Prototype W+F Bern AK44 Copy of the SVT
This video explores the W+F Bern AK-44, a Swiss experimental self-loading rifle from 1944 that is a faithful copy of the Soviet SVT-40. While chambered in Swiss 7.5x55mm and featuring a 6-round magazine, it retains the SVT-40's mechanically identical tilting bolt, short-stroke gas piston, metal front handguard, muzzle brake design, and manual safety. The description highlights variations in muzzle configurations and optical sight experiments, including a German-style ZF-4 mount and a Swiss periscopic optic similar to those found on K31/42 and K31/43 sniper rifles. The rifle's development is placed within the context of SIG and W+F Bern's broader efforts to create military self-loaders in the mid-20th century.














