Yesterday's Weapons Forums

Nagant? Can't tell from what country this was taken. SW


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Looks like an 1895 Nagant.

that would be my guess as well , interesting body armor ,

Sure seems to be a Nagant.
The badge on the helmet looks Polish to me.
Judging by the helmet style I'd say it's a post-WWII picture.

A

The badge on helmet looks Prussion to me.

Rad

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Maybe police version of military armor of the day?

looks uncomfortable , and a lot of work to maintain , makes me think knights and arrows not bullets

Could be Russian Sapper's armor.
Work crews had more elaborate armor than the simple breastplates issued to combat troops towards the end of the war.
I read an account of a German officer emptying his sidearm into the breast plate of a Russian sapper at about 10-15 feet and no penetration.

Not sure if that's a Russian Nagant or a Swedish Nagant.
The non gas seal Nagants looked much like the gas seal Russian model.

The man in the photo does look more like a cop than a soldier, perhaps a post WW2 photo.

Could be a fire fighters uniform, the trousers look water proof.

Note he's also holding a shield in his left hand.
50's riot control uniform ?

A

Might be a WWI vet in Wiemar Germany, part of a militant group.

....looks a LOT earlier than the 50's to me,dont think they'd be giving them those WW1 helmets at that time...I'm thinkin WW1-early post war WW1...

Found a site with photos of battle field finds.
There were two versions of Soviet body armor shown.
One was the common one piece breastplate with short apron, the other looked like the one in the photo.
The second style breast plate and segmented apron was of two pieces each joined in the middle like that in the photo.

The photo may have been a demonstration of captured Soviet weapon and armor in house to house fighting, to show German police what to expect if Russian troops got into their city.
The Russians used similar tactics when they first invaded Afghanistan. Sending heavily armored men armed with handguns into government buildings to take out selected high value targets.
The armor used by the assassination squads in Afghanistan included a full coverage helmet with face plate of titanium that was proof against pistol bullets.

PS
The German WW1 armor had breast plates and apron segments of one piece construction, not joined in the center.
These also partly covered the shoulders, which the one in the photo does not.
The simpler Russian one piece breastplate had the right shoulder left uncovered so as not to interfere with shouldering the rifle or SMG.