Lahti L-35

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L1935 Lahti Pistol
box magazine
Sightsfront blade, rear notch

The Lahti L-35 is a semi-automatic pistol designed by Aimo Lahti that was produced between 1935 and 1952. Designed to be manufactured autonomously in Finland, the pistol was used by Finland throughout the Winter War and Continuation War. Considered to be of high quality, the Lahti was well manufactured and worked reliably in cold conditions or when fouled. The use of a bolt accelerator, an uncommon feature in a pistol, helped make the Lahti reliable.

A Swedish copy of the L-35 Lahti, the Husqvarna m/40, saw extensive service with the Swedish military until the 1980s. The m/40s had similar design and firing mechanisms to the Finnish L-35s but suffered lower reliability from the lower quality steel used in manufacturing.

History

Following the independence of Finland from Russia in 1917 and the defeat of the

Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken in 1923.[1] Finland became intent on autonomously producing its own weaponry with the Finnish Volunteer Guards opening the arsenal, Suojeluskuntain ase- ja Konepaja Oy (SAKO) in 1921 and the Government of Finland opening the Valtion Kivääritehdas (VKT) in Jyväskylä in 1929.[1] The Finnish Army soon called for a domestically produced pistol that could withstand Finland's harsh winters.[1] Design began in 1929 under the supervision of Aimo Lahti[1] and a patent was granted for the M1935 Lahti pistol in 1935.[2] The Lahti was originally designed to fire stockpiled 7.65×21mm Parabellum and 9×19mm Parabellum ammunition but was ultimately restricted to 9mm only.[2] The Lahti pistol became formally adopted in 1935 by the Finnish armed forces [3] as the Pistooli L-35.[2] Production was slow for widespread use with only 500 pistols completed before production was halted by the start of the Winter War.[2] Production continued in 1941 with about 4,500 pistols manufactured before the production was interrupted again by the Continuation War.[2] Final production of Finnish Lahti pistols resumed again in 1946 with around 9,000 completed before 1951.[2]

Design

The M1935 Lahti is considered well manufactured and finished.

hammer.[5] The pistol itself is well sealed from dirt and ice but is heavy by modern standards.[4] A manual safety was provided by a lever on the left-hand side of the pistol.[5]

Bolt accelerator

The addition of a bolt accelerator to the Lahti pistol was to ensure the performance of the pistol in arctic conditions in Finland.[2] Bolt accelerators are more commonly found in machine guns to increase the rate of fire.[4] The bolt accelerator in the Lahti works by having a crank lever strike the bolt of the pistol as it unlocks from firing.[2] This thrusts the bolt mechanically instead of relying on the momentum of firing alone to move the bolt back.[2] The value of the addition of the bolt accelerator was put into question with a batch of guns made without an accelerator being produced.[2] The immediate recall of the pistols without bolt accelerators is thought to indicate the accelerator is not essential but useful in the operation of the gun.[2]

Lahti Husqvarna m/40

Husqvarna Model 40, a Swedish copy of the Lahti, with holster and spare magazine

The Husqvarna Model 40 or m/40

Glock 17 by the early 1990s.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Kinard(2003), pp. 235-236
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Hogg (2004) pp. 186-187
  3. ^ McNab(2004) p. 156
  4. ^ a b c Hogg (2000) p. 32
  5. ^ a b c Fowler (2007) p. 182, 193
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hogg(2004) p. 173
  7. ^ a b Hogg (2000) pp. 80-81

References

  • Fowler, Will; North, Anthony; Stronge, Charles (2007). Pistols, Revolvers, and Submachine Guns. East Bridgewater, Massachusetts: World Publications Group.
    ISBN 978-1-57215-595-4
    .
  • Hogg, Ian; Weeks, John (2000). Military Small Arms of the 20th Century (7th ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications.
    ISBN 0-87341-824-7
    .
  • Hogg, Ian; Walter, John (2004). Pistols of the World (4th ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications.
    ISBN 0-87349-460-1
    .
  • Kinard, Jeff (2003). Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.
    ISBN 1-85109-470-9
    .
  • McNab, Chris (2004). The Great Book of Guns. San Diego, California: Thunder Bay Press.
    ISBN 1-59223-304-X
    .

External links
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