A Guide to Surplus Communist Bloc Firearms

Communism may have been relegated to the dustbin of history, but the guns of communism are a spectre that still haunts American gun shows. If you are interested in owning a piece of history, you can find many Russian, Soviet, and Communist Bloc firearms for very reasonable prices. Most of communist firearms are very rugged, reliable, and easy to maintain.

1. Mosin-Nagant Rifle. The Mosin-Nagant rifle is a bolt-action rifle that was used to equip the forces of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union up through World War II. The Mosin-Nagant fires 7.62x54mmR rounds fed from a fixed 5-round box magazine. Adapted in 1891, the Mosin-Nagant was modernized in 1924 and designated the M91/30. When Russia was invaded by Nazi Germany, Mosin-Nagant production skyrocketed. By the end of World War II, approximate 17.4 million Mosin-Nagant M91/30 rifles had been produced. Today, the Mosin-Nagant M91/30 is one of the true bargains in the world of military surplus rifles.

2. SKS. The SKS is a semi-automatic carbine which fires the 7.62x39mm round fed from a fixed 10-round box magazine which is loaded via stripper clips. The SKS has a bayonet that folds back into the forestock. While the SKS was introduced in 1945, the Soviets quickly phased it out of front-line service in favor of the AK-47. However, the rugged carbine was widely made in other communist countries including China, Yugoslovia, Romania, Albania, East Germany, Vietnam, and North Korea. During the early 1990s, large numbers of Chinese-made SKS carbines were imported into the United States where they were available for as low as $99 at gunshows. These carbines were once a most economical way for Americans to get into shooting centerfire rifles.

3. AK-47. The AK-47 was designed by Soviet soldier Mikhael Kalashnikov in 1943 and was adapted by the Soviet Union in 1947. Inspired by Nazi Germany's StG44 assault rifle, the AK-47 fully realized the assault rifle concept which combines the rifle rounds with submachine gun firepower. The AK-47 is rugged, reliable, and put massive firepower in the hands of the individual soldier or revolutionary. A selective-fire automatic rifle, the AK-47 fires 7.26x39mm rounds fed from 30-round detachable box magazines and can fire at an automatic rate of 600 rounds per minute. The AK-47 is an iconic rifle because of its curved magazines (also called banana clips) and it's identification with leftist revolutionaries. A number of semi-automatic AK-47 variants are legally available in the United States.

4. Nagant M1895. With seven shots, a gas seal design, and an unusual cartridge, the Russian Nagant revolver is an interesting pistol. Unlike most revolvers, the cylinder of the M1895 Nagant moves forward when the gun is cocked. This eliminates the gap between the cylinder chamber and barrel. The seal between the cylinder chamber and barrel is completed by the unusual 7.62x38mmR round fired by Nagant. The rimmed cartridge is crimped above the bullet to help prevent gases escaping from anywhere other than the muzzle. Unfortunately, the Nagant M1895 has a 14 pound single action trigger pull and a 20 pound double action trigger pull. However, since Nagant M1895 pistols sell for extremely low prices, it is hard for gun collectors to resist this unique pistol.

5. Tokarev TT. In the 1930s, the Soviets decided to replace the aging Nagant M1895 Revolver with a semi-automatic pistol. Fedor Tokarev designed an automatic pistol that fires a high velocity 7.62x25mm round and has an 8-round detachable box magazine. It looks similar to a Model 1908 Browning blowback pistol, but has internal features similar to the venerable Colt 1911 pistol. During the early 90s, the Chinese variant of the Tokarev TT-33 was imported in large quantities and was available at low prices. Known as the Norinco Model 213, these Tokarev pistols were sometimes chambered for the common 9mm Parabellum or the 7.62x25mm Tokarev round. As an American gunshow browser, the main drawbacks to the Tokarev appeared to be small, uncomfortable, looking grips.

6. Makarov PM. The Makarov Pistol is a blowback pistol that was adapted from a Carl Walther design. The Soviets took the design in 1945, changed it significantly under the direction of Nikolay Makarov, and adopted it in 1951 as the official Soviet military sidearm. Firing 9x18mm Makarov ammunition, this simple, rugged, pistol provides adequate stopping power in a compact package. The magazine holds 8 rounds. The Makarov PM pistol has a Double Action/Single Action (DA/SA) firing mechanism that allows for the pistol to be carried with the hammer down and a round in the chamber. When the trigger is first pulled, the hammer is fully cocked and released to fire double action. The recoil ejects the spent shell casing, loads a new round into the chamber, and leaves the hammer cocked for single action follow up shots. Makarov pistols were made in Russia, East Germany, Bulgaria, and China. While Russian small arms are no longer imported into the United States. Makarov variants are sometimes available at gun shows and are a popular sidearm for concealed carry on a budget.

You don't have to be godless communist to shoot old Soviet and Communist bloc weapons. However, you do have to research them and be certain of safe handling and cleaning regimes before you go shooting. Shooters are advised to have any surplus firearm inspected by a gunsmith for safety before firing. The Makarov and SKS can "slamfire" and fire all rounds in a magazine uncontrollably if cosmoline, grease, or other oils get on the firing pin and surrounding mechanisms. New shooters should thoroughly research these firearms in communities like surplusrifleforum.com before using them. However, once you have a historic cold war weapon, you'll never be satisfied with a lame Che Guevara T-shirt again.

Sources:

AK-47. Wikipedia.

Makarov Basics.

Makarov PM.

Mosin-Nagant. Wikipedia.

Nagant Revolver Model 1895.

Russian Seven Shooter: The 1895 Nagant 7.62mm Revolver

SKS. Wikipedia.

TT Pistol.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TT-33http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SKShttp://www.sff.net/people/sanders/nagant.htmlhttp://www.surplusrifle.com/pistolm1895/index.asphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosin-Naganthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makarov_pistolhttp://www.makarov.com/makbasics.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-47