the Sino-Japanese War. The weapon was used until the end of the Korean War.

Chiang Kai-shek's rifle is an exact copy Mauser 98: a longitudinally sliding cylinder-shaped bolt, a long stock and a muzzle extended from it, a bayonet handle, finger recesses in the front part and one stock ring are the main visible details. Type 24 was better than the Japanese Arisaka rifle in terms of rate of fire and firing range, and was also more compact.

A soldier of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China with a Type 24 rifle, guarding P-40 fighters from the American Volunteer Flying Tiger Squadron (Eng. flying tigers)
Volkssturmkarabiner 98 (VK.98)- literally translated from German - "Volkssturm carbine". It is a heavily simplified version of the Mauser 98k. Produced by Mauser at the end of World War II, both in single-shot and magazine versions.

At the end of World War II, other German manufacturers produced the Volkssturmgewehr 1 (VG 1) and Volkssturmgewehr 2 (VG 2) carbines, which, despite the similarity of names, have significant differences from the Volkssturmkarabiner 98.

Design

By design, the rifle is classified as a bolt-action repeating rifle with twist-on-lock. The shutter is locked by turning 90 degrees and has three lugs, two of which are in front of it and one in the rear. The loading handle is located on the back of the bolt. There are gas outlet holes in the shutter, which, when gases break through from the sleeve, divert powder gases back through the hole for the drummer down into the magazine cavity. The bolt is removed from the weapon without the help of tools - it is held in the receiver by a bolt lock located on the receiver on the left. To remove the bolt, you must put the fuse in the middle position, pull the front of the latch and pull the bolt back. The design feature of the Mauser shutter is a massive non-rotating ejector that captures the rim of the cartridge in the process of removing it from the magazine and rigidly holds the cartridge on the shutter mirror. Such a system, together with a short longitudinal displacement of the bolt back during the turn of the handle when it is opened, ensures the initial breakaway of the cartridge case and reliable extraction of even very tightly seated cartridge cases in the chamber. The cartridge case is ejected from the receiver by an ejector mounted on the left wall of the receiver and passing through a longitudinal groove in the bolt. The bore is locked by symmetrically located lugs The stem of the shutter - de-tal or construct-tiv-but combined de-ta-whether in a moving system of arrows-of-the-th-weapon, attachment -going in the movement for the creative."> the stem of the shutter. Cartridges are fed from a two-row magazine with a staggered arrangement of 5 rounds. The store is completely hidden in the box. Loading from clips or one cartridge. Loading cartridges directly into the chamber is not allowed, as it can lead to breakage of the ejector tooth.

Complete disassembly of the rifle (click on the picture to enlarge it)

Striker-type trigger mechanism, trigger stroke with warning. The cocking of the drummer and arming are carried out by turning the handle when the bolt is opened. The mainspring is located inside the bolt, around the drummer. The position of the striker can be easily determined visually or by touch by the position of the shank protruding from the rear of the bolt. three-position, crossover, located at the rear of the shutter. It has the following positions: horizontally to the left - “the fuse is on, the shutter is locked”, vertically upwards - “the fuse is on, the shutter is free” and horizontally to the right - “fire”. The “up” position of the fuse is used to load and unload the weapon, and remove the bolt. The fuse control is simple and easy to operate with the thumb of the right hand.

Fuse on, shutter locked

The rifle has a sector sight, consisting of an aiming block, Aiming bar - de-tal of me-ha-no-che-sko-go with-la arrows-to-th-weapon, you-full-nen-naya in the form of plan-ki with de- le-ni-i-mi, co-ot-vet-stu-yu-schi-mi define-de-len-noy range of shooting. "> aiming bar and Clamp - de-tal me-ha-no-che-go-at-tse-la, pe-re-me-scha-yu-scha-i-sya on a target-plan-ke or stand-ke at-tse-la and pre-on-sign-for-setting angles at-tse-li-va-niya. "> clamp with latch. The aiming bar is marked with divisions from 1 to 20. Each division corresponds to a change in range by 100 m. Adjustable rear sight is located on the barrel in front of the receiver. On some samples, the front sight is covered with a semicircular detachable front sight.

The bed is wooden with a semi-pistol grip. The back of the head of the butt - the back of the attachment to the arrows of the first weapon or from the del de tal attached to the la-e-may from the back side to p-kla-du."> Buttplate- steel has a door that closes the cavity for storing accessories, the ramrod is located in front of the box under the barrel. For cleaning weapons, a standard ramrod is assembled from two halves.

The design of the Mauser 98k is generally similar to that of the Mauser 98. The main features of the Mauser 98k include:

shorter barrel (600 mm instead of 740 mm for Mauser 98);
bent down shutter handle; slightly reduced length of the stock and the presence of a notch in it for the bolt handle;

SG 84/98

SG42

Accessories

During World War II, a muzzle grenade launcher and curved nozzles (smoothbore) were adopted for the Mauser 98k rifle, making it possible to fire from behind cover (from around a corner, etc.).

Standard rifle grenade launcher Gewehrgranat Geraet 42 fastened to the barrel with a folding clamp. The maximum firing range is up to 250 m. There were approximately 7 types of grenades for the grenade launcher.

Barrel anti-tank grenade launcher GG / P40 (Gewehrgranatgeraet zur Panzerbekämpfung 40) designed specifically for skydivers. It was lighter and smaller than the standard GG42, produced in a small batch, attached to the rifle like a bayonet, intended to combat enemy armored vehicles.

Krummlauf- a device for shooting from behind cover, capable of turning the course of a bullet by 30 degrees. It was attached to the rifle barrel using the same mechanism as the barrel grenade launcher. Developed in 1943, after making several prototypes, the main focus of the work on the curvature of the barrel was transferred to assault rifles.

Winter Trigger(German Winterabzug) - a device for shooting a rifle in winter. Developed in 1942, officially adopted in 1944. The winter descent consisted of an oval tin container with a lever inside and an external trigger located on the side. The container was put on the trigger guard. By turning the outer trigger back, the shooter triggered the descent. A similar device was also used on the MP 40 submachine gun. It is not known how many such devices were made, but it was widely used by snipers, since it allowed them to shoot in winter without removing their gloves.

Silencers. Two mufflers are known for the Kar.98k: one 25.5 cm long with a spiral surface, the other 23 cm long. Subsonic cartridges were used. There is no more detailed information.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

High muzzle energy - 3828 J (carbine - 3698 J), good penetrating and lethal action of the bullet .;
The design of the shutter ensures high reliability and smooth operation, durability and long service life, ease and safety in handling;
Stopping the shutter in the rear position warns the shooter about the need to load the weapon and eliminates attempts to fire from an unloaded weapon;
The placement of the handle on the end of the bolt allows you to reload the rifle without taking it away from your shoulder, without losing sight of the target and without disturbing the uniformity of aiming, which increases the accuracy of fire;
The store hidden in the box is protected from mechanical damage;
System Mauser Model 1898 years and its development Karabiner 98 Kurz became the most successful in their class, as evidenced by the huge number of different samples of army and hunting rifles and carbines, based on the design of Mauser.

Flaws

Small magazine capacity.
The rifle, despite its large mass, has a strong recoil, a sharp and loud sound of a shot;
Some other bolt-action rifles, such as the British Lee-Enfield, have a higher rate of fire;
The main disadvantage of this system is the impossibility of fast and cheap mass production.

Usage

In addition to the Wehrmacht, the Mauser rifle during the Second World War was in service with the armies of Belgium, Spain, Poland, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Yugoslavia.

Video

Rifle shooting, weapon handling, etc.:

English language

Thanks to Soviet films about the war, most people have a strong opinion that the mass small arms (photo below) of the German infantry during World War II is an automatic machine (submachine gun) of the Schmeisser system, which is named after its designer. This myth is still actively supported by domestic cinema. However, in fact, this popular machine gun was never a mass weapon of the Wehrmacht, and Hugo Schmeisser did not create it at all. However, first things first.

How myths are created

Everyone should remember the shots from domestic films dedicated to the attacks of the German infantry on our positions. Brave blond guys walk without bending down, while firing from machine guns “from the hip”. And the most interesting thing is that this fact does not surprise anyone, except for those who were in the war. According to the movies, the "Schmeissers" could conduct aimed fire at the same distance as the rifles of our fighters. In addition, the viewer, when watching these films, had the impression that the entire personnel of the German infantry during the Second World War was armed with machine guns. In fact, everything was different, and the submachine gun is not a mass small arms weapon of the Wehrmacht, and it is impossible to shoot from it “from the hip”, and it is not called “Schmeisser” at all. In addition, to carry out an attack on a trench by a submachine gunners unit, in which there are fighters armed with magazine rifles, is an obvious suicide, since simply no one would have reached the trenches.

Debunking the Myth: The MP-40 Automatic Pistol

This Wehrmacht small arms in WWII is officially called the MP-40 submachine gun (Maschinenpistole). In fact, this is a modification of the MP-36 assault rifle. The designer of this model, contrary to popular belief, was not the gunsmith H. Schmeisser, but the no less famous and talented craftsman Heinrich Volmer. And why is the nickname “Schmeisser” so firmly entrenched behind him? The thing is that Schmeisser owned a patent for the store that is used in this submachine gun. And in order not to violate his copyright, in the first batches of MP-40, the inscription PATENT SCHMEISSER was stamped on the store receiver. When these machine guns came as trophies to the soldiers of the allied armies, they mistakenly thought that the author of this model of small arms, of course, was Schmeisser. This is how the given nickname was fixed for the MP-40.

Initially, the German command armed only command staff with machine guns. So, in the infantry units, only the commanders of battalions, companies and squads should have MP-40s. Later, drivers of armored vehicles, tankers and paratroopers were supplied with automatic pistols. Massively, no one armed the infantry with them either in 1941 or after. According to the archives in 1941, the troops had only 250 thousand MP-40 assault rifles, and this is for 7,234,000 people. As you can see, a submachine gun is not at all mass weapon Second World War. In general, for the entire period - from 1939 to 1945 - only 1.2 million of these machine guns were produced, while over 21 million people were called up in the Wehrmacht.

Why were the infantry not armed with the MP-40?

Despite the fact that experts later recognized that the MP-40 is the best small arms of the Second World War, only a few of them had it in the infantry units of the Wehrmacht. This is explained simply: the effective range of this machine gun for group targets is only 150 m, and for single targets - 70 m. This despite the fact that Soviet soldiers were armed with Mosin and Tokarev (SVT) rifles, the effective range of which was 800 m for group targets and 400 m for single targets. If the Germans fought with such weapons, as shown in domestic films, then they would never have been able to reach the enemy trenches, they would simply have been shot, as in a shooting gallery.

Shooting on the move "from the hip"

The MP-40 submachine gun vibrates a lot when firing, and if you use it, as shown in the films, the bullets will always miss the target. Therefore, for effective shooting, it must be pressed tightly against the shoulder, after unfolding the butt. In addition, this machine gun was never fired in long bursts, as it quickly heated up. Most often they were beaten in a short burst of 3-4 rounds or fired single shots. Despite the fact that in performance characteristics it is indicated that the rate of fire is 450-500 rounds per minute, in practice this result has never been achieved.

Advantages of the MP-40

It cannot be said that this rifle was bad, on the contrary, it is very, very dangerous, but it must be used in close combat. That is why sabotage units were armed with it in the first place. They were also often used by scouts of our army, and the partisans respected this machine gun. The use of light, rapid-fire small arms in close combat provided tangible advantages. Even now, the MP-40 is very popular with criminals, and the price of such a machine is very high. And they are delivered there by “black archaeologists”, who excavate in places of military glory and very often find and restore weapons from the Second World War.

Mauser 98k

What can you say about this rifle? The most common small arms in Germany are the Mauser rifle. Its aiming range is up to 2000 m when firing. As you can see, this parameter is very close to the Mosin and SVT rifles. This carbine was developed back in 1888. During the war, this design was significantly upgraded, mainly to reduce costs, as well as to rationalize production. In addition, this Wehrmacht small arms were equipped with optical sights, and sniper units were equipped with it. The Mauser rifle at that time was in service with many armies, for example, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia and Sweden.

Self-loading rifles

At the end of 1941, the first automatic self-loading rifles of the Walther G-41 and Mauser G-41 systems entered the infantry units of the Wehrmacht for military trials. Their appearance was due to the fact that the Red Army was armed with more than one and a half million such systems: SVT-38, SVT-40 and ABC-36. In order not to be inferior to the Soviet fighters, the German gunsmiths urgently had to develop their own versions of such rifles. As a result of the tests, the G-41 system (Walter system) was recognized and adopted as the best. The rifle is equipped with a trigger-type percussion mechanism. Designed for firing only single shots. Equipped with a magazine with a capacity of ten rounds. This automatic self-loading rifle is designed for aimed fire at a distance of up to 1200 m. However, due to the large weight of this weapon, as well as low reliability and sensitivity to pollution, it was released in a small series. In 1943, the designers, having eliminated these shortcomings, proposed an upgraded version of the G-43 (Walter system), which was produced in the amount of several hundred thousand units. Before its appearance, Wehrmacht soldiers preferred to use captured Soviet (!) SVT-40 rifles.

And now back to the German gunsmith Hugo Schmeisser. He developed two systems, without which the Second World War.

Small arms - MP-41

This model was developed simultaneously with the MP-40. This machine was significantly different from the Schmeisser familiar to everyone from the movies: it had a handguard trimmed with wood, which protected the fighter from burns, was heavier and longer-barreled. However, this Wehrmacht small arms were not widely used and were not produced for long. In total, about 26 thousand units were produced. It is believed that the German army abandoned this machine in connection with the lawsuit of ERMA, which claimed that its patented design was illegally copied. Weapon MP-41 was used by parts of the Waffen SS. It was also successfully used by Gestapo units and mountain rangers.

MP-43, or StG-44

The next weapon of the Wehrmacht (photo below) was developed by Schmeisser in 1943. At first it was called MP-43, and later - StG-44, which means "assault rifle" (sturmgewehr). This automatic rifle in appearance, and for some technical specifications, resembles (which appeared later), and differs significantly from the MP-40. Its range of aimed fire was up to 800 m. The StG-44 even provided for the possibility of mounting a 30 mm grenade launcher. For firing from cover, the designer developed a special nozzle, which was worn on the muzzle and changed the trajectory of the bullet by 32 degrees. This weapon entered mass production only in the fall of 1944. During the war years, about 450 thousand of these rifles were produced. So few of the German soldiers managed to use such a machine gun. StG-44s were supplied to the elite units of the Wehrmacht and to Waffen SS units. Subsequently, this weapon of the Wehrmacht was used in

FG-42 automatic rifles

These copies were intended for parachute troops. They combined fighting qualities light machine gun and automatic rifle. The Rheinmetall company took up the development of weapons already during the war, when, after evaluating the results of airborne operations carried out by the Wehrmacht, it turned out that the MP-38 submachine guns did not fully meet the combat requirements of this type of troops. The first tests of this rifle were carried out in 1942, and at the same time it was put into service. In the process of using the mentioned weapon, shortcomings were also revealed, associated with low strength and stability during automatic firing. In 1944, the upgraded FG-42 rifle (Model 2) was released, and Model 1 was discontinued. The trigger mechanism of this weapon allows automatic or single fire. The rifle is designed for the standard 7.92 mm Mauser cartridge. Magazine capacity is 10 or 20 rounds. In addition, the rifle can be used to fire special rifle grenades. In order to increase stability when firing, a bipod is fixed under the barrel. The FG-42 rifle is designed for firing at a range of 1200 m. Due to the high cost, it was produced in limited quantities: only 12 thousand units of both models.

Luger P08 and Walter P38

Now consider what types of pistols were in service with the German army. "Luger", its second name "Parabellum", had a caliber of 7.65 mm. By the beginning of the war, the units of the German army had more than half a million of these pistols. This small arms of the Wehrmacht was produced until 1942, and then it was replaced by a more reliable "Walter".

This pistol was put into service in 1940. It was intended for firing 9 mm rounds, the magazine capacity is 8 rounds. Sighting range at "Walter" - 50 meters. It was produced until 1945. The total number of P38 pistols produced was approximately 1 million units.

Weapons of World War II: MG-34, MG-42 and MG-45

In the early 30s, the German military decided to create a machine gun that could be used both as an easel and as a manual one. They were supposed to fire at enemy aircraft and arm tanks. The MG-34, designed by Rheinmetall and put into service in 1934, became such a machine gun. By the beginning of hostilities, the Wehrmacht had about 80 thousand units of this weapon. The machine gun allows you to fire both single shots and continuous. To do this, he had a trigger with two notches. When you click on the top, shooting was carried out with single shots, and when you click on the bottom - in bursts. It was intended for Mauser rifle cartridges 7.92x57 mm, with light or heavy bullets. And in the 40s, armor-piercing, armor-piercing tracer, armor-piercing incendiary and other types of cartridges were developed and used. This suggests the conclusion that the impetus for changes in weapons systems and tactics for their use was the Second World War.

The small arms that were used in this company were replenished with a new type of machine gun - MG-42. It was developed and put into service in 1942. The designers have greatly simplified and reduced the cost of the production of these weapons. So, in its production, spot welding and stamping were widely used, and the number of parts was reduced to 200. The trigger mechanism of the machine gun in question allowed only automatic firing - 1200-1300 rounds per minute. Such significant changes adversely affected the stability of the unit during firing. Therefore, to ensure accuracy, it was recommended to fire in short bursts. Ammunition for the new machine gun remained the same as for the MG-34. The range of aimed fire was two kilometers. Work on improving this design continued until the end of 1943, which led to the creation of a new modification, known as the MG-45.

This machine gun weighed only 6.5 kg, and the rate of fire was 2400 rounds per minute. By the way, not a single infantry machine gun of that time could boast of such a rate of fire. However, this modification appeared too late and was not in service with the Wehrmacht.

PzB-39 and Panzerschrek

PzB-39 was developed in 1938. This weapon of the Second World War was used with relative success at the initial stage to combat tankettes, tanks and armored vehicles with bulletproof armor. Against heavily armored B-1s, British Matildas and Churchills, Soviet T-34s and KVs), this gun was either ineffective or completely useless. As a result, it was soon replaced by anti-tank grenade launchers and reactive anti-tank guns "Pantsershrek", "Ofenror", as well as the famous "Faustpatrons". The PzB-39 used a 7.92 mm cartridge. The firing range was 100 meters, the penetration ability made it possible to "flash" 35-mm armor.

"Panzerschreck". it german lung anti-tank weapons is a modified copy of the American bazooka jet gun. German designers provided him with a shield that protected the shooter from hot gases escaping from the grenade nozzle. These weapons were supplied as a matter of priority to anti-tank companies of motorized rifle regiments. tank divisions. Rocket guns were exceptionally powerful weapons. "Panzershreki" were weapons for group use and had a service crew consisting of three people. Since they were very complex, their use required special training in calculations. In total, in 1943-1944, 314 thousand units of such guns and more than two million rocket-propelled grenades were produced for them.

Grenade launchers: "Faustpatron" and "Panzerfaust"

The early years of the Second World War showed that anti-tank guns could not cope with the tasks set, so the German military demanded anti-tank weapons with which to equip an infantryman, acting on the principle of "shot and thrown." The development of a disposable hand grenade launcher was started by HASAG in 1942 (chief designer Langweiler). And in 1943 mass production was launched. The first 500 Faustpatrons entered the troops in August of the same year. All models of this anti-tank grenade launcher had a similar design: they consisted of a barrel (smooth-bore seamless pipe) and an over-caliber grenade. An impact mechanism and an aiming device were welded to the outer surface of the barrel.

"Panzerfaust" is one of the most powerful modifications of the "Faustpatron", which was developed at the end of the war. Its firing range was 150 m, and its armor penetration was 280-320 mm. The Panzerfaust was a reusable weapon. The barrel of the grenade launcher is equipped with a pistol grip, in which there is a firing mechanism, the propellant charge was placed in the barrel. In addition, the designers were able to increase the speed of the grenade. In total, over eight million grenade launchers of all modifications were manufactured during the war years. This type of weapon inflicted significant losses on Soviet tanks. So, in the battles on the outskirts of Berlin, they knocked out about 30 percent of armored vehicles, and during street fighting in the capital of Germany - 70%.

Conclusion

The Second World War had a significant impact on small arms, including the world, its development and tactics of use. Based on its results, we can conclude that, despite the creation of the most modern means weapons, role rifle units does not decrease. The accumulated experience of using weapons in those years is still relevant today. In fact, it became the basis for the development and improvement of small arms.

Rifles deserve special attention. The operation of rifles does not require such a long training as, for example, to operate a tank or pilot an aircraft, and even women or completely inexperienced fighters can easily handle them. The relatively small size and ease of operation made the rifles one of the most massive and popular weapons for warfare.

M1 Garand (M-One Garand)

The Em-One Garand was the standard US Army infantry rifle from 1936 to 1959. The semi-automatic rifle, which General George S. Patton called "the greatest fighting weapon ever created," gave the American army a huge advantage in World War II.

While the German, Italian, and Japanese armies still issued bolt-action rifles to their infantry, the M1 was semi-automatic and highly accurate. This caused the popular Japanese strategy of "desperate attack" to be much less effective, as they now faced an enemy who fired quickly and without missing. M1 was also produced with additions in the form of a bayonet or grenade launcher.

Lee Enfield (Lee Enfield)

The British Lee-Enfield No. 4 MK became the main infantry rifle of the British and Allied armies. By 1941, when mass production and use of Lee-Enfield began, the rifle underwent a number of changes and modifications to the sliding bolt mechanism, the original version of which was created back in 1895. Some units (such as the Bangladesh Police) still use the Lee-Enfield, making it the only bolt-action rifle in such long time. In total, there are 17 million released by Lee-Enfield of various series and modifications.

The rate of fire at Lee Enfield is similar to Em One Garand. The sighting slit of the sight was designed in such a way that the projectile could hit the target from a distance of 180-1200 meters, which significantly increased the range and accuracy of fire. Shot Lee-Enfield cartridges 303 British with a caliber of 7.9 mm and fired up to 10 shots at a time in two bursts of 5 rounds.

Colt 1911 (Colt 1911)

The Colt is undoubtedly one of the most popular handguns of all time. It was Colt who set the bar for quality for all pistols of the 20th century.

The reference weapon of the US Armed Forces from 1911 to 1986, the Colt 1911 has been modified to serve it today.

The Colt 1911 was designed by John Moses Browning during the Philippine-American War as the troops needed a high stopping power weapon. Colt 45 caliber coped with this task perfectly. It was a reliable and powerful weapon of the US infantry during World War II.

The first Colt - Colt Paterson - was created and patented by Samuel Colt in 1835. It was a six-shot revolver with a percussion cap. By the time John Browning designed his famous Colt 1911, no less than 17 Colts were being produced at the Colt's Manufacturing Company. First it was single-action revolvers, then double-action revolvers, and since 1900 the company began to produce pistols. All predecessor pistols of the Colt 1911 were small in size, relatively low power and were intended for concealed carry, for which they were nicknamed "vest". Our hero won the hearts of many generations - he was reliable, accurate, heavy, looked impressive and turned out to be the longest-lived weapon in the United States, serving the military and police faithfully until the 1980s.

The Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh-41) is a Soviet-made assault rifle used both during and after World War II. Made primarily from stamped sheet metal and wood, the Shpagin submachine gun was produced in quantities of up to 3,000 daily.

The Shpagin submachine gun replaced the earlier version of the Degtyarev submachine gun (PPD-40), being its cheaper and more modern modification. "Shpagin" produced up to 1000 rounds per minute and was equipped with an automatic loader of 71 rounds. Firepower The USSR with the advent of the Shpagin submachine gun has increased significantly.

Submachine gun STEN (STEN)

The British STEN submachine gun was developed and created in the conditions of a massive shortage of weapons and an urgent need for combat units. Having lost a huge amount of weapons during the Dunkirk operation and under the constant threat of a German invasion, the United Kingdom needed strong infantry firepower - in as soon as possible and at no extra cost.

STEN was perfect for this role. The design was simple, and assembly could be carried out in almost all factories in England. Due to lack of funding and the difficult conditions in which it was created, the model turned out to be crude, and the military often complained about misfires. Nevertheless, it was the kind of boost to arms production that Britain so desperately needed. The STEN was so simple in design that many countries and guerrilla forces quickly adopted its production and began producing their own models. Among them were members of the Polish resistance - the number of STENs they made reached 2000.

During World War II, the United States produced over 1.5 million Thompson submachine guns. Thompson, who would become known as a weapon american gangsters, during the war years was very much appreciated for its high efficiency in close combat, especially among paratroopers.

The mass production model for the US Army starting in 1942 was the M1A1 carbine, which was a simpler and cheaper version of the Thompson.

Equipped with a 30-round magazine, the Thompson fired the .45 caliber rounds that were very popular in the US at the time and showed excellent stopping power.

Bren light machine gun (Bren)

The Bren light machine gun was a powerful, easy-to-use weapon that could always be relied upon and was the go-to weapon for British infantry platoons. A licensed British modification of the Czechoslovakian ZB-26, the Bren was introduced into the British Army as the main light machine gun, three per platoon, one per firing station.

Any problem that arose with Bren could be solved by the soldier himself, simply by adjusting the gas spring. Designed for the 303 British used at Lee Enfield, the Bren was fitted with a 30-round magazine and fired 500-520 rounds per minute. Both Bren and his Czechoslovak predecessor are very popular today.

The Browning M1918 automatic rifle was a light machine gun station in service with the US Army in 1938 and was used until the Vietnam War. Although the US never set out to develop a practical and powerful light machine gun like the British Bren or the German MG34, the Browning was still a worthy model.

Weighing 6 to 11 kg, chambered in 30-06 caliber, the Browning was originally conceived as a support weapon. But when American troops faced heavily armed Germans, tactics had to be changed: at least two Brownings were now given to each rifle squad, which were the main elements of a tactical decision.

A single MG34 machine gun was one of the weapons that made up the military power of Germany. One of the most reliable and high-quality machine guns of World War II, the MG34 had an unsurpassed rate of fire - up to 900 rounds per minute. It was also equipped with a double trigger that made both semi-automatic and automatic firing possible.

The StG 44 was developed in Nazi Germany in the early 1940s and mass production began in 1944.

StG 44 was one of the main weapons in the Wehrmacht's attempts to turn the course of the war in their favor - the factories of the Third Reich produced 425 thousand units of this weapon. The StG 44 became the first mass-produced assault rifle, and significantly influenced both the course of the war and the further production of weapons of this type. However, she still did not help the Nazis.

Small arms - barreled weapons, usually firearms, for firing bullets or other striking elements with a caliber of 20 mm or less.

Over the years, the following classification has developed:

- by caliber - small (up to 6.5 mm), normal (6.5 - 9.0 mm) and large (from 9.0 mm);

- by appointment - combat, sighting, training;

- according to the method of control and retention - revolvers, pistols, rifles, submachine guns, machine guns, anti-tank rifles;

- according to the method of use - manual, held when firing directly by the shooter, and easel, used from a special machine or installation;

- according to the method of service in battle - individual and group;

- according to the degree of automation - non-automatic, self-loading and automatic;

- by the number of trunks - one-, two- and multi-barrel;

- by the number of charges - single-shot, multiply-charged;

- according to the method of storing equipped cartridges - store, drum, with tape feed, barrel-magazine;

- according to the method of feeding the cartridge into the bore - self-loading, weapons with manual reloading;

- according to the design of the barrel - rifled and smoothbore.

Of greatest interest is the classification according to the method of control and retention, since it determines the actual types and intended purpose of firearms.

The main structural elements of firearms are: barrel; a locking device and an ignition device; cartridge feed mechanism; signaling devices; trigger mechanism; mechanism for extracting and removing cartridge cases; stocks and handles, safety devices; sighting devices; devices that ensure the integration of all parts, mechanisms of firearms.

The barrel is designed to give the bullet a directional movement. The internal cavity of the trunk is called the trunk canal. The end of the barrel closest to the chamber is called the breech, the opposite end is called the muzzle. According to the device of the channel, the trunks are divided into smooth-bore and rifled. bore rifled weapons has, as a rule, three main parts: the chamber, the bullet entry, the rifled part.

The chamber is designed to accommodate and fix the cartridge. Its shape and dimensions are determined by the shape and dimensions of the cartridge case. In most cases, the shape of the chamber is three or four conjugate cones: in the chambers for a rifle and intermediate cartridge - four cones, for a cartridge with a cylindrical sleeve - one. The cartridge chambers of magazine weapons begin with a cartridge input - a groove along which the bullet of the cartridge slides when it is fed from the magazine.

Bullet entry - the section of the bore between the chamber and the rifled part. The bullet entry serves for the correct orientation of the bullet in the bore and has the shape of a truncated cone with rifling, the fields of which smoothly rise from zero to full height. The length of the bullet entry must ensure that the leading part of the bullet enters the rifling of the bore before the bottom of the bullet leaves the muzzle of the case.

The rifled part of the barrel serves to give the bullet not only translational, but also rotational motion, which stabilizes its orientation in flight. The rifling is a strip-shaped recess, winding along the walls of the bore. The lower surface of the groove is called the bottom, the side walls are called the edges. The edge of the rifling, facing the chamber and receiving the main pressure of the bullet, is called combat or leading, the opposite is idle. The protruding areas between the rifling are the rifling fields. The distance at which the rifling makes a complete revolution is called the rifling pitch. For weapons of a certain caliber, the rifling pitch is uniquely related to the rifling angle - the angle between the edge and the generatrix of the bore.

The locking mechanism is a device that closes the bore from the breech side. In revolvers, the rear wall of the frame or "breech" acts as a locking mechanism. For most firearms, the locking of the bore is provided by the bolt.

The firing (igniting) mechanism is designed to initiate a shot. Depending on the principle of action, one can distinguish the following types firing mechanisms: trigger; percussion; hammer-drummer; shutter; firing mechanism of electrospark action.

The cartridge feed mechanism is designed to send a cartridge into the chamber from the magazine.

Signaling devices - designed to inform the shooter about the presence of a cartridge in the chamber or the cocked position of the firing mechanism. Signal devices can be signal spokes, ejectors with an inscription, signal pins.

The trigger mechanism is designed to release the cocked parts of the percussion mechanism. In firearms, the trigger and firing mechanisms are most often treated as a single unit and are referred to as the firing mechanism.

The mechanism for extracting and removing cartridges - designed to extract spent cartridges or cartridges from the chamber and remove them from the weapon.

Distinguish between the complete removal of cartridge cases (cartridges) from the weapon - ejection, or partial (removal of the cartridge case / cartridge from the chamber) - extraction. During extraction, the spent cartridge case/cartridge is finally removed by hand.

Safety devices - designed to protect against an unintentional shot.

Sights - designed to point the weapon at the target. Most often, sights consist of a rear sight and a front sight - the so-called simple open sight. Beyond simple open sight There are the following types of sights: sights with interchangeable rear sights, sector sight, frame sight, angle sight, diopter sight, optical sight, night vision sight, telescopic or collimator sight.

Devices that ensure the integration of all parts, mechanisms of firearms. For long-barreled and medium-barreled weapons, this role is played by the receiver (block), for short-barreled weapons - a frame with a handle.

Lodges and handles (for long-barreled weapons) - designed for ease of holding and using weapons. They are made of wood, plastic and other materials that do not conduct heat well.

The Second World War significantly influenced the development of small arms, which remained the most massive view weapons. The share of combat losses from it amounted to 28-30%, which was quite an impressive figure, given the massive use of aviation, artillery and tanks.

During the war years, self-loading rifles, incl. their variety is machine guns and machine guns, incl. aviation and tank.

Personal weapons revolvers and pistols played a supporting role. At the same time, the revolvers were already in the decline of their use, although they also served to arm both army units and auxiliary troops and some special forces. It is estimated that at least 5 million revolvers were used during the war.

During the war, pistols did not receive any noticeable development, despite their wide model variety. In total, a relatively small number of them were produced - about 16 million, which is explained by their performance of the function of personal weapons in self-defense. Only in a few cases did pistols play the role of the main weapon - security in the rear, military intelligence operations, etc. The leaders in the production of pistols, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, were Germany and the United States.

Born in the interwar period the new kind small arms - the submachine gun was most developed in the USSR, Great Britain, the USA and Germany. At the same time, only the British and Soviet troops used it as the main infantry weapon. All other countries regarded the submachine gun as an auxiliary weapon for tankmen, gunners, logistics, etc. At the same time, in close and street battles, in practice, he proved to be an effective and indispensable weapon. In addition, the mass production of submachine guns was the most technologically advanced and cheapest among all types of small arms.

Machine guns that took part in the Second World War can be divided into three categories. The first is the machine guns of the First World War. These included, first of all, heavy machine guns, technically backward, but still providing a high density of fire in stationary installations. The second is the machine guns of the transitional period, created in the interwar period. These include two types - manual and aviation. Light machine guns of this period were actively included in the "fashion", competing with automatic rifles. Aviation, were the main armament of the aircraft, not yet supplanted by small-caliber guns. The third is machine guns developed during the war. These are, first of all, single (universal) machine guns, as well as large-caliber machine guns of all kinds. It was these machine guns that not only ended the war, but for several decades, and some still, were in service with many armies of the world.

It should be noted that during the war, all armies, without exception, experienced a shortage of light machine guns, which was explained by the following. Firstly, priority in production was given to aircraft and tank machine guns. Secondly, the losses of machine guns on the fronts were too great, since they were one of the prime targets of artillery. Thirdly, the machine gun, having rather complex mechanisms, required qualified maintenance by technical personnel, which was almost non-existent at the front. Repairs were carried out either in rear workshops or at manufacturing plants. Thus, a significant part of the light machine guns was under repair. Fourthly, during the battle, due to the weight and dimensions, a machine gun was more often thrown than a rifle. From here, all the armies had a fairly large number of captured machine guns.

Anti-tank rifles, both in the First and in the Second World War, remained an exotic weapon and were produced and used by a limited number of countries. The USSR was the sole leader in the production and use of PTR. Germany, having a sufficient number of anti-tank rifles, no longer had an object for their mass use, since the armor of Soviet tanks was higher than the armor penetration of German anti-tank rifles.

As in the First World War, in the Second World War, the main small arms were a rifle in all its varieties. The only difference from the previous war was that self-loading and automatic (assault) rifles seized the palm. A separate place was occupied by a sniper rifle, since a sniper from a separate "military industry" became a "mass profession" of the Second World War.

The leaders in the production of rifles were naturally the largest participants in the war: Germany. USSR, UK and USA. Despite the huge number of rifles produced during the Second World War, a significant number of them were used both from the First World War and pre-war production. Many old rifles have been upgraded, barrels, bolts and other worn parts have been replaced. Cavalry carbines were made from infantry rifles, the caliber of weapons was changed.

With a huge number of rifles produced, the level of their losses, in the main warring countries, exceeded production. Compensation for losses was possible only by attracting stocks of obsolete samples. As a rule, they were armed with auxiliary and rear units, used for training purposes.

Estimated number of small arms, samples of which took part in the war by countries and types of weapons (in thousand units)

Country	Types of small arms						Total
Country							Total
Australia			—	65	—	—
Austria		399	—	3	53,4	—
Austria-Hungary		—	3500	—	—	—
Argentina		90	220	2	—	—
Belgium		682	387	—	50	—
Brazil		—	260	—	—	—
UK		320,3	17451	5902	614	3,2
Hungary		135	390	—	—	—
Germany		5876,1	41775	1410	1474,6	46,6
Greece		—	310	—	—	—
Denmark		18	120	—	4,8	—
Spain		370,6	2621	5	—	—
Italy		718	3095	565	75	—
Canada		—	420	—	—	—
China		—	1700	—	—	—
Mexico		—	1282	—	—	—
Norway		32,8	198	—	—	—
Peru		—	30	—	—	—
Poland		390,2	335	1	33,4	7,6
Portugal		—	120		—	—
Romania		—	—	30	—	—
Siam		—	53	—	—	—
USSR		1500	27510	6635	2347,9	471,7
USA		3470	16366	2137	4440,5	—
Turkey		—	200	—	—	—
Finland		129,5	288	90	8,7	1,8
France		392,8	4572	2	625,4	—
Czechoslovakia		741	3747	20	147,7	—
Chile		—	15	—	—	—
Switzerland		—	842	11	1,2	7
Sweden		—	787	35	—	5
Yugoslavia		—	1483	—	—	—
South Africa		—	88	—	—	—
Japan		472	7754	30	439,5	0,4
TOTAL		15737,3	137919	16943	10316,1	543,3	186461,8

1) revolvers

2) pistols

3) rifles

4) submachine guns

5) machine guns

6) anti-tank guns

The table does not take into account data on the transferred / received weapons and trophy receipts.

The Second World War significantly influenced the development of small arms, which remained the most massive type of weapon. The share of combat losses from it amounted to 28-30%, which is quite an impressive figure, given the massive use of aircraft, artillery and tanks...

The war showed that with the creation of the most modern means of armed struggle, the role of small arms did not decrease, and the attention paid to it in the warring states during these years increased significantly. The experience accumulated during the war years in the use of weapons has not become outdated today, becoming the basis for the development and improvement of small arms.

7.62-mm rifle of the 1891 model of the Mosin system
The rifle was developed by the captain of the Russian army 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 the Second World War and during the war years. Rifle arr. 1891/1930 distinguished by high reliability, accuracy, simplicity and ease of use. In total, over 12 million rifles mod. 1891/1930 and carbines created on its basis.

Sniper 7.62 mm Mosin rifle
The sniper rifle differed from a conventional rifle in the presence of an optical sight, a bolt handle bent to the bottom and improved processing of the bore.

7.62-mm rifle model 1940 of the Tokarev system
The rifle was designed by F.V. Tokarev, in accordance with the desire of the military command and the top political leadership of the country to have a self-loading rifle in service with the Red Army, which would allow rational use of cartridges and provide a large effective 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. AT extreme conditions this "winter" war revealed such shortcomings of the rifle as bulkiness, big weight, inconvenience of gas regulation, sensitivity to pollution and to low temperature. To eliminate these shortcomings, the rifle was modernized, and already on June 1, 1940, the production of its modernized version of the SVT-40 began.

7.62mm Tokarev sniper rifle
The sniper version of the SVT-40 differed from the serial samples by a more careful fitting of the USM elements, a qualitatively better processing of the barrel bore and a special tide on the receiver for mounting a bracket with an optical sight on it. On the sniper rifle The SVT-40 was equipped with a specially designed PU sight (universal sight) with a 3.5x magnification. It allowed firing at ranges up to 1300 meters. The weight of the rifle with a scope 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. The PTRD was a powerful weapon - at a distance of up to 300 m, its bullet pierced armor 35-40 mm thick. The incendiary effect of bullets was also high. Thanks to this, the gun was successfully used throughout the Second World War. Its release was discontinued only in January 1945.

7.62 mm DP light machine gun
Light machine gun, created by the designer V.A. Degtyarev in 1926, became the most powerful automatic weapons rifle divisions 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). A small (for a machine gun) weight was achieved through the use of an automation scheme based on the principle of removal of powder gases through a hole in a fixed barrel, a rational arrangement and layout of parts of the moving system, as well as the use of air cooling of the barrel. The effective range of fire from a machine gun is 1500 m, the maximum range of a bullet is 3000 m. Of those issued during the Great Patriotic War 1515.9 thousand machine guns, the vast majority were Degtyarev light machine guns.

7.62 mm Degtyarev submachine gun
The PPD was put into 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 PPD modifications with improved magazine attachment and modified production technology.

7.62 mm Shpagin submachine gun mod. 1941
PPSh (Shpagin submachine gun) was adopted by the Red Army in December 1940 under the name "7.62 mm Shpagin 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 a sheet. The parts were connected using spot and arc electric welding and rivets. You can disassemble and assemble 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 more convenient and cheaper sector magazines with a capacity of 35 rounds. In total, more than six million PPShs were produced.

7.62 mm Tokarev pistol arr. 1933
The development of pistols in the USSR practically began from scratch. However, already at the beginning of 1931, the Tokarev pistol, recognized as the most reliable, light and compact, was put into service. In the mass production of TT (Tula, Tokarev), which began in 1933, the details of the firing mechanism, barrel and frame were changed. The aiming range of the TT is 50 meters, the range of the bullet is from 800 meters to 1 kilometer. Capacity - 8 cartridges of caliber 7.62 mm. The total production of TT pistols for the period from 1933 until the completion of their production in the mid-50s is estimated at 1,740,000 pieces.

PPS-42(43)
The PPSh-41, which was in service with the Red Army, turned out - mainly due to its large size and mass - not convenient enough when conducting combat in settlements, indoors, for scouts, paratroopers and crews of combat vehicles. In addition, in wartime conditions, it was necessary to reduce the cost of mass production of submachine guns. In this regard, a competition was announced for the development of 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 was shortened, the cocking handle, the safety catch and the shoulder rest latch were changed, the barrel shroud and receiver were combined into one piece) was also put into service. PPS is often called the best submachine gun of World War II. It is distinguished by its convenience, combat capabilities sufficiently high for a submachine gun, high reliability, and compactness. At the same time, the teaching staff is very technologically advanced, simple and cheap to manufacture, which was especially important in the conditions of a difficult, protracted war, with a constant lack of material and labor resources. Bezruchko-Vysotsky (the design of the shutter and return system). Its production was deployed in the same place, on Sestroretsky arms factory, originally - for the needs of the Leningrad Front. While food for Leningraders was going to the besieged city along the road of life, not only refugees, but also new weapons were taken back from the city.

In total, about 500,000 PPS units of both modifications were produced during the war.