Russian Arms

The blade is steel, curved, single-edged, bearing one wide fuller. The combat end is double-edged. The hilt comprises a pommeled grip and a guard. The grip is wood, covered in leather, featuring transverse grooves, bound in the grooves with twisted wire. The grip's upper end features a figured metal ferrule, surmounted with and oval bulging pommel. The guard is formed by a knuckle bow, coming off the grip's upper part and smoothly sweeping into the cross-guard, its quillon tip slightly curved down and rounded.

The scabbard is wood, covered in leather. The metal mount comprises a mouth-piece, three bands and a chape. The upper and lower bands feature (loose -) ring fitments to take the belt's suspension straps. The middle and lower bands feature triangular (rectangular in the 1870-ies) socket fitments to accommodate the bayonet scabbard.

The overall length is below 1,040 mm, the blade length is about 880 mm, the blade width - about 35 mm, the blade's curvature averaging 65/390 mm, the mash-downwards of 1.550 gr.

In 1841 it came to replace the cavalry troopers Pattern 1827 sabre in dragoon regiments and the mounted pioneer units. In 1046 a similar replacement was effected for the mounted artillery's lesser ranks.

In 1857 it replaced the ordnance carry-away (headmen) fire workers', chief buglers' and sergeant majors hangers in mounted artillery - while these ranks' sabre scabbards had no fitments for bayonet attachment.

In 1860 it replaced the cuirassier broadswords in dragoon regiments the cuirassier ones were renamed into.

In 1868 this sabre's foreshortened version, called "the artillery soldiers' Pattern 1868 shashka (shasqua)" replaced the foot artillery lesser ranks' hangers. In 1881 the sabre was replaced with the dragoon troopers Pattern 1881 shashka (shasqua) for all it had been regulation weapon before and thus it was eventually phased out.

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