On Certain Directions of Design Work at the Artillery Academy in the Field of Small Arms and Artillery from 1938 to the 1940s: Based on Materials from the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops, and Communications

This article focuses on the activities of one of the Soviet military weapon design centers—the scientific and design school of the Artillery Academy. The history of the Academy's design bureau during the Soviet period is associated with the establishment of an artillery laboratory, which conducted scientific research and experimental design work. The research efforts of the Academy's professors and instructors are examined, including an overview of design activities from the late 1930s to the 1940s (following the evacuation to Samarkand), as well as theoretical works related to the principles of weapon design. The Academy's involvement in evaluating external developments is also discussed. In the context of the general characteristics of the academic design school, the main areas of design work are explored, including self-loading rifles, machine guns, anti-tank rifles, submachine guns, and other developments. The methods employed included the analysis of archival materials, a historical-scientific examination of foundational works, and a comparative-historical method. As a result of this research, previously unstudied samples of small arms were introduced into the scientific discourse. The findings indicate that experimental work, as well as practical projects in the field of small arms, can lead to the creation of high-quality designs when conducted efficiently, with minimal expenditure of resources and time, contingent upon proper organizational strategies. This necessitates an appropriate selection of personnel for key roles, taking into account their creative potential and work experience, along with preliminary theoretical exploration of problematic issues. Furthermore, each carefully conducted experiment and each result obtained during the weapon refinement process can enrich the theory of automatic weapon design, which often provides only approximate answers.