CLASSIC GUNS
The White Death
Winter War: Finland's Simo Häyhä was probably the most prolific sniper in history.
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Zietsev was credited with 242 kills, while Hathcock's total of 93 is just as impressive when you consider that some were executed in excess of 2,500 yards. But the greatest sniper of all time accounted for more than 500 enemy troops—in three months.
Simo Häyhä was born in 1905 near the Finnish village of Rautajärvi, close to the border with Russia. It was a poor area, the residents of which made a living by farming, raising livestock, lumbering, trapping and hunting. Young Simo adapted to the harsh winters and became a skilled hunter and trapper.
At the age of 17 he joined the Civil Guard, where he rose to the rank of corporal. Three years later he reported for his national service and spent a year on active duty with the Regular Army.
Finland had been a part of the Russian empire since 1809, but when the Russian Revolution erupted in 1917, Finland took advantage of the turmoil and declared its independence. They soon found themselves under attack by local communists, supported by the thousands of Russian troops still in Finland. To defend themselves, the Finns formed volunteer Civil Guard units. By spring 1918 the Finns, under Baron Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, had driven the Reds back across the border. While a Regular Army was established, the Civil Guard remained in existence.
The Civil Guard maintained its own command structure, ordnance department, weapons repair and manufacturing facilities, known by its initials "SAKO." Membership was seen as a social responsibility, and the Finns took it seriously. While serving in the Guard, Simo became known for his abilities as a marksman. Both the Civil Guard and Regular Army used former Russian 1891 Mosins as the Infantry Rifle Model 91. In the early 1920s the rifles were updated with heavy barrels, improved triggers and sights, and a new designation—the Model 91-24. The service round, naturally, was the 7.62x54R (known in Finland as the 7.62x53R).
In 1927 and 1928 the Finns modified the rifle again, giving it a shorter 27-inch barrel, new sling swivels, a front sight with protective ears, a modified rear sight and a knife-style bayonet. The Model 27 was given the nickname Pystykorva ("Spitz ears") by Finnish troops, as the front sight protectors reminded them of that dog's upright ears.
The Model 28 differed from the 27 in that it used a different rifling pitch, simpler muzzleband and improved trigger mechanism, and the sling mounting slots in the stock were retained. SAKO assembled all Model 28s, some with barrels supplied by S.I.G. in Switzerland and the Finnish firm of Tikkakoski.
Two years later, the Civil Guard's Capt. Harald Mansner designed the Model 28-30. The heavy, free-floating barrel was fitted with an aluminum sleeve under the muzzleband so that a hot, expanding barrel or warped stock would not affect accuracy, while the front sight was screw adjustable for windage.
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