A pair of Type 44s.

[PeterN]

A comparison between the Arisaka Type 44 carbine and the Mosin Nagent Type 44 carbine. The Mosin in the picture is a Polish made one dated 1953. Did the Russians copy from the Japanese or just add a bayonet to the Type 38 carbine?

Regards
Peter.

[snayperskaya]

I don't think the Soviets copied the Japanese.The M38 came into being as a carbine length Mosin intended primarily for issue to rear echelon troops, artillery crews and drivers etc so a bayonet wasn't required.The M44 was developed for issue to front line troops from experiences gained in close quarter urban combat in Stalingrad where a full length infantry rifle could be a hinderance due to the length.As the M44 was intended for urban combat it was considered essential to fit a bayonet and a folding one made practical sense.

It was standard Soviet military doctrine to keep the bayonet attached to the M91/30 at all times, to the point that they never issued a scabbard for the bayonet, so in close quarter combat the standard M91/30 plus the bayonet was quite unwieldy, especially in house to house or room to room fighting like that experienced in Stalingrad.

The notable exception to that doctrine were the Mosin sniper rifles, with the exception of some '43-dated PU snipers, which weren't issued with bayonets.

[snayperskaya]

There were also full length 91/30 trials rifles that were fitted with a folding bayonet which wasn't adopted for service.Some have made it onto the civilian market, mainly in the USA, and are very collectable.They seem to have been exported from The Motherland mixed in crates with regular 91/30's.