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"Bent trunk" Corner shot: look around the corner. Tough Russian gunsmiths

The most amazing thing is that rifles capable of shooting around corners first appeared not in the arsenal of the special services, as one might suggest, but completely spontaneously on the fronts of the First World War. This happened significant event 19 May 1915 in the trenches at Gallipoli. During the battles against the Turks, when the trenches of the opposing forces were located no further than 70-100 meters from each other, raising their heads above the trench for Entente soldiers meant certain death. Nevertheless, it was necessary to observe enemy positions and conduct targeted fire. How to do this without exposing yourself to mortal risk?

An unusual solution to this problem was proposed by William Babich. The sharp-witted Australian noticed that the soldiers of his corps used periscopes to observe enemy positions. Then he decided to combine a rifle with a periscope. His proposal quickly found application in practice, although the first rifles that fired “from around the corner” looked unsightly and makeshift. The rifle and periscope, mounted on a homemade wooden tripod, were raised above the edge of the trench and aimed at the target. After this, the soldier pulled the cable tied to the trigger of the weapon and fired. The invention turned out to be so successful that already from May 26, 1915, workshops for mass production of this product were set up in the rear of the Australian Expeditionary Force. unusual looking weapons. Similar designs were used during World War II. Beginning in 1943, German soldiers actively used them against Soviet troops.

In one famous joke, one special forces soldier suggests to another: “ You break into the room first, and then I... will avenge you! Perhaps such a situation would carry much less risk if it was not a person who first looked into the room occupied by criminals, but the barrel of a weapon that could shoot accurately from around the corner.

Targeted shooting from cover or at an enemy in cover can only be carried out with the risk of receiving a return bullet. Therefore, the fighters take turns jumping out from around a corner, wall or trench and hope that the enemy will be in the line of fire at that moment, but they will have time to shoot first. The desired is not always achieved, of course. Therefore, the question of creating a weapon capable of shooting from around a corner has always worried military engineers.

Background

“Curve-barrel weapon” is not army jargon, but a completely official name for a certain type small arms. Despite the rather narrow niche of application, the need for curved barrels that can fire without risk to the fighter has always existed. Major developments in this direction began back in the Second World War - primarily in the German army, as well as in the USSR and the allies.

A well-known variant of the German MP-44 automatic rifle was fitted with a special Krummlauf (“Bent Barrel”) barrel attachment, bent almost at an angle of 90 degrees. There were even special hatches with this attachment for mounting in the roof of almost any armored vehicle. A soldier inside the vehicle, armed with a very ordinary MP-44, could easily insert the barrel of a rifle into an adapter in the ceiling and begin shooting at attackers outside.

All such designs, no matter in which country they were developed, have traditionally been characterized by heavy weight and low efficiency due to a significant reduction in bullet speed in curved barrels. And only the prevalence of miniature video cameras and LCD displays prompted engineers from the American-Israeli company Corner Shot Holdings to develop a device of the same name, devoid of all the shortcomings of designs of previous years.

Design

One of the main advantages of the Corner Shot is its versatility. The device for firing from cover does not itself shoot anything - it is only a kind of “machine” in which a hinge and a video aiming system are built-in. And already into this “machine” a serial weapon is inserted and fixed. Various mounts allow you to order the Corner Shot for use with the most popular brands of pistols - Glock, Beretta Sig Sauer, CZ, etc.

Manufacturers of “flexible weapons” strongly recommend giving preference to models with automatic firing capabilities, so that, if necessary, they can be equipped with an assault magazine for 20–30 rounds and fire in bursts rather than single fire.

In addition to pistols, the Corner Shot device can be mated to an M-16 automatic rifle or a Kalashnikov assault rifle - only with the stock, grip and some other parts removed.

The two parts of the Corner Shot are connected by a hinge that houses the camera cable and the flexible trigger rods. At the same time, the video camera not only surveys the terrain - it is rigidly mounted on the body and is aimed like an optical sight or laser target designator. Therefore, the marker on the shooter’s screen clearly corresponds to the aiming point - thanks to this, shooting from the Corner Shot is really effective, and does not just force opponents to duck in surprise while special forces rush into them.

It is also worth noting that the device is fixed in a straight position - this allows, if necessary, to use the weapon in the most ordinary conditions, when shooting from around a corner is not necessary.

For more convenient aiming in difficult conditions, the Corner Shot camera can be equipped with various filters, tactical flashlights, infrared illumination and many other accessories. One of the most interesting possibilities in modern conditions of high-tech warfare is the function of connecting a radio module, which in real time remotely transmits to the group commander’s display everything that a fighter sees on his screen.

Usage

The Corner Shot device does not require the adoption of a new type of weapon - the combat unit uses its own barrels, which can be temporarily or permanently installed in the Corner Shot, like a phone in a charging cup. Of course, no one is trying to equip the entire combat group with “flexible weapons” - this is unnecessary and will even reduce its effectiveness.

Weapons that can help, without putting personnel at risk, to break into a building or behind a fence are carried by one or two fighters - this, as a rule, is enough for a group of reconnaissance or an anti-terrorist squad.

November 17th, 2014

An automatic barrel appears above the parapet of the trench, and although the shooter is not visible, the fire is aimed and the targets are hit. Also, bullets from the barrel fly precisely at the target when it appears around the corner, from the hatch of a combat vehicle and other shelters. In all cases, the shooter is hidden, outside the line of fire, in a safe place, but it is he who catches the figure of the “enemy” in the trailer, his fingers smoothly pressing the trigger at the right moment. A weapon with a curved barrel can conduct such fire. This is not science fiction, but documentary newsreel footage of the end of World War II.

The idea of a curved weapon arose with the advent of firearms. Devices for firing from cover were conceived by military engineers back in the 19th century. In 1868, artillery general Maievsky proposed making the cannon barrel curved.

However, the idea began to be realized in the 20th century. Priority in the implementation of this project belongs to Germany, which waged constant wars and was interested in preserving its soldiers and defeat more enemy soldier. During the First World War, the Finns came up with a device with a periscope for the Mosin rifle.

After World War II, Western countries followed the path of creating special attachments for the barrel of standard weapons, while in the USSR they literally implemented the idea of a curved-barreled weapon.

Although the idea of a curved-barreled weapon has not become widespread, nevertheless, the ability to hit targets covertly and without danger to the shooter is very important when conducting counter-terrorism operations.

Let's look at this topic in more detail...

The history of curved weapons also knows anecdotal inventions. Back in 1917, American inventor Albert Pratt patented a pistol helmet. The barrel of the pistol was located on top of the fighter’s head, and the sighting shield in front of the face helped to aim accurately. To fire, the shooter had to blow into a special tube connected to an inflatable bulb behind the trigger. The “pear” expanded and pulled the trigger. In practice, the recoil of the pistol when fired would break the shooter's neck. Another American, A. B. De Salardi, in 1953, brought the previous invention to a submachine gun. The weapon is also mounted directly on the fighter’s helmet. The same periscope and flexible tube. It is enough to blow hard into the mouthpiece and the weapon immediately opens fire. The new machine gun did not go further than invention.

It was during this Second World War that the development of curved-barreled weapons was actively carried out. And, characteristically, this was done in the interests not of the infantry, but of the tank crews. This was caused, firstly, by an increase in the caliber of tank guns and the dimensions of tanks, which led to an increase in the “dead” (not covered by fire) space to several tens of meters. Secondly, the rejection of turret machine guns had already become the norm by this time, since the ball mounts of the machine guns weakened the frontal armor of the tank. Consequently, the possibility of shooting through the “dead” space was also lost. And thirdly, increasing the effective firing range anti-tank grenades ometov(“faustpatrons”). By this time it had reached the limits of “dead” space, and therefore well-trained riflemen could hit tanks while remaining relatively invulnerable to its machine guns. Solving the problem of eliminating “dead” space, American designers created Reising submachine guns, 11.43 mm caliber, with a curved attachment attached to the barrel. They could shoot through the “dead” space in front and on the sides of the car. In 1944, “tank” curved weapons began to be adapted for infantry.

The very idea of creating a curved weapon was not new. Back in 1868, artillery general N.V. Maievsky, professor of ballistics at the Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy, proposed a project for a curved gun, loaded from the ground. True, he did this in order to increase the firing of a disk projectile. When fired from an artillery system with the barrel bore curved upward, the “disc” mounted on the edge was pressed by centrifugal force to the top of the barrel and received the necessary rotation that the designers sought. One of the guns with a similar bore was made in Russia under the leadership of Professor Maievsky. Experimental shooting in 1871-1873 confirmed the correctness of the calculations: a disk projectile weighing 3.5 kg, with an initial speed of 480 m/s, flew 2500 m, while an ordinary cannonball of the same weight under the same conditions - only 500 m. But Most importantly, this experiment revealed the possibility of firing from a curved-barreled weapon.

Krummlauf (curved barrel) weapon system that allows you to shoot from behind cover. Consists of a Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle, a curved barrel attachment and a sighting device.

Using this idea, German specialists created a device for firing rifles from behind cover, which was adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1943. The device was used for firing from a 7.92-mm Mauser rifle of the 1898 model and from a Walter self-loading rifle of the 1941 model, which made it possible to fire from behind cover, as a result of which such weapons received the name of a weapon for shooting around a corner. It entered service with special teams whose task was to destroy command staff enemy in cities. The device consists of three main parts - the stock, the body and the periscope sight. The butt is wooden, attached to the lower part of the body with two screws with wing nuts and can be folded down. It houses a trigger, connected by means of a trigger rod and a chain to the trigger mechanism of the rifle. The body is made of sheet iron, stamped and welded. In its upper part, between the side walls, there is a support bar for the rifle butt, secured with a support screw. At the front, it is placed on an eccentric bushing mounted on the adjustable screw of the adjusting lever, which is screwed in completely with a wing nut. A basting with two clamps is hinged on top of the body. On its inner side there are stops that, using two screws, press the body of the rifle butt to the support bar.

The periscope rifle (1915) has a similar principle, but must be lowered down to reload.

The periscope is attached to the body using a basting; the adjustment device makes it possible to align the periscope sight and bring the rifle installed in the device to normal combat. Also, the German army created curved attachments for the 7.92 mm MP-44 assault rifle. The machine operates by using the energy of powder gases coming from the gas outlet in gas chamber. Naturally, in the presence of a curved nozzle, the flow of gases from the barrel is hampered and, therefore, the amount of gases flowing from the barrel into the gas chamber of the machine increases, and their effect on the moving parts of the machine increases and can cause their breakdown. To avoid this, a special window is made in the rear part of the nozzle to allow gases to flow out. Thanks to this solution, it was possible to obtain normal speeds of the moving parts of the machine gun when it was equipped with a curved barrel attachment.

Attaching a curved attachment to a weapon barrel can be done not only using a mark, but also using a bushing and other methods. When developing curved-barreled weapons, the requirements for targeted shooting from trenches were initially taken into account. To ensure accurate shooting, two types of sights were developed - mirror and prismatic. Shooting from curved-barrel machine guns with such sights is practically no different from shooting from conventional machine guns with optical sights.

At the end of 1943, Hans-Joachim Schaede, head of the production department of the Ministry of Armaments and War Industry, proposed installing a curved barrel on the MG.34 tank machine gun for more effective defense of armored vehicles.

At the end of 1943, Rheinmetall received an order to create special devices - curved barrels for the purpose of using them on all types of standard weapons designed for the 7.92x57 rifle-machine-gun cartridge. These devices were intended to reduce “dead zones” from distances of 150-200 m to 15-20 m. The first prototype of a special attachment (Krummerlauf, German - curved barrel) was put on a standard Mauser K98k carbine. The experimental barrel, bent by 15 degrees, had a smooth internal channel with a diameter of 10 mm, and its outer diameter was 36 mm. But the test firing results were unsatisfactory. When they began testing carbine barrels, bent by 30 degrees with a radius of 250 mm, the first success was observed. Ultimately, the choice was made in favor of special curved barrels of 7.92 mm caliber with the above parameters, with an outer diameter of about 16 mm and a wall thickness of 4 mm. Experiments were carried out with trunks with curvatures of 15, 30, 40, 60, 75 and 90 degrees. The internal ballistics were so carefully calculated that at firing ranges up to 400 - 500 m they were similar to the ballistics of the bullet movement in a normal barrel, with the exception of a certain decrease initial speed and increasing bullet dispersion. Moreover, despite the instability of the weapon during automatic shooting, satisfactory accuracy results were obtained. Several similar devices were made for the MG.34 machine gun, but they did not withstand the tests, collapsing within the first hundred shots. The German 7.92 mm rifle cartridge turned out to be too powerful for any curved barrel.

Then the German designers put forward a new idea: wouldn’t a curved barrel work better with the “intermediate” 7.92x33 cartridge, which had a shorter bullet and significantly less muzzle energy. Tests have revealed that the “short” cartridge is ideal for curved-barreled weapons and makes the machine gun the only model that allows the idea of shooting from cover to be put into practice. It worked by using the energy of powder gases flowing from the gas outlet into the gas chamber. Naturally, in the presence of a curved nozzle, the flow of gases from the barrel was hampered, since the amount of gases flowing from the barrel into the gas chamber of the machine gun increased, and their impact on the moving parts of the machine gun increased and could cause their breakdown. To avoid this, there were gas outlet holes in the back of the nozzle to allow gases to flow out. Thanks to this solution, it was possible to obtain normal speeds for the moving parts of the machine gun, equipped with a curved barrel nozzle. The use of a similar attachment in conjunction with MP.43 machine guns (assault rifles) significantly expanded their potential capabilities, allowing them to conduct dense barrage fire instead of single shots from rifles.

In the first version, the rifled barrel had several gas outlets. When shooting a machine gun with a curved barrel-nozzle, the shooting accuracy was quite satisfactory. When firing single shots at a distance of 100 m, the dispersion was 35 cm. The survivability of such a barrel was estimated at 2000 shots.

The tests provided convincing proof of the capabilities of the new weapon. On August 8, 1944, the leadership of the Wehrmacht Armament Directorate (HwaA) issued an order to the Ministry of Armaments of the Third Reich for the production in a short time of 10,000 devices for firing from behind cover. However, this was somewhat premature, since tests of the MP.43 assault rifles revealed that a barrel with a 90-degree curvature could only satisfy the weapon needs of tankers, but not infantrymen. On August 25, at a meeting of the Wehrmacht Armament Directorate with representatives of the development company Rheinmetall-Borsig, it was decided to design a second model of the barrel, with a curvature of 30 to 45 degrees, weighing no more than 2 kg and survivability of up to 5000 rounds.

Wehrmacht Colonel Schede also tried to recent months war to establish the production of guns with a curved barrel, capable of firing from shelters at an angle of 30 or 90 degrees. But the collapse of Nazi Germany did not give German engineers time to fine-tune new models.

Nevertheless, Soviet designers also decided to get involved in its creation. At the end of the Great Patriotic War The Red Army captured a number of German curved-barreled weapons as trophies. At their base in the USSR, work began on barrels of various curvatures for the 7.62 mm TT pistol cartridge, 7.62 mm rifle cartridge, 12.7 mm large-caliber DShK cartridge and 20 mm cartridge aircraft gun SHVAK. Thus, Kovrov gunsmiths created a sample based on the PPSh submachine gun with a barrel bent by 30 degrees. However, during the research, its completely unsatisfactory accuracy was revealed even at a distance of up to 100 m. This was due to the fact that the direction of flight of the bullet did not coincide with the longitudinal axis of the barrel, therefore the recoil when fired was directed at an angle to the weapon itself. Because of what it deviated to the side.

And only a few years later, domestic gunsmiths returned to the topic of “crooked barrel”, however, at a new stage in the development of weapons. Our designers, following the Germans, came to the conclusion that such weapons can only work effectively with an “intermediate” cartridge, since the best results on ballistic barrels were achieved with the 7.62x39 cartridge of the 1943 model. In the mid-1950s gg. Soviet gunsmiths We began work on automatic weapons for this ammunition. So, in 1956, the designers of the Kovrov OKB-575 developed a project for a 7.62-mm Degtyarev RPD light machine gun, equipped with a curved barrel nozzle. Along with this, it was decided to develop a project for a tank machine gun with a barrel bore curved by 90 degrees. This work was entrusted to N.F. Makarov, who worked out all the details of the curved-barrel assembly based on the Kalashnikov AK assault rifle, and K.T. Kurenkov, who designed the ball installation. The weapon was intended to protect tanks at the very close range, in the “dead” zone, not covered by a standard machine gun. Field tests have shown that the system created by the designers can solve the problem of defending a damaged or damaged tank in battle, and that the scheme they proposed for placing the installation on the turret hatch is the only possible option. However, the difficulties associated with opening or closing the turret hatch, even after first removing the machine gun from the installation, and other smaller problems, caused the tankers themselves to have a negative attitude towards it. In this regard, the idea of protection armored vehicle using a curved weapon was considered unpromising, and all work in this direction was stopped. Similar conclusions were reached abroad.

In addition, the possibility and feasibility of creating curved-barreled weapons using groove attachments and barrel attachments was tested. At the same time, the angle of curvature during the research varied over a wide range, up to 90 degrees. The possibility of using groove attachments was obvious, since, passing through it, under the influence of centrifugal force the bullet was pressed against the inner surface of the groove. Research has found that the optimal bend angle is about 30 degrees. With greater curvature, special bullets (tracer, incendiary) are damaged, and such weapons can only be fired with cartridges with ordinary bullets. The difference in the accuracy of combat when firing from a curved weapon compared to a conventional straight-barreled weapon at direct shot ranges (up to 350 m) is insignificant.

Curved-barreled machine gun M.T. Kalashnikov

7.62-mm curved-barreled (curvilinear) machine gun based on the RPK light machine gun. Prototype. The work on creating a prototype of a curved machine gun with a barrel curvature of 90 degrees was carried out by designers N.F. Makarov, who completed all the projects of the curved unit, and K.T. Kurenkov, who worked out the ball installation. The machine gun was intended to arm tanks, or more precisely, to protect them at the closest range, in the so-called. “dead zone”, not covered by a conventional straight-barreled (straight-line) machine gun. To solve the problem of close-in defense of a damaged or damaged tank, it was proposed to place this system on the hatch of the tank turret. The tank crews had a negative attitude towards this weapon. In this regard, the idea of protecting tanks with a curved machine gun was considered irrelevant, and all work in this direction was stopped.

The luckiest thing was for heavy small arms - heavy machine guns. In the late 1940s - early 1950s. OKB-43 launched large-scale work on the design of machine guns with a curved bore to equip long-term fortifications. And already in 1955 it was put into service Soviet army accept the BUK-3 collapsible installation, equipped with two 7.62-mm Goryunov KSGM curved-barreled machine guns. This is a weapon long time used in stationary fortifications on the Soviet-Chinese border.

Despite this successful experience, all work on curved-barrel weapons was practically stopped for several decades. And only in last years interest in it reappeared, born primarily of the increasing frequency of terrorist attacks. The militants who commit them, as a rule, take hostages and take refuge with them in vehicles or indoors. Often, it is possible to destroy terrorists without risking the people they captured with the help of curved-barreled weapons operating “from around the corner.” Therefore, in 1997, the Research Institute “Special Equipment” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs created a “Drive for firing from cover” and demonstrated it at one of the weapons exhibitions. In this version, the standard 5.45-mm Kalashnikov AK-74 assault rifle, mounted on a tripod, received the ability to be remotely targeted using a lever. Aiming is carried out using a flexible light guide cable, and its input hole is located on the aiming line (exactly where the shooter’s eye is located), and the eyepiece is brought out to a place that is safe for the operator.

The combat experience gained by the Russian armed forces and law enforcement agencies in numerous recent local armed conflicts has revealed the need to create a wide variety of types of such weapons. The greatest need for curved-barreled weapons is expressed by peacekeeping forces and anti-terrorist security forces. So curved-barrel shooting systems have not lost their relevance to this day and, perhaps, in the near future they will be in service Russian army new, most unexpected examples of such weapons will appear.

7.62 curved-barreled machine gun based on the RPK light machine gun. Prototype from the 1960s. Cartridge 7.62x39 mod. 1943, barrel curvature 90 degrees,

It should be noted that the possibility and feasibility of creating a curved-barreled weapon was previously tested using groove attachments and barrel attachments attached to the muzzle of rifle barrels. At the same time, the angle of curvature during the research varied over a wide range, up to 90 degrees. The possibility of conducting research on nozzles-gutters is obvious, since, passing through a curved nozzle, under the influence of centrifugal force the bullet is pressed against the inner surface of the groove. It was found that the optimal angle of curvature of the nozzle is around 30 degrees. At large angles of curvature, special bullets (tracer, incendiary) are dismantled; in this case, you can only shoot cartridges with ordinary bullets. The difference in the accuracy of combat when firing from a curved weapon compared to a conventional, straight-barreled weapon at direct shot ranges is insignificant.

Field tests have shown that the system created by the designers can solve the problem of close-in defense of a damaged or damaged tank in battle, and that the installation scheme they proposed for placing the installation on the turret hatch is the only possible option. However, difficulties in opening and closing the hatch, even after first removing the machine gun from the installation, and some minor defects caused a negative attitude towards it from tank crews. In this regard, the idea of protecting a tank with a curved weapon was considered inappropriate, and all work in this direction was stopped. Similar conclusions were reached abroad. For several decades they forgot about curved-barreled weapons. Only in recent years has there been an increase in interest in it due to the need to combat widespread cases of hostage-taking and other terrorist activities in which criminals hide out in vehicles or premises. Often, the problem of their destruction without risk to the hostages could be solved with the help of a curved weapon operating “from around the corner.”

In three years, Israeli designers have developed the Corner Shot system, which is now being tested by special forces in 15 countries, including Russia. Florida-based Corner Shot Holdings LLC is best known for its inventor, Special Forces veteran Amos Golan. Its CornerShot system does not have a curved barrel, but “breaks” into two main parts and is a hinged firing mechanism (Colt, Glock, Sig Sauer, CZ, Beretta pistols, M16 rifle or devices for firing tear gas canisters or rubber bullets) and a control panel with video camera, color LCD display, flashlight, infrared or visible laser pointer, silencer and flash suppressor. The rotation angle of the firing mechanism is up to 63°.

Today in the United States, “curve-sighting” systems are being intensively developed under the “soldier of the future” program, such as the remote-controlled sniper rifle TRAP T2 (Telepresent Rapid Aiming Platform), which is controlled from a remote control and provides an overview of the terrain, aiming weapons at identified targets and transmitting video information to command posts divisions.

For several years now, curved-barreled weapons have been tested as part of the Land Warrior EMD program ( comprehensive program development of weapons, equipment and equipment ground forces) as an addition to a two-channel “sighting unit” for small arms.

A gun barrel appears above the parapet of the trench, and although the shooter is not visible, he fires accurately - all targets are hit. In the same way, a strange trunk appears around the corner, from the hatch of a combat vehicle and other shelters. In all cases, the shooter is hidden, outside the line of fire, in a safe place, but he catches the enemy in his sights. A weapon with a curved barrel allows such fire. This is not science fiction, but documentary newsreel footage from the Second World War. It was at this time that the development of curved-barreled weapons was very active.

The very idea of creating a weapon with a curved barrel was far from new at that time. Back in 1868, the Russian artillery general N. Maievsky, professor of ballistics at the Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy, proposed a project for a curved-barrel cannon loaded from the breech. True, he did this in order to increase the firing of a disk projectile. When fired from a gun with a barrel curved upward, a disc-shaped projectile mounted on an edge was pressed by centrifugal force to the top of the barrel and received the necessary rotation that the designers sought. One of the guns with a similar bore was made in Russia under the leadership of Professor Maievsky. Experimental firing from this gun, carried out in 1871-1873, confirmed the correctness of the calculations: a disk-shaped projectile weighing 3.5 kg with an initial speed of 480 m/s flew 2500 m, while an ordinary cannonball of the same mass under the same conditions - only 500 m. But the main thing is that this experiment proved the reality of firing from a curved weapon.

Device for shooting from behind cover
from self-loading rifles G.41(W)

Using this idea, German experts created a device for firing rifles from behind cover. During the conduct of defensive battles in 1942-1943. On the Eastern Front, the Wehrmacht was faced with the need to create weapons designed to destroy enemy personnel, and the shooters themselves had to be outside the zone of flat fire, i.e. in trenches, behind the walls of buildings, etc.

The very first primitive examples of such devices for firing from behind covers from self-loading rifles G.41(W) and G.41(M) appeared on the Eastern Front already in 1943. In these same devices, in addition to self-loading rifles (whose use was quite justified), Mauser K98k repeating carbines could also be mounted. Although reloading them manually under enemy fire was quite problematic. Bulky and inconvenient, they consisted of a stamped and welded metal body on which a butt with a trigger and a periscope was attached. The wooden stock was attached to the lower part of the body with two screws and wing nuts and could be folded back. A trigger was mounted in it, connected via a trigger rod and a chain to the trigger mechanism of the rifle. In the upper part of the body, between the side walls, there was a support bar for the rifle butt, secured with a support screw. At the front, it was superimposed on an eccentric bushing, mounted on an adjustable screw of the adjusting lever, which was screwed in completely with a wing nut. A mark with two clamps was attached to the hinge on top of the body. On its inner side there were stops, with the help of two screws they were pressed against the support bar of the rifle butt body.

A German sniper conducts aimed fire from
Mauser K98k carbine mounted in
device for shooting from behind cover.
Eastern front. Kharkiv. 1943

Due to their large mass (weight with a self-loading rifle G.41(W) - 10.4 kg; with a Mauser 98k carbine - 9.5 kg) and a center of gravity strongly shifted forward, targeted shooting from these devices could only be carried out after they were firmly fixed at close range. Devices for firing from behind cover were adopted by special teams whose task was to destroy enemy command personnel in populated areas.

In addition to infantrymen, German tank crews also urgently needed such weapons, who quickly felt the defenselessness of their vehicles in close combat. Armored vehicles had powerful weapons, but when the enemy was in close proximity to tanks or armored vehicles, all these weapons were useless. Without infantry support, a tank could be destroyed using Molotov cocktails, anti-tank grenades or magnetic mines, in which case the tank's crew was literally trapped. The impossibility of fighting enemy soldiers located outside the zone of flat fire (the so-called dead zones) of small arms forced German weapons designers to address this problem. Therefore, the curved barrel was a very interesting solution to a problem that had been facing gunsmiths since ancient times: how to shoot at the enemy from cover?

7.92 mm Mauser K98k carbine with a curved barrel attachment
Vorsatz J (infantry version) at 30 degrees

This problem was solved by Colonel Hans-Joachim Schaede, head of the production department of the Ministry of Armaments and Military Industry. At the end of 1943, Schaede proposed installing a curved barrel on the MG.34 tank machine gun for more effective tank defense.

Automatic (assault rifle)
MP.44 with barrel attachment
Vorsatz J (infantry variant)
with 90 degree curvature

Ultimately, the choice was made in favor of special curved barrels of 7.92 mm caliber with the above parameters, with an outer diameter of about 16 mm and a wall thickness of 4 mm. Experiments were carried out with trunks with curvatures of 15, 30, 40, 60, 75 and 90 degrees. The internal ballistics in these barrels were so carefully calculated that at firing ranges of up to 400 - 500 m they were similar to the ballistics of the bullet movement in a normal barrel, with the exception of a certain reduction in initial velocity and an increase in bullet dispersion. Moreover, despite the instability of the weapon during automatic firing, satisfactory results of shooting accuracy were obtained. Several similar devices were made for the MG.34 machine gun, but they were all destroyed during firing, and after less than a hundred shots. The German 7.92 mm rifle cartridge turned out to be too powerful for any curved barrel.

Then the German designers came up with a new idea: wouldn't a curved barrel work better with the 7.92x33 "intermediate" cartridge, which had a shorter bullet and significantly less muzzle energy. Tests revealed that the 43 cartridge turned out to be more suitable for this design and the machine gun is the only type of weapon in which the idea of a curved barrel can be put into practice. The machine worked by using the energy of powder gases coming from the gas outlet into the gas chamber. Naturally, in the presence of a curved nozzle, the flow of gases from the barrel was hampered, since the amount of gases flowing from the barrel into the gas chamber of the machine gun increased, and their impact on the moving parts of the machine gun increased and could cause their breakdown. To avoid this, there were gas outlet holes in the back of the nozzle to allow gases to flow out. Thanks to this solution, it was possible to obtain normal speeds of the moving parts of the machine gun, equipped with a curved barrel nozzle. The use of a similar attachment in conjunction with MP.43 machine guns (assault rifles) significantly expanded their potential capabilities, allowing them to conduct dense barrage fire instead of single shots from rifles.

Automatic (assault rifle) MP.44 with
curved barrel-nozzle Vorsatz Pz
(tank version) 90 degrees

In July 1944, the MP.43 assault rifle with a 90-degree barrel was demonstrated to the top leadership of the Wehrmacht.

In the first version, the rifled barrel had several gas outlets. When shooting a machine gun with a curved barrel-nozzle, the shooting accuracy was quite satisfactory. When firing single shots at a distance of 100 meters, the dispersion was 35 cm. The survivability of such a barrel was estimated at 2000 shots.

The tests provided the most convincing proof of the capabilities of the new weapon. On August 8, the leadership of the Wehrmacht Weapons Directorate (HwaA) issued an order to the Ministry of Armaments of the Third Reich for the production of 10,000 devices for shooting from behind shelters. However, this was somewhat premature, since tests of the MP.43 assault rifles revealed that a barrel with a 90-degree curvature could satisfy the armament needs of tankers only, but not infantry. On August 25, at a meeting of the Wehrmacht weapons department with representatives of the development company Rheinmetall-Borsig, it was decided to design a second model of the barrel, with a curvature of 30 to 45 degrees, weighing no more than 2 kg and survivability of up to 5000 rounds.

Automatic (assault rifle)
MP.44 with a curved barrel -
nozzle Vorsatz Pz (tank
option) 90 degrees

This device, called Vorsatz J (Project Yot), was intended both for street fighting (shooting from around a corner) and for firing from field defensive structures (shooting from trenches, etc.) It had an attachment point, similar to a rifle grenade launcher, i.e. A clamping device was mounted in the breech of the barrel, which consisted of two marks with a clamping screw. The adjustment device makes it possible to align the periscope sight and bring the rifle installed in the device to normal combat. Attaching a curved attachment to a weapon barrel can be done not only using a mark, but also using a bushing and other methods.

When developing weapons with a curved bore, the requirements for targeted shooting from trenches were initially taken into account. To ensure targeted shooting, two types of sights were created - mirror and prismatic. Shooting from curved-barreled assault rifles with such sights is practically no different from shooting from conventional assault rifles with optical sights. After the appearance of a special periscope sight for Krummerlauf, the capabilities of MP.43 / Stg.44 assault rifles (assault rifles) equipped with curved barrels - attachments with a barrel curvature of 30 degrees - increased sharply.

The sighting devices of the new device included a front sight and a periscope-mirror lens system, which allowed the shooter to fire a machine gun from the hip. The aiming line, passing through the sector sight and front sight of the machine gun, was refracted in the lenses and deflected downward. Periscope sights made it possible to conduct aimed fire up to 400 m, ensuring fairly high accuracy of aimed fire. Thus, when firing from an MP.44 assault rifle at a distance of 100 m with a series of 10 single shots, the dispersion ellipse was 30x30 cm, and at 400 m - 80x80 cm. When firing with continuous fire, the dispersion area increased significantly and was already 90x170 cm at 100 m. A version of the MP.44 assault rifle, equipped with a Vorsatz J attachment, received the designation Stg.44(V).

The second version of the curved trunk -
Vorsatz Pz attachments (tank version),
mounted in a ball installation

For testing, it was decided to produce ten similar Vorsatz J devices. On October 27, 1944, representatives of the Wehrmacht weapons department, the Ministry of Armaments, and manufacturing companies: Rheinmetall, Bush, Zeiss and Bergmann took part in comparative tests at the Rheinmetall test site various models twisted trunks. Nozzle barrels with barrel curvatures of 30 degrees and 90 degrees and several models of periscope sighting devices were tested. A barrel nozzle with a curvature of 30 degrees, equipped with a periscope sighting device, turned out to be most suitable for use in infantry units, but a final solution to this issue required further research. military tests. Therefore, it was decided to send six nozzle barrels and two sets of three various types sighting devices to the infantry school in Doberitz for their further evaluation.

After some delay, all devices were sent to Doberitz in mid-November. The infantry school received four options:
- two barrel attachments with metal sights mounted on the left and periscope mirror devices on the barrel;
- two barrel attachments with a metal sight on top of the barrel and periscope mirror devices mounted on the forend of the machine guns;
- barrel attachment with a metal sight on the left;
- a barrel-attachment with a sight on top of the barrel, the latter two in combination with a periscope sighting device mounted on an M 42 steel helmet.

Vorsatz J barrel attachment (infantry version),
curved 45 degrees with prismatic
periscope sighting device and
set of prismatic lenses

During the tests, it was supposed to choose the best option that most satisfies all the requirements of the Wehrmacht. In addition, during tests at the infantry school it was planned to study survivability, shooting accuracy and the possibility of installing these devices in field defensive structures. And just two weeks later, the infantry school sent a test report to the Wehrmacht weapons department, which stated that none of the presented models of new weapons had proven themselves with positive side. The sighting devices were not rigidly fixed to the weapon, which had an extremely negative effect on the shooting accuracy. In addition, the sights were positioned in such a way that the shooter had to hold the weapon at the hip, and this, in turn, did not give the weapon stability during shooting. Such problems could only be solved with the help of a special device to stabilize the weapon when firing. Nevertheless, the infantry school nevertheless recognized the suitability of such weapons for arming the army.

Vorsatz J barrel attachment
(infantry version),
curved by 45
degrees with prismatic
periscope
aiming
device
and set
prismatic lenses

On December 8, representatives of the Wehrmacht weapons department, Rheinmetall-Borsig and Zeiss met again to discuss an improved version of the Vorsatz J curved barrel attachment. At this meeting, a decision was made on new tests of three models of this weapon:
- barrel-nozzle with a curvature of 30 degrees with a prismatic periscope sighting device designed by Zeiss,
- barrel attachments with a curvature of 45 degrees, with the same prismatic periscopic sighting device and a set of prismatic lenses.

The two barrels with a 45-degree bend were intended only to test the sights, since tests conducted by Rheinmetall had conclusively proven that a stronger bend radius produced excessive recoil. The required number of machine guns equipped with these three devices was to be transferred to the infantry school by December 21. Thus, if the tests were successfully completed, a decision could be made to begin production of one of these models in a zero series of 3000 units.

In anticipation of this decision, Rheinmetall included 1000 30-degree barrels in its production plan in January 1945, although such proactive planning was quite optimistic. The improved version of the curved barrel nozzle proved to be not the best in recent tests. in the best possible way. The barrel attachment with a 30-degree curvature failed after only 300 shots, and barrels with a 45-degree curvature performed even worse. Failures of the periscope sighting devices were detected immediately, after 7 and 10 shots, respectively, and the barrel of one of the attachments was torn apart after 170 shots. The attachment of the barrel-nozzle on the machine gun was bent, and in general this design revealed excessive recoil. On December 24, 1944, it was decided to continue testing only with barrel attachments with a curvature of 30 degrees. Rheinmetall was ordered to produce 200 such devices, half of which were to be capable of firing rifle grenades.

7.92 mm assault rifle (assault rifle) MP.44 with barrel attachment
Vorsatz J (infantry version) with 30 degree camber
sighting device designed by Zeiss

At the same time, German gunsmiths did not forget about their tank crews. This was due to an increase in the caliber of tank guns and the dimensions of the tanks, which led to an increase in the dead space (not covered by fire) to several tens of meters. In addition, the abandonment of turret machine guns had already become the norm by this time, since ball mounts of machine guns weakened the frontal armor of the tank. Consequently, the possibility of hitting the enemy in dead space was also lost. Along with this, the Germans took into account one more factor - in 1944, the effective firing range of hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers (faustpatrons) increased significantly (up to 150 m). By this time it had reached the limits of dead space, and therefore well-trained grenade launchers could hit tanks while remaining relatively invulnerable to their machine guns.

The initial version of the new weapon was intended for installation in an open turret on tank turrets. The attachment had a curved barrel 355 mm long with a curvature of 30 degrees, as well as simplified sighting devices that excluded targeted shooting. But soon, concern for the safety of tankers during battle forced the designers to abandon the open placement of weapons on tank turrets and use its version with a barrel bore curved by 90 degrees.

Automatic (assault rifle) MP.44 with a curved
barrel attachment Vorsatz J (infantry version) at 45 degrees
with sighting device and set of prismatic lenses

The MP.44 assault rifle with a Vorsatz Pz (Panzer) barrel attachment had a barrel curvature of 90 degrees and was intended for use in armored vehicles. The nozzle barrel with an outer diameter of 25 mm and a total length of 476 mm was mounted in a ball mount on the roof of the turret, which provided the possibility of all-round firing. This design made it possible to reduce the dead space to 15 m. The dispersion when firing from this weapon ranged from 16 to 50 cm. In addition to the attachment for using machine guns in cramped fighting compartments of tanks, a special shortened sector magazine with a capacity of 10 rounds was developed.

MP.44 with a curved barrel nozzle
Vorsatz Pz (tank version)
90 degrees. 1944

Ultimately, Rheinmetall managed to produce 100 nozzle barrels, the exact configuration of which is unknown. The Grafenwoehr Infantry School, the Tank School, the Mountain Ranger School and the SS Tank School were informed that they could receive 25 barrel attachments from Rheinmetall after March 31, and test reports should be submitted to the Wehrmacht Armament Directorate by May 1945. However, by this time the war had already ended.

The negative test results of such a seemingly very promising weapon, as the Stg.44 (V) and Stg.44 (P) assault rifles appeared at that time, were influenced by several reasons. First of all, the design of the nozzle with a curved barrel influenced the deformation of bullets, which significantly affected the increase in dispersion. An additional negative factor was increased wear of the bore in the muzzle area, which led to even greater dispersion of bullets. The survivability of the attachments was no more than 250 shots, and it decreased in proportion to the increase in barrel curvature. Therefore, such weapons, rejected by the Wehrmacht weapons department, remained only in prototypes. The collapse of the German economy in the last months of the war did not make it possible to bring them into serial production, but after the war these samples served as the basis for both experimental and serial samples of small arms with a curved bore developed in the USSR and the USA.

Testing a machine gun (assault rifle)
MP.44 Vorsatz J (infantry version)
with a barrel nozzle with a curvature
30 degrees with prismatic
periscope sighting
device designed by Zeiss

Back in 1944, solving the problem of eliminating dead space, American designers created 11.43 mm M 3 submachine guns with a curved barrel. They could shoot through the dead space in front and on the sides of the car. In the same year, the Americans tried to adapt the tank version of the M 3 submachine gun with a curved barrel for infantry. However, like the Germans, this curved-barreled weapon remained only in prototypes.

Deformed 7.92 mm bullets, after firing
from an MP.44 assault rifle
with a curved barrel nozzle

Nevertheless, the very task of determining the prospects of small arms with a curved bore was not completely removed from the agenda. Soviet gunsmith designers began this work shortly after the end of the Great Patriotic War. The Red Army captured a number of German weapons with crooked barrels as trophies. On this basis, the first research and development work began on testing small arms barrels of various curvatures for the 7.62 mm TT pistol cartridge, 7.62 mm rifle cartridge, 12.7 mm large-caliber DShK cartridge and 20 -mm cartridge of the ShVAK aircraft gun. So, Kovrov gunsmiths created the PPSh on the basis of the Shpagin submachine gun new sample with a barrel bent by 30 degrees. However, during the research, negative results were obtained due to the low accuracy when firing from this PPSh even at short distances (up to 100 m). This was due to the fact that the direction of flight of the bullet did not coincide with the longitudinal axis of the direction of the weapon barrel, therefore the recoil of the shot was directed at an angle to the weapon itself. Because of this, the weapon deviated to the side.

Distorted coupling
barrel attachment for manual
Degtyarev RPD machine gun

And only a few years later, domestic gunsmiths returned to them again, but at a new stage in the development of weapons. Our designers, following the Germans, came to the conclusion that such weapons can only work effectively with an “intermediate” cartridge, since the best results on ballistic barrels were achieved with the 7.62x39 cartridge of the 1943 model. In the mid-1950s, Soviet gunsmiths began work on automatic weapons chambered for this cartridge. Thus, in 1956, the designers of the Kovrov OKB-575 developed a project for a 7.62-mm Degtyarev RPD light machine gun, equipped with a curved barrel nozzle. Along with this, it was decided to develop a project for a tank machine gun with a barrel bore curved by 90 degrees. This work was entrusted to N. Makarov, who worked out all the details of the curved-barrel unit based on the Kalashnikov AK assault rifle, and K. Kurenkov, who designed the ball mount. The machine gun was intended to arm tanks, or more precisely, to protect them at the closest range, in the dead zone, not covered by a standard machine gun. Field tests have shown that the system created by the designers can solve the problem of close-in defense of a damaged or damaged tank in battle, and that the installation scheme they proposed for placing the installation on the turret hatch is the only possible option. However, the difficulties associated with opening or closing the turret hatch, even after first removing the machine gun from the installation, and other smaller problems caused tank crews to have a negative attitude towards it. Therefore, the idea of protecting a tank with a curved weapon was considered inappropriate, and all work in this direction was stopped. Similar conclusions were reached abroad.

7.62-mm Degtyarev RPD light machine gun with a curved
barrel nozzle at 45 degrees. Prototype

It should be noted that in addition to creating similar samples of automatic small arms, the possibility and feasibility of creating curved-barreled weapons using groove attachments and barrel attachments attached to the muzzle of the barrels was tested. At the same time, the angle of curvature during the research varied over a wide range, up to 90 degrees. The possibility of conducting research on nozzles-gutters was obvious, since, passing through a curved nozzle, under the influence of centrifugal force the bullet was pressed against the inner surface of the gutter. Research has found that the optimal angle of curvature of the nozzle is around 30 degrees. At large angles of curvature, special bullets (tracer, incendiary) are dismantled, in which case it is possible to fire only cartridges with ordinary bullets. The difference in the accuracy of combat when firing from a curved weapon compared to a conventional straight-barreled weapon at direct shot ranges (up to 350 m) is insignificant.

In this regard, heavy small arms - heavy machine guns - were more fortunate. In the late 1940s - early 1950s in our country, OKB-43 launched large-scale work on the design of machine guns with a curved bore to equip long-term fortifications. And already in 1955, the Soviet Army adopted the BUK-3 collapsible installation, equipped with two 7.62-mm Goryunov KSGM curved-barreled machine guns. These weapons were used for a long time in stationary fortifications on the Soviet-Chinese border.

7.62 mm curved-barreled easel
Goryunov KSGM machine gun.

Despite this successful experience, all work related to the curved bore was practically stopped for several decades. It is only in recent years that interest in these weapons has resurfaced due to the need to combat widespread hostage-taking and other terrorist activities in which criminals hide in vehicles or premises. Often the problem of their destruction without risk to the hostages could be solved with the help of a curved weapon operating “from around the corner.” Thus, already in 1997, the Research Institute "Special Equipment" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs demonstrated at one of the weapons exhibitions a drive for firing from behind cover. In this version, the standard 5.45-mm Kalashnikov AK-74 assault rifle, mounted on a tripod, received the ability to be remotely targeted using a lever. Aiming in this complex is carried out using a flexible light guide cable, and its output hole is located on the aiming line (exactly where the shooter’s eye is located), and the eyepiece is brought out to a place that is safe for the operator.

The combat experience gained by the Russian armed forces and law enforcement agencies in numerous local armed conflicts of recent times has revealed the need to create a wide variety of types of such weapons. The greatest need for curved weapons is expressed by peacekeeping military formations and anti-terrorist security forces. So curved-barreled weapons have not lost their relevance to this day, and perhaps in the near future new, most unexpected examples of these weapons will appear in the arsenal of the Russian army.

Annotation. The publication is devoted to a specific type of small arms - curved ones, with the help of which the enemy is hit “from around the corner.” The main content of the publication consisted of documents from 1946-1947. from the funds of the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation related to this topic.

Summary. The publication is devoted to the particular kind of small arms - the curvilinear one, with which the enemy is affected “out of the corner”. The main content of the publication is made of the documents of 1946-1947 from the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation relating to the topic.

PermyakovIgor Albertovich- Head of the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, reserve colonel, candidate of historical sciences

(142100, Moscow region, Podolsk, Kirova St., 74).

weapons that fire “from around the corner”

The problem of a shooter hitting an enemy “from around the corner”, from behind (from) cover, without putting himself at risk, or destroying an enemy located in an inaccessible zone (“ dead zone") to defeat him from a tank (assault gun), arose during the Second World War. The idea was to create a hand-held firearm with a curved attachment or a curved barrel, through which a hidden shooter could fire (from a trench, a tank), aiming using a special periscope prism. The Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense (TsAMO RF) contains a number of documents on this subject, now declassified. They may be of interest to readers interested in the history of rare weapons.

In the conditions of the transition of the Wehrmacht in 1942-1943. During the defensive battles on the Soviet-German front, the Germans were the first to study the problem of creating weapons for firing from cover. At first, German designers tried to solve it without using curved trunks. For example, an automatic carbine (or self-loading rifle) was mounted in a special device - a stamped metal case located below the upper level of the shelter, while the wooden butt of the carbine with a trigger and periscope was secured with screws in the lower part of the case and could be rotated by the sniper for aiming and shooting (see photo No. 1). However, such devices were technologically complex, and for a sniper shooter they were bulky and inconvenient. Therefore, since 1943, experiments have been conducted with curved attachments (distorters) for weapons. The Americans also became interested in the problem of curved weapons. In the report of the Soviet Research Site for small arms and mortar weapons of the Main artillery control Armed Forces (NIP SMV GAU VS), dated April 4, 1947, the following “brief history of the issue” was given:

“From secret German documents and from F. Cheri’s article in “The American Rifleman” it is clear that during the Second World War, Germany and the USA developed small arms with “distorters” of bullet movement (crooked nozzles, crooked barrels) for the purpose of effective shooting due to shelters, as well as ensuring shelling of the “dead” zones of tanks.

The start of work on samples of weapons with distortion devices in Germany dates back to the second half of 1943. The idea of a distortion device was proposed by Colonel Hans Schede (Germany).

The first version of the curvature was a curved guide groove that deflected the bullet at 37º. When firing from it at a distance of up to 50 m, side holes were obtained. “However, the hit pattern was very good” (according to German data).

It is known that benders were made for the Mauser 98k carbine in the form of curved tubes and for the MP-43 (MP-43) and MP-44 (MP-44) autocarbines (machine guns). A sample of the MP-43 with a distortion device was tested at the Research and Testing Station of the SMV GAU VS (report No. 437 for 1945), however, due to the lack of a special sight on it and its rapid breakdown, its main combat and operational characteristics could not be determined.

The MP-44 with a choke tube (“Krummerlauf”*) was renamed the “1944 model assault carbine” (“Sturmgewehr-44”). The “Krummerlauf” for the MP-44 is a curved barrel mounted on the muzzle of a machine gun barrel in the same way as a rifle grenade launcher mortar is mounted on the muzzle of a Mauser 98k carbine.

In parallel with the development of the distortion devices, the design and selection of appropriate sighting devices were carried out. In particular, the Zeiss plant developed sighting device for “Sturmgewehr-44” (report of NIP SMV GAU VS No. 155 for 1945). The specified sighting device is simple in design and is a prism mounted in a metal frame, which changes the direction of the light beam by 36º. The use of a prism for aiming a gun is only possible in combination with the rear sight and front sight.

The US Department of Ordnance also developed a device (see The American Rifleman, July 1946, p. 15) which it called a “bullet bender.” It was intended for installation in tanks and used in conjunction with a submachine gun to shoot through the “dead spaces” of the tank. This device differs from the German curved barrel in that the inner side of the curved part of the barrel is cut off, and therefore the barrel bore is open on the side of the smaller radius of curvature"1.

TsAMO has preserved photographs showing German soldiers testing Mauser 98k carbines with curved attachments. One of these photographs is shown in photo No. 2.

One of the documents from TsAMO RF takes us back to the beginning of German developments on the problem of curved weapons, the origins of which were the above-mentioned German designer G. Schede. The latter, in August 1943, on behalf of the Reich Minister of Arms and Ammunition, addressed the director of the plant in the city of Suhl - the forge of German small arms in Thuringia:

“Dear Mr. Heinen. Some time ago I had the idea of shooting from a machine gun or rifle from around a corner, which probably seemed strange to you. The Rheinmetall-Borzig company responded to my proposal and attached a curved guide (groove) to the muzzle, which deflected the bullet by 37°. Moreover, in most cases, when firing at a distance of up to 50 m (we haven’t fired further yet), we got side holes, but the pattern of hits was very good.

Now I have a request to you - to join this business with your own enterprise. I would suggest making not a groove, as the Rheinmetall-Borzig company did, but a pipe, drilled so that the bullet passes through it well, and accordingly bent at an angle.

If it were possible to aim at a deviation of 37-40° or even 90°, then a solution would be found to provide short-range protection, first of all, assault guns. Our assault guns have practically no way to attach a horizontally mounted rifle, because... there's no room for that.

I would be grateful to you if you could carry out the relevant experiment as soon as possible.”2

During the tests, it was revealed that the German standard 7.92 mm rifle cartridge with a length of 57 mm (7.92 x 57) turned out to be too powerful for any curved nozzle and quickly disable the weapon. Then they began to use a shorter, “intermediate” cartridge 7.92 x 33. The best results were achieved by a curvature of 30-45°. A tighter bend radius produced excessive kickback. A barrel-nozzle with a 30° curvature, equipped with a periscopic sighting device, turned out to be most suitable for use by infantrymen. For use in shooting from assault guns and tanks, MP-44 assault rifles with a barrel curvature of up to 90° were tested, and they had a special mount that reduced recoil. Ultimately, acceptable distortion attachments for small arms appeared in the Wehrmacht in small quantities only towards the end of the war and their practical use was minimal.

At the end of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army captured a number of German weapons with curved attachments as trophies, which drew the attention of Soviet gunsmith designers. While studying it, they began their own development work to create curved weapons based on domestic submachine guns (machine guns) and light machine guns. In particular, such research and experimental work under the leadership of the State Agrarian University was carried out not only by the Scientific Research Range of Small Arms and Mortar Weapons, but also by the design bureau of the arms factory in the city of Kovrov (KB-2), headed by the famous weapons designer V.A. Degtyarev (now the plant bears his name), Central Design Bureau (TsKB-14) in Tula (now Open Joint-Stock Company"Instrument Engineering Design Bureau named after Academician A.G. Shipunov"), a number of other design bureaus and factories.

From the TsAMO documents related to these works in the period 1946-1947, one can highlight the TsKB-14 certificate on the development of a bender designed by N.F. Makarov under a submachine gun A.I. Sudaeva (PPS). The PPS with a distortion attachment was intended for installation in armored vehicles on a special ball joint. Let us cite this document dating back to December 1946:

"Brief information about the test object

The 7.62-mm rifled distortion device TKB-401 with a ball mount was manufactured at TsKB-14 by order of the USV GAU VS in accordance with the tactical and technical requirements of December 27, 1945, with the exception of:

1) there are no limiters for the vertical angles of rotation of the ball mount due to the absence of a specific object (tank or artillery self-propelled gun);

2) the forehead piece for the deflector has not been finalized due to the lack of data on the sight in the bureau;

3) smoothbore distortion devices are not provided.

Preliminary experiments with a smooth-bore distortion device showed unsatisfactory results (unstable flight of the bullet), on the basis of which the bureau refused to further debug this option.

The bender presented for testing is a conventionally threaded barrel, bent at an angle of 90° along an Archimedean spiral. The distortion device is mounted in a ball joint on self-propelled artillery mounts and in tank turrets. The Iskrivator is intended to destroy living enemy targets located in close proximity to an artillery self-propelled gun or tank and in “dead spaces” that are not fired upon by existing weapons. The details of the bender are shown in photo No. 3. It shows the following details.

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