Avtomat Fyodorova
| Avtomat Fyodorova | |
|---|---|
|
|
| general information | |
| Civil name: | "Karabin-Pulemjot" Fyodorova |
| Military designation: | Avtomat Fyodorova |
| Country of operation: | Russia / USSR |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Wladimir Fjodorow / Various armaments factories |
| Manufacturer country: | Russia / USSR |
| Production time: | 1916 to 1925 |
| Weapon Category: | Machine carabiners |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1045 mm |
| Total height: | 520 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 4.4 kg |
| Barrel length : | 520 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : |
6.5 × 50 mm rear ( 6.5 × 55 mm ) |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 25 cartridges |
| Cadence : | 600 rounds / min |
| Fire types: | Single, continuous fire |
| Visor : | open sights |
| Closure : | Swing bolt lock |
| Charging principle: | Recoil loader |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Awtomat Fjodorowa is a Russian - according to modern classification - automatic fire rifle in the caliber 6.5 × 50 mm HR . The weapon was described by the designer Fyodorov as a light machine gun , the term automat was coined by the Soviet ballistician Nikolai Michailowitsch Filatow and finally prevailed. In Soviet technical literature, the weapon was also referred to as a submachine gun.
origin
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were several rifles whose reloading process was carried out using the energy of the powder gases produced when firing. Such self-loading weapons , which offered the possibility of rapid firing, were developed in Austria , Italy , Great Britain , the USA , Germany , Mexico and Denmark . The Russian Empire was another country where similar work was taking place. The results, however, were ignored by the Tsarist army . Only the experience (and defeat) of the Russo-Japanese War changed the situation and attempts were made to convert the Mosin-Nagant M1891 orderly rifle into a self-loading rifle. One of those involved in such projects was the thirty-two-year-old officer Vladimir Fyodorov. Convinced of the futility of a semi-automatic version of the Mosin-Nagant, Fyodorov presented construction plans for a basically new rifle in 1907. The weapon was a blowback rigid lock and missed the normal ammunition in caliber 7.62 x 54 mm R . The project attracted attention and the following year, under strict secrecy, the development and production of a five-shot self-loader according to Fyodorov's plans in the Sestroreetsk arms factory began .
Further development
The first model was far from satisfactory, unreliable and even dangerous for the shooter. It took several years to rectify the problem, and it was not until 1911 that the improved rifle, equipped with a bolt accelerator and other innovations, was introduced. In 1912 the weapon was modified again (including an improved safety device and a new sight ) and ten specimens were tested under field conditions. The tests, in which about 47,000 rounds were fired, showed a very low error rate of 1.66% in normal condition and 3.9% with a dirty and rusty weapon. Compared to the Mosin-Nagant rifle, Fyodorov's self-loading rifle had advantages such as less stress on the shooter, a weaker recoil and a 60% higher rate of fire.
The test result resulted in an order for 150 rifles for testing within the army , but Fyodorov was not convinced of the success of his development. The reason for this was the cartridge used, the edge of which was the cause of numerous problems with the ammunition feed during automatic reloading. Fyodorov, who had previously dealt with the theory of small-caliber rifles, developed his own rimless test cartridges with improved ballistic properties in the 6.5 and 7 mm calibers in 1911. Such cartridges made it possible to build a lighter and more compact weapon, and because of their lower specific weight, the shooter could carry more ammunition with him. Much more important, however, was that the missing edge increased the reliability of the ammunition feed many times over. After numerous attempts, Fyodorov concentrated on a 6.5 mm cartridge with a projectile weight of 8.5 grams and a 7 mm cartridge with a 9.63 g projectile. The sleeve length was 57 mm. At an average pressure of 3500 bar, the initial speed was around 860 m / s. At the end of 1912 the corresponding rifles were built, which in 1913 gave good results in a direct comparison with weapons in caliber 7.62 mm. The error rate this time was 1.18%, while the weapon weighed 0.2 kg less. As a result, the production of 20 rifles in both calibers was recommended for the purpose of troop trials and an order for 200,000 cartridges was placed.
Resistances
However, conservatism of the government and military leadership stood in the way of the development of such promising weapons . Tsar Nicholas II spoke out against the introduction of an automatic rifle because "the cartridges would not be enough". When the First World War broke out in 1914 , work on automatic weapons was completely stopped, the existing rifles were withdrawn and Fyodorov was entrusted with the task of supplying weapons.
However, World War I demonstrated the superiority of automatic weapons, especially the machine gun . The lack of appropriate weapons within the Russian army showed itself in a painful way, so that Fyodorov's work was resumed a year later, this time in Oranienbaum (Russia) , where Fyodorov aimed for a fully automatic modification of his weapon. During a stay in France in 1915, Fyodorov learned to appreciate the tactical capabilities of light machine guns of the Chauchat type and their number in the French army. These experiences gave him the idea of developing his rifle into a weapon that combined the performance of an infantry rifle with the firepower of a light machine gun.
The first weapon of this type was built in 1916 and was based on the 1913 model. The differences lay in the shorter barrel (520 mm instead of 800) and a modified trigger mechanism with a fire selector switch on the trigger guard. The weapon was 1045 mm long, weighed 4.4 kg unloaded and consisted of 64 individual parts. The rifle was a fully automatic recoil loader with a rigid lock and a short sliding back barrel. The locking was achieved by two swivel bolts, which reached with their locking lugs in recesses in the lock. After the shot, the bolt moved back together with the barrel, while the rear end of the swivel bolt was pushed down. As soon as the bolt was free, the barrel stopped, the bolt returned by itself, ejected the empty case and cocked the tap. Then the return springs pushed the breech and barrel back into their forward position, where they were reconnected by the swivel bolts.
The main problem arose in connection with the ammunition: Fyodorov's 6.5 × 55-mm cartridge could not be produced in the required quantity during wartime. Instead, the ammunition of the Japanese Arisaka rifle in caliber 6.5 × 50 mm HR was used by adapting the chamber . The Arisaka cartridge was available in large numbers as booty ammunition after the Russo-Japanese War of 1904/05 and was very similar to Fyodorov's own development. The cartridge was significantly weaker than the Russian 7.62 × 54 R, had a semi-rim that did not affect the feed and developed a muzzle velocity of 660 m / s in Fyodorov's rifle, which was called "Awtomat Fyodorova" from 1920 . The ammunition was fed via a magazine that held 25 cartridges. The rear sight was marked for distances of up to 2000 paces (1424 m), there was a fore grip in front of the magazine and a bayonet could be attached. Based on the model of the "Awtomat", some test specimens from 1912 in caliber 7.62 × 54 R were converted into fully automatic machines with a 15-round magazine.
commitment
The troop tests of the "Avtomat Fjodorowa" were carried out in the same year at the 10th Air Division, whereby the pilots liked the weapon more than the Chauchat-IMG. The good evaluation led to the weapon being officially introduced in early 1917. 15,000 pieces were ordered, but due to the poor condition of the arms industry , only a few dozen could be produced.
In 1918 the Soviet government placed a new order for 9,000 pieces. The weapons factory in Kovrov , which was commissioned with the production, was in miserable condition, and by the end of 1920 only about 100 pieces could be produced. The primitive conditions under which the weapons were manufactured manifested themselves in the lack of reliability. Mass production could only take place from 1921.
In 1923 the rifle was modernized again: it received a slide catch, the feeder of the magazine was changed, the weapon could be loaded with loading strips, the front sight was given a front sight protection and the rear sight was divided for distances up to 3000 paces (2100 m).
In 1924 it was decided that in the future all automatic weapons should only be built in caliber 7.62 × 54 R, which meant the end for Fyodorov's weapon, despite all its advantages (easy-to-use, fully automatic rifle that fires small-caliber ammunition with a weak recoil Feeding from a separate magazine with a large capacity - all features of modern assault rifles ). Production was stopped in 1925 and the weapon was retired in 1928. Up to then about 3200 pieces had been produced. The "Awtomat Fjodorowa" was used against German troops in 1916, during the October Revolution in 1917 and during the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939–1940 .
literature
- Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun: Infantry weapons yesterday . (1918-1945). In: Illustrated encyclopedia of infantry weapons from around the world . 3. Edition. tape 1 + 2 . Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-89488-036-8 , weapons, p. 436 .
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Günter Wollert, Reiner Lidschun: Infantry weapons yesterday . (1918-1945). In: Illustrated encyclopedia of infantry weapons from around the world . 3. Edition. tape 1 + 2 . Brandenburgisches Verlagshaus, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-89488-036-8 , weapons, p. 436 ( Included in the entry for the Simonow AWS 1936 7.62 mm rapid fire rifle .).
