Caliber: 7.62×54mmR
Length: 1260 mm
barrel length: 627 mm
The weight: 4.2 kg empty
rate of fire: 800 rounds per minute
Score: 15 rounds
The Red Army began the first tests of self-loading rifles back in 1926, but until the mid-thirties, none of the tested samples met army requirements. Sergei Simonov began the development of a self-loading rifle in the early 1930s, and exhibited his developments at competitions in 1931 and 1935, however, only in 1936, a rifle of his design was adopted by the Red Army under the designation "Simonov's 7.62mm automatic rifle, model 1936", or ABC -36. Experimental production of the ABC-36 rifle was started back in 1935, mass production in 1936-1937, and continued until 1940, when the ABC-36 was replaced in service with the Tokarev SVT-40 self-loading rifle. In total, according to various sources, from 35,000 to 65,000 ABC-36 rifles were produced. These rifles were used in the battles at Khalkhin Gol in 1939, in the winter war with Finland in 1940. And also in the initial period of the Great Patriotic War. Interesting. That the Finns, who captured rifles designed by both Tokarev and Simonov as trophies in 1940, preferred to use the SVT-38 and SVT-40 rifles, since the Simonov rifle was significantly more complex in design and more capricious. However, that is why the Tokarev rifles replaced the ABC-36 in service with the Red Army.
The ABC-36 rifle is an automatic weapon that uses the removal of powder gases and allows single and automatic fire. The fire mode translator is made on the receiver on the right. The main mode of fire was single shots, automatic fire was supposed to be used only when repulsing sudden enemy attacks, while with the consumption of cartridges in bursts of no more than 4 - 5 stores. The gas outlet unit with a short stroke of the gas piston is located above the barrel. The barrel is locked using a vertical block that moves in the grooves of the receiver. When moving the block up under the action of a special spring, it entered the grooves of the shutter, locking it. Unlocking occurred when a special clutch connected to the gas piston squeezed the locking block down from the shutter grooves. Since the locking block was located between the breech and the magazine, the trajectory for feeding cartridges into the chamber was quite long and steep, which served as a source of delays in firing. In addition, because of this, the receiver had a complex structure and a long length. The device of the bolt group was also very complicated, since inside the bolt there was a drummer with a mainspring and a special anti-bounce mechanism. The rifle was powered from detachable magazines with a capacity of 15 rounds. Shops could be equipped both separately from the rifle, and directly on it, with the shutter open. To equip the magazine, regular 5-round clips from the Mosin rifle were used (3 clips per magazine). The barrel of the rifle had a large muzzle brake and a mount for a bayonet - a knife, while the bayonet could adjoin not only horizontally, but also vertically, with the blade down. In this position, the bayonet was used as a one-legged bipod for firing from the stop. In the stowed position, the bayonet was carried in a sheath on the fighter's belt. The open sight was marked in range from 100 to 1,500 meters in increments of 100 meters. Some ABC-36 rifles were equipped with an optical sight on a bracket and were used as sniper rifles. Due to the fact that the spent cartridges are ejected from the receiver up and forward, the optical sight bracket was attached to the receiver to the left of the weapon axis.
the USSR7.62-mm automatic rifle of the Simonov system, model 1936, ABC-36(Index GAU - 56-A-225) - Soviet automatic rifle, developed by gunsmith Sergei Simonov. Initially designed as a self-loading rifle, but in the course of 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 put into 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 considered the proposed project of the rifle, came to the conclusion that it could not be allowed for testing.
After the competition in 1930, Simonov and F. B. Tokarev managed to achieve the greatest success in the design of automatic rifles. Continuing 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 make an experimental batch of rifles and conduct extensive military tests. At the same time, it was proposed to speed up the development of the technological process in order to put into production a batch of rifles 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 individual copies failed prematurely, but, as the commission noted, the reason for this was mainly manufacturing defects, and not design. “Confirmation of this,” as indicated 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 such breakdowns that were observed in the tested samples.”
In 1936, the Simonov automatic rifle (AVS-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 sample proposed by the designer in 1931 as follows: a muzzle brake was installed, the configuration of individual parts was changed, the way the bayonet was attached, and some other changes were made.
In 1937, the ABC-36 took part in the next comparative tests of self-loading rifles for the Red Army, in which it showed slightly worse results than the prototype Tokarev self-loading rifle, although it had some advantages over SVT in terms of the combination of tactical, technical and production indicators.
Automatic rifles AVS-36 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 Simonov automatic rifle was mastered at the plant and put into mass production.
As the People's Commissar of Armaments B. L. Vannikov recalled, in the prewar years, and especially since 1938, I. V. Stalin supported the decision to re-equip the Red Army with a self-loading rather than an automatic rifle, based on considerations of a more rational use of ammunition in combat conditions .
Design
The automatic rifle has a technical rate of fire of about 800 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire for aimed fire is much lower than the technical one. A well-trained shooter with magazines pre-filled with cartridges can produce: about 20-25 highs / min with a single fire (at a distance of up to 400 m), 40-50 highs / min in bursts of 3-5 shots (up to 300 m), 70- 80 high / min with continuous fire (up to 100-150 m).
Nevertheless, the Simonov automatic rifle is remarkable as one of the first of its kind, adopted for mass armament and tested in combat conditions, as well as created by domestic engineers and mastered in large-scale production by the domestic industry, a very advanced model for its time.
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, is noticeably increasing. So, if in 1934 106 rifles were produced, and in 1935 - 286, then in 1937 - already 10280, and in 1938 - 23401 pieces.
Production of the ABC-36 was discontinued in 1940, with a total of 65,800 produced.
Since 1926, the Soviet Union has been making its first timid attempts to create a new full-time army self-loading rifle. However, until 1935, none of the submitted copies could not adequately satisfy the requirements for this weapon by the military leadership.
At the very beginning of the 1930s. S. Simonov decides to change the current situation and starts a project to create a new rifle. He sends his prototypes to an expert jury in 1931, and after improvements - in 1935. Nevertheless, success comes to the master only in 1936, when a rifle of his design easily overcomes all stages of testing, as a result of which it was recommended for mass production for further arming of the Red Army soldiers. Simonov's creation falls into the army under the official index "7.62-mm Simonov automatic rifle of the 1936 model", abbreviated as ABC-36.
The first test batch of rifles of a rather small volume was released back in the middle of 1935, and weapons were sent to mass production in 1936-1937. This continued until 1940, when another domestic gunsmith, Tokarev, introduced his new SVT-40 rifle, which ousted the ABC-36 from the ranks of the Soviet Army.
According to very inaccurate estimates, about 36-66 thousand ABC-36 units were assembled. The weapon proved to be excellent in the ruthless battles at Khalkhin Gol (1939) and in the bloody winter conflict with the Finns (1940). Of course, she remained in service at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War, helping the Soviet soldier in the fight against the German intervention.
There is an interesting fact that indicates that the soldiers of sunny Finland, who captured the rifles of both Simonov and Tokarev systems during the battle, nevertheless preferred to use the SVT-38 and SVT-40. This is due to the fact that the Simonov weapon had a noticeably more complex design and was more sensitive to operating conditions. By the way, this was noted not only by the Finns, and that is why Tokarev rifles were preferable for the Red Army than ABC-36.
As for the ABC-36, this is an automatic weapon, the system of which functions on the basis of a scheme with the removal of powder gases. USM model provides firing in both automatic and single mode. The fire mode translator can be found on the left side of the receiver.
The main mode of fire for ABC-36 is considered to be single. In turn, the automatic fire function was planned to be used only in case of force majeure (for example, an unexpected enemy attack). The gas piston and the entire gas exhaust system are structurally provided above the rifle barrel. Reliable locking of the barrel is implemented due to the vertical block moving in special grooves in the receiver. When this block was shifted upwards, under the influence of a special spring, it entered the grooves of the shutter, locking it.
Due to the fact that the locking block was installed between the breech and the magazine, the path of each cartridge from the magazine to the chamber was very long and steep, which caused regular delays in firing. In addition, for the same reasons, the receiver had a complex device and significant dimensions.
The device of the bolt assembly was also very difficult, since the bolt itself had a spring-loaded drummer and an intricate anti-bounce mechanism.
Ammunition ABC-36 was produced from removable magazines that could hold up to 15 ammunition. Store equipment was allowed both separately from the rifle and directly in it, unlocking the bolt. To equip the shops, classic clips from the Mosin rifle were used (3 full clips were required for 1 magazine).
A massive muzzle brake was installed on the ABC-36 barrel, as well as a bayonet-knife, which could be mounted not only in the horizontal plane, but also in the vertical one, pointing the tip down. Obviously, in this position, he played the role of a one-legged bipod for the introduction of shooting from the stop. On the march, the bayonet should be worn in a regular sheath on a waist belt.
All basic technical parameters of ABC-36 are given in the table below:
Sights - open, with marks for a distance of 150 to 1,500 meters. It is worth noting that a small batch of ABC-36 rifles was equipped with an optical sight (sniper version).
The design of Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov was removed from production and from service. However, the very idea of creating a highly effective automatic weapon 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 Plant.
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 Plant, he often worked together with the leading designers of the plant and was engaged in the creation of individual weapon assemblies. Soon, the accumulated experience allowed Simonov to continue the work of Fedorov 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 already at the beginning of 1926. The main distinguishing feature of the operation of its mechanism was the removal of powder gases from the muzzle of the barrel, which were formed during the shot. In this case, the powder gases acted on the gas piston and thrust. The locking of the bore at the time of the shot was achieved by entering the reference 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 automation mechanisms, the design of the rifle has a number of significant drawbacks. First of all, this concerned the unsuccessful placement of the gas outlet mechanism. For its fastening, the right side of the muzzle of the barrel was chosen (and not the upper, symmetrical, as, for example, it was later done in the Kalashnikov assault rifle). The shift of the center of gravity to the right during firing caused a significant deflection of the bullet to the left. In addition, such placement of the vent mechanism greatly increased the width of the forearm, and its insufficient security opened up access to the vent device for water and dust. The defects of the rifle could also be attributed to its low 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 considering the Simonov automatic rifle project, rejected the inventor's proposals to produce a trial batch of weapons and conduct official tests. At the same time, it was noted that, although an automatic rifle does not have advantages over already known systems, its device is quite simple.
Simonov's attempts in 1928 and 1930 were also unsuccessful. submit to the commission's court improved models of an automatic rifle of their design. They, like their predecessor, were not allowed to field tests. Each time, the commission noted a number of design flaws that caused delays in firing and breakdown of automation. But the failures did not stop Simonov.
In 1931, he created an improved automatic rifle, the operation of which, like that of its predecessors, was based on the removal of powder gases through a side hole in the barrel. In addition, for the first time in a weapon of this class, the barrel bore was locked with a wedge that moved in the vertical grooves of the receiver. To do this, a wedge was vertically placed in front of the receiver, which was included in a cutout made in front of the bolt from below. When the bolt was unlocked, the wedge was lowered by a special clutch, and when it was locked, the wedge was raised by the bolt driver, against which the bolt spring rested.
The trigger mechanism had a striker-type trigger and was designed for single and continuous fire (the translator for one or another type of fire was on the receiver at the rear on the right). The rifle was fed 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 bring the range of aimed fire to 1500 m. At the same time, the highest rate of fire with single fire with aiming (depending on the shooter's training) reached 30-40 rds / min (against 10 rds / min of the Mosin rifle model 1891 / 1930). In the same 1931, the automatic rifle of the Simonov system quite successfully passed the factory tests and was approved for field tests. In their course, a number of defects were discovered. Basically, they were constructive. In particular, the commission noted the low survivability of some details. 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 muzzle release wedge were attached. In addition, attention was drawn to the very short sighting line of the rifle, which reduced the accuracy of fire, significant weight and insufficient reliability of the fuse.
Another model of an automatic rifle of the Simonov system arr. 1933 passed field tests more successfully and was recommended by the commission for transfer to the army for military tests. 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, was it put into production. And although individual copies failed prematurely, but, as the commission noted, the reason for this was mainly manufacturing defects, and not design. “Confirmation of this,” as indicated in the protocol of the firing commission in July 1935, “can serve as the first prototypes of the ABC, which withstood up to 27,000 shots and did not have such 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 arr. 1936”).
As in previous models, the operation of automation ABC-36 was based on the principle of removal of powder gases formed during firing from the muzzle of the barrel. However, this time Simonov placed the gas exhaust system not, as usual, on the right, but above the barrel. Subsequently, the centered placement of the vapor mechanism was used and is currently used on the best examples of automatic weapons operating on this principle. The trigger mechanism of the rifle was mainly designed for single fire, but it also allowed fully automatic fire. The muzzle brake compensator and a well-located bayonet, which, when rotated 90 °, turned into an additional support (bipod) contributed to an increase in its accuracy and efficiency. At the same time, the rate of fire ABC-36 single fire reached 25 rds / min, and when firing bursts - 40 rds / min. Thus, one fighter of a rifle unit, armed with a Simonov automatic rifle, could achieve the same density of fire as was achieved by a group of three or four riflemen armed with rifles of the Mosin system arr. 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 Simonov automatic rifle 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, the troops received more than 35 thousand rifles. ABC-36. For the first time, a new rifle was 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 arr. 1936 in the historical literature has an ambiguous interpretation. According to some reports, the decisive role was played by the phrase of I. V. Stalin that an automatic rifle leads to unnecessary waste of ammunition in wartime conditions, since the ability to conduct automatic fire in combat conditions that cause natural nervousness allows the shooter to perform aimless continuous shooting, which is the reason for the waste 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, starting from 1938, I. V. Stalin paid great attention to the self-loading rifle and closely followed the design and manufacture of its samples. “Perhaps it rarely happened that Stalin did not touch on this topic at meetings on defense.
ABC-36 also had an airborne version
Expressing dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work, talking 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 men armed with a conventional rifle. That the SV (self-loading rifle) will preserve the fighter’s strength, allow him not to lose sight of the target, since when shooting he can limit himself to only one movement - by pressing the trigger, without changing the position of the hands, body and head, as you have to do with a conventional rifle , requiring reloading the cartridge. In this regard, “initially it was planned to equip the Red Army with an automatic rifle, but then they settled on a self-loading one, based on the fact that it made it possible to rationally spend cartridges and maintain a large aiming range, which is especially important for individual small arms.”
SVT-38 . According to some reports, the total production of automatic rifles of the Simonov system arr. 1936 amounted to about 65.8 thousand units.
Recalling the events of those years, the former Deputy People's Commissar of Armaments V.N. Novikov writes in his book “On the Eve and in the Days of Trials”: “Which rifle should be preferred: the one made by Tokarev, or the one introduced by Simonov?” The scales fluctuated. The Tokarev rifle was heavier, but when checking for "survivability" it had fewer breakdowns. The elegant and light Simonov rifle, which in many respects surpassed Tokarev's, malfunctioned: the striker in the bolt broke. And this breakdown is only evidence that the striker was made from insufficiently high-quality metal, - essentially decided the outcome of the dispute. The fact that Tokarev knew Stalin well also played a role. Simonov’s name didn’t tell him much. Simonov’s rifle was also recognized as unsuccessful and a short bayonet, similar to a cleaver. In modern machine guns, he won a complete monopoly Then someone reasoned like this: in a bayonet fight it is better to fight with an old bayonet - faceted and long. and 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 with the possibility of conducting a variable type of fire, provided continuous fire at too high a pace. However, even the introduction of a pace retarder into the design of the rifle during continuous fire did not give satisfactory marksmanship. 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 of the shutter. This required the installation of a special bolt stop located in front of the wedge, which greatly complicated the entire automatic rifle mechanism - the bolt and receiver had to be lengthened. In addition, the shutter was open to dirt when moving forward and backward. The shutter itself, in pursuit of reducing the mass of weapons, had to be reduced and lightened. But it turned out that this made it less reliable, and its manufacture was too complicated and expensive. AT
overall automation ABC-36 worn out very quickly and after a while worked less reliably. In addition, there were other complaints - a very loud sound of a shot, too much recoil and concussion when fired. The fighters complained that during disassembly ABC-36 there was a real opportunity to pinch your fingers with a drummer, and the fact that if, after complete disassembly, the rifle is inadvertently assembled without a locking wedge, it is quite possible to send a cartridge into the chamber and fire. At the same time, with great speed, the bolt bouncing back could cause significant injury to the shooter.
One way or another, but already in 1939, the production of the Simonov system rifle was reduced, and in 1940, it was stopped altogether. Military factories formerly engaged in the production ABC-36, were reoriented to the manufacture of self-loading rifles of the Tokarev system
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Automatic rifle Simonov AVS-36 Photo relics-citadel.ru
7.62-mm automatic rifle of the Simonov system of 1936, ABC-36 (Index GAU - 56-A-225) is a Soviet automatic rifle developed by gunsmith Sergei Simonov. It was originally designed as a self-loading rifle, but in the course of 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 world's first self-loading rifle put into service, several months ahead of the American M1 Garand.
The first ABC model was presented by S. G. Simonov at the beginning of 1926. In April 1926, the Artillery Committee, having considered the proposed project, came to the conclusion that it could not be allowed for testing.
After the 1930 competition, Simonov and F.V. achieved the greatest success in designing automatic rifles. Tokarev. Continuing work on improving the ABC, in 1931 Simonov created a new model.
The Simonov ABC-36 automatic rifle has successfully passed field tests. It was decided to make an experimental batch and conduct extensive military tests. At the same time, it was proposed to accelerate the development of the technological process in order to put into production a batch of ABC-36 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 Simonov automatic rifles, 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 individual copies failed prematurely, but, as the commission noted, the reason for this was mainly manufacturing defects, and not design. “Confirmation of this,” as indicated 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 such breakdowns that were observed in the tested samples.”
In 1936, the Simonov automatic rifle (AVS-36) was adopted by the Red Army. AVS-36 became the first automatic rifle that entered service with the Red Army after the Fedorov assault rifle. It differed from the original sample proposed by the designer in 1931 as follows: a muzzle brake was installed, the configuration of individual parts was changed, the way the bayonet was attached, and some other changes were made.
Automatic rifles AVS-36 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 Simonov automatic rifle was mastered at the plant and put into mass production.
Subsequently, the ABC-36 was replaced in production by the SVT-38. As the People's Commissar for Armaments B. L. Vannikov recalled, Stalin demanded the creation of a self-loading rifle, the conduct of automatic fire from which would be excluded, since in combat conditions aimless continuous firing is possible, leading only to the wasteful consumption of a large number of cartridges.
ABC-36 design
ABC is an automatic weapon built on the removal of powder gases, it can conduct both single and automatic fire. The fire mode switch is located on the receiver on the right side. The main mode of fire was single. It was supposed to fire in short bursts with an insufficient number of light machine guns, and with 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 spend more than 4 stores in a row, so as not to overheat and wear out the barrel and other parts.
According to the instructions, the ABC-36 translator of types of fire was locked with a special key held by the squad leader, 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 moot point; however, it is curious that the machine Fedorov 1916, a fire translator was issued to a shooter only after passing a kind of exam.During the years of the Vietnam War, American officers in the same way removed the translator mechanism from their M14 automatic rifles in order to disable the possibility of firing in bursts, which, as in the case of ABC, when firing hand was practically useless). It was recommended to conduct automatic fire from a prone position from the stop, 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 by the magazine from below.
AVS-36 has a technical rate of fire of about 800 rounds per minute. The practical rate of fire for aimed fire is much lower than the technical one. A well-trained shooter with magazines pre-filled with cartridges can produce: about 20-25 highs / min with a single fire (at a distance of up to 400 m), 40-50 highs / min in bursts of 3-5 shots (up to 300 m), 70- 80 high / min with continuous fire (up to 100-150 m).
The 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 wedge movement line had a small, about 5 °, angle with the vertical, which was done to facilitate manual unlocking of the shutter). When the block moved upwards under the action of a spring (during manual reloading) or a special bevel of the bolt carrier (during firing), it went into the grooves of the shutter, locking it.
Unlocking occurred after a special clutch, which was connected to the gas piston, squeezed the locking block down from the shutter grooves. Since the locking block was located between the breech and the magazine, the trajectory for feeding cartridges into the chamber was quite long and steep, which served as a source of delays in firing. In addition, this led to the fact that the receiver was complex in design and had a long length. The design of the ABC-36 shutter was also very complex, since a drummer with a mainspring, separate parts of the trigger mechanism, and a special anti-bounce device were placed inside it. ABCs manufactured before 1936 differ in the cut-off device, trigger mechanism and mainspring stop.
The rifle was powered from detachable magazines of the original crescent shape (due to the presence of a protruding rim in the used cartridge), containing 15 rounds. Shops could be equipped both separately from the rifle, and directly on it, with the shutter open, from three regular clips for ABC mod. 1891/30. For samples made before 1936, there are magazines for 10 and 20 rounds.
The ABC-36 barrel had a massive muzzle brake and a bayonet-knife mount. In early releases, the bayonet could adjoin 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 firing from a stop. However, the corrected description of the rifle, already published in 1937, categorically forbids this, instead prescribing automatic fire from a prone position from an emphasis in the form of a roll or turf. It also states that from the second half of 1936, they stopped equipping rifles with a bayonet-bipod. 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, did not adjoin. The open sight was notched in range from 100 to 1,500 meters in increments of 100 meters.
Technical characteristics of the Simonov automatic rifle
- Weight with bayonet (in sheath), with optical sight and magazine filled with cartridges: about 6.0 kg
- Weight without bayonet, without optical sight (with bracket) and without magazine: 4,050 kg
- Magazine weight with 15 rounds: 0.675 kg
- Magazine weight without cartridges: 0.350 kg
- Bayonet weight with scabbard: 0.550 kg
- Weight of optical sight with bracket: 0.725 kg
- Bracket weight without optical sight: 0.145 kg
- Weight of moving parts (bolt, stem and cocking sleeve): 0.500 kg
- Magazine capacity: 15 rounds
- Caliber: 7.62mm
- Total length of an automatic rifle
- without bayonet: 1260 mm
- with bayonet: 1520 mm
- The length of the rifled part of the barrel: 557 mm
- Number of grooves: 4
- Sighting line length on sights 1/15: 591/587 mm
- Front sight height: 29.84 mm
- Bolt Stroke: 130mm
- Sighting range: 1500 m
- Maximum range of a bullet: up to 3 km
- Muzzle velocity (muzzle) of a light bullet: 840 m/s
- Technical rate of fire: about 800 rounds per minute
Characteristics of the optical rifle sight of the 1931 model of the year
- magnification: 4x;
- field of view: 5°30′;
- exit pupil diameter: 7.6 mm;
- distance of the exit pupil from the last lens of the eyepiece: 85 mm.
In general, the Simonov ABC-36 automatic rifle turned out to be difficult to manufacture and not reliable enough for mass use in the army. It had a very complex design and many parts of complex shape, the production of which required high qualifications, a lot of time and resources. The design made it possible to assemble a rifle without a locking block and then fire a shot; if by mistake the shooter this happened, the receiver collapsed, the bolt group flew back and injured the shooter. The original wedge locking did not justify itself. USM survivability also left much to be desired.
Nevertheless, the Simonov automatic rifle is remarkable as one of the first of its kind, adopted for mass armament and tested in combat conditions, as well as created by domestic engineers and mastered in large-scale production by the domestic industry, a very advanced model for its time.