A 7.62-mm 1940 Tokarev (SVT-40) self-loading rifle, USSR.

A 7.62-mm 1940 Tokarev (SVT-40) self-loading rifle, USSR.

In February 1939, the Red Army adopted for service the 7.62-mm 1938 Tokarev self-loading rifle (SVT-38) to replace the ineffective AVS-36 Simonov automatic rifle. Drawing on the experience of the use of the rifle in Finland, the weapon was modified, and in April 1940, the modernized SVT-40 was accepted into service.

The USSR and the United States were the only two nations that managed to arm their troops with contemporary mass-produced self-loading rifles ahead of WWII. However, the SVT-40 was quite expensive to produce and hard to master. Therefore, it never replaced the tried, reliable and cheap Mosin rifle. Nevertheless, the Tokarev self-loading rifle passed the tests of the Great Patriotic War, being used in both regular and sniper versions.

Characteristics:
Caliber, mm — 7.62
Weight without bayonet, kg — 3.9
Length without bayonet, mm — 1,226
Barrel length, mm — 610
Muzzle velocity, m/s — 830
Firing range, m — 1,500
Magazine capacity, rounds — 10