Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Luke Tomes returns to the Royal Armouries in Leeds to fire some of the most iconic weapons of the Second World War belonging to the Soviet Red Army.
As always he is joined by Keeper of Firearms & Artillery, Jonathan Ferguson who talks him through the history of all the pistols, rifles and machine guns employed in the conflict.
First up is the TT-33, a sidearm equipped by most soldiers of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. The TT-33 or ‘Tokarev’ Pistol was named after its designer Fedor Tokarev, and was initially conceived as a modern replacement for the aging Nagant M1895 revolver. The simplicity of its design as well as an improvement in firepower would result in the production of over a million of the pistols by the end of the conflict.
Second is the Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle, the standard infantry weapon of the Red Army during World War II. Originally designed in 1891, the rifle would undergo several modifications before its M91/30 variant became standard issue for the Soviets. By the time World War Two had broken out, the rifle's ruggedness, reliability, and mass-production capability made it an indispensable weapon for the nation’s war effort. It was also used by the famous Soviet snipers of the era, including Vasily Zaitsev and Lyudmila Pavlichenko.
Third up, the PPSh-41 or ‘Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina’ named after its designer Georgy Shpagin. This rapid weapon, capable of firing 1000 rounds per minute, was not simply a stunning submachine gun but a stalwart of the Red Army in World War Two. Adopted as a cost-effective alternative to the PPD-40, the PPSh-41 soon became a symbol of Soviet infantry firepower and played a critical role in the close quarters fighting that has become synonymous with the sieges and battles of the Eastern Front.
Last but not least is the 'DP', otherwise known as ‘Degtyaryov’ machine gun. Designed for the Soviet Red Army in the 1920s under the leadership of Vasily Degtyaryov and trialled shortly before the Second World War broke out, the gas-operated DP would prove to be a much relied upon support weapon of the Red Army. Produced 800,000 times across four decades and with a service history that extends to the modern day, the DP proved to be an extremely trustworthy and versatile firearm - with many variations developed for multi-purpose use.
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more. Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: bit.ly/45Y4Oyg
#historyhit #jonathanferguson #worldwartwo
00:00 Introduction
02:23 Tokarev TT-33 Pistol
09:59 Firing TT-33 Pistol
13:13 Mosin-Nagant Bolt-Action Rifle
23:06 Firing Mosin-Nagant
27:14 PPSh-41 Submachine Gun
34:08 Firing PPSh-41
39:40 Degtyaryov 'DP' Machine Gun
46:57 Firing DP
51:40 Next Episode!
Luke Tomes returns to the Royal Armouries in Leeds to fire some of the most iconic weapons of the Second World War belonging to the Soviet Red Army.
As always he is joined by Keeper of Firearms & Artillery, Jonathan Ferguson who talks him through the history of all the pistols, rifles and machine guns employed in the conflict.
First up is the TT-33, a sidearm equipped by most soldiers of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. The TT-33 or ‘Tokarev’ Pistol was named after its designer Fedor Tokarev, and was initially conceived as a modern replacement for the aging Nagant M1895 revolver. The simplicity of its design as well as an improvement in firepower would result in the production of over a million of the pistols by the end of the conflict.
Second is the Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle, the standard infantry weapon of the Red Army during World War II. Originally designed in 1891, the rifle would undergo several modifications before its M91/30 variant became standard issue for the Soviets. By the time World War Two had broken out, the rifle's ruggedness, reliability, and mass-production capability made it an indispensable weapon for the nation’s war effort. It was also used by the famous Soviet snipers of the era, including Vasily Zaitsev and Lyudmila Pavlichenko.
Third up, the PPSh-41 or ‘Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina’ named after its designer Georgy Shpagin. This rapid weapon, capable of firing 1000 rounds per minute, was not simply a stunning submachine gun but a stalwart of the Red Army in World War Two. Adopted as a cost-effective alternative to the PPD-40, the PPSh-41 soon became a symbol of Soviet infantry firepower and played a critical role in the close quarters fighting that has become synonymous with the sieges and battles of the Eastern Front.
Last but not least is the 'DP', otherwise known as ‘Degtyaryov’ machine gun. Designed for the Soviet Red Army in the 1920s under the leadership of Vasily Degtyaryov and trialled shortly before the Second World War broke out, the gas-operated DP would prove to be a much relied upon support weapon of the Red Army. Produced 800,000 times across four decades and with a service history that extends to the modern day, the DP proved to be an extremely trustworthy and versatile firearm - with many variations developed for multi-purpose use.
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more. Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: bit.ly/45Y4Oyg
#historyhit #jonathanferguson #worldwartwo
00:00 Introduction
02:23 Tokarev TT-33 Pistol
09:59 Firing TT-33 Pistol
13:13 Mosin-Nagant Bolt-Action Rifle
23:06 Firing Mosin-Nagant
27:14 PPSh-41 Submachine Gun
34:08 Firing PPSh-41
39:40 Degtyaryov 'DP' Machine Gun
46:57 Firing DP
51:40 Next Episode!
