The Karelian Front Museum presents a rather rare and interesting example of Finnish weapons — the Lahti-Saloranta M/26 light machine gun, developed by designers Aimo Lahti and Arvo Saloranta in 1926.
Aimo Lahti was just a young Finnish self-taught weapons designer without a special education, when he designed the Finnish Suomi M-22 submachine gun. Arvo Saloranta was the technical specialist assigned to Lahti. The machine gun got its double name from them.
Aimo Lahti was just a young Finnish self-taught weapons designer without a special education, when he designed the Finnish Suomi M-22 submachine gun. Arvo Saloranta was the technical specialist assigned to Lahti. The machine gun got its double name from them.
As early as 1927, the machine gun was tested and put into service. It was produced at the Valtion Kivääritehdas State Rifle Factory until 1942. During this time, 5,000 units were produced. In 1937, China showed interest in the M/26, and placed an order to produce 30,000 units, which was later canceled with only 1,200 produced.
At the beginning of the Winter War of 1939–1940, the Lahti-Saloranta was the primary light machine gun in the Finnish army. But the ruthless conditions of winter battles revealed the weapon’s shortcomings. Firstly, with 188 parts, the machine gun had a very complicated design and maintenance — soldiers could not perform a complete disassembly of the weapon. Secondly, due to small gaps between parts, the machine gun could not ensure reliable operation in harsh conditions and could simply jam. Thirdly, the box magazine’s capacity was very small: only 20 rounds, which was little even for machine guns of that time. Because of the many technical shortcomings, Finnish soldiers nicknamed the machine gun “a bunch of malfunctions, model 26”. In general, the Finnish machine gun was inferior in many characteristics to foreign models, for example, the Soviet DP-27 machine gun.
During the Winter War and the Great Patriotic War, a large number of DP-27 machine guns entered the Finnish army as combat trophies: in 1944 there were already 9,000 of them, which was more than Finland produced. In 1942, the production of the M/26 Lahti-Saloranta was discontinued because it was cheaper to make parts and components for the DP-27. But these machine guns remained in service throughout the Second World War, as well as in the post-war period until the early 1960s.
The machine gun on display was used in battle on the Karelian Front and later transferred to the museum from the warehouses of the Belomorsk Military District in 1945.
At the beginning of the Winter War of 1939–1940, the Lahti-Saloranta was the primary light machine gun in the Finnish army. But the ruthless conditions of winter battles revealed the weapon’s shortcomings. Firstly, with 188 parts, the machine gun had a very complicated design and maintenance — soldiers could not perform a complete disassembly of the weapon. Secondly, due to small gaps between parts, the machine gun could not ensure reliable operation in harsh conditions and could simply jam. Thirdly, the box magazine’s capacity was very small: only 20 rounds, which was little even for machine guns of that time. Because of the many technical shortcomings, Finnish soldiers nicknamed the machine gun “a bunch of malfunctions, model 26”. In general, the Finnish machine gun was inferior in many characteristics to foreign models, for example, the Soviet DP-27 machine gun.
During the Winter War and the Great Patriotic War, a large number of DP-27 machine guns entered the Finnish army as combat trophies: in 1944 there were already 9,000 of them, which was more than Finland produced. In 1942, the production of the M/26 Lahti-Saloranta was discontinued because it was cheaper to make parts and components for the DP-27. But these machine guns remained in service throughout the Second World War, as well as in the post-war period until the early 1960s.
The machine gun on display was used in battle on the Karelian Front and later transferred to the museum from the warehouses of the Belomorsk Military District in 1945.
