SVT-40 Semi-Automatic Rifle

The SVT series of Rifles. SVT stands for - Samozaryadnaya Vintovka Tokareva - Tokarev Semi-Automatic Rifle. About 1.6 million SVT's were produced in WW2 with production ceasing in 1945 as better weapons like the SKS came on to the scene. The early SVT-38 was not well received by Red Army soldiers with complaints that it was too long, too heavy and had a tendancy for the magazine to fall off as well as other malfunctions. Only 150,000 SVT-38's were made. The refined and upgraded SVT-40 was then unveiled and production started in 1940. About 70000 SVT-40's had been made by the time of Operation Barbarossa and many were captured by the Germans during the conflict and used by them. A German Manual was even produced. Another country which captured SVT's was Finland in the Winter War and later Continuation War. The Finns captured about 15000 SVT-38's and again used them but with much the same problems as the Russians had and also lack of suitable ammunition which caused frequent jams. Although an improvement on the earlier model the SVT-40 was still not a perfect weapon and was difficult to maintain and keep clean. About One Third of all Rifles in a Division were meant to be SVT's but there was rarely that many. Production was stopped in 1945 as the SKS and AK47 Assault Rifles were on the horizon which were far better and more reliable weapons.

 

Stalin had wanted a Semi - Automatic weapon for the Red Army since the early 1930's. Simonov & Tokarev submitted designs in a competition which Simonov won. The AVS-36 proved to be a disappointment when it was tested and a new competition was announced. Tokarev & Simonov again submitting their designs and this time Tokarev's design the SVT-38 won. This was adopted as the standard design for the Red Army. Large manufacturing facilities were made ready and it was put in to production. Unfortunately as stated above it was largely disappointing with many complaints from the Red Army. The improved SVT-40 faired little better but was a more reliable weapon than the earlier model. As the war was coming to a climax in 1945, SVT production had dwindled to the extent that the order to cease manufacture all together came in January and the Red Army was gearing up to receive it's first Assault Rifle the SKS which was a massive improvement on the SVT.

 

SVT-40