Hey everyone,
Welcome to Dev Brief #126!
Last week we took a look at the Soviet T-34, so this week we thought we'd take a look at something a little lighter - sidearms!
When the Eastern Front arrives as part of Update 10 the Soviets will launch with two sidearms to choose from, full details of which can be found below...
Soviet Sidearms
1895 Nagant
One of the main sidearms to serve the Soviet armed forces, the M1895 Nagant was a simple and robust revolver. Instead of utilizing a break-open or swing out cylinder, the M1895 had its cartridges ejected and reloaded individually from a loading gate. Initially only firing in single-action and needing to be cocked after every shot, most were converted to double-action by WW2.
The main unique feature of the M1895, the gas seal, was achieved with proprietary ammunition which seated the bullet deep in the cartridge case. These cartridges would then be pushed into the barrel at the moment of firing, eliminating the gas leak found on other revolver designs. Because of this, the M1895 is one of the few revolvers capable of effectively utilizing a suppressor.
The M1895 Nagant served both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union with distinction. The revolver was known to be a brutally reliable weapon, though its trigger pull was quite heavy.
In Hell Let Loose, the Nagant will be one of the most numerous side-arms available. Although slower to reload and difficult to use with it’s minimal sight, we’ve buffed the damage to enable the Nagant to have a slightly higher stopping power than the TT-33.
TT33
The TT-33 was a Soviet designed combat pistol intended to replace the aging M1895 Nagant. It used the same robust operating mechanism as seen on the M1911, but was simplified in all aspects to be as simple to produce as possible. It fired the powerful 7.62x25 millimeter round which it shared with the PPSh-41 and PPS-43 submachine guns.
To increase reliability and to maximize interchangeability of magazines between different factories, feed lips were machined as an integral part of the pistol instead of as part of the magazine. Instead of a safety lever, the TT-33 had a half-cock notch.
The TT-33 served concurrently with the M1895 and was a reliable and effective sidearm.
In Hell Let Loose, the TT-33 is the mainstay of the Soviet side-arms. With a faster reload and clear sight picture, the TT-33 has a slightly lower stopping power than it’s slower older brother - the 1895 Nagant revolver.
Onwards to the weekend!
That wraps up this week's Dev Brief!
We hope you enjoyed your first look at the Soviet sidearms you'll be wielding on the Eastern Front. We'll be revealing more of the Soviet arsenal over the coming week's as we march closer to Kursk and [Redacted].
Have a great weekend everyone.
We'll see you on the frontline!