Lahti L-35
| L1935 Lahti Pistol | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | Finland |
| Service history | |
| Used by |
Finland Sweden |
| Wars |
Winter War World War II Continuation War Lapland War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Aimo Lahti |
| Designed | 1929 |
| Manufacturer |
Valtion Kivääritehdas (1935–1945) Valmet (1946–1952) Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag |
| No. built | c.98,700 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1,250 g (2.76 lb) loaded |
| Length | 23.5 cm (9.3 in) |
| Barrel length | 11.8 cm (4.6 in) |
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| Cartridge | 9×19mm Parabellum |
| Action | recoil operated, locked breech |
| Muzzle velocity | 350 metres per second (1,100 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 8-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | front blade, rear notch |
The Lahti L-35 is a semi-automatic pistol designed by Aimo Lahti that was produced between 1935 and 1952. Designed to be manufactured autonomously in Finland, the pistol was used by Finland throughout the Winter War and Continuation War. Considered to be of high quality, the Lahti was well manufactured and worked reliably in cold conditions or when fouled. The use of a bolt accelerator, an uncommon feature in a pistol, helped make the Lahti a reliable pistol.
A Swedish copy of the L-35 Lahti, the Husqvarna m/40, saw extensive service with the Swedish military until the 1980s. The m/40s had similar design and firing mechanisms to the Finnish L-35s but suffered lower reliability from the lower quality steel used in manufacturing.
Following the independence of Finland from Russia in 1917 and the defeat of the Finnish Red Guard during the Finnish Civil War, Finland began the process of replacing its obsolete Russian armament. The efforts to modernize Finland's arsenal included the replacement of Russian Nagant M1895 revolvers with the Spanish Ruby Pistols purchased from France in 1919 and later the German P08 Luger purchased from Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken in 1923. Finland became intent on autonomously producing its own weaponry with the Finnish Volunteer Guards opening the arsenal, Suojeluskuntain ase- ja Konepaja Oy (SAKO) in 1921 and the Government of Finland opening the Valtion Kivääritehdas (VKT) in Jyväskylä in 1929. The Finnish Army soon called for a domestically produced pistol that could withstand Finland's harsh winters. Design began in 1929 under the supervision of Aimo Lahti and a patent was granted for the M1935 Lahti pistol in 1935. The Lahti was originally designed to fire stockpiled 7.65×21mm Parabellum and 9×19mm Parabellum ammunition but was ultimately restricted to 9mm only. The Lahti pistol became formally adopted in 1935 by the Finnish armed forces as the Pistooli L-35. Production was slow for widespread use with only 500 pistols completed before production was halted by the start of the Winter War. Production continued in 1941 with about 4,500 pistols manufactured before the production was interrupted again by the Continuation War. Final production of Finnish Lahti pistols resumed again in 1946 with around 9,000 completed before 1951.
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Wikipedia