NR-40
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| NR-40 | |
|---|---|
 A Soviet NR-40 knife | |
| Type | Combat knife |
| Place of origin | USSR |
| Service history | |
| Wars | World War II |
| Specifications | |
| Blade type | Dagger |
| Hilt type | Metal, hard leather or polymers |
| Scabbard/sheath | Metal, hard leather or polymers |
| Head type | Metal |
| Haft type | Wood, checkered plastics |
The NR-40 (Russian: нож разведчика 40, romanized: Nozh razvedchika 40, lit. 'Scout's knife 40', nicknamed as Finka) was a Soviet combat knife introduced in 1940 and used throughout World War II.
History
[edit]
The Winter War revealed a number of deficiencies in Soviet weaponry; among other issues, the Soviet infantry lacked a good combat knife.
As a result, in 1940, the Soviet Army adopted the NR-40.
"Black knife" division
[edit]NR-40 was mostly produced at the ZiK (Russian: ЗиК) factory in Zlatoust, Urals.
Once the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps was formed in 1943, all its soldiers and officers were supplied with a special issue of NR-40 (also known as "black knife").
The formation was later named by Germans as "Black Knife Tank Division" (German: Schwarzmesser Panzer-Division). The unofficial divisional anthem mentioned the nickname as well (Russian: Дивизия черных ножей, lit. 'Black Knife Division').
Design
[edit]The NR-40 has a 152 mm (6.0 in) blade with a clip point, a large ricasso, a black wooden handle, and an S-shaped guard.
The guard is "inverted" (unlike most S-shaped guards, it curves towards the edge) because standard Soviet Army grips called for holding the knife with the edge upwards.
Modern variants
[edit]NR-40 is no longer used by the army, but modern remakes and almost exact replicas of NR-40 are produced in Zlatoust to this day. A knife of exactly the same proportions would be legally a weapon, thus prohibiting free sale. To circumvent that, producers either use a thinner blade or remove the guard.
