Zaslon

Zaslon was a Soviet semiautomatic rifle designed by للدس year 1940. The development of the rifle began in response to the need for a weapon that could provide more firepower than standard-issue rifles of the time. Zaslon featured a gas-operated action and fire selector with single-shot and full-automatic modes. The rifle was fed by a detachable 40-round magazine.

Tests of the Zaslon prototype indicated that the reliability and accuracy were satisfactory. However, the infantry at the time preferred the standard-issue SVT rifle over the Zaslon. Despite this, the Zaslon saw limited use by officers and snipers in World War II. The production of the Zaslon was reportedly resumed in the late 1940s, continuing into the 1950s.

Outside of the Soviet Union, the Zaslon is relatively unknown and has not been featured in significant arms collections. Its operational history remains largely documented within the context of the Soviet military during the mid-20th century. Development of the Zaslon is often attributed to the Kalashnikov concern, although historically there is a record of numerous weapon designers producing variants of this firearm during its production span.

Historical analyses attribute the technical superiority of the Zaslon to improvements in gas management over the SVT mechanism used by prior Soviet rifles. Development of this technology reportedly contributed to the growth of Soviet arms production in the early years of the Cold War.