Did the germans or soviets ever manufacture firearms in Latvia?

A

avroe

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I was looking at some of the ww2 history that involved Latvia earlier this morning and it got me thinking that with the country having been on both sides of the war, were any firearms manufacturing factories established in Latvia?

And if so, what was produced?
 
Holy crap,Scarecrow. Try decaf. I'm sure he'll check other sources, but one can't fault him for asking here, can one?

Latvia's interwar army had a hodgepodge of SA - SMLE's, Berthiers, even Ross rifles, or so I've heard. Once they'd been overrun by the Soviets in '39, the Germans in '41, and a particularly vengeful USSR again in '44/'45, things got even more complicated - K98's, all the Soviet stuff, various castoffs.

Neat pictures here: http://www.estonianarms.com/LatviaBalticPhotos.htm

I don't believe they had any indigenous firearms manufacturing capability, but i'd happily stand being corrected.

Dan
 
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The official rifle of the Latvian Army in the 1920s as the "Ross-Enfield". What they actually had was a mixture of Rosses (Mark III from the photos I have seen) and, I am told, P-'14s.

They MAY have bought some .303 Mausers in the 1920s; sample rifles exist. I REALLY want one.

.
 
Scarecrow said:
Read your history books!
Click to expand...

I would but my Latvian reading is a bit sketchy.
I stopped practicing my Latvian about the time that SCTV cancelled the Happy Wanderers starring The Schmenge Brothers.

,,, and now for a musical tribute to John Williams,,,
w:h:
 
I've never seen any references to a pre war or wartime Latvian arms industry. Initially equipped by Great Britain in the 20s the Latvian Government contracted Vz 24s from the Czechs in the 30s. Latvian Legion would have been equipped by Germany from arms in production elsewhere. Post war Soviet arms would have come from Tula & Izhevsk. Perhaps there would have been local Red Army 1st line maintenance shops for weapons in Latvia itself.
 
Latvia also had a small order of Lee Enfields make to spec. for them The number was very small however I was able to examine a couple of specimens in the basement of the national museum in Riga Lativa some time ago. If and when I get more info, I will do a short treatise on them, much like the EAL saga. Never say never with Lee Enfields
 
dr-doom.jpg


Sorry, sorry...:redface:

Thought you said Latveria....:D
 
wheaty said:
Latvia also had a small order of Lee Enfields make to spec. for them The number was very small however I was able to examine a couple of specimens in the basement of the national museum in Riga Lativa some time ago. If and when I get more info, I will do a short treatise on them, much like the EAL saga. Never say never with Lee Enfields
Click to expand...

Wow, guessing these aren't often seen these days in private collections...
 
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