Lahti L-35. 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.
Are Lahti pistols reliable?
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 reliable. A Swedish copy of the L-35 Lahti, the Husqvarna m/40, saw extensive service with the Swedish military until the 1980s.
When did the Lahti Husqvarna m/40 come out?
Lahti Husqvarna m/40. The Husqvarna Model 40 or m/40 was manufactured 1940 to 1946 and was a Swedish copy of the Finnish Lahti pistol. The Swedish army realized there would be a shortage of pistols in the event of large scale military mobilization in Europe.
Is a Lahti similar to a Luger?
The M1935 Lahti is considered well manufactured and finished. Although the Lahti is outwardly similar to the P08 Luger (and shares barrel threading with same), the firing mechanism is significantly different and more closely related to the Bergmann–Bayard pistol.
Why was the Lahti pistol not made in Sweden?
To compensate, Sweden adopted the Lahti pistol but was unable to import L-35-type guns because of the conflicts between Finland and the USSR. Production was licensed to Svenska Automatvapen AB but the immediate collapse of the company passed the contract to Husqvarna Vapenfabriks.
Why did the Lahti pistol have a bolt accelerator?
The addition of a bolt accelerator to the Lahti pistol was to ensure the performance of the pistol in arctic conditions in Finland. Bolt accelerators are more commonly found in machine guns to increase the rate of fire. The bolt accelerator in the Lahti works by having a crank lever strike the bolt of the pistol as it unlocks from firing.
What is the difference between the Husqvarna m/40 and Lahti?
The grips of the m/40 have the Husqvarna “crown H” motif engraved and the front sight was slightly larger. The barrel is also slightly longer on the m/40 than the Finnish Lahti with the m/40’s trigger guard being heavier, and the pistol does not have the loaded chamber indicator and lock-retaining spring of the Finnish Lahti.
When did Sweden adopt the Lahti pistol?
The Swedes adopted the Finnish Lahti Pistol in 1940 when Walther became unable to deliver more P38 pistols. Call the m/39 by the Swedes, only a very few Finnish L 35 pistols were brought in Sweden – probably less than 20.
Did you know that the Soviet military tested the Lahti pistol?
In 1941, at the NIPSVO shooting range, the Soviet military conducted a series of comparative tests of standard foreign and Soviet pistols as well as the Soviet experimental “Voevodin system” pistol. The Lahti pistol results turned out to be quite surprising.
Did the Lahti come to the front line during WW2?
During the “Winter War” of 1939-40, the pistols from Lahti came to the front in very limited quantities. During the Continuation War, the front line remained mostly motionless.
