.22 rifles in Winter War

[Lotvonen]

There must have been a thread mentioning the eventual use of .22 weapons although I fail to find it now.

I found this in the book "Leijonalipun komppania" (ed. Seppo Satamo, Helsinki 2007):
Kollaa front. Cadet Ahti Vuorensola was posted as a company commander in JR34 (Jan/Feb 1940). Some time later a patrol reported seeing enemy ski track leading to Finnish rear, and Vuorensola went to intercept the enemy with a squad of volunteer riflemen. They successfully surprised the 30-man enemy patrol, only some of them escaped. The Soviet soldiers were students of the Frunze academy, their mission was to liquidate the 12. Div HQ. Their equipment included .22 rifles. Vuorensola tells how he took one .22 home as trophy. Years later he managed to get it legally licensed, saying that he had inherited the gun from his father-in-law.

This detail increases the credibility of this story, I believe.

[Steady]

Is there any way to know if the gun was equipped with a silencer?

Silenced .22 guns are used as "hush puppy" weapons by long range patrols to to silence guard dogs (and human guards) and .22 rifles can be used to hunt for small prey. But unless the rifle was silenced it does not make much sense to carry one for a trip lasting only few days, since sound report from even this kind of small gun is considerable.

[Juha Tompuri]

During Continuation War there have been some mentions of the Soviet "partisans" using silenced 22LR "Гек" (= Gek = Geco?) guns to execute POW's and captured civilians quietly.
http://talks.guns.ru/forummessage/164/298035.html
Two 22LR guns were captured from the Grigoryev partisan brigade.
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 1879&hilit

Regards, Juha

[phylo_roadking]

Silenced .22 guns are used as "hush puppy" weapons by long range patrols to to silence guard dogs (and human guards)

.22 Winchester rifles and silencers were issued to the Home Guard "stay behind" Auxiliary Units in the UK in 1940 for exactly the same purpose, one per 4-man "Patrol".

[Simon K]

Using the .22 Hornet cartridge. Winchester round dating from 1930. Its a centerfire cartridge unlike the .22 rimfire. Looks more like a modern 5.56 round. WIKI gives an average 45 gr bullet at 2,500 -3,100 fps. Thats a powerful special ops round. Gives a stunning 700 footpounds at the higher velocities.
I believe this was the weapon the stay behind parties were equipped with. Great for asassinations of imprudent high ranking Nazi targets.