SVT-40
Tula Arms Plant · Rifle · Discontinued · 1940
Also known as: Samozaryadnaya Vintovka Tokareva, Tokarev SVT-40, Selbstladegewehr 259(r)
Overview
The SVT-40 (Samozaryadnaya Vintovka Tokareva, Model 1940) is a Soviet semi-automatic rifle chambered in 7.62x54mmR, designed by Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev. An improved version of the earlier SVT-38, the SVT-40 was intended to become the standard-issue service rifle of the Red Army, replacing the bolt-action Mosin-Nagant. It employs a short-stroke gas piston system with a tilting bolt, fed from a 10-round detachable box magazine that can also be loaded via stripper clips. The rifle features a five-position adjustable gas regulator, an effective muzzle brake, and a one-piece wooden stock with a separate upper handguard. While praised for its accuracy, firepower, and modern design, the SVT-40 proved more complex to maintain than the Mosin-Nagant, and production was scaled back after the German invasion in 1941 disrupted Soviet manufacturing. Nevertheless, approximately 1.6 million SVT-40s were produced between 1940 and 1945, making it the second most-produced semi-automatic rifle of World War II after the M1 Garand. Soviet Naval Infantry and elite units particularly favored the weapon, and captured SVT-40s were highly prized by both Finnish and German forces.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3850 g (135.8 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 4100 g (144.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1226 mm (48.27") |
| Barrel Length | 625 mm (24.61") |
| Sight Radius | 577 mm (22.72") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 840 m/s (2756 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3390 J (2500 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1500 m (1640 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 25 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
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Trigger Lock Safety
- Features: Gas Operated Tilting Bolt, Short Stroke Gas Piston, Five Position Gas Regulator, Muzzle Brake, Detachable Knife Bayonet, Stripper Clip Guide, Tangent Rear Sight, Post Front Sight, Cleaning Rod
Variants
- SVT-38 — Predecessor
- AVT-40 — Select Fire
- SVT-40 Sniper — Sniper
- SKT-40 — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- Red Army (Soviet Armed Forces) · adopted 1940
- Soviet Naval Infantry · adopted 1940
- Finnish Defence Forces · adopted 1940
- Wehrmacht · adopted 1941 · as Selbstladegewehr 259(r)
- People's Liberation Army
- Korean People's Army
Conflicts
- Winter War (1939-1940)
- World War II (Eastern Front) (1941-1945)
- Continuation War (1941-1944)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- Chinese Civil War (1945-1949)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,600,000 · Production years: 1940-1945
Produced by Tula Arms Plant, Izhevsk Arsenal, and Kovrov Arsenal. Includes approximately 51,710 sniper variants and an estimated 500,000 AVT-40 select-fire variants. Peak production of over 1 million units occurred in 1941 before German invasion disrupted manufacturing.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The SVT-40 replaced the heavier SVT-38 after the Winter War with Finland exposed deficiencies in the earlier design. The rifle was simplified by reducing the number of parts and shortening the overall length and weight. A sniper variant was produced with a PU 3.5x21 telescopic sight, but accuracy issues caused by stock-to-barrel interference led to its cancellation by 1942, with approximately 51,710 sniper variants manufactured. The AVT-40 select-fire variant, capable of fully automatic fire at approximately 750 rounds per minute, proved impractical due to excessive recoil, accelerated wear, and shortened barrel life. Soviet troops were ultimately forbidden from using the automatic fire mode. The SVT-40 could also be loaded using standard Mosin-Nagant 5-round stripper clips via guides machined into the receiver top cover. The rifle was retired from Soviet frontline service by 1955 as the SKS and AK-47 entered production. Finland retired their last captured SVT-40s in 1958, selling approximately 7,500 to civilians.
Background
The SVT-40's gas-operated design is widely credited with influencing the development of the German Gewehr 43 semi-automatic rifle, as Wehrmacht engineers studied captured examples extensively. Finnish and German forces prized captured SVT-40s so highly that the Germans published their own operating manual for the weapon, designating it Selbstladegewehr 259(r). The rifle's short-stroke gas piston system also influenced the Belgian FN-49 battle rifle. Soviet Naval Infantry (marines), being better educated and trained than average conscripts, used the SVT-40 with particular effectiveness, earning the rifle a strong reputation among elite units even as regular infantry struggled with its maintenance requirements. Fedor Tokarev, the rifle's designer, was already famous for the TT-33 pistol and was a Hero of Socialist Labor who served as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet.