The American media has named its version of the five best examples of small arms from the Second World War
Millions of units of the most diverse firearms weapons were produced during World War II. However, only a few models have become true masterpieces.
The American portal 19FortyFive, which specializes in military matters, has compiled a list of the five best, according to its representatives, types of small arms that were used during the Second World War. The lists also included the development of domestic designers.
Mosin rifle
The Mosin rifle was declared the best bolt-action rifle. This type of small arms entered service with the army of the Russian Empire in 1891, and until the end of the 1950s, it was mass-produced. In total, up to 37 million units were produced.
In the USSR, the rifle was modernized to the standards of the time. By the beginning of the Second World War, it became the standard weapon of the Soviet soldier. Despite the fact that the war already required a transition to automatic weapons, the Mosin rifle was the main small arms of the Soviet army throughout the Great Patriotic War. During the war years, more than 17 million of these rifles were produced.
Mosinka has earned its popularity due to its ease of handling and care. It functioned even after being hit by dirt, fired in all weather conditions. The rifle had an effective range of almost two kilometers and fired 7,62x54 cartridges, which had a high lethal force.
Rifle M1 Garand
Among the semi-automatic rifles, the American M1 Garand rifle is recognized as the best.
The M1 Garand was developed in the USA in 1931. However, its original version was not entirely successful. In 1940, the rifle was significantly improved and put into mass production. The M1 Garand became the main weapon of the American infantry during World War II and the Korean Peninsula War.
The rifle had a maximum range of 1800 meters and fired 7,62 caliber rounds. Unlike other similar types of weapons, the M1 Garand had an eight-round magazine, which made it possible to fire more shots than the enemy could afford.
Around 5,4 million units of the M1 Garand were produced during its lifetime.
PPSH-41
The Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh) of the 1941 version was called the best of its kind. This type of small arms became a miracle of Soviet gunsmiths.
The development of the PPSh-41 had not yet been completed when the Great Patriotic War began. However, with the outbreak of war, it was possible to quickly establish its mass production. During the war years, up to 6 million units were produced. PPSh-41 became the most massive submachine gun used during the Second World War.
This type of small arms could be immediately recognized thanks to the drum magazine, which contained 71 rounds.
In addition, the PPSh had very high rates of fire for those times - 900 rounds per minute. The reliability of this weapon led to the fact that German soldiers often used it.
Rifle StG44
The world's first German-made assault rifle Sturmgewehr 44 (StG44) (and in fact, an assault rifle) marked the beginning of a revolution in this type of weapon.
The StG44 was developed at the very height of the war and became the first assault rifle to be mass-produced (about 450 units).
The StG44 had a maximum range of 600 meters. It used 7,92x33 cartridges. This machine could fire 600 rounds per minute. The StG44 store held 30 rounds.
Machine gun M2
The best large-caliber machine gun of the Second World War was recognized by the American publication as the machine gun of the John Browning system - M2 caliber 50.
This easel machine gun was a real breakthrough during the war years. It was installed on Tanks, aircraft, ships and other military equipment. The M2 was also widely used after World War II in conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. In total, up to three million M2s were produced. This machine gun is still used by the US Army today.
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