You would also be issued a cleaning kit and two ammunition pouches. The ammunition pouches came in many variations. The pouches generally follow the style of the example above. They could be made of canvas, leather or a combination of the two. Colors varied from black to tan to brown.
Now that you have your uniform, Tavarish Soldat, the next step is your weapon. A Soldier isn't a soldier without their weapon! The common weapon of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War was the Mosin-Nagant M91/30 rifle. I will talk a little on two variations of the M91/30. It is your duty as a soldier in the glorious Red Army to take care of your rifle. Remember: Take care of your rifle and it will take care of you!
VINTOVKA 1891/30
TYPE I : Produced from 1927-1932 (some later dates seen)
TYPE II: Produced from 1933-1944
Arsenals: Ishevsk, Tula
Improved front and rear sights; used a spring type barrel band retainer
STATS:
Length: 1218mm
Weight: (unloaded): 3890 kg.
Barrel: 730mm, 4 groove, right-hand twist
Magazine: 5 round integral box
Rate of fire: Bolt-action, 10 to 12 rounds a minute
Caliber: 7.62x54mm vintovochnyi patron obr 1891g
Muzzle Velocity: 860mps
M91/30 rifle with sling and spike bayonet
As a private soldier you would have been issued your rifle in a ceremony during basic training. This was almost a coming-of-age ceremony. The new soldier pledged to protect the Soviet State, with one hand on his new rifle, in front of the entire company. (Note: In the Soviet Union military service was under a draft program. A young person was drafted to serve two years. Tradition was that this was the new soldier's first 'trip' away from home, and a rite of passage. It was similar to Americans sending their kids to college. Up to the collapse of the USSR, military service was still looked upon as a vital step in growing up. It wasn't always a positive experience, however, young people tended to brag about how tough their tours were).
In 1943 a new carbine version of the rifle was designed.
Karabina obr.1944g
Produced from 1943-1948
Arsenals: Ishevsk, Tula
War year models featured a bayonet mount with one 'ear'- post war have two.
Many war year production M44s had laminated stocks.
STATS:
Length: 1020mm
Weight (unloaded): 3850 kg.
Barrel: 517mm, 4 goove, right-hand twist
Magazine: 5 round integral box
Rate of fire: Bolt-action, 10 to 12 rounds per minute
Caliber: 7.62x54Rmm vintovochnyi patron obr 1891g
Muzzel Velocity 820 mps
M44 Carbine with sling (note attached bayonet folded back against the carbine)
Many units within the RED ARMY portray a certain time period. Some have specified weapons they want their members to have. BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING - talk to your unit. See what they recommend.
For more detailed information on the M91/30 and the M44 I suggest Tuco's most excellent site, Mosin-Nagant.com.
RED ARMY RECRUIT DEPOT
LESSON 2: Your Rifle
TAVARISH SOLDAT: THE KEY THING TO REMEMBER ...
Lesson 3 is Drill based on the 1944 Infantry manual of the Red Army. As more of the Manual is translated more pages will be added.
