Tokarev AVT-40
Tula Arms Plant · Battle Rifle · Discontinued · 1942
Also known as: AVT-40, Avtomaticheskaya Vintovka Tokareva, Automatic Tokarev Rifle
Overview
The Tokarev AVT-40 is a Soviet select-fire battle rifle, a full-automatic-capable variant of the semi-automatic SVT-40 chambered in 7.62x54mmR. Ordered into production in May 1942, it differed mainly in its trigger group: the manual safety lever was reworked into a fire selector permitting both semi-automatic and fully automatic fire, and the stock was made of stouter hardwood (often marked with a large 'A') to better absorb the stress of automatic fire. In practice the rifle proved nearly uncontrollable on full-auto, with grouping degrading several times over, frequent parts breakages, and barrels shot out in as few as 150-250 rounds of sustained fire. Automatic fire was soon prohibited and production ended in the summer of 1943.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3850 g (135.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1226 mm (48.27") |
| Barrel Length | 625 mm (24.61") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 840 m/s (2756 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3387 J (2498 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1500 m (1640 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 750 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x54mmR · primary — also known as 7.62x54R, 7.62 Russian, 7.62mm Mosin
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Selector Safety
- Features: Select Fire, Short Stroke Gas Piston, Tilting Bolt, Muzzle Brake, Detachable Box Magazine, Reinforced Hardwood Stock
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Soviet Red Army · adopted 1942 · as AVT-40
Conflicts
- World War II (1942-1945)
- Eastern Front (1942-1945)
Production
Production years: 1942-1943
Produced in relatively low numbers for a short period; full-auto fire was prohibited after testing exposed reliability and barrel-wear problems, and none were made after the summer of 1943.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: Fedor Tokarev
Discontinued: 1943
Notes
Built on the SVT-40 platform with a modified trigger group turning the safety into a fire selector. Soviet testers concluded that converting a self-loading rifle to full-auto by trigger-group changes alone reduced its combat value below that of a submachine gun, hastening the shift toward the PPSh-41 and similar weapons.
Background
During testing under continuous automatic fire, an AVT-40's barrel could be completely shot out in as little as 150-250 rounds, and dusty-condition jamming rates ran as high as 50 percent, leading the Red Army to ban use of its automatic mode.