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Fedorov Avtomat Rifle
File:Awtfed.jpgFedorov Avtomat
Type	Automatic rifle
Place of origin	Russian Empire
Service history
In service	1915–1945
Used by	Russian Empire, Soviet Union
Wars	World War I, Russian Civil War, Spanish Civil War, Winter War, World War II
Production history
Designed	1915
Manufacturer	Kovrov Arms Factory, (Now V. A. Degtyarev Plant, OJSC)
Produced	1915–1924
No. built	3,200
Specifications
Mass	4.4 kg (Loaded; 5.2 kg)
Length	1,045 mm
Barrel length	520 mm
Cartridge	6.5×50mmSR Arisaka
Caliber	6.5 mm
Action	Short recoil operation
Rate of fire	350–400 Rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	2,145 feet per second (654 m/s)
Feed system	25-round detachable box magazine
Sights	Iron sight

The Fedorov Avtomat (Russian: Автомат Фёдорова) was an automatic rifle, considered by some the first assault rifle, designed by Vladimir Grigoryevich Fyodorov and produced in Russia in 1916. A total of 3,200 Fedorov rifles were manufactured between 1915 and 1924 in the city of Kovrov. In 1919, after 500 had been built, production was increased. The weapon saw combat in World War I in 1916, in the Russian Civil War, and later in the Winter War with Finland in 1940, when some were withdrawn from storage and issued to elite units of the Red Army. The Fedorov Avtomat is considered to be an early predecessor to the modern assault rifle, due to its relatively light weight, large detachable magazine, intermediate powered cartridge and selective fire capabilities.

Development

The Fedorov Avtomat is a short recoil operated, locked-breech weapon which fires from a closed bolt. The bolt locking is achieved by two dumbbell-shaped locking plates, mounted at either side of the breech, latching barrel and bolt together through lugs on the bolt. Those plates are allowed to tilt slightly down after about 10 mm of free recoil, unlocking the bolt. A bolt hold-open device is fitted and the firing mechanism is of hammer type.

Captain V. Fedorov began a prototype of a semi-automatic rifle in 1906, working with future small arms designer Vasily Degtyaryov as his assistant. A model was submitted to the Rifle Commission of the Russian army in 1911, which eventually ordered 150 more rifles for testing. In 1913, Fedorov submitted a prototype automatic rifle with a stripper clip-fed fixed magazine, chambered for his own experimental rimless 6.5 mm cartridge, called the 6.5mm Fedorov. This new rimless ammunition was more compact than the rimmed Russian 7.62×54mmR, better suited for automatic weapons and produced less recoil. This experimental cartridge fired a pointed jacketed bullet weighting 8.5 grams at an initial velocity of 860 m/s with a muzzle energy of 3,140 J (as opposed to the 3,600-4,000 J muzzle energy of 7.62×54mmR ammunition).

6.5mm Fedorov rifles were tested late in 1913 with favorable results. Since production of a new cartridge was not feasible, the decision was made to convert 6.5mm Fedorov rifles to use the Japanese 6.5×50mmSR Arisaka ammunition, in this particular firearm's case having a muzzle velocity of only 654 m/s because of constrained barrel length. The ammunition was also produced in Great Britain, which had purchased Arisaka rifles for the Royal Navy during World War I. The fixed magazine was replaced by a detachable, curved 25-round box magazine.

Production

In 1915, the need for lightweight automatic arms led the Russian Army to order the manufacture of Fedorov automatic rifles with larger-capacity detachable magazines. Production of the new cartridge was out of question so it was decided to convert 6.5 mm Fedorov rifles to use the Japanese 6.5×50mmSR Arisaka ammunition which was in abundance, having been purchased from Japan and Great Britain along with Arisaka rifles. The change of ammunition involved only minimal changes to the rifle, including a chamber insert and a new range scale for the rear sights. In 1916, the Weapons Committee of the Russian Army made a decision to order no less than 25,000 Fedorov automatic rifles. In early 1918, the order for Fedorov rifles was limited to 9,000 weapons, but as result of turmoil of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent civil war, only 3,200 Fedorov rifles were manufactured in the city of Kovrov between 1920 and 1924, when production was finally stopped.

See also

• Mondragón rifle
• Farquhar-Hill Rifle
• Furrer M25
• Huot automatic rifle
• Cei-Rigotti
• Johnson
• Sturmgewehr 44
• List of Russian inventions

Notes

1. ^ The Machine Gun volume 2, George M. Chinn, 1952, pg. 30
2. "Спецвыпуск к 125-летию В. Г. Фёдорова". Oruzhiye Magazine (in Russian). No. 1999–4. Moscow: Vostochny Gorizont. pp. 16–28. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
3. Bolotin, David (1995). "Глава 5. Автомат Фёдорова и унификация стрелкового оружия на его базе". История советского стрелкового оружия и патронов (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Poligon. pp. 156–165. ISBN 5-85503-072-5. {{cite book}}: |format= requires |url= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |trans_chapter= ignored (|trans-chapter= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
4. ^ Grechko, Andrei, ed. (1976). Советская военная энциклопедия (статья «Автомат») (in Russian). Vol. 1. Moscow: Ministry of Defense of the USSR. p. 75 http://militera.lib.ru/enc/enc1976/index.html. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
5. Monetchikov, Sergei (2005). История русского автомата (in Russian). Saint Petersburg: Izdatel'stvo "Atlant 44". pp. 2–11. ISBN 5-98655-006-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
6. Zhuk, Aleksandr (1987). "Часть III. Автоматы". Винтовки и автоматы (in Russian). Moscow: Voenizdat. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |trans_chapter= ignored (|trans-chapter= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
7. Williams, Anthony (2002–2012). "Assault Rifles and their Ammunition: History and Prospects". Retrieved 4-Apr-2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
8. Zlobin, Vladimir (15 February 2013). "«Калашниковы» для XXI века". Krasnaya Zvezda (Interview) (in Russian). No. 28 (26247). Interviewed by Andrei Bondarenko. pp. 10–11. Retrieved 21 February 2013. {{cite interview}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |subjectlink= (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
9. Fowler, William; Sweeney, Patrick (2008), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rifles and Machine Guns: An illustrated historical reference to over 500 military, law enforcement and antique firearms ... and automatic machine guns, a comprehensive guide, Lorenz Books, p. 68, ISBN 0-7548-1758-X

Bibliography

• A.J.R. Cormack Famous Rifles and Machine Guns, ISBN 0-214-20325-5
• Major F. Myatt Modern Small Arms, ISBN 0-86101-024-8
• Popenker, M. et al. (2004). Battle Rifle. Wiltshire: The Crowood Press Ltd. ISBN 1-86126-700-2
• John Walter, Military Rifles of Two World Wars, ISBN 1-85367-536-9

External links

• http://world.guns.ru/assault/as86-e.htm
• http://www.encycl.atsar.ru/guns/avtomatfedorova
• http://armor.kiev.ua/Tanks/BeforeWWII/MS1/fedorov/index.html
• Fedorov Avomat modified with spade grips

• Assault rifles
• Russian inventions
• Weapons of Russia
• World War I Russian infantry weapons