Tallinn Arsenal

Tallinn arsenal submachine gun.
 Tallinn arsenal submachine gun.

 

Characteristics

 

Caliber 9×20 Browning Long
Weight 4.27 kg empty
Length (stock closed/open) 809 mm
Barrel length 210 mm
Rate of fire 600 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity 40 rounds

 

Tallinn arsenal submachine gun was developed during mid-1920s by Estonian company Tallinn Arsenal. It was put into production in around 1927. Only about 600 of these submachine guns were ever made and issued to Estonian army and police. Circa 1937 Estonian government sold all its inventory of the Tallinn arsenal submachine guns, and sooner than later more than few of them turned up in combat during Spanish Civil war. The Tallinn arsenal submachine gun was based on the famous German Bergmann / Schmeisser MP.18/I submachine gun, with certain modifications, mostly cosmetic.

The Tallinn arsenal submachine gun is a simple blowback operated, selective fired weapon that fires from open bolt. The fire selector is made in the form of a small lever, located in front of the trigger guard. The manual safety consisted of the L-shaped cut, made at the rear of the cocking handle slot. This cut was used to lock the bolt in its rearward position by putting the cocking handle into the cut. Barrel was enclosed into the tubular jacket, with long slots for better cooling. Magazine is inserted from the left side, depending on the source its capacity is listed as 40 (more common value) or 50 rounds. The heavy rifle-type stock was made from wood. The rear sight was of tangent type, adjustable from 100 to 600 meters range.