Russians....'finger guard' and lanyards?

[TennHillyBill]

I was watching a guy on YouTube...I think.....describing the trigger guard 'extension', apparently suggesting it was something other than a finger rest.  I guess the question is:  was it actually intended to deflect a saber/sword blow?  I find using the 'guard' for my middle finger makes the gun balance better, but that's my thought.  And, what sort of lanyard would they have used, worn about the neck, through an epaulet?  Haven't found any good photos of Russian troops.  How would that have differed for U.S. users?

[St. George]

This came up over a year ago - you'll find it in this forum's 'back pages'.

Look for:

Russian triggerguard spur « on: March 11, 2010, 06:19:21 am »

As to American lanyard use - you'll find them on the 1892-series of Colt .38 DAs and on the M1909.

You'll also see them used after the adoption of the M1911 - primarily to keep magazines from becoming lost by Cavalry troopers during a mounted engagement - usually issued one per magazine, and one per weapon.

Infantry (and everyone else) used the lanyard on the weapon during the Great War - by that time, the lanyard loop magazines were no longer in general issue.

Scouts Out!

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

The first model Russian revolver was basically the same gun as the S&W American revolver. It did not have the hump on the frame nor the spur trigger guard.

The Russians came back for a second contract and Smith and Wesson worked very closely with a Captain Ordinetz who was an official representative of the Russian government as they were developing the 2nd model. Ordinetz wanted S&W to come up with a different grip shape that would help prevent the gun from rotating in the hand during recoil. Several grip shapes were tried until the one with the distinctive hump was settled on. Ordinetz also asked for a spur to be added to the trigger guard at this time, to further help stabilize the gun in recoil.

This information is contained in David Chicoine's book Smith and Wesson Sixguns of the Old West.

Regarding lanyards, here is an interesting photo from the same book:

[TennHillyBill]

Think that pretty well explains those aspects of the Russian Model!  How about that 'uniform' for a reenactment?  That's a pretty hefty lanyard, could double up as a lariat.

[Forty Rod]

Looks like that spur could be set over the belt to keep his UNHOLSTERED six shooter from slipping through and tangling everything up.

[Books OToole]

Looks like that spur could be set over the belt to keep his UNHOLSTERED six shooter from slipping through and tangling everything up.

Forty;

That is one of the theories regarding the purpose of the spur.

Books

[Forty Rod]

If that were the only purpose I could design something better, but the world's various militaries have always tried to get more than one use out of every device, no matter how small, and to make it as ugly as possible while they were at it.

Some exceptions have managed to sneak through, but not a lot.