Simonow AWS-36
| Simonow AWS-36 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| general information | |
| Military designation: | AWS-36 |
| Country of operation: | Soviet Union |
| Developer / Manufacturer: |
Sergej Gavrilowitsch Simonow Ischmasch |
| Development year: | 1931 |
| Manufacturer country: | Soviet Union |
| Production time: | 1936 to 1940 |
| Weapon Category: | gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1260 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 4.1 kg |
| Sight length : | 591 mm |
| Barrel length : | 615 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 7.62 × 54 mm rows |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 15 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | exchangeable cam magazine |
| Cadence : | 800 rounds / min |
| Fire types: | Single , continuous fire |
| Number of trains : | 4th |
| Twist : | right |
| Visor : | open sights |
| Closure : | Block closure |
| Charging principle: | Gas pressure charger |
| Lists on the subject | |
The AVS-36 ( A wtomatitscheskaja W intowka S imonowa obrasza goda 1936 , Russian Автоматическая винтовка Симонова образца 1936 года , in German: Automatic rifle Simonov Model 1936 ) was a Soviet automatic rifle .
history
Simonov had already presented a first self-loading rifle in 1926 , but it was unsuccessful. Although the Soviet military leadership had shown great interest in modern rifles at an early stage, usable examples from our own development did not appear until the 1930s. In 1931 Simonow submitted a rapid-fire rifle (with continuous fire option) which, after shooting tests, was recommended for troop trials by the GAU (Headquarters Artillery). Series production was planned for 1934, but did not materialize. Several comparative shootings took place to choose the successor to the aging multi-loader Mosin-Nagant . In this prestigious competition, Sergei Simonov's improved model from 1936 prevailed against the designs of Tokarev and Degtyaryov and was accepted as part of the equipment of the Red Army in the same year and its production in larger numbers was commissioned.
technology
The AWS-36 is a gas-pressure charger , the shutter is prevented by including mounted in the closure housing vertical locking block on the return. When firing, the gas pressure acts on a gas piston with a short stroke above the barrel, the impulse is transmitted via the piston rod to the locking block in order to release the return of the bolt. The piston rod has its own return spring. The AWS-36 had an interchangeable magazine, but could also be loaded with loading strips from the Mosin-Nagant. The fire selector lever is located on the right rear and allows the settings for single and continuous fire. The muzzle compensator was not very efficient, which meant that the weapon could hardly be controlled during continuous fire. The safety lever is on the right-hand side of the trigger guard, and the cleaning rod in a holder outside the stock is also on the right-hand side of the weapon. The bayonet of the weapon could also be attached 90 ° downwards to the barrel in order to serve as a support aid.
The projectile of the 7.62 mm infantry cartridge achieved a muzzle velocity of 835 m / s from the 615 mm long barrel with a twist length of 557 mm , the practical rate of fire was 20-25 rounds / min with single fire, 40 rounds / min.
During ongoing production, it turned out that the individual parts were very complex to manufacture, which stood in the way of effective mass production and resulted in high manufacturing costs.
The number of copies built is not exactly known; depending on the source, between 30,000 and 60,000 pieces are given. Exact numbers are given in Wollert / Lidschun for the following years:
| year | 1934 | 1935 | 1937 | 1938 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| piece | 106 | 286 | 10,280 | 24,401 |
Further disadvantages of the weapon were the strong recoil and loud muzzle blast, which it had in common with other contemporary infantry rifles, which also fired rifle ammunition from relatively short barrels.
commitment
When the weapon was used in combat during the Winter War in Finland in 1939 , further significant shortcomings became apparent. The loading mechanism was too filigree and poorly protected against soiling, load jams and total failures increased. The rifle did so badly that production was stopped again in 1940. The AWS-36 was rarely used during World War II. A few specimens were captured by the German Wehrmacht and declared there as a 257 (r) self-loading rifle .
After the weapon was taken out of service, the senior designer Fyodor Tokarew finally got a move. According to his designs Tokarew SWT-38 and above all the improved model Tokarew SWT-40 , over a million rifles were built and these proved to be significantly more robust.
literature
- Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun: Infantry weapons yesterday . (1918-1945). In: Illustrated encyclopedia of infantry weapons from around the world . 3. Edition. tape 2 . Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-89488-036-8 , weapons, p. 436-438 .
Web links
- Ian McCollum: Simonov AVS-36. In: Forgotten Weapons. forgottenweapons.com, accessed October 1, 2016 .
- AVS-36 Simonov. In: Modern Firearms. Maxim Popenker, accessed on April 23, 2017 (English).