The Soviet Union's WW2 Semi-Automatic Rifle - The SVT-40

An overview of the SVT-40 featuring places it shows up in the movies.
More War Movie Content: / johnnyjohnsonesq
Second Channel: / @johnnyjohnsonhistory
Movies and video games featured:
1944 (2015)
Panfilov’s 28 Men 2016
White Tiger 2012
Battle for Sevastopol 2015
Ambush 1999
Fortress of War 2010
World of Guns: Gun Disassembly (Video Game)
The Winter War 1989
Battery Number One 2015
Come and See 1985
Enlisted (Video Game)
#ww2 #soviet

[@lordbarristertimsh8050]

Thank you for featuring the film "Come and See" in your video, that film needs more attention, and more people need to watch it!

[@JamesTheLamenter]

I think that you can find it here on KZbin but I can't remember for certain.

[@VanemParm]

childhood trauma flashbacks

[@juxapostion]

Great, Sad film. Mosfilm have the full version on KZbin for anyone that needs(wants) to see

[@dillonhunt1720]

War is.... le bad?

[@trevor8493]

That's a harsh flick , but , a must for it's realism

[@DirtyDiksgunoroma]

I remember when Canadian Tire was selling them dirt cheap. I should have bought a crate of them. They're worth an arm and a leg now.

[@veeli1106]

…how long ago was this when Crappy Tire wasn’t crappy?!

[@DirtyDiksgunoroma]

@@veeli1106 2015 to about 2019. They were 200 bucks. 😢

[@veeli1106]

@@DirtyDiksgunoroma …then it certainly wasn’t in any franchise in the Vancouver area!

[@wealthybone2990]

Ah the SVT-40 one of my favorite semi-automatic rifles in history, I wish it was as popular like the M1 Garand but wish they kept this design it looks cool.

[@stevenunyabidness]

a Garand nowadays is robust and easy to find replacement parts. an svt, not so much on either front.

[@edm240b9]

Over 1 million SVT40s were made, they did make their way around the battlefield. However, it was found out that the SVT40 was too expensive to replace the Mosin and the amount of time it took to train a soldier to get good with it wasn’t worth it given the average life expectancy on the battlefield. It was significantly easier and cheaper to give guys submachine guns and resume Mosin production.

[@andyfriederichsen]

@@edm240b9 They also had a better rifle, the SKS, available after the war and later the AK-47.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

@@edm240b9 Captured ones seem to have been prized, especially by Germans and Finns. Which says something for the model. Soviets liked weapons that were sturdy and did not need too much maintenance, and the SVT-38 and 40 did need to be looked after, which was a definite drawback. I read that they were often issued to NCOs in the Red Army as they were more likely than privates to clean the rifle regularly and not subject it to too much rough handling. Certainly in photos or film, Soviet soldiers equipped with it often have NCO rank badges.

[@gratefulguy4130]

This sucks compared to a Garand in every way

[@weathermanwx9199]

Fun fact: The short stroke gas-piston system of the SVT-40 that went on to the G43 and FN FAL is still used today and can been seen in weapons like the AR-18 and its derivatives and the HK416. Unfun Fact: The SVT-40 served as the partial basis for the AS-44, a prototype assault rifle designed by Alexei Sudayev, the creator of the PPS submachine gun. Sudayev was considerably ill while designing the AS-44 and eventually died a week before his 34th birthday in 1946, halting development of the AS-44.

[@worldbiggestfan1]

As the svt 40 and gewher 43 use clips because mags on a semiautomatic rifle become rare during ww2

[@madeofgrease9220]

No wonder that gun is so damn gassy.

[@nursestoyland]

@@madeofgrease9220too much taco bell?

[@AR_119]

I own one from 1940. It is quite accurate at medium range and it's a dream to shoot. Properly regulated it has basically no recoil. It is loud as hell though and throws massive fireballs

[@RedStarRogue]

It's a bit funny that some reviews of Come and See sometimes say that the boy finds "an older rifle" buried in the sand, when the SVT was still pretty new in 1943.

[@therideneverends1697]

more than likely a mistranslation as the russian phrase closest to "Buried" or "abandoned under" is often misattributed to "old" or "worn out" in English because it has contextual language around it that cant be translated

[@buwanbuwaya6927]

@@therideneverends1697 That explains what.

[@therideneverends1697]

@@buwanbuwaya6927 It explains the why behind the original commenters observation, read it again until you understand i believe in you

[@buwanbuwaya6927]

​@@therideneverends1697 What, ahahaah, dude I was abbreviating "That explains what (they meant in translation)", I also watched Come & See and at the beginning I was also confused why there's an SVT buried in the sand and you explained it all to me why there's mistranslations in the russian film Also, shit mannn that film is dark as hell

[@stevekaczynski3793]

I wonder if the film-makers had him using that gun for cinematic reasons mainly, as watching someone cycle a bolt over and over is perhaps a little tedious to watch. A partisan who had an SVT-40 would probably count himself as lucky.

[@englemachine]

"Come and See" is movie that took me a few tries to watch all the way through. Not because it's difficult to follow or because it was poorly written, but in that it is a very raw representation of what people went through. I highly recommend watching the movie though, it's unforgettable.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Reminds me of Texhnolyze and Now and Then, Here and There, your words.

[@DavidCowie2022]

I remember a random KZbin commenter calling Come And See "the best film that I never want to see again." I wouldn't go quite that far, but ...

[@therideneverends1697]

@@DavidCowie2022 Id go close to that far tbh, i mean i will watch it again because i intend to show it to others, but i have no intent on watching it again on my own

[@zaxxxppe]

it is a very realistic and brutal/honest depiction of war. It must be said, however, the film portrayed the notorious Dirlewanger Brigade - not every German unit acted like that in the field

[@Sigmundfries]

4:38. I remember Red Orchestra 2 featured the AVT-40 as a Soviet assault weapon and, lo and behold, the weapon was nigh-uncontrollable in full-auto. I often gave up and switched to semi, treating it like any other SVT. Great video as always!

[@blackhornetextingstoryindu15]

Hi did you already do the British Lee-Enfield and all of it's variation in it's service

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Not yet. Such a big project. But eventually =)

[@battlejitney2197]

Your videos are informative and your puns entertaining. Delivery is great too - good “radio” voice. New YT drops are always on my “must watch” list. Keep up the great work

[@Warthundermain-342]

That weapon piss me off in enlisted

[@alixon5009]

Best semi auto rifle in the game imo. There's just something nice about it in game.

[@Warthundermain-342]

@@alixon5009 but when I play axis I still fear it from experience players using it

[@KevinSmith-yh6tl]

@@Warthundermain-342 That's how the Soviets felt when the Finn's captured some. SISU!!

[@scarletcrusader5431]

@@alixon5009 idk man the mondragon is pretty good

[@alixon5009]

@@scarletcrusader5431 Alright then. Best semi auto I've used. Sorry but I'm not gonna spend a gold order on Mondragons.

[@KaldekBoch]

Geez I had a look at the wikipedia page for "Come and See" as I've never seen it. Ranked 41st of the greatest fiilms of all time?! Dang.

[@therideneverends1697]

Its also the easiest way to get PTSD from looking at a movie screen. I have a fairly resilliant constitution but i have to watch the film in 2 parts

[@BHuang92]

Interesting Fact: Thr Swiss arm manufacturer W+F Bern produced a copy of the SVT-40 with a 6-round magazine of 7.5×55mm Swiss. It was trialed as the AK44 for a new semi-auto rifle which ultimately was not adopted.

[@andyfriederichsen]

The Germans on the Eastern Front often used captured SVT-40s along with captured PPSh-41 submachine guns.

[@seanchristopher91]

Johnny, you always provide me knowledge I always wanted, but could never find. And thungs I would never have known without you.

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Thanks man! My info is kind of scratching the surface stuff compared to many experts out there really. But I do try to make my presentation engaging/unique as I can.

[@kellychuang8373]

Really also good there and who knows what other but anyway recommended some others and also could look into parts like AK-47 or RPG-7 even do one on this vehicle the BMP-1 and anti-aircraft missiles like SAMs and MANIPADs such as SA-7 and Stinger also may want to do a future one on the B-52 bomber is cool anyway check that out since there's a lot out there.

[@seanchristopher91]

@@kellychuang8373 I was thinking the same and I am just waiting for those.

[@kellychuang8373]

@@seanchristopher91 That's good and other parts may want to look into tanks like aside from M1 Abrams also look up the T-54/55 as well and really check those I already said out the old footage of those anti-aircraft missiles are really something among many others since it's really dangerous outside and these days info can be fast.

[@NoMoreCrumbs]

Captured semi autos like the SVT-38 and -40 are explicitly mentioned in wehrmacht tactical manuals for probing assaults on Soviet trenches. MHV did a video about it a few years back

[@sathancat]

I appreciate the fact that you list the movies you play clips of, thanks Johnny!

[@HansPottermann]

One of my favourite weapons to shoot, and it plays a major role in one of my favourite movies ever, Come and See.

[@Willchannel90]

The beast hunt rifle.

[@andyhuang1766]

9 Minutes new personal record!

[@luishenriquedeaguiar]

This gun on red orchestra 2 is beast

[@officercat7907]

Always loved your videos! Thank you!

[@TallDude73]

Thanks for taking a shot at this rifle video. ;)

[@JustPassingBy90]

Props for using footage of that movie 👀🔥

[@pajamapantsjack5874]

Every since I’ve first seen it, I’ve kinda loved the Svt. The avs, to the sks to the ak idk why the russia automatic rifles just appeal to my aesthetic desires

[@billgates1549]

Johnny I have returned with good news about windows 98.

[@zumbazumba1]

Thank you for the movie recommendations !

[@horatiohuffnagel7978]

7.62 by 54r is a sick round. You know you've fired something when it kicks and the loud crack goes off.

[@GunnerHeatFire]

Great video once again johhny! One of my favorite rifles in video games.

[@lockstockc2575]

Fantastic job Johnny. Please keep up the tremendous work.

[@seventhbeanofaseventhbean]

Since we're on the topic of Come And See here in the comments, anyone who hasn't seen it should go watch it. It's free on youtube. It is a viscerally gut wrenching antiwar film, the first time I watched it I watched the whole thing all at once and it made me physically ill to my stomach. I really do recommend it, like I said it's free on youtube.

[@dillonhillier]

I got one of these at canadian tire ages ago. Its amazing and i find it very accurate.

[@mrcrecer1312]

Not 1,6 million. 2 145 688 Tokarevs were produced and more precisely: - SVT-38: 191 976 - SVT-40 infantry: 1 392 414 - SVT and AVT sniper: 52 526 - AVT-40: 501 201 - Others: 7 571 (training rifles) At the same time, there is no archival data for a couple of months, so hypothetically they could have produced even more. Source: Chumak R.N. - Self-loading and automatic Tokarev rifles.

[@user-pf3kv4bv5s]

The problem is not so much with the rifle as with the cartridge. It's hard to make a weapon that would use Mosin cartridges and still work fine. There were problems with the DP-27 for the same reason. When they created 7.62x51 and created weapons for it (AK, RPD, SKS), they all worked fine.

[@maxzuihou3582]

I have been waiting for this video!

[@nymets1104]

My favorite weapon in Red Orchestra 2

[@kilr0y_was_here]

Great video! I haven't seen the Gewehr 43 in many movies, perhaps you could make a video on that?

[@callsigntonks4029]

Ive always wanted one of these. Good video johnny :)

[@iowa_lot_to_travel9471]

Been waiting for this one. And Johnny delivers. 👍🔥💪 The Sveta is a great rifle. Just wish they were not so expensive 😅

[@nathanlurie2602]

"Come and see" maybe the best movie on WWII. Must watch!

[@H1tlerOsama]

Bean

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Beans with maple syrup.

[@wealthybone2990]

​@@JohnnyJohnsonEsqsounds good ngl.

[@thekhoifish0146]

Y’all eat your beans with or without the can

[@MM22966]

The real reason this never went into service was lack of proper marketing: If you told the Soviets you only needed 1 gun per firing squad, they would have been all over it!

[@crypto4423]

Didnt even matter, but super cool and worth well over 4x mosin now. Ill probably never own one but ill always hope i can

[@ralphgeigner5497]

Unique rifle, sure would like one !

[@j.peters1222]

You should do a video on the SKS carbine next.

[@danielcurtis1434]

The more you learn about the G43 and SVT-40 the more you appreciate how amazing the M1 was for 1930s technology!!!

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

They killed a real cow

[@danielcurtis1434]

@@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras Ok I have to admit I didn’t understand whatever joke or anecdote your adding though I’m curious???

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

@@danielcurtis1434 in a Soviet movie called Come and See when the boy is walking with the other soldier and the cow the soldier is cut down by machine gun fire, then the cow gets hit by a bunch of rounds/tracers , what you see there is 100% real they told the boy to take cover and the Machine gun post on the hill opened fire on the cow , killing the cow unfortunately , the boy carries an SVT-40 throughout the movie, you should check it out, its on KZbin, I made a mistake and responded to your comment instead of the other comment that mentioned the movie

[@danielcurtis1434]

@@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras thanks for that I’ll check it out. FYI I’ve made way way bigger mistakes than that!!!

[@madmeh2929]

That “Come and See” footage reminded me how rough (and how great) that film is.

[@laa9965]

The Svt-40 is an excellent weapon, which, unfortunately, fell into the hands of Untrained soldiers who were not familiar with this weapon at all. For them, a double-barreled shotgun was a miracle of gun thought. The Red Army Marines had good trained soldiers and they loved the Svt-40 very much

[@toxicgamer6974]

Bro I love this channel also have u or could you done the m16a1

[@paulwee1924dus]

The Russian kid in "Come and See" had a truck load off Make-up on him to make him 50 years older.

[@jamesb8573]

Come and See haunts my dreams.

[@benjaminhariri602]

I always wondered why that Finnish solder always racked his SVT like that in the film. I assume the actor didn’t know it was semi and used it like a Mosin. Wonder if anyone knows the real reason?

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

I was guessing that the blank cartridges were likely too weak to cycle the action.

[@Khmaryappels2]

​@@JohnnyJohnsonEsqThat might be, it's truly weird

[@KetunpesanPelailut]

The blank cartridges what film company used weren't powerfull enought to cycle the action (They used same type off ammunition that are used in military funerals etc)

[@romaliop]

I recall hearing somewhere that some soldiers really just didn't know that the rifles were capable of semi-automatic fire and would use them like bolt-action rifles because that's what they were used to. I think it's a plausible scenario if a captured rifle wasn't set up correctly to cycle automatically with the ammo the Finns used. Of course, that would also be convenient for the filming with blanks, but I would think it's more likely an intentional detail based on true stories rather than just a random SVT they have to cycle manually because of the blanks. Like why not just give the guy a Mosin-Nagant instead, if all there is to it is just a technical problem with the blanks?

[@michaelandreipalon359]

I have to admit, Eastern bloc weapons sure have a focus on being made with seemingly glazed brown wood designs. Am curious as to why that's the common case. I really need to rewatch Talvisota/The Winter War and Come and See. Geez, that Enlisted variant packs too much recoil.

[@belialofeden]

Polymer gun pieces weren't really a thing back then and wood is lighter and cheaper than metal. Just a guess. Also the wood doesn't transfer heat as well as metal so your less likely to burn yourself. I've grabbed a hot barrel once, just once and I won't be doing it again lmfao

[@coffee0093]

I remember learning the hard way how hot an SKS barrel can get

[@froginthewaves8450]

AWESOME VIDEO!

[@Chiller11]

Interesting rifle that didn’t work out as well as it could have. There is an iconic photo of Lyudmilla Pavlichenko aka Lady Death with an SVT 40 sniper rifle though apparently they weren’t very successful in the sniper configuration. The Russians went heavily into submachine guns as the war progressed.

[@Snailrider_Actual]

As a mondo SVT nerd, I’ve never clicked faster

[@nebelwerfer199]

Thanks for this great clip. I have one of these and i love it.

[@ComradeAlex123]

One of the best looking guns in my opinion

[@rogerdevero8726]

BIG FAN of your work Johnny! Always 'liked and subscribed' of course. God bless you - John 14:6

[@venturatheace1]

My favorite semi-auto rifle in World at War

[@byazura9824]

I noticed you civil war guns before. Can you do a video on the Colt Navy?

[@joshuavelazco4382]

Can you do a video on the American machine guns of ww2

[@schrodingersgat4344]

I miss mine. Damned fine rifle.

[@kokutai3331]

Would you ever do a video on the Japanese Type 38/99?

[@torbjrnsteinsland8985]

I swear you already have done this. Also when Jagdpanzer IV?

[@pyeitme508]

Yep

[@evancrum6811]

Loved this weapon in COD

[@GannicusMisteriosdeHonduras]

Good movies Johnny 🍿🎥

[@nate2064]

I always thought of it must have been a better rifle as a kid since you get it late game in COD WAW

[@NTAD]

Always come for the history but stay for the puns.

[@wiktorberski9272]

Interesting design, a soviet equivalent of Garand. Could you be so kind, and to prepare a movie about Kbsp wz. 1938M? Probably, it would be tough to find any movie scenes

[@ahmadsuleman9045]

I read on Wikipedia that the most prominent use of the gun was by its own designer to shoot down a German plane during the invasion of Poland, while he was evacuating by train

[@MrRjh63]

Funny how you mentioned the Gewher 43 since that was a pos as well from what i read.

[@luger_Mann]

wouldnt surprise me, the G41's were terrible but also lots of the g43's produced, both under the name g43 and k43 got sabotaged and due to the slave labor used to make them many were made of really poor metal quality, its one of the reasons a good shoot-able one is so hard to find these days, the guns had no way to regulate gas pressure for operating the gun, meaning the full power of 8mm typically cycled right back into the action pretty violently. Hell even with the right modifications today they tend to beat themselves to death regardless.

[@alucardthedumbyhead7970]

The only thing im jealous of yall Canadians is there are more svt 40s that where imported than here in the US

[@bushsbakedbaby1374]

Love the videos Mr. Johnny Man. But I see a disturbing lack of feet?

[@arzkaful1]

Huhh ? 😄

[@kellychuang8373]

Really good here may want to see that later on anyway other topics for any future videos may want to do 1 on the RPG-7, AK-47 rifle, MIG jets and also still thinking about any anti-aircraft missiles not only just the SA-7 and Stingers but this version known as the SAMs or S-75 NATO named it the SA-2 along with the MI-24 Hind helicopter among others.

[@gratefulguy4130]

It's funny how many people talk down on the G43 yet swoon over this gun lol

[@itsjohndell]

Full Auto is overrated.

[@Fallschirmjager-xy1ep]

''By the way SVT-40 is not seen in Band of brothers , here is a random scene from the series that the rifle is not featured''

[@davidstruck8109]

ah the Ol' Soviet Jackhammer

[@tk1850]

in call of duty 1 united offensive i nicknamed it schvabomor , croatian for jerry slayer

[@masterbuilderproductions]

Could you do a video covering the german equivalent aka the G43?

[@kenjamago3977]

Back then the germans captured alot of these SVT-40s so much that there's even a field operating manual for it on german

[@JGCR59]

As seen in some tactics manuals by @military history visualised the SVT was so common in the Wehrmacht it was simply assumed as a standard part of a german east front rifle squad in 1942. There were to be 1 or 2 riflemen with Beute-Selbstladegewehre to provide flexible fire support in addition to the Machine Gun and the squad leader's MP40

[@davebersabe4550]

I love to know about this SVT rifle and can you do the Gewehr 43 the german semi auto rifle next.

[@jasonsantos3037]

The M1 Rifle is still number one.

[@TellySavalas-or5hf]

1944 was a nice movie! Also with Dutch Waffen SS memeber in it.

[@simondalton3726]

Nicer to use them the German Gewehr 43. Well, in ‘Call of Duty’, anyway 😊

[@Eric-kn4yn]

Made famous in movie Come & See.

[@cascadianrangers728]

Had a starring role in Come and See. The main character digs it up from like 6 feet of sand and carries it around the whole film, I forgot if he ever shoots it before the finale

[@robertfogelberg7538]

So great

[@tristanbentz224]

Could you do a video on the B36Peacemaker

[@BigboiiTone]

Why did they wrapper onto the scope of some rifle? To prevent fouling of adjustment knobs?

[@dancortes3062]

Soviet snipers would wrap their rifles and scopes in burlap for camouflage.

[@BigboiiTone]

@@dancortes3062 thank you my friend

[@bananaok6194]

SVD use same ammunition,7.62 by 54💀

[@ricarte1986]

Legend has it that if you ask, you will get pinned

[@JohnnyJohnsonEsq]

Hearted for sure.

[@ZombieSlayer-dj3wb]

The mosin was appearently worse

[@inductivegrunt94]

A very nice rifle, if mired by its flaws. Not the greatest semi-auto rifle of the early 20th century, but it served its purpose. I remember using this in CoD WW2 and finding some pretty good success with is. So while it wasn't exactly the best in real life, it's pretty amazing in video games. Great video, Johnny. I didn't know much about the SVT-40, so this was very informative. Thanks for the interesting information on this rifle.

[@raigarmullerson4838]

Heyyyy, Estonian movie. Cheers from Estonia

[@worldbiggestfan1]

5:09 speaking of the ak 47 can you do a video about the ak 47

[@marvelfoxmorty5057]

I didn't expect German to copy SVT-40, Soviet weapons is next level during ww2 when compared to US weapons

[@Kalashnikov413]

Nahh the US weapons in some regards were better than what the Soviet had

[@Ayden-vi1io]

M1 garand is better lmfao

[@luger_Mann]

the Germans only copied the gas system and the Soviets phased out the svt pretty much instantly after the war but kept the mosin for designated sniper and marksman related roles. Even general Soviet infantry regarded the SVT as unpleasant and "unwieldy" due to its weight and length. Soldiers had to keep track of the mags they had for their submachine guns, rifles (svt) and their pistols since most mags didn't work well in other weapons, even when it was the same gun with them all having pretty to extremely poor interchangeability . Compared to US weapons what the Soviets had was crap, little to no better than other extremely cheap guns like the British Sten.

[@MrToast886]

Aka Tarkov's Rat Cannon