Country: USA
Designed: 1959
Weight: 2.88-3.4 kg (depending on modification)
Length: 986-1006mm
Caliber: 5.56 mm
Rate of fire: 700-900 rds / min
muzzle velocity: 948 m/s

The rifle was developed by the American company Armalite, in 1959 Colt began its production, in 1961 the US military department purchased an experimental batch of rifles, and in 1964 it entered service with the US Army. Up to today M16 remains the main armament of the American infantry. The first serious baptism of fire it took place in Vietnam, and later it was used in all armed conflicts involving the United States. This automatic rifle caliber 5.56 mm; its automation is based on the use of the energy of powder gases. To date, there are more than 20 modifications and varieties of rifles, and it is produced not only in the USA, but also in Canada, South Korea, China, Iran, Germany.

2. The most famous machine gun: Maxim machine gun

Country: Great Britain (modification - Russia)
Designed: 1883 (modification - 1910)
Weight: 64.3 kg (44.23 - machine with shield)
Length: 1067 mm
Caliber: 7.62mm
Rate of fire: 600 rds / min
Muzzle velocity: 740 m/s

It is difficult to say that the Maxim is included in the list of the best small arms over the past 100 years, because the Anglo-American inventor Hiram Maxim received the first patents for individual elements of the new weapon in the summer of 1883, and in October 1884 demonstrated the first working model. But one of the most famous varieties of "Maxim" appeared in 1910, which allows him to "fit" into the century.

The principle of operation of "Maxim" is simple and based on the use of barrel recoil. The powder gases from the shot throw the barrel back and actuate the reloading mechanism: the cartridge is removed from the tape and passes into the breech, the bolt is cocked at the same time. 450 rounds of ammunition were placed in a canvas belt, and the machine gun's rate of fire reached 600 rounds per minute. Is it true, powerful weapon was not perfect. Firstly, the barrel was very overheated and required permanent shift water in the cooling jacket. Another drawback was the complexity of the mechanism: the machine gun jammed due to various problems with reloading.

In Russia, the production of a machine gun began in 1904 at the Tula plant. The most famous Russian modification of "Maxim" was a 7.62-mm easel machine gun of the 1910 model of the year (the initial caliber of the machine gun was .303 British or 7.69 mm in the metric system). In the same year, the designer, Colonel Alexander Sokolov, designed a wheeled machine gun machine - it was this machine that gave the weapon a classic look. The machine greatly facilitated the issues of the march and the movement of a heavy machine gun from position to position.

But the total weight of the machine gun with the machine was still large - more than 60 kg, and this is not counting the supply of cartridges, water for cooling, etc. Therefore, by the 1930s, formidable weapons began to rapidly become obsolete. The last modernization of the Soviet-style machine gun survived in 1941 and was produced in Tula and Izhevsk until the very end of World War II; it was replaced by a 7.62 mm Goryunov machine gun.
"Maxim" had many modifications: Finnish M / 32-33, English "Vickers", German MG-08, 12.7-mm (large-caliber) for British Navy etc.

3.Most legendary weapon WWII: 7.62 mm Shpagin submachine gun

Country: USSR
Designed: 1941
Curb weight: 5.3 kg with drum
magazine, 4.15 kg with sector magazine
Length: 863 mm
Caliber: 7.62mm
Rate of fire: 900 rds / min
Sighting range firing range: 200–300 m

The predecessor of the Kalashnikov assault rifle in service with the Soviet army was the Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh). Created to replace the Degtyarev submachine gun, the PPSh was primarily designed to simplify production as much as possible and entered service in 1941. And although the Sudayev design of the 1942 model (PPS) is often considered the best submachine gun of the Second World War, it was the PPSh that became an integral part of the image of the Soviet soldier as the only mass-produced automatic weapon. Soviet army the first year of the war.

4. Fastest fire weapon: Metal Storm MK5

Country: Australia
Designed: 2004
Number of barrels: 36
Caliber: 9mm
Estimated rate of fire: 1,080,000 rds / min
Theoretical maximum rate of fire: 1,620,000 rds/min

The super-rapid weapon of the Australian company Metal Storm Limited is unlikely to ever enter mass production, but it is impossible not to mention it. The founder of the company, James Michael O'Dwyer, invented and patented a high-speed fire system, the theoretical rate of fire of which reaches 1,000,000 rds / min. The Metal Storm machine gun has no moving mechanical parts, each of the barrels contains several rounds at the same time, and the shots are fired by means of an electronic impulse. The critical problem faced by the developers was the impossibility of supplying so many rounds in a timely manner. Therefore, the rate of fire shown in tests is calculated, and the functionality of the "iron storm" is reduced to nothing when used in real combat operations. However, the company is developing in various directions and uses Metal Storm technologies in weapons that have a more realistic chance of getting into the series.

5. Most popular pistol: Colt M1911

Country: USA
Designed: 1911
Weight: 1.075 kg
Length: 216 mm
Caliber: 45th
Muzzle velocity: 253 m/s
Sighting range: 50 m

One of the most popular pistols in the world is the M1911 designed by John Browning chambered for .45 ACP (11.43 x 23 mm). This weapon was in service with the US Army from 1911 to 1990, and since 1926 the pistol has not been subjected to any upgrades. Despite the name of the developer, the pistol was produced by Colt factories and went down in history as the Colt M1911. Its main advantage was its structural simplicity and fault tolerance. The gun was in service in more than 40 countries around the world and is very popular to this day.

6. The most multiply charged gas pistol: Reck Miami 92 F

Country: Germany
Weight empty: 1.14 kg
Length: 215 mm
Caliber: 8, 9, 15mm
Food: magazine for 11 (for the 9-mm version), 18, 20, 24, 28 rounds

RECK Miami 92F is a gas pistol manufactured by the German company Umarex, which is exact copy the classic Beretta 92 pistol. gas pistols RECK comes in 8 and 9mm calibers. The 9mm version has a quite normal magazine with a capacity of 11 rounds, but the 8mm RECK Miami magazines can hold from 18 to 28 (!) rounds depending on the modification. Except for prototypes, curiosities and a 40-round magazine for the Mauser, the RECK Miami 92F has no competitors in the field of repeatability.

7. Fastest fired mass-produced weapon: M134 Minigun

Country: USA
Designed: 1962
Weight: 24–30 kg (machine gun body with electric motor and power mechanism)
Length: 801 mm
Caliber: 7.62 mm (0.308)
Rate of fire: from 300 to 6000 rds / min (effective -
3000–4000)
Muzzle velocity: 869 m/s

Of course, prototypes can be much faster, but among the mass-produced weapons, the M134 Minigun series aircraft machine guns are considered to be one of the champions in this indicator. These 7.62-mm six-barreled machine guns work according to the Gatling scheme and are capable of firing up to 6000 rounds per minute. A new cartridge is fed into the upper (cooled) barrel, the shot is fired from below. The rotation of the trunks is provided by an electric drive. Baptism of fire M134 received during Vietnam War. By the way, contrary to misconceptions, in the "Predator" and "Terminator" it is not this machine gun that is used, but its younger brother XM214 Microgun, which did not go into the series.

8. The most officer pistol: Mauser C96

Country: Germany
Designed: 1896
Weight without cartridges: 1.13 kg
Length: 288mm
Cartridge: 7.63 x 25 mm, 9 mm x 25 mm, etc.
Muzzle velocity: 425 m/s
Sighting range: 150–200 m without stock

Mauser C96 evokes in us a firm association with a man in a leather jacket and the abbreviation Cheka. This model began to be produced in Germany in 1896; the pistol stood out for its excellent accuracy, high effective firing range, and “survivability”; its main disadvantages were bulkiness and serious weight. Surprisingly, the Mauser was not officially in service with any army in the world (maximum - partial local use), while more than a million copies were produced, and officers different countries preferred it as a personal weapon to all competitors.

Country: USA
Designed: 1936
Weight: 4.31-5.3 kg (depending on modification)
Length: 1104 mm
Caliber: 7.62 mm
Muzzle velocity: 853 m/s
Effective firing range: 400 m

The American M1 Garand rifle is the first self-loading rifle adopted as the main infantry weapon. It was introduced for a long time: in 1929, the designer John Garand built the first prototype, but it only came to mass production and putting into service only by 1936; numerous improvements did not give the desired effect, and the new weapon constantly failed. Only the M1 generation, which was finalized and put into production in 1941, gained popularity. It is still used as a sporting weapon to this day.

10. The most common weapon: Kalashnikov assault rifle

Country: USSR
Designed: 1974 (modification AK-74)
Curb weight: 3.5–5.9 kg
Length: 940 mm (without bayonet)
Caliber: 5.45mm
Rate of fire: about 600 rds / min
Sighting range: 1000 m

The Kalashnikov assault rifle, the most widespread small arms in the world, has gained extraordinary popularity due to its reliability and ease of maintenance and has been produced in the amount of more than 100 million copies. There are several dozens of its modifications; in the original version (AK-47) it had a caliber of 7.62 mm, but in the modification of the AK-74 a 5.45 mm cartridge is used, and in the versions of the "hundredth" series - also 5.56 mm. In addition to the USSR, the machine was produced by Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, China, Poland, North Korea, Yugoslavia, and it was used in almost all countries of the world and in almost all armed conflicts of the second half of the 20th century.

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#weapon#history #862 #weapons

The weapons of the Russian army corresponded to the spirit of that time. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Russian infantry was armed with smoothbore guns of various calibers and models.

So, in 1805, in the grenadier and musketeer regiments, the soldiers had guns of 28 different calibers from 5.5 to 8.5 lines (21.9 mm), and the rangers had 8 different calibers from 5.5 to 8.5 lines (21.6 mm). It is no wonder that with a service life of a flintlock gun of 40 years, and with repeated repairs and much more, there were many old guns in the army, sometimes issued under Peter I, that is, a hundred years ago [Fedorov V.G. The evolution of small arms. Part 1. M.: Military Publishing House, 1938. S. 18-29; Beskrovny L.G. Russian army and navy in the nineteenth century. M.: "Nauka", 1973. S. 277]. But in the field troops, most of the soldiers, especially in the border districts, were armed with fairly new smoothbore models of 1763, 1774. and mostly 1793. All these models had a caliber of 7.75 lines (19.8 mm), weighed 4.6-4.9 kg with a bayonet and used a bullet weighing 25.6-32.1 grams and a powder charge, weighing from 10.66 to 12.8 grams. The maximum range of fire reached one and a half kilometers, but the range of the actual shot did not exceed 250-300 steps (213 m). Wherein starting speed bullets from a model 1793 gun was 457 m / s. [Begunova A.I. The path through the ages. M.: Mol. guard, 1988. S. 241; Fedorov V.G. Decree. op. S. 15].

Since Russian gunpowder was 2-3 times better than French gunpowder in terms of its throwing properties, Russian bullets retained their lethality at distances of up to 500 meters or more. However, at such a distance, hits could only be accidental [Beskrovny L.G. The Russian army and fleet in the 19th century ... S. 382; Begunova A.I. The way through the centuries ... S. 258]. It is noteworthy that the rate of fire of a smooth-bore flintlock gun was low due to the rapid formation of powder deposits in the barrel, as a result of which the rate of fire quickly dropped from 4 to one shot per minute. In addition, the process of loading a gun in 12 steps was difficult for recruits. In this connection, the average rate was only 1.5-2 shots per minute. And because of the imperfection of the flintlock, for every 7 shots there was one misfire [Fedorov F.G. Decree. op. S. 6, 9, 22, 31, 35].

The Russian army also had rifled or screw guns, which were armed with part of the non-commissioned musketeers and grenadier regiments, and in the chasseur regiments - all non-commissioned officers and 12 of the best shooters in each company. The aiming range of rifled guns (fittings for rangers) reached 800-1000 steps (568-710 m), and accuracy at short distances (up to 300 steps) was twice as high as smoothbore, and at longer distances - four to six times [Nilus A.A. History of the material part of artillery. T. 2. St. Petersburg: Type. Soykina, 1904, p. 94; Fedorov F.G. Decree. op. S. 6, 9, 22, 31, 34].

But the shortcomings of screw (rifled) guns (small length, which made them unsuitable for firing from the 2nd rank and bayonet fighting, and most importantly, very inconvenient and four times slower loading) exceeded their advantages (accuracy and range). Therefore, in the era of the Napoleonic wars, both in the Russian and in the French army, “rifles” received very limited use [Sokolov O.V. Napoleon's army. M.: Ed. House "Empire", 1999. S. 150-151; Naumov M. The weapon of the warrior. M.: LLC "ROSMEN-IZDAT", 2001. S. 263].

As for the accuracy of fire of Russian smoothbore guns of that time, at a distance of 300 steps (213 m) an average of about a quarter of all fired bullets hit a training target measuring 1.8 × 1.2 meters, at a distance of 200 steps (142 m) - 40% and at a distance of 100 steps (71 m) - 55% of all bullets. The distance of 50-60 steps (35.5-42.5 m) was considered the most optimal, since in this case from 70% to 90% of the bullets hit the target [Fedorov V.G. Decree. op. S. 8, 31; Chandler D. Napoleon's military campaigns. M.: Publishing House Tsentropoligraf, 2001. S. 223]. In 1805, before the first war with Napoleon, several new models of infantry rifles were developed and put into production: an infantry smoothbore caliber of 7.5 lines (19.05 mm),

hitting aiming at 300 steps (213 m); screw and Jaeger fitting. Both rifled guns had a caliber of 6.5 lines (16.51 mm) and aimed at a thousand steps (710 mm). The infantry smoothbore of the 1805 model was fun without a bayonet 5.16 kg, with a bayonet - 5.65 kg, rifled with a gun were almost 1 kg lighter [Fedorov V.G. Decree. op. Part 1. S. 6, 9, 22].

The length of the Russian smoothbore gun was about one and a half meters, which was considered optimal for convenient firing by a soldier from the 2nd rank. Together with the bayonet, which had an average length of 45 cm, the gun reached a total length of almost 2 m and, being put forward in the event of a rider attack, did not allow the cavalryman to reach directly to the infantryman with a broadsword or saber [Epov N. On changing the bayonet // Military collection. 1900. No. 8. S. 387, 389-390; Nilus A.A. Decree. op. T. 2. S. 97; Fedorov V.G. Decree. op. S. 27].

It is noteworthy that the Russian triangular bayonet was much heavier and stronger than the French one, which could easily be bent even by hand. On the 1805 model, our bayonet weighed 0.5 kg. And the Russian infantry rifle itself was much heavier than the French one, therefore, on average, physically weaker French soldiers practically did not use captured Russian rifles, which, moreover, were not very convenient for aiming due to the straight stock. And on the Jaeger fittings, a knife-shaped (blade) bayonet with a handle (dagger) was used.

Such a bayonet, which weighed more than 700 grams on the 1805 model, could be unlocked from the gun and act independently like a short sword, as the French did. But the Russian rangers almost never used this method, preferring to traditionally stab with a bayonet attached to the barrel, that is, to act with a gun like a spear [Nilus A.A. Decree op. T. 2. S. 57, 97; Fedorov V.G. Decree. op. pp. 22-23, 33; Kulikov V.A. The history of weapons and weapons of peoples and states. M.: Ed. Imperium Press, 2005. S. 311-313]. Based on the experience of the wars with Napoleon in 1805-1807. Russian smoothbore guns began to be made with a more crooked stock, like the French, to make it easier to aim.

And in 1808-1809. Russian factories began to produce new models of improved quality infantry rifles according to the French model [M.I. Kutuzov. Documentation. T. 2. M.: Military Publishing House, 1951. S. 302-303; Beskrovny L.G. Russian army and navy in the 19th century ... S. 277-279]. The Russian government also bought part of the guns abroad, mainly in Austria and, especially, in England, since the English guns of the Brown Bess brand were then considered the best in Europe in terms of their technical characteristics.

Therefore, the Russian guards and the best grenadier regiments from 1804 began to rearm with English guns [L.G. Beskrovny. Russian army and navy in the 19th century ... S. 277-278; Fedorov V.G. Decree. op. S. 20, 33]. Tula masters like the famous Lefty they could, of course, make guns better than British ones and made such prototypes. But Alexander I, who bowed to foreigners, preferred to buy the best weapon models abroad instead of rebuilding production and producing similar models at Russian factories.

When Russia was an empire, it had no tanks, no jets, no nuclear weapons. Russians won wars and defended the country with completely different weapons.

checker

A piercing-cutting weapon, with a long blade with a slight curvature without a guard. Among the Circassian tribes, the saber was originally used as an economic tool for cutting rods, and from the end of the 18th century it became widespread as a weapon, gradually replacing the saber.

During the Caucasian War, it became widespread among the regular Russian troops and in 1835 was adopted by the Cossacks. Before other regular units, the checker finds application in the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment.

The checker is an exclusively offensive weapon. Fighting on checkers, in fact, excludes the possibility of fencing (as, for example, on sabers or swords), but represents a set of techniques, performing which the fighter sought to evade the enemy’s blow and deliver a quick chopping blow. If you try to parry an opponent's blow, there is a high probability of breaking your own blade. Therefore, in the 19th century there was a saying: "They cut with sabers, but they cut with checkers."

On this moment There are very few real Circassian checkers in the collections - much more often you can see skillfully decorated, but partly lost their fighting qualities Dagestan checkers. In a number of cases, the highlanders used a cloak wrapped around their arm to parry enemy blows. There are, however, a number of interesting cases. For example, Denis Davydov in his "Military note" mentions that when entering Dresden: " my clothes consisted of a black chekmen, red trousers and a red hat with a black band; I had a Circassian saber on my hip and orders around my neck: Vladimir, Anna, adorned with diamonds».

Where Denis Vasilyevich had a checker from and whether a well-known partisan owned it is very difficult to say for sure. But even on Duburg's 1814 engraving, Davydov is depicted with a saber. Since 1881, the checker was adopted by the entire Russian cavalry, and later became widespread in the infantry units. And since the second half of the 20th century it has been used as a parade weapon.

Union

Individual rifled, muzzle-loading, small arms with a relatively short barrel length. It is almost impossible to hammer a bullet into rifling with one ramrod - a special hammer was used for this purpose. With a longer barrel length, this was difficult to do.

In the Russian army, the best shooters and huntsmen were armed with fittings. The main task of rangers is, acting in loose formation, to hit enemy artillerymen from long distances. The enemy artillery, in response, could not use buckshot because of a decent distance, and firing cannonballs at loose formations was ineffective. On occasion, the huntsmen also hit enemy officers. So in the notorious battle for the Russian army on the Black River in 1855 (near Sevastopol), two Sardinian generals were killed by Russian arrows, who imprudently approached the Russian positions in bright full dress.
The high cost of production, the need for good training of the shooter and the duration of loading were the reasons that the fittings were not widely used in the Russian army. After the end of the Crimean War, these weapons were replaced by rifles, and the term fitting began to be applied to breech-loading rifled hunting rifles.

Shotguns

The small arms system is quite conservative in the Russian army small arms preserved for decades and there were samples of the most different eras. IN early XIX centuries, guns of the 1805 and 1808 model are adopted. The service life of guns in the Russian army of the first half of XIX century was defined as 40 years. The Russian army used smooth-bore muzzle-loading guns. Since unitary cartridges did not exist, the cartridge was a measure of gunpowder placed in a cloth or paper shell. The soldier poured gunpowder onto the shelf and into the barrel of the weapon, hammered a bullet with a ramrod, using the shell of the cartridge as a wad.

Shooting was carried out in volleys and on command. In close formation, it was almost impossible to do otherwise. Accuracy was low, which was offset by the power of the volley, and the wound inflicted by a soft spherical bullet very often doomed the enemy to death or amputation of a limb. In fact, the handling of a gun was reduced to a number of methods of loading, firing and bayonet combat brought to automatism.

Contrary to popular belief, the soldier himself never cleaned the weapon either - if you try to clean the barrel with a ramrod - this means clogging the seed hole. The gun had to be taken apart for cleaning, which only a gunsmith could do. And especially inquisitive lower ranks, who tried to do something more with a gun, were severely and clearly punished by non-commissioned officers.

Massive trihedral bayonets were kept, as a rule, attached to the weapon. And again, the bayonet was not sharpened. To inflict a terrible lacerated non-healing wound, sharpness was not required, therefore a line from the memorable Lermontov's "Borodino" is a beautiful literary device.

Sapper cleaver sample 1834

In the Petrine era, initially, both for officers and for lower ranks, a long straight sword was introduced. However, in the infantry, when using dense linear orders, this weapon was suitable, perhaps, only for self-defense, and fencing training was not carried out. As a result, the soldier did not need a long sword, and since the time of Anna Ioannovna, it has been supplanted by half-sabers and cleavers.

In the 19th century, cleavers could be used in hand-to-hand combat as an auxiliary weapon if a soldier lost his gun. Sapper units had cleavers with teeth on the butt of the blade. And they were never thought of as the main weapon and no fencing techniques were practiced. Terrible teeth were not intended to frighten or shred the enemy, but for quite routine work as a saw.

Dirk

Daggers are known in Western Europe as a formidable boarding weapon since the 16th century. In a desperate battle on the deck and in the interior of the ship with a long broadsword or sword, do not turn around. Daggers at the dawn of the New Age were very impressive in length from 60 to 80 cm. Subsequently, the length of the weapon gradually decreases. Daggers have been known in Russia since the 18th century.

Boarding battles and, accordingly, the use of daggers in the Russian fleet could be in the Northern War, where four battles on the water (two of them at sea) were noted when large boarding battles took place. True, although the sailors had daggers, the striking force of the Russian boarders was made up of infantry units sitting on the oars of galleys during the movement, and in battle using the usual infantry weapons. Therefore, it is not necessary to talk about the massacre on the deck of the ship, where Russian sailors used daggers en masse.

The dagger, however, has become an attribute of the form naval officer. The dagger could act as a premium Georgievsky or Annensky weapon. It is known that with the help of a dagger, Peter I closed the issue of electing a new patriarch, when, in response to the displeased murmur of the clergy, the tsar uncovered the dagger and thrust it into the table with the words: “ And for the anti-thinking, here is the damask patriarch».

The First World War was, perhaps, truly the first war of the 20th century. Mankind had to face in this war with such achievements of technical thought as airplanes, airships, submarines, machine guns, rapid-fire guns, explosive bullets, poison gases, armored vehicles, tanks ... But in addition to these modern species weapons to the First world war other means of attack and defense were also used, which seemed to come from another era - the Middle Ages.

One of these exotic species was fléchette - metal arrow-darts the size of a pencil, which were dropped by aircraft on large concentrations of enemy manpower - infantry and cavalry. Beginning in 1914, Russian newspapers reported cases of the use of these weapons by the Germans, cited photographs of enemy arrows and colorfully described the consequences of using such weapons. So, in the popular Suvorin newspaper " Evening time» Exactly 100 years ago, on April 4/17, 1915, an illustration was published on the front page, clearly demonstrating the appearance of flashettes and how they were used in combat.

The note accompanying this illustration, "Iron Arrows," reported: "Before the start of the war in France, iron arrows were invented for dropping them from airplanes. This invention, given brilliant results during experiments, was kept in strict confidence, however, at the very first actions of the German air fleet it turned out that the Germans were using these arrows. In the hall of telegrams of "Evening Time" (Nevsky, 52) an arrow delivered from the Prussian front is exhibited. The arrow is made of iron, 3 inches long (about 13 cm - A.I.) and looks like a pointed pencil. It was made in such a way that when dropped from a height, it always fell with the tip down. To do this, the upper two inches of the arrow are made not round, but tetrahedral, i.e. lightened by the weight of sawn longitudinal strips. Arrows are suspended from the pilot's apparatus in special boxes, 1000 each with a retractable bottom. Falling from a height of one verst, such an arrow acquires the strength of a rifle bullet. On the arrow exhibited in the telegram room, the inscription is imprinted: "Invention française, fabrication allemande", i.e. French invention, German production.

“Even the great-grandfather of our aviators, the famous French inventor Ader, who was not recognized by anyone in his time, invented that metal arrow, which is now widely used as a tool for aviators,” wrote the journal Nature and People. ‒ Now this arrow has been improved in this way: the aviator takes a metal box, opened from above, in which 50 arrows are placed with the point up. As you know, these arrows are designed so that when they fall, they turn with the tip down. They, flying out of the box, turn and push apart from each other, thereby automatically scattering rain over a wide area. Each aviator carries with him 5,000 of these arrows. (...) The Germans are also throwing such arrows now. But for some reason exclusively on the Russian front.

The reason for the use of steel arrows in the era of rapid-fire weapons was the fact that airplanes initial period wars did not have any weapons, since they were mainly used for reconnaissance, while the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bdestroying the enemy from the air excited the minds of the military. Throw from an airplane hand grenades or it was not effective to shoot at the enemy with a revolver, so such a cheap and most important weapon with a long range of action, like flechettes, seemed very promising in the absence of the ability to conduct aimed fire from the sky. However, the French who invented this weapon themselves used it quite rarely, while the Germans, having significantly improved the French invention, took it into service, mockingly emphasizing this in the above inscriptions in French, “decorating” steel arrows. The frightening sound (sharp whistle) of arrows falling from the sky and their striking ability had a strong psychological impact on the soldiers who happened to become victims of such bombardments, since, having gained speed, the flashette easily pierced wooden planks up to fifteen centimeters thick.

However, the Germans themselves also got it from this type of weapon. You can learn about the impression that this weapon made on the troops from the story of the Austrian writer Robert Musel, who served during the First World War as an officer in the Landwehr and almost died in 1915 from a flashette dropped from an Italian plane:

“Once an enemy pilot appeared over our calm position. (...) ...I heard a sound, and then only realized that danger was approaching. But at that very moment I already knew: this is an aircraft arrow! There were then such sharp metal rods, no thicker than a carpenter's plumb line, which aircraft dropped from a height; hitting the skull, they probably pierced a person to the very soles, but they did not often reach the goal, and they were soon abandoned. That is why I first encountered such an arrow; but since the sound of bombs and machine gun shots is quite different, I immediately understood what it was. I tensed up, and in the next moment I had an amazing feeling, based on nothing real: she will hit! (...) For quite a long time, I alone heard the approach of this sound. The sound was simple, thin, melodious, high-pitched, like the edge of a glass rings when it is tapped; but there was something unreal about him; you've never heard anything like it, I told myself. And this sound was directed at me... ...The sound approaching from above took on flesh, grew and threatened.

(Fragment from the film “Death of the Empire” (2004). The flashettes shown in the film are much larger than the real steel arrows of the First World War)

However, quite soon, in connection with the rapid development of methods of conducting air combat and bombardment of the enemy, flechettes began to be displaced by more effective methods attacks - aviation bombs, the consequences of which were many times greater than the damage caused by steel arrows. But flashettes continued to be used at a later time. Soviet pilot, Lieutenant General of Aviation P.P. Ionov, recalled how this type of weapon was used by red aviation during the Civil War: “The pilots of our detachment conducted a continuous aerial reconnaissance and flew several times as a group to attack enemy troops on the march. In these cases, we dropped fragmentation bombs and special arrows and fired from machine guns. (...) Lead arrows about ten centimeters long were thrown from a small wooden box. The box had to be held while standing in the cockpit, then turned over at the right time and the arrows shaken out of it. Shooting was not corrected. The fact that the arrows hit the target could be judged by the fleeing enemy soldiers. From the experience of the First World War, it was known that the invisible and almost inaudible fall of arrows had a great demoralizing effect on the troops. This experience was not forgotten during the Great Patriotic War, at the initial stage of which, not having enough bombs, Soviet aircraft dropped on the positions of the German infantry ... railway crutches.

Another "medieval" weapon of the First World War was the club (morgenstern), used by the Austrian and German soldiers to protect their trenches. Since pistols and revolvers relied only on officers, short-barreled automatic weapons not yet, and it was extremely inconvenient to fight off the advancing enemy in a narrow trench with long rifles, with bayonets attached to them, the German and Austrian soldiers remembered the weapons that had been tested for centuries - clubs, which they immediately began to manufacture, enhancing their striking effect with sharp nails. Pictures of such trophies were published more than once in Russian periodicals, surprising the reader of the public with the "savagery" of these "military novelties" of the European nations.

Every novice hunter who has just purchased a gun often thinks about how hunting guns became what they are at the present time. If you try to find information about this, then it is almost impossible in Russian-language sources. The only thing you can find are reviews modern models, the history of Izhevsk or Tula guns, and rare descriptions old hunting weapon German production.

Not everyone knows that even 150-200 years ago hunting weapons were the most advanced, since it was the hunters who tested everything. latest systems those distant years. This is understandable, because in Europe before the First World War, the arms industry worked specifically for them. Only the beginning of the war could put an end to the rapid development of rifled and smooth-bore weapons for hunting.

The device of a hunting rifle and the principle of its operation

The term "gun" itself used to mean flint and steel. Only after many decades this term began to be called firearms designed for hunting and warfare. Most modern shotguns have a fixed or breakable barrel. The gun consists of the following parts:

  • trunk;
  • Castle;
  • pads;
  • Descent;
  • forearm;
  • butt;
  • Shakes;
  • pads;
  • Triggers and other parts that differ from model to model.

The internal parts of the gun may differ from each other, as there are different systems. Some of them are reloaded by cocking the triggers, others by the pump-action method or based on the operation of powder gas automation.

The gun is fired by the shooter pulling the trigger, which actuates the hammer. He uses a striker that breaks the primer of the cartridge. This is followed by a shot.

Stages of development of weapons for hunting

In Europe, the first small arms appeared on the territory of modern Spain, surprising the local knights a lot. The Arabs, who at that time owned this country, were seen by uneducated Europeans as real demons, whose weapons spewed smoke, flames and deadly bullets.

Little is known about the design of the very first guns, but one thing is for sure - they were bulky single-shot mini-guns that had big weight. The first firearms came to the Russians along with the Tatar hordes, who received them from the Chinese. It is possible that these were matchlock Polish or Turkish guns.

The first mention of the use of gunshot models can be found in ancient chronicles, saying that the Lithuanian prince Gedemint died from a bullet in 1341. In the 15th century, the first arquebus appeared, and over the following years, wick systems improved. Around the same time, the first single-barreled shotgun for hunting appeared. A huge disadvantage of the first hunting models was their low rate of fire, so bows and crossbows were used by hunters for a long time.

The entire history of hunting firearms can be divided into several stages:

  • The era of ramrod weapons with matchlocks and flintlocks;
  • Capsule guns;
  • New models with unitary cartridges.

This division is very conditional, but it is possible to single out the stages of the evolution of hunting weapons.

Flintlock gun - the first revolutionary modernization

In 1504, the Spaniards showed Europe the first flintlock gun. This type of weapon was borrowed from the Moors, who in those years made a huge leap in the development of firearms. It was significantly superior to wick models. It was with such weapons that they hunted and fought for many centuries. In Russia, a flintlock gun was used until the beginning of the 20th century, since firing from it did not require cartridges. The flintlock hunting rifle was often richly engraved and finely finished. German and Turkish guns were especially distinguished.

In the 16th century, some semblance of the first cartridges appeared, consisting of a paper sleeve in which gunpowder and a bullet were located. This invention reduced the time it took to reload flintlock weapons. In the same century, the first double-barreled shotguns appeared. Since the gun was used, as a rule, only once in hunting or in battle, many gunsmiths tried to increase the rate of fire. So there were not only double-barreled, but also multi-barreled models. Unfortunately, the multi-barreled flintlock was too bulky, making it only effective for defense or ambush hunting.

In the 16th century, the first German guns with a rifled barrel appeared. This made it possible to give the weapon an incredible range and accuracy for smooth-bore models.

Multi-barreled flintlock gun of improved design

In the 16th and 17th centuries, firearms began to be divided into military and hunting models. Double-barreled shotguns have become the most popular choice for hunting. If at first weapons were made with wheel locks, then after a while they gave way to more convenient double-barreled shotguns.

In 1738 there was a real revolution in the history of hunting weapons. The Frenchman Le Clerc has mastered the production of lightweight double-barreled shotguns that are easy to use. The oldest double-barreled flintlock gun made in Russia dates back to the 17th century. This weapon was made specifically for Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Hunting weapons of the 18th century

In the 18th century, such a concept as the caliber of a gun was clearly defined. Different models began to be produced, each of which was designed specifically for its niche. All the guns that were produced at that time would now be called piece guns, since they were made only to order. This formed their high cost. The most common were the following types guns:

  • Single-barreled or double-barreled rifled fittings. Their caliber varied from 16 to 26 mm. It was a very powerful weapon, the direct ancestor of the fighting muskets. Their main difference was the presence of a rifled barrel. With a fitting, one could safely go to large animal, since its lethal force was extremely high;
  • Single-barrel rifled carbines, whose caliber was about 12.5 mm;
  • Rifled single-barreled rifles, whose caliber ranged from 7 to 9 mm. This gun was much lighter, so it was suitable for hunting a medium-sized animal;
  • Combined guns appeared. One barrel was usually smooth, and the second was rifled. Unlike modern combined models, these guns had horizontally arranged barrels;
  • Smoothbore guns. The most popular and cheapest weapon, very popular in Russia in those years. Wealthier shooters bought double-barreled weapons, the rest were content with simple single-barreled ones. Smoothbore models had a caliber from 15 to 20 mm. Their weight ranged from 2.6 to 4 kg. Naturally, lighter hunting weapons were much more expensive;
  • There were also the first shotguns designed for birds, mostly waterfowl. They were smooth-bore, could have one or two barrels, and differed in weight from 4 to 6.5 kg. The caliber of these guns ranged from 19 to 26 mm. Such heavy models were not very popular with hunters.

All of the above models were, as a rule, flint, since the percussion cap lock appeared only in the 19th century.

The best hunting rifles of the 19th century

At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a real breakthrough in the history of hunting firearms. This is due to the appearance of the first percussion-capsule guns. The first shock train was opened in France at the end of the 18th century. Thanks to the experiences of a priest from Scotland, Forsythe, a weapon appeared that uses an entirely new type of ammunition.

In 1815, the first capsules appeared, which had explosive mercury as an impact composition. In 1817, the first samples of capsule guns appeared. IN contemporary museums you can find such old models that are perfectly preserved.

Most of the first guns, even those equipped with the new primer system, remained muzzle-loading or ramrod. These were both smoothbore and rifled models. Since their main problem was the insufficient rate of fire, work was constantly underway to create breech-loading samples of hunting rifles. It was not until the 19th century that these works were finally crowned with success. The first gun of this type appeared in France in 1808. It was invented by the well-known gunsmith Poli in those years. Despite the fact that about 10 years remained before the advent of capsule cartridges, breech-loading hunting weapons already existed.

Arms of Lefochet and Flaubert

The best models of the 19th century are the works of Lefochet and Flaubert. Lefoshe in 1835-36 created the first breech-loading gun, which used unitary hairpin cartridges. The new hunting weapon worked according to the following scheme:

  1. The barrels reclined, after which the shooter could quickly insert cartridges into them;
  2. When firing, the trigger hit a special pin that protruded from the cartridge case;
  3. Thus, the capsule exploded.

Lefoshe cartridges were very popular in their time, they are produced even today.

In 1842, new rimfire ammunition appeared. They were created by Flaubert, who himself was a passionate hunter. These cartridges do not have a powder charge. In 1856, Flaubert's cartridges were improved by Beringer, who added gunpowder to them. Such ammunition is used today. But the cartridge of the central battle, which is currently the most common, was invented by Potte. As is often the case, another person received a patent for his invention. It was Schneider.

After some time, a group of English gunsmiths developed a new weapon that used centerfire cartridges. Soon all cartridges of this type received a brass sleeve.

New shop hunting rifles

When the first single-barreled and double-barreled guns were still flintlocks, the first samples of magazine guns appeared. They were very heavy and uncomfortable for everyday use. Here are some of the most famous representatives of those years:

  • Italian six-shot weapon from the armory "Antonio Constante";
  • The new fashion also touched Russia, where in the 18th century a nine-shot gun appeared, which was made by the gunsmith Savishchev.

Despite attempts, simple double-barreled shotguns with flintlocks were considered the best in those years.

A new round in development began in 1855, when S. Colt created his famous revolver cartridge. After that, the development of magazine guns went forward at a rapid pace. In the second half of the 19th century, new models of magazine guns appeared, which differed significantly from their massive predecessors:

  • Rifle "Volkanik";
  • Henry-Winchester carbine;
  • Spencer-B shotgun. Henry.

Thanks to the conquest of the Wild West and civil war in the US, the new systems quickly caught on throughout the vast country.

Pump-action models and bolt-action shotguns

IN modern Russia many believe that pump-action shotguns appeared in the 1980s. In fact, the first weapon of this type appeared in 1883 in the United States. For more than 130 years, this system proved to be reliable and reliable. Currently, pump-action shotguns are also produced by domestic arms factories, although the pump has never been able to catch up in popularity with the classic double-barreled shotgun. Reloading in such systems occurs due to the manual movement of the forearm.

In Russia, Turkish guns of this system, and American ones, are very popular. Shotguns are available in various calibers:

  • 12 gauge shotguns are considered the most powerful and versatile;
  • 16 gauge shotguns are more specific. They are not recommended for big game hunting;
  • Shotgun 20 gauge - only for medium and small game. They are lighter in weight.

Currently, pump-action systems are replacing semi-automatic models from the weapons arena. One of the most famous domestic representatives of this category is the MP-155 semi-automatic shotgun.

Hunting weapon with bolt action

Another popular system that tries to supplant the classic double-barreled shotguns are the bolt-action shotguns. This is a single-barreled weapon, which, as a rule, is rifled. The most famous representative of this category is legendary rifle Mosin, which was used both in war and hunting. The famous kulak sawn-off shotgun is the shortened rifle of the Mosin system.

In Soviet times, these sawn-off shotguns were mercilessly seized and destroyed, but after the revolution, Mosin rifles were used for hunting for a long time. smoothbore weapon. Currently, any hunter eligible to purchase rifled weapons, can buy a real three-ruler for hunting. You can choose between an ordinary rifle and a sniper rifle, which was made from the best components. True, and it costs 3 times more.

Automatic gun models

The first models of automatic rifles appeared in the second half of the 19th century, but their serial production was established only at the beginning of the 20th century. The first mass-produced weapon of this type was designed by Browning in 1903. Currently, automatic rifles are deservedly popular among a large number Russian hunters. These models are both rifled and smoothbore.

The most popular are models designed on the basis of the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle. This is Vepr from the Molot plant and Saiga from the Izhevsk plant. Despite the rough processing of parts, this weapon is considered the best in its price category. Its popularity is due not only to the flawless operation of automation, but also to its similarity with its combat counterpart.

How to choose a hunting rifle

Currently, the choice of hunting rifles is extremely wide. It used to be that a Soviet hunter could choose among several models of Tula or Izhevsk production, and even those were represented by single-barreled and double-barreled shotguns. As for the choice of rifled weapons, here Soviet hunters could also choose from several models, but this was not available to everyone.

Now the choice is extremely wide. For the domestic shooter, models are available not only for domestic production, but also for many foreign brands. The rating of weapons, which can be found on the pages of specialized publications or on the Internet, will help you make a choice.

Shotguns Russian production can be divided into modern and Soviet models. Do not think that now it is impossible to buy a new Soviet gun. Many Tula and Izhevsk models are still produced without changes. The most popular are vertical and horizontal shotguns. Combined guns are in a small but steady demand. Semiautomatic devices based on the Kalashnikov assault rifle are also very popular.

The main advantage Russian weapons is its price, but the build quality of Russian models is very mediocre, so they need to be improved on their own.

Turkish guns are optimal choice between price and quality. A good Turkish double-barreled shotgun or semi-automatic is copied from well-known European and American brands. Unlike Russian-made hunting weapons, Turkish ones are assembled with high quality. The Turks make excellent vertical and horizontal double-barreled shotguns, as well as self-loading models.