Berdan Rifle: specifications and photos. The scope of Berdan rifles

The hunting rifle of Berdan was considered one of the best at the time. Unfortunately, today it is not very well known, especially against the background of numerous foreign models. Nevertheless, the role of Berdan rifles for the Russian army is invaluable. They were in service for about twenty years and therefore fully deserve to take a worthy place in the history of domestic weapons.

History

The creator of the rifles Berdan is an American inventor. It was in his honor that they were named. It is believed that the first copy came off the machine in 1868. In April 1869, the creator of the rifles Berdan arrived with his brainchild in Russia. A new single-shot rifle was presented to the Russian Tsar. It was very much like Alexander II. The Sovereign adopted it with his decree. This is how the story of the long service of the rifles of Berdan in the Russian army began. Initially, the plant ordered a batch of thirty thousand copies. At the same time, the factory in Bridge Port began to produce seven and a half million cartridges intended for these rifles.

Later, it was done by Colonel of the Russian Army A. Gorlov and Lieutenant Gunius. And already in 1870 old samples were replaced by a new rifle of the Berdan-2 system. It had a sliding shutter and was considered a real small arms.

Thirty-five changes were made as a result of the revisions of the original design. The updated model was presented to the GAC Commission. It with honor has withstood all tests and has been accepted on arms as "the linear shooting rifle".

Application area

Her excellent ballistics caused this model to be used by warriors acting in loose order and escaping from close combat. This rifle was used in the guards of the Russian army during the war with the Turkish janissaries from 1877 to 1878. They did not stop using even when the guns of Nagan or Mosin appeared. During the First World War, some soldiers fired from the Berdan-2 rifles with a caliber of 10.75x58.

In Russia, these weapons were not manufactured. However, it was stigmatized in Russian, for example, on the trunk there was an inscription: "Koltov Arms Factory. Garthford. America "and serial number. By the beginning of the Russo-Turkish war, about eighteen thousand Berdan rifles were in the Russian troops. In addition, a large number of these weapons were in service with the Bulgarian army in the war of 1914. Almost thirty thousand copies were delivered from Russia to the Kingdom of Montenegro almost at the same time. And already in 1995-96, during the war in Ethiopia, thirty thousand pieces of trunks of the third generation were purchased.

Description

From the point of view of modern users, this weapon seems to be truly a "monster". Its long and rather heavy body and cartridge with black powder contributed little to the comfortable shooting. However, if you look at this weapon through the eyes of his contemporaries, then there are many advantages. The main in the Russian army in those days were single-shot rifles Krnka and Carla with a caliber of 15.2 mm. And it was against their backdrop that those "Berdancs" seemed to be real "small people" - light and graceful.

Design features

The Berdan-2 rifle was equipped with a frame sight, calculated for a maximum range of six hundred paces. Her fly without a pussy was located at a considerable distance from the muzzle. And on the right on the trunk there was a tide, designed to fasten the bayonet, and a box with a straight neck. Berdanka was equipped with a bayonet.

The design of the rifle was extremely simple. Her shock-trigger mechanism with a fighting spring and drummer was inside the lock tube, which, together with the bolt, reclining on the transverse axis, worked reasonably well. The rifle was not equipped with an extractor: the soldiers had to retrieve the spent shells only by hand. And therefore, surpassing her contemporaries in accuracy and accuracy of shooting, in terms of convenience, she lost to some other models.

The Berdan-2 rifle had the same box as on the first issue. In the beginning, it was made from walnut, and then - from birch. The fore-end was fastened to the barrel by sliding rings on the screws. There were two of them. Sights also had the same design, and the flush for bayonet attachment remained on the right side. At the same time, the bayonet was modified. He was not fastened under the barrel, but on the right.

Locking the shutter was carried out when it was rotated by forty-five degrees. This was clearly not enough for such a large caliber, shooting a powerful cartridge. In this case, the ridge, which was equipped with the bolt of the rifle Berdan, rested against the rear wall on the receiver.

Using

In this form, she began to enter the Russian army. It was easy enough to use the rifle. When pulling off the lock tube behind the tail of the key pipe, a fighting spring was cocked, and the drummer was put on the platoon.

After that, taking a small ball-shaped handle, it was necessary to open the bolt and, swinging it forward and upwards, charge the rifle. After closing, the weapon was ready for shooting.

Cartridge

Berdan's rifles fired in solid brass bottle-shaped cases, inside of which was a brass cup for the purpose of hardening the cap, as well as a central capsule. A charge of nitrate-coal powder and brown coal weighed for the cavalry version of 1 evils, or 4.265 g. While the Berdan-2 infantry rifle fired with a slightly heavier fuse, 1.19 zloty, or five grams. On the gunpowder in a paper cup lay a debris made of fat mixed with wax. It was necessary for softening in the trunk of the deposit and for better obturation. Two cavities were provided for in the cavalry patron. The bullets in Berdan's rifles were cylinder-lively, stamped, from pure lead and in a paper wrapper. On their bottom there was a special indentation for placing inside the end of the paper.

Caliber

The wrapper helped to protect the cuts from the lead-in process. In addition, she insulated the metal of the sleeve, prevented the appearance of longitudinal tracks on the bullets. This defect at that time was very common and appeared when they passed through the trunk channel.

The bullet "Berdanok" had the same caliber as the barrel. It weighed 24.16 grams. When fired, a fairly long bullet was compressed along the length, increased in caliber and filled with rifling. After its flight, the paper wrapper fell off under rotation of the air. Outside, bullets with a wrap were deposited, thereby reducing friction when shot in the trunk. To distinguish the infantry cartridge from the cavalry was very easy. The wrapping paper for the bullet of the latter was painted pink, while the infantry cartridge was white. Its weight was 39.4 grams.

The initial for the bullet of the infantry patrol was the speed of 1414 feet, or 431 meters per second, and the cavalry's - 1188 m / sec. In the first case she pierced three iron sheets from two hundred paces with a thickness of two and a half millimeters each. While a cavalry bullet could do the same, but from a distance of a hundred meters.

Production in Russia

The Berdan-2 rifle was first ordered at the weapons factory in Birmingham. But it soon became apparent that it was no longer possible to arm an army of such a large state as Russia, due to supplies from abroad. The time has come when it was necessary to establish domestic production. But this was not an easy task. For the production of "berdanoks" and cartridges for them in the right amount, it was necessary to thoroughly modernize the Russian arms industry. And this was done, albeit with great expense and considerable effort. By the autumn of 1872, everything was ready at the Tula Arms Factory. At the same time, work was progressing at Izhevsk and Sestroretsk mechanical factories.

Since the domestic machine-building industry at that time was still in its infancy, all the machines, tools and equipment had to be bought abroad. A significant role in setting up the production of rifles of Berdan in our country was played by British specialists. To meet the need of the Russian army in cartridges for this weapon, in 1869 in St. Petersburg was built and equipped with modern machine tools plant. Thanks to the ongoing changes, the army was gradually re-equipped with modern domestic models.

Features

At that time, Berdan's rifle was characterized by excellent ballistics and accuracy of fire. Complaints caused only the exactingness of the weapon to an abundant lubricant. Some discontent was felt about the low reliability of the shock-trigger mechanism.

Advantages and disadvantages

Rifles of the first and second samples did not have a magazine and were singly charged. Experienced archers could lay in one minute up to ten bullets in a one-and-a-half-meter circle from a distance of one hundred meters. This for those times was considered a good result. However, for weapons, the infantry rifle was considered not completely unsuccessful: first, it required a good ability to shoot the fighters, and secondly, they had to be trained for about a month. This was due to the fact that the design of the flap, as well as the care of this gun were quite complex.

Cost

Berdan rifles, especially with rare modifications, are considered rarities in our country today. In good condition, they are very difficult to find. In tsarist and even in the Soviet years, all the available specimens in warehouses were completely converted into smoothbore ones. That's why the present factory rifle of Berdan is very rare today. Its price is quite high. It depends on the model and the presence of an additional sight. Of no small importance is the technical condition of the weapon. On average, the infantry Berdan-2 can be bought for seventy thousand rubles and more.

In accordance with the current legislation in our country, only if there is an opinion of the Ministry of Culture that has recognized the rifle as a cultural asset, it can legally be in free circulation.