Mission in Kabul (Missiya v Kabule)
Original Poster
Mission in Kabul Missiya v Kabule ) is a 1971 (filmed 1970) Soviet two-part adventure movie directed by Leonid Kvinikhidze. In 1919, a Soviet diplomatic mission is sent to Kabul. Friendly relations between Afghanistan and the Soviet Republic become a threat to the British interests. The Britains try to provoke the rupture of relations by using Russian White emigres to make an attempt on the Emir of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan.
The following weapons were used in the film Mission in Kabul (Missiya v Kabule) :
Revolvers Nagant M1895 A Nagant M1895 is seen in hands of a pilot of a Soviet plane, transporting the diplomatic pouches and downed by Basmachi Muslim fighters. The revolver is of correct pre-1930 version.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Russian Nagant 1895, produced 1920s - 7.62x38R Nagant. The rounded front sight is a sign of revolvers produced from 1890s until 1930ю Error creating thumbnail: File missing The pilot holds his Nagant behind the chassis of the plane. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The barrel of the revolver is seen. Note the pre-1930 front sight. Webley .455 Mk VI Major Steveni's unnamed agent fires a Webley .455 Mk VI revolver. This must be the same prop that is seen in numerous Lenfilm productions, best known to the audience as Sherlock Holmes' revolver.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Webley Mk. VI - .455 Webley. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Steveni's agent fires at Gerhard Epp. Pistols Luger P08 Soviet diplomatic courier Ivan Kolokoltsev (Gennadiy Nilov ), the passenger on the downed plane, is armed with a Luger P08 .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Luger P08 - 9x19mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Kolokoltsev readies his pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing He fires at Basmachi , eyes closed. Mauser C96 The military adviser of the Soviet diplomatic mission Aleksey Repin (Vladimir Zamanskiy ) carries a Mauser C96 . Several sailors, guarding the Soviet diplomatic mission in Kabul, also carry Mauser C96 pistols. The pistols are seen only in holsters, and the grips look somewhat unnatural so these guns may be mere mockups.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Pre-War dated Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" Commercial Version - 7.63x25mm Mauser Error creating thumbnail: File missing Repin, at the foreground, carries a Mauser C96 in holster. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing A sailor carries a Mauser C96 in holster. Note that the grip seems to be a wooden piece, allowing to guess that the pistol together with its holster are wooden mockups. Percussion Dueling Pistol A pair of Percussion Dueling Pistols is used in the duel of Russian emigres Gedeonov (Gleb Strizhenov ) and Roman Luzhin (Oleg Strizhenov ) (it's worth noting that actors Gleb and Oleg Strizhenov are brothers). These pistols are seen in numerous Lenfilm productions.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Percussion Cap Ardesa 1871 Dueling Pistol - .45 inch Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Luzhin and Gedeonov takes pistols from Gedeonov's dueling pair. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Luzhin cocks the hammer. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Luzhin aims. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Gedeonov holds his pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Gedeonov fires. Note the moving hammer. Flintlock Pistols Two Flintlock Pistols are used as decorations on the wall of Gedeonov's apartments. One of them is a "Knee Pistol" that also can be seen in several Lenfilm productions.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Turkish Flintlock Pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Flintlock Knee Pistol, 17th century, Tunisia - 45mm (1.77 inch) Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Two antique pistols are seen on the wall together with sabers and daggers. The pistol at the bottom has a small buttstock and is a "Knee Pistol". Rifles Mosin Nagant M1891/30 Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles, stand-in for original M1891 Dragoon, are used by the sailors on guard of the Soviet diplomatic mission and by Basmachi .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sailors carry M91/30 rifles. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Basmachi with Mosin Nagant rifles.Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry Error creating thumbnail: File missing Imperial Russian Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry rifles are seen in hands of Red Army men on a photo that depicts the Soviet ambassador Pyotr Petrovich Sorokin (Oleg Zhakov ) when he was a commander of Red Army regiment. The photo is very likely a photomontage of actor's face on original photo of Russian Civil War era.Mosin Nagant M1944 Carbine The soldiers of the royal guard of the Emir of Afghanistan are armed with anachronistic Mosin Nagant M1944 Carbines . An M44 Carbine is also seen in hands of a British soldier in a battle during the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine, with attached side-folding bayonet - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing An M44 Carbine with folded bayonet is seen in hands of a British soldier. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Royal guards perform drill commands with M44 Carbines. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Royal guards stand in formation with M44 Carbines. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A royal guard carries an M44 Carbine on sling during the ceremonial raising of the flag. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The royal guards stand in formation during the diplomatic reception. Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III British and Afghan soldiers are armed with Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III rifles during the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III* - .303 British Error creating thumbnail: File missing General Nadir Khan's bodyguard carries an SMLE rifle on sling at the background. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing British and Afghan soldiers with No. 1 Mk III rifles in close combat.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Note that the nose caps look too simplified in comparison with original rifles. Lee-Enfield Mk.I Several Afghans from a caravan carry Lee-Enfield Mk.I rifles.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Lee-Enfield Mk I* CLLE (Charger Loading Lee Enfield) - .303 British Error creating thumbnail: File missing An Afghan sits near wounded Soviet diplomatic courier Skazkin (Oleg Vidov ). His rifle looks similar to pre-SMLE Lee-Enfield but the rear sight seems different in comparison with Mk.I. Possibly this is a genuine Mk.I that had the rear sight replaced during a repair. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another man from the caravan with Lee-Enfield rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The barrel of the rifle is seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The bolt of the rifle is seen. Unidentified rifle Two of the royal guards at the Emir palace carry unidentified short rifles.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Farquharson Rifle (?) During the Emir's hunt British military attache Major Steveni (Vladimir Zeldin ) carries a hunting rifle. This is most likely a falling block gun, possibly a kind of Farquharson Rifle .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing For comparison: Late 19th Century Farquharson Rifle - .400 Nitro Express. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Steveni holds his rifle. The barrel and buttstock are seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The rifle has a kind of lever on the trigger guard so it may be a falling block gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of this detail. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The receiver can be seen. A small detail, barely seen on the receiver, may be a safety lever if the guess about Farquharson Rifle is correct; or it may be a loading gate, like on Winchester or Marlin lever action rifles (in such case the rifle is not a falling block but rather a lever action gun). Error creating thumbnail: File missing The barrel with sling swivel is seen. Musket Three muskets (the locks aren't seen) are used as a wall decoration in the house where Steveni meets with Gedeonov and Gerhard Epp.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A musket is seen on the wall at the left. It is some kind of Afghan-Indian Jezail or even a kind of Tanegashima . Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another musket on the wall carpet. Error creating thumbnail: File missing All three muskets are seen. Shotguns Double Barreled Shotgun Several different double barreled shotguns are seen in hands of Gedeonov (Gleb Strizhenov ) and German businessman and British agent Gerhard Epp (Algimantas Masiulis ).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Gedeonov's shotgun lies on the rock. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Epp holds a shotgun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Epp tries to threaten Gedeonov... Error creating thumbnail: File missing ...but he gets hit and falls in the water. The exposed hammers of his shotgun are seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing In the following scene Epp is seen with a different shotgun, a hammerless model that lacks any handguard. Machine Guns Maxim M1910 Basmachi use a Maxim M1910 to down a Soviet plane.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Maxim M1910, simplified version with smooth water jacket - 7.62x54mmR Error creating thumbnail: File missing Basmachi fire at a Soviet plane.Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of the barrel of the Maxim. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Maxim is seen on a photo that depicts the Soviet ambassador Pyotr Petrovich Sorokin (Oleg Zhakov ) when he was a commander of Red Army regiment. The photo is very likely a photomontage of actor's face on original photo of Russian Civil War era. Bren Mk.1 A Bren machine gun is used by Gerhard Epp (Algimantas Masiulis ) during the attempt of the Emir. This anachronistic gun is described in the movie as fictional "machine gun of Mauser system". In firing scenes it is substituted with a Degtyaryov DP-27 .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Bren Mk1 - .303 British Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Epp readies to open fire at Emir's car. Note that the Bren lacks the magazine. The long flash hider allows to guess that this is Mk.1 rather than Mk.2 version. Degtyaryov DP-27 A Degtyaryov DP-27 is used to replace Epp's Bren gun in the firing scenes. Only the barrel with removed flash hider is seen.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Degtyaryov DP-27 - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Only the part of the barrel of the firing machine gun is seen. Trivia Several field cannons of Afghan and British military are seen.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A battery of Afghan field guns of unidentified model. These are short-barreled howitzers of large caliber. 120 mm Krupp M1901 seems to be a good guess. The artillerymen carry Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III rifles. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing The cannon fires. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing A rather small size British cannon under the attack of Afghan soldiers. It may represent a BL 2.75-inch (70 mm) mountain gun, used in the Third Anglo-Afghan War, but the screen cannon may be not a real British artillery piece. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Napoleonic era style field gun near the Emir's palace. A documentary footage of a military parade in late 1960s Afghanistan is used in the movie.
AK-47 Error creating thumbnail: File missing Type 1 AK-47 with slab sided magazine - 7.62x39mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing Afghan soldiers march with AK-47 assault rifles. Goryunov SGMT Error creating thumbnail: File missing SGMT machine gun - 7.62x54mm R. Solenoid-operated version intended for use as a coaxial weapon on tanks Error creating thumbnail: File missing A coaxial SGMT is seen on a T-55 tank. Degtyaryov-Shpagin DShKM Error creating thumbnail: File missing DShKM heavy machine gun in standard vehicle mounting on a Romanian TR-85 main battle tank - 12.7x108mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing DShKM machine guns are mounted on the turrets of T-55 tanks.Artillery Error creating thumbnail: File missing An old cannon (supposedly a field howitzer) is used for ceremonial purposes. Tanks Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing T-55 tanks on parade. 
