Estonian Snipers: Enfields in 7.62x54R and Arisakas in .303 British
In the early 1930s, the Estonian military and Estonia Defense League had a rather eclectic mix of small arms. The Army had three divisions, and split different types of weapons between them to simplify logistics. Thus, there was one division equipped with rifles and machine guns in 7.62x54R, and another with .303 British. For sniper/marksman rifles, the Army was heavily influenced by the civilian shooting community (which was also heavily represented in the Defense League). Estonian teams were very successful in international competition in the 1930s, and they used military-caliber rifles with sporterized stocks, diopter sights, and very heave barrels. And so that is what the Army and Defense League adopted, with the Tallinn Arsenal producing new barrels and sights and assembling the rifles.
Specifically today, we have a P14 Enfield that has been converted to 7.62x54R, and a Type 38 Arisaka converted to .303 British. Both have 24mm in diameter barrels (adopted after the initial batch of 27mm barrels proved really a bit too heavy), Tallinn-made sights, and pistol grips spliced into their stocks. Not much data exists about these rifles, but we do know that their production ran from 1931 until World War Two, and in 1939 the total number in military inventory (combined between the army, Defense League, and Border Guards) was 1,170. Today they are extremely rare - these are the only two examples I have seen, and they were both discovered hidden in homes that were being renovated.
Many thanks to the Estonian War Museum for allowing me to take this one out of their display to film for you. If you find yourself in Tallinn, definitely take time to stop by and check them out! Hours and rotating exhibits are available on their web site: https://esm.ee |
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