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Walking through torment or the unfortunate fate of a successful design. Simonov automatic rifle Simonov automatic rifle

USSR

7.62 mm automatic rifle of the Simonov system, model 1936, ABC-36(GAU index - 56-A-225) - Soviet automatic rifle, developed by gunsmith Sergei Simonov. It was originally developed as a self-loading rifle, but during improvements a burst firing mode was added for use in an emergency. The first automatic rifle developed in the USSR and put into service. It also became the second in the world (if you do not take into account the Fedorov assault rifle) self-loading rifle adopted for service, after the Mondragon rifle, and ahead of the American M1 Garand by several months.

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The first model of an automatic rifle was presented by S. G. Simonov at the beginning of 1926. In April 1926, the Artillery Committee of the Main Artillery Directorate, having examined the proposed rifle project, came to the conclusion that it could not be allowed for testing.

After the 1930 competition, the greatest successes in the design of automatic rifles were achieved by Simonov and F. B. Tokarev. Continuing to work on improving the rifle, in 1931 Simonov created a new model.

Simonov's automatic rifle has successfully passed field tests. It was decided to produce an experimental batch of rifles and conduct extensive military tests. At the same time, it was proposed to accelerate the development of the technological process in order to launch a batch of rifles into production already in the first quarter of 1934, and from the beginning of the second half of the year to prepare for gross production.

To assist in organizing the production of rifles at the Izhevsk plant, the designer himself was sent to Izhevsk.

On March 22, 1934, the Defense Committee adopted a resolution on the development in 1935 of capacities for the production of automatic rifles of the Simonov system.

As a result of a series of tests that took place in 1935-1936, the Simonov automatic rifle showed better results compared to the Tokarev model. And although some copies failed prematurely, as the commission noted, the reason for this was mainly manufacturing defects, not design. “Confirmation of this,” as stated in the test site protocol in July 1935, “can be the first prototypes of the ABC, which withstood up to 27,000 shots and did not have the kind of breakdowns that were observed in the tested samples.”

In 1936, the Simonov automatic rifle (ABC-36) was adopted by the Red Army and became the first automatic rifle to enter service with the Red Army after the Fedorov assault rifle. It differed from the original model proposed by the designer in 1931 in the following ways: a muzzle brake was installed, the configuration of individual parts was changed, the method of attaching the bayonet was made, and some other changes were made.

In 1937, ABC-36 participated in the next comparative tests of self-loading rifles for the Red Army, in which it showed slightly worse results than the prototype of the Tokarev self-loading rifle, although in terms of the totality of tactical, technical and production indicators it had some advantages over the SVT.

ABC-36 automatic rifles were first shown at the May Day parade in 1938; they were armed with soldiers of the 1st Moscow Proletarian Rifle Division.

On February 26, 1938, the director of the Izhevsk arms plant, A.I. Bykhovsky, reported that the automatic rifle of the Simonov system was mastered at the plant and put into mass production.

As the People's Commissar of Armaments B.L. Vannikov recalled, in the pre-war years, and especially since 1938, J.V. Stalin supported the decision to rearm the Red Army with a self-loading rifle rather than an automatic rifle, based on considerations of more rational use of ammunition in battle conditions .

Design

The automatic rifle has a technical rate of fire of about 800 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire during aimed shooting is significantly lower than the technical rate. A well-trained shooter with magazines pre-filled with cartridges can produce: about 20-25 hpm with single fire (at a distance of up to 400 m), 40-50 hpm in bursts of 3-5 shots (up to 300 m), 70- 80 rpm continuous fire (up to 100-150 m).

Nevertheless, the Simonov automatic rifle is noteworthy as one of the first of its kind, adopted for mass service and tested in combat conditions, as well as as a very advanced model for its time, created by domestic engineers and mastered in large-scale production by the domestic industry.

In the Finnish army, the Tokarev SVT rifle was preferred to the captured ABC, as it was more reliable.

Production

After the adoption of Simonov automatic rifles, their production, previously produced in separate batches, increases noticeably. So, if in 1934 106 rifles were produced, and in 1935 - 286, then in 1937 - already 10,280, and in 1938 - 23,401 units.

Production of the ABC-36 ceased in 1940, with a total of 65,800 produced.

From 1920 to 1925, the newly created Kovrov Arms Plant produced automatic rifles in addition to machine guns. These were rapid-fire rifles of the Fedorov system of the 1916 model, also known as the Fedorov assault rifle. Fedorov conducted experiments with automatic rifles back in 1905-1906 in an experimental workshop in Oranienbaum (now Lomonosov). At the same time, he presented a prototype built on the basis of the Mosin repeating rifle of the 1891 model. A few years later, he created another automatic rifle, designed for a 6.5 mm caliber cartridge he independently developed. It was followed in 1916 by the already mentioned sample. Fedorov called it a light light machine gun, and the famous expert in the field of ballistics Nikolai Mikhailovich Filatov later gave it the name “automatic”. In Soviet literature it is often classified as a submachine gun.

Fedorov assault rifle model 1916

ABC 36

Indeed, for the first time in the world, the designer managed to create a weapon that had the size and weight of a rifle, which could fire not only single cartridges, but also bursts like a machine gun. Therefore, the Russian city of Oranienbaum can be considered the cradle of the machine gun, and Fedorov - its spiritual father.
The new weapon, firing Japanese Arisaka M 38 6.5x50.5 HR rifle cartridges, worked on the principle of using recoil energy, had a short-stroke barrel, a rotating bolt and a horn magazine for 25 rounds. Several samples were manufactured for military testing. After special training, a rifle company of the 189th Izmailovsky Regiment, equipped with such rapid-fire rifles, went to the front in December 1916.
After the October Revolution, Fedorov, who was appointed director of the new Kovrov arms factory, in addition to serial production of machine guns, also worked on his own machine guns. In September 1920, the first prototype was manufactured, and by the end of the year, a pilot batch of 100 pieces was made.
When in April 1921 the order was received to begin mass production of rapid-fire weapons, the monthly production volume increased to an impressive figure for those times - 50 units. These rifles were used in battles against foreign invaders. Although in general they performed well, there were also critical reviews.

When firing in bursts, only the first bullets reached the target. Even with light contamination, failures occurred. In addition, it turned out to be difficult to supply the army with Japanese-made 6.5 mm ammunition. On top of that, it was decided to henceforth produce only rifles and machine guns chambered for the standard 7.62 mm Mosin cartridge. Therefore, production was stopped in October 1925. Up to this point, the Kovrov Arms Plant had produced about 3,200 rapid-fire rifles. In some months, up to 200 units were produced. Until 1928, these rifles remained in service with the Red Army, in particular the Moscow Infantry Regiment. But even there they lay in warehouses.
The number of specialists who monitored the production of Fedorov’s rapid-fire rifles included the young talented engineer Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. As a senior foreman at the plant, he provided great assistance to leading designers, participated in the creation of individual weapon components, worked on technology, and soon began to develop his own small arms projects.

ABC 36

Bayonet knife ABC 36

His first self-loading rifle, introduced in 1926, was rejected by the selection committee without testing. However, the 1931 model automatic rifle was approved for shooting tests. The commission recommended transferring it to the army for military testing, and the relevant department responsible for arming the army ordered its serial production to begin in the first quarter of 1934.

Automatic rifle Simonov 36

This decision was then withdrawn. The rifle did not go into production, at least not in its original design. Subsequent models were also rejected, including the 1935 automatic carbine. Only the next year, the automatic rifle, which had undergone a number of comparative tests with the samples of F.V. Tokarev and V.A. Degtyarev, brought the designer long-awaited success. This model was not a new development, but was a modification of the 1931 model, equipped with a muzzle compensator.
However, Simonov’s success turned out to be very modest compared to that brought to him by the PTRS anti-tank rifle and SKS 45 self-loading carbine, which were adopted in the summer of 1941. Although his automatic rifle was meant to replace the standard Mosin 1891/30 rifle. In limited quantities, the Simonov rifle was also produced in a sniper version with an optical sight.

Sniper variant ABC 36

Soviet literature reports that in 1934 and 1935, 106 and 286 units of these weapons were produced, respectively, for military testing; in 1937, 10,280 automatic rifles were mass-produced, and in 1938, another 24,401 units. Production was carried out at the Izhevsk Arms Plant. From there, on February 26, 1938, news arrived that the technology had been worked out and nothing was preventing the mass production of these weapons.
Given the circumstances of the time, this report was, if not exaggerated, then at least overly optimistic. Due to its complex design, the production of the Simonov rifle required a very large investment of time and money. This model was unsuitable for mass production. How many of these rifles were produced and when their production ceased is unknown. Perhaps everything was limited to the figures already mentioned above, and production stopped as soon as the Tokarev SVT 1938 and SVT 1940 self-loading rifles appeared.

ABC store 36

Disassembled ABC 36

The operation of the Simonov ABC 1936 automatic rifle is based on the principle of removal of powder gases through a hole in the upper part of the barrel. The latter is locked by a vertically moving wedge. This design allows the bolt to lock the barrel after firing until the piston, under the action of powder gases, drowns the locking wedge. Gas pressure can be adjusted.
Ammunition is supplied from a trapezoidal magazine with 15 rounds of Mosin type M 1908/30 cartridges of 7.62 mm caliber. Shooting can be carried out with single cartridges and bursts. The firing mode is selected using a translator located on the right in the rear of the bolt box. The practical rate of single firing is 20-25 rds/min, and when firing in short bursts - 40 rds/min. Despite the fact that the magazine capacity was tripled compared to the standard Mosin rifle, the ammunition capacity for an automatic rifle was clearly small.
The sighting device consists of a sector sight and a front sight without protection. The sight can be installed at a distance from 100 to 1500 m. The length of the sight line is 591 mm, and the length of the rifling is 557 mm. A characteristic feature of this rifle is a noticeable but ineffective muzzle brake, as well as a long slot for the charging handle.
The fact that the rifle did not live up to the expectations placed on it is explained, first of all, by the complex design of the bolt. To reduce the weight of the weapon, it was necessary to make its individual parts smaller and lighter. However, there is a direct relationship between reliability and reliability, labor and money costs. Weapon parts are becoming smaller and less reliable, too complex and expensive. Eventually
the costs of manufacturing and assembling such weapons are incomparable with the accuracy of their operation.
The automation wore out very quickly and after a while it did not work as accurately. This affected the reliability of the system. The shutter was open to any contamination when moving forward and backward. In addition, there were other flaws: the sound of the shot was too loud, the recoil was too strong and the concussion when fired.
Although the automatic rifle was not in service for long. it became a kind of prototype for many other types of automatic weapons. In this sense, the statements of an expert in one of the American military magazines made in August 1942 are indicative: “The Russian army received automatic weapons before we had the Garand rifle. Even later, the German army introduced an automatic rifle." These words probably also apply to the Tokarev SVT 1938 and SVT 1940 self-loading rifles.

Finnish soldiers with Soviet ABC-36, SVT rifles and a Finnish Lahti-Saloranta M/26 machine gun

ABC 36

Characteristics: Fedorov rapid-fire rifle model 1916 (Fedorov assault rifle)
Caliber, mm........................................................ ........................................6.5
Initial bullet velocity (Vq). m/s...................................670
Weapon length, mm................................................... ...........................1045
Rate of fire, rds/min.................................................... ...............600
Ammunition supply......................................horn magazine
25 rounds
Weight when charged, kg...................................4.93
Cartridge................................................. ........................6.5x50.5 HR
Barrel length, mm................................................... ........................520
Sighting firing range, m....................................2100

Characteristics: ABC 1936 automatic rifle
Caliber, mm........................................................ .....................................7.62
Initial bullet speed (Vq), m/s............................................ .835*
Weapon length, mm................................................... ....................1260**
Ammunition supply........................trapezoidal magazine
for 15 rounds
Weight with empty magazine and bayonet, kg...................................4.50
Cartridge................................................. ...................................7.62x54 R
Barrel length, mm................................................... .......................615***
Rifling/direction................................................... ...................4/p
Sighting firing range, m....................................1500
Effective firing range, m...................................600
* Cartridge with a light bullet.
** With attached bayonet -1520 mm.
*** Free part - 587 mm.

Despite the fact that the Fedorov automatic rifle performed well during a number of operations carried out by the Red Army in the early 1920s, the operation of this rifle caused a number of significant criticisms. In particular, it was noted that the automatic rifle malfunctioned, and sometimes even failed even when the mechanisms were slightly dirty, and when firing in bursts, only the first bullets reached the target. In addition, the industry of the young Soviet state was never able to organize the production of specialized 6.5mm Fedorov cartridges in the quantities required for the army. In addition, the government’s decision to increase production volumes of the standard Mosin rifle cartridge mod. 1908 7.62mm caliber as the main ammunition for most existing and developing rifles and machine guns. This led to the fact that by mid-1925. production of automatic rifles of the Fedorov system was discontinued. However, the very idea of creating highly effective automatic weapons was not forgotten.

In the late 20s - early 30s, the USSR adopted a program to modernize the weapons of the Red Army. In particular, this program provided for the partial (later complete) replacement of the Mosin system magazine rifle with an automatic rifle in the rifle units, which significantly increased the fire capabilities of the infantry. The first competitive tests of new automatic rifles were carried out in the USSR in 1926; none of the rifles tested passed these tests. But already at the end of the 30s. an automatic carbine appeared, developed by S.G. Simonov, which successfully passed the tests and was put into service in 1938. (AKS-38).

The first project of an automatic rifle was created by S. G. Simonov already at the beginning of 1926. however, the shortcomings of its design led to the fact that in April 1926. The Artillery Committee, which was reviewing the project for an automatic rifle of the Simonov system, rejected the inventor’s proposals to release a trial batch of weapons and conduct official tests. At the same time, it was noted that, although the automatic rifle does not have advantages over already known systems, its design is quite simple. S. G. Simonov’s attempts in 1928 and 1930 were also unsuccessful. present to the commission improved models of an automatic rifle of your design. They, like their predecessor, were not allowed to undergo field testing. Each time, the commission noted a number of design flaws that caused delays in firing and automatic breakdowns.

In 1931 he created an improved automatic rifle, the operation of which, like its predecessors, was based on the removal of powder gases through a side hole in the barrel. In addition, for the first time in weapons of this class, locking the barrel bore with a wedge moving in the vertical grooves of the receiver was used. Also in 1931. The automatic rifle of the Simonov system quite successfully passed the factory tests and was admitted to field tests, during which a number of defects of a constructive nature were identified.

Another model of an automatic rifle of the Simonov system mod. 1933 passed field tests more successfully and was recommended by the commission for transfer to the army for military testing. In September 1934 Simonov created an automatic carbine (AKSI). Its main difference from the rifle is the shortened barrel and lightweight design of individual parts, due to which its total weight decreased by 400 g. Field tests of the carbine were carried out on April 16, 1935, but due to the unsuccessful design of the retarder, the test site did not recommend the production of a serial batch of automatic rifles. Simonov carbines. In addition, on March 22, 1934. The Defense Committee adopted a resolution on development in 1935. capacities for the production of automatic rifles of the Simonov system. However, this decision was soon reversed. Only after, as a result of a series of comparative tests with samples of automatic weapons of the Tokarev and Degtyarev systems, which took place in 1935-1936, the Simonov automatic rifle showed the best results, it was put into pilot production. And although some copies failed prematurely, as the commission noted, the reason for this was mainly manufacturing defects, not design. “This can be confirmed,” as stated in the protocol of the testing commission in July 1935, “by the first ABC prototypes, which withstood up to 27,000 shots and did not have the kind of breakdowns that were observed in the tested samples.”

After this conclusion, the rifle was adopted by the rifle units of the Red Army under the designation ABC-36 (“automatic rifle of the Simonov system model 1936”).

As in previous models, the operation of the ABC-36 automation was based on the principle of removing powder gases generated during a shot from the muzzle of the barrel. However, this time S. G. Simonov positioned the gas exhaust system not, as usual, on the right, but above the barrel. The rifle's trigger mechanism was mainly designed for single-shot fire, but also allowed fully automatic fire. Its accuracy and efficiency were increased by a muzzle brake-compensator and a well-placed bayonet, which, when rotated 90°, turned into an additional bipod. At the same time, the rate of fire of the ABC-36 with single fire reached 25 rds/min, and when firing in bursts - 40 rds/min.

It would seem that everything is fine, but suddenly: May 22, 1936 By order of the NPO and NKOP, a competition was announced for the development of a self-loading rifle. The Tokarev system was recognized as the best, as it provides the necessary survivability. The designers were asked to improve some components, increase the strength of individual parts, simplify some parts, improve the external design of the rifles and submit them for final testing. But Simonov fulfilled the commission’s proposals ahead of schedule and reported on them: January 19, 1936. Simonov reported to the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks that he had eliminated all the discovered deficiencies and achieved great survivability of the system and reliability of shooting. May 20, 1937 By order of the People's Commissar of Armaments of the USSR and the Head of the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army, a commission was created to compare and evaluate the Simonov and Tokarev self-loading rifles in production and economic terms.

The commission came to the conclusion that for all technical and economic indicators: weight, number of parts, number and content of dimensions, manufacturing technology, consumption of metal, tools, fixtures, equipment, production space and cost of the product, The Simonov rifle has great advantages over the Tokarev rifle. The Simonov rifle is easier to manufacture, requires less metal and material consumption and is cheaper, as a result of which it should be taken as the main model of an automatic rifle for production. As a result of the conclusions of the commission and a cycle of comparative tests (including military tests), the modified ABC-36 again emerged victorious.

In order to unify the small arms of the Red Army, Simonov in 1938. developed a new unified weapon system based on the modified SVT-36, which included an automatic carbine and an automatic carbine for the airborne forces. Which in 1938 was adopted for service under the designation “Automatic carbine Simonov arr. 1938 "(AKS - 38).

It differed from the ABC-36 by reducing the overall length to 1246mm, the barrel length to 510mm, the weight was reduced by 400g, and the target firing range was reduced to 1000m. The barrel was strengthened by increasing the thickness of its walls, and the magazine capacity was increased to 20 rounds. The trigger mechanism was modernized in such a way that it provided single and automatic fire (limited to four shots). The carbine was equipped with a lightweight folding bipod, and the model for the Airborne Forces received a retractable shoulder rest similar to a DT machine gun and a pistol grip. The bayonet and the method of attaching it were borrowed from the SVT, but it was lightened and shortened. Each carbine came with six magazines. Some of the carbines were equipped with optical sights.

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7.62 mm automatic rifle of the Simonov system, model 1936, ABC-36(GAU index - 56-A-225 listen)) is a Soviet automatic rifle developed by gunsmith Sergei Simonov.

It was originally developed as a self-loading rifle, but during improvements an automatic fire mode was added for use in an emergency. The first automatic rifle developed in the USSR and put into service.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS SIMONOV AUTOMATIC RIFLE REV. 1936
Manufacturer:	Izhmash
Cartridge:
Caliber:	7.62 mm
Weight without cartridges:	4.4 kg
Weight with cartridges:	4.725 kg
Length:	1260 (with bayonet 1520) mm
Barrel length:	612 mm
Number of rifling in the barrel:	4
Trigger mechanism (trigger):	Impact type
Operating principle:	Removal of powder gases, wedge locking
Rate of fire:	800 rounds/min
Fuse:	At the rear of the trigger guard, when turned on, it blocks the trigger
Aim:	Front sight with namushnik and sector sight
Effective range:	400 m
Sighting range:	1500 m
Initial bullet speed:	840 m/s
Type of ammunition:	Detachable magazine
Number of cartridges:	15
Years of production:	1934–1940

History of creation and production

The first model of an automatic rifle was presented by S. G. Simonov at the beginning of 1926. In April 1926, the Artillery Committee, having examined the proposed rifle design, came to the conclusion that it could not be approved for testing.

After the 1930 competition, the greatest successes in the design of automatic rifles were achieved by Simonov and F.V. Tokarev. Continuing to work on improving the rifle, in 1931 Simonov created a new model.

On March 22, 1934, the Defense Committee adopted a resolution on the development in 1935 of capacities for the production of automatic rifles of the Simonov system.

In 1936, the Simonov automatic rifle (ABC-36) was adopted by the Red Army. ABC-36 became the first automatic rifle to enter service with the Red Army after the Fedorov assault rifle. It differed from the original model proposed by the designer in 1931 in the following ways: a muzzle brake was installed, the configuration of individual parts was changed, the method of attaching the bayonet was made, and some other changes were made.

ABC-36 automatic rifles were first shown at the May Day parade in 1938; they were armed with soldiers of the 1st Moscow Proletarian Rifle Division.

On February 26, 1938, the director of the Izhevsk arms plant, A.I. Bykhovsky, reported that the automatic rifle of the Simonov system was mastered at the plant and put into mass production.

Production of the ABC-36 ceased in 1940, with a total of 65,800 produced.

Subsequently, ABC-36 was replaced in production by SVT-38. As the People's Commissar of Armaments B.L. Vannikov recalled, Stalin demanded the creation of a self-loading rifle, from which automatic fire would be excluded, since in battle conditions aimless continuous shooting is possible, leading only to the irrational consumption of a large number of cartridges.

Options and modifications

Design and principle of operation

ABC is an automatic weapon, built on the removal of powder gases, and can conduct both single and automatic fire. The fire mode switch is located on the receiver on the right side. The main fire mode was single. It was supposed to fire in short bursts when there were insufficient numbers of light machine guns, and continuous fire only as a last resort, when repelling sudden enemy attacks at a distance of no more than 150 meters. At the same time, it was forbidden to use more than 4 magazines in a row, so as not to overheat and wear out the barrel and other parts. According to the instructions, the ABC fire type translator was locked with a special key kept by the squad commander, who only if necessary could allow some of the soldiers to fire in bursts (whether this function of the rifle was used in practice is a controversial issue; however, it is curious that the Fedorov 1916 assault rifle d. the fire translator was issued to the shooter only after passing a kind of exam. It was recommended to fire automatically from a prone position, with the same butt as when firing from a DP light machine gun. When firing single shots, sitting or standing, it is recommended to hold the rifle with your left hand. for the store below.

The automatic rifle has a technical rate of fire of about 800 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire during aimed shooting is significantly lower than the technical rate. A well-trained shooter with magazines pre-filled with cartridges can produce: about 20–25 hpm with single fire (at a distance of up to 400 m), 40–50 hpm in bursts of 3–5 shots (up to 300 m), 70– 80 rpm with continuous fire (up to 100–150 m).

Red Army soldiers at a halt, they are armed with PPSh-41 assault rifles, a DP light machine gun and an ABC-36 rifle

A gas outlet unit with a short stroke of the gas piston is located above the barrel. The barrel was locked using a vertical block (wedge), which moved in the grooves of the receiver (in fact, the line of movement of the wedge had a small, about 5°, angle with the vertical, which was done to facilitate unlocking the bolt manually). When the block moved upward under the action of a spring (during manual reloading) or a special bevel of the bolt frame (during firing), it entered the grooves of the bolt, locking it. Unlocking occurred after a special clutch, which was connected to the gas piston, squeezed the locking block down from the bolt grooves. Since the locking block was located between the breech of the barrel and the magazine, the trajectory of feeding cartridges into the chamber was quite long and steep, which served as a source of delays when firing. In addition, this led to the fact that the receiver was complex in design and had a large length. The design of the ABC bolt was also very complex, since a firing pin with a mainspring, separate parts of the trigger mechanism, and a special anti-rebound device were placed inside it. Automatic rifles manufactured before 1936 differ in the cut-off device, trigger mechanism and mainspring stop.

The rifle was fed from detachable magazines of the original sickle shape (due to the presence of a protruding rim on the cartridge used), each containing 15 rounds. Magazines could be equipped either separately from the rifle or directly on it, with the bolt open, from three standard clips for the rifle mod. 1891/30. Rifles manufactured before 1936 have magazines for 10 and 20 rounds.

The rifle barrel had a massive muzzle brake and a bayonet mount. On early issues of ABC, the bayonet could be attached not only horizontally, but also vertically, with the blade down. In this position it was supposed to be used as a one-legged ersatz bipod for shooting from a rest. However, the corrected description of the rifle, already published in 1937, categorically prohibits this, ordering instead automatic fire from a prone position from a rest in the form of a roll or turf. It also states that from the second half of 1936, they stopped equipping rifles with a bipod bayonet. Obviously, this idea, which looks attractive in theory, has not justified itself in practice. In the stowed position, the bayonet was carried in a sheath on the fighter’s belt and when firing, unlike the rifle mod. 1891/30, not adjacent. The open sight was notched at a range from 100 to 1,500 meters in 100-meter increments.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

Weight like a Mosin rifle mod. 1891/30 with three times the magazine capacity and the ability to fire automatically;
The detachable magazine allows you to reload the rifle without lowering it or removing it from the parapet. The magazine can be loaded without removing it from the rifle;
Stopping the shutter in the rear position signals the use of cartridges and prevents attempts to shoot with an empty magazine;
The muzzle brake-compensator reduces recoil and flame from shots, increases the accuracy of fire;
High rate of fire of the rifle.

Flaws

Slots at the bottom of the muzzle brake lead to the formation of a cloud of dust when fired, unmasking the shooter;
The survivability of the striker and ejector is insufficient;
The rifle is sensitive to contamination and temperature fluctuations;
There are often delays during shooting caused by misalignment of the cartridge with the rim on the sleeve;
In operation, the rifle requires careful handling;
The sniper version has a large dispersion of bullets, significantly inferior in accuracy and accuracy to rifles with manual reloading.

Usage

The rifle was used in the initial period of World War II.

The design of Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov was withdrawn from both production and service. However, the very idea of creating highly effective automatic weapons was not forgotten. The baton was picked up by a student of V. G. Fedorov, who by this time had taken the position of director of the Kovrov arms factory.

This student, as you probably already understood, was none other than Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov.
While still acting as a senior foreman at the Kovrov arms factory, he often worked together with the leading designers of the plant and was engaged in the creation of individual weapon components. Soon, the accumulated experience allowed Simonov to continue Fedorov’s work and begin to develop an automatic rifle of his own system, designed to use a rifle cartridge of the 1908 model.
The first project of an automatic rifle was created by Simonov at the beginning of 1926. The main distinguishing feature of the operation of its mechanism was the removal of powder gases generated during the shot from the muzzle of the barrel. In this case, the powder gases acted on the gas piston and rods. Locking the barrel bore at the moment of firing was achieved by entering the supporting combat stump into the cutout of the bolt in its lower part.
The rifle made according to this project existed only in a single copy. Factory tests have shown that, despite the completely reliable interaction of its automatic mechanisms, the design of the rifle has a number of significant shortcomings. First of all, this concerned the unsuccessful placement of the gas exhaust mechanism. For its fastening, the right side of the muzzle of the barrel was chosen (and not the upper, symmetrical one, as, for example, this was later done in the Kalashnikov assault rifle). A shift in the center of gravity to the right when firing caused a significant deflection of the bullet to the left. In addition, such a placement of the gas venting mechanism greatly increased the width of the forend, and its insufficient protection opened up access to the gas venting device for water and dust. The defects of the rifle could also include its poor performance. So, for example, in order to remove the bolt, it was necessary to separate the butt and remove the handle.
The noted shortcomings led to the fact that in April 1926. The Artillery Committee, which was reviewing the project for an automatic rifle of the Simonov system, rejected the inventor’s proposals to release a trial batch of weapons and conduct official tests. At the same time, it was noted that, although the automatic rifle does not have advantages over already known systems, its design is quite simple.

Simonov’s attempts in 1928 and 1930 were also unsuccessful. present to the commission improved models of an automatic rifle of your design. They, like their predecessor, were not allowed to undergo field testing. Each time, the commission noted a number of design flaws that caused delays in firing and automatic breakdowns. But failures did not stop Simonov.
In 1931, he created an improved automatic rifle, the operation of which, like its predecessors, was based on the removal of powder gases through a side hole in the barrel. In addition, for the first time in weapons of this class, locking the barrel bore with a wedge moving in the vertical grooves of the receiver was used. To do this, a wedge was placed vertically in the front part of the receiver, which fits into a cutout made in the front part of the bolt from below. When the bolt was unlocked, the wedge was lowered by a special clutch, and when locked, the wedge was lifted by the bolt driver, against which the bolt spring rested.
The trigger mechanism had a striker-type trigger and was designed to conduct single and continuous fire (the switch for one or another type of fire was located on the rear right of the receiver). The rifle was fed with ammunition from a removable box magazine that held 15 rounds. A muzzle brake-compensator was placed in front of the muzzle of the barrel.
In the new project, Simonov managed to increase the range of aimed fire to 1500 m. At the same time, the highest rate of fire with a single fire with aiming (depending on the shooter’s training) reached 30-40 rounds/min (versus 10 rounds/min for the Mosin rifle model 1891/ 1930). Also in 1931, the automatic rifle of the Simonov system quite successfully passed factory tests and was admitted to field testing. During their course, a number of defects were identified. They were mostly constructive in nature. In particular, the commission noted the low survivability of some parts. First of all, this concerned the muzzle tube of the barrel, on which the muzzle brake-compensator, the bayonet and the base of the front sight and the barrel release wedge coupling were attached. In addition, attention was paid to the very short sighting line of the rifle, which reduced shooting accuracy, significant weight and insufficient reliability of the safety catch.
Another model of an automatic rifle of the Simonov system mod. 1933 passed field tests more successfully and was recommended by the commission for transfer to the army for military testing. In addition, on March 22, 1934, the Defense Committee adopted a resolution on the development in 1935 of capacities for the production of automatic rifles of the Simonov system.

However, this decision was soon reversed. Only after, as a result of a series of comparative tests with samples of automatic weapons of the Tokarev and Degtyarev systems, which took place in 1935-1936, the Simonov automatic rifle showed the best results, it was put into production. And although some copies failed prematurely, as the commission noted, the reason for this was mainly manufacturing defects, not design. “This can be confirmed,” as stated in the protocol of the testing commission in July 1935, “by the first ABC prototypes, which withstood up to 27,000 shots and did not have the kind of breakdowns that were observed in the tested samples.” After such a conclusion, the rifle was adopted by the rifle units of the Red Army under the designation ABC-36(“automatic rifle of the Simonov system model 1936”).

As in previous models, the operation of automation ABC-36 was based on the principle of removing powder gases generated during a shot from the muzzle of the barrel. However, this time Simonov positioned the gas exhaust system not, as usual, on the right, but above the barrel. Subsequently, the centered placement of the gas release mechanism was and is currently used on the best examples of automatic weapons operating on this principle. The rifle's trigger mechanism was mainly designed for single-shot fire, but also allowed fully automatic fire. Its accuracy and efficiency were increased by a muzzle brake-compensator and a well-placed bayonet, which, when rotated 90°, turned into an additional support (bipod). At the same time, the rate of fire ABC-36 with single fire it reached 25 rds/min, and when firing in bursts - 40 rds/min. Thus, one soldier of a rifle unit, armed with an automatic rifle of the Simonov system, could achieve the same density of fire as was achieved by a group of three or four riflemen armed rifles of the Mosin system mod. 1891/1930 . Already in 1937, more than 10 thousand rifles were mass-produced.

On February 25, 1938, the Director of the Izhevsk Arms Plant, A.I. Bykovsky, reported that the automatic rifle of the Simonov system was mastered at the plant and put into mass production. This made it possible to increase their production by almost 2.5 times. Thus, by the beginning of 1939, more than 35 thousand rifles had entered the troops. ABC-36. The new rifle was first demonstrated at the May Day parade in 1938. The 1st Moscow Proletarian Division was armed with it.
The further fate of the automatic rifle of the Simonov system mod. The year 1936 has an ambiguous interpretation in historical literature. According to some reports, the decisive role was played by I.V. Stalin’s phrase that an automatic rifle leads to unnecessary waste of ammunition in wartime conditions, since the ability to conduct automatic fire in battle conditions that cause natural nervousness allows the shooter to carry out aimless continuous shooting, which is the reason for the irrational consumption of a large number of cartridges. This version in his book “Notes of the People's Commissar” is confirmed by B. L. Vannikov, who held the post of People's Commissar of Armaments before the Great Patriotic War, and during the war - People's Commissar of Ammunition of the USSR. According to him, already starting from 1938, I.V. Stalin paid great attention to the self-loading rifle and closely monitored the progress of the design and manufacture of its samples. “Perhaps it rarely happened that Stalin did not touch on this topic at defense meetings.

ABC-36 also had an airborne version

Expressing dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work, speaking about the advantages of a self-loading rifle, about its high combat and tactical qualities, he liked to repeat that a shooter with it would replace ten armed with a conventional rifle. That the SV (self-loading rifle) will preserve the strength of the fighter, will allow him not to lose sight of the target, since when shooting he will be able to limit himself to only one movement - pressing the trigger, without changing the position of his hands, body and head, as he has to do with a conventional rifle , requiring reloading of the cartridge." In this regard, “it was initially planned to equip the Red Army with an automatic rifle, but then they settled on a self-loading rifle, based on the fact that it made it possible to rationally use cartridges and maintain a large sighting range, which is especially important for individual small arms.”

Recalling the events of those years, the former Deputy People's Commissar of Armaments V.N. Novikov in his book “On the Eve and on the Days of Testing” writes: “Which rifle should I give preference to: the one made by Tokarev, or the one presented by Simonov?” The scales fluctuated. The Tokarev rifle was heavier, but when tested for “survivability” there were fewer breakdowns. The elegant and lightweight Simonov rifle, which was superior to the Tokarev one in many respects, malfunctioned: the firing pin in the bolt broke. And this breakdown is only evidence that the firing pin was manufactured. made of insufficiently high-quality metal, - the outcome of the dispute was essentially decided. The fact that Tokarev was well known to Stalin meant little to him. The Simonov rifle was considered unsuccessful and the short bayonet, similar to a cleaver, won a complete monopoly in modern machine guns. Then some people reasoned like this: in a bayonet battle it is better to fight with an old bayonet - faceted and long. The issue of a self-loading rifle was considered at a meeting of the Defense Committee. Only B.L. Vannikov defended the Simonov rifle, proving its superiority.”
There is also a version that the automatic rifle of the Simonov system arr. 1936, having passed the test of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, showed low performance, and its design for industrialists turned out to be low-tech. The trigger mechanism, designed to allow variable fire, provided continuous fire at too high a rate. However, even the introduction of a tempo decelerator into the design of the rifle during continuous fire did not provide satisfactory shooting accuracy. In addition, the trigger spring for servicing two sears was cut into two parts, which significantly reduced its strength. The wedge designed to unlock and lock the barrel could not simultaneously serve as a satisfactory stop for the bolt. This required the installation of a special bolt stop located in front of the wedge, which significantly complicated the entire automatic mechanism of the rifle - the bolt and receiver had to be lengthened. In addition, the shutter was open to contamination when moving forward and backward. In pursuit of reducing the weight of the weapon, the bolt itself had to be reduced and lightened. But it turned out that this made it less reliable, and its production was too complex and expensive. IN overall automation ABC-36 wore out very quickly and after some time worked less reliably. In addition, there were other complaints - a very loud sound of the shot, too much recoil and shaking when fired. The fighters complained that during disassembly ABC-36 there was a real possibility of getting your fingers pinched by the firing pin, and if, after complete disassembly, the rifle was inadvertently reassembled without a locking wedge, it was quite possible to send a cartridge into the chamber and fire a shot. At the same time, the bolt bouncing back at enormous speed could cause significant injuries to the shooter.
One way or another, but already in 1939 the production of the Simonov rifle was reduced, and in 1940 it was stopped altogether. Military factories previously engaged in production ABC-36, were reoriented to the production of self-loading rifles of the Tokarev system SVT-38 . According to some data, the total production of automatic rifles of the Simonov system mod. 1936 amounted to about 65.8 thousand units.