Russian Parts Set/murmansk Run

[Cheesebeast]

Howdy All,

 

I received my M1 parts set from IMA and it is in good condition. Too good, in fact. Did the ?Russians? use these weapons at all? The barrel is reblued, but the lower doesn't appear to have been. Looks like storage damage to the top surface of the barrel and the buttplate- mild pitting that has been reblued.

 

It seems odd to get a basically complete weapon in unused condition, considering the sacrifice that the sailors and merchant marine made getting these weapons to the Russians via the Murmansk run.

 

For the Russians was the logistical problem of supplying .45ACP to their troops the problem?

 

Thanks,

Cheese

[TSMGguy]

Your surmise about a Russian desire to avoid logistics problems with .45 ammo is correct. The Russians never lacked for small arms during WWII, as their own industries more than filled the need. Small arms calibers were well standardized. They retained the TSMGs and ammo against a day when they might be needed, but it never came.

Your parts kit was from a gun that was likely never issued.

The ammunition supplied with these guns was imported back into the US a few years back. It had been repacked into cans, and was in perfect condition. I really stocked up on that stuff and it's about all I ever fire in my TSMGs. It is all '42 dated, and has Remington, Western Cartridge Company, and Winchester headstamps.