Black Cat (TV Series)

Black Cat (Chyornaya koshka) DVD Cover Country Russia Language Russian Creator Anton Sivers Broadcast 2016 No. of Seasons 1 No. of Episodes 16 Main Cast Character Actor Militsiya Capt. Viktor Karatov Igor Petrenko Taisiya Tsyganova (Taya) Mariya Andreeva Ivan Mishin Gela Meskhi Andrey Garanin Dmitriy Solomykin Igor Arkadyevich Garanin Mikhail Boyarskiy Militsiya Maj. Lev Aleksandrovich Shein Konstantin Lavronenko Militsiya Sr. Lt. Stepan Trofimych Dzhuro Aleksey Shevchenkov Pavel Andreev aka Pashka-America Yuriy Chursin

Black Cat (Chyornaya koshka) is a 2016 Russian crime TV series. It depicts the activities of a crime gang, popularly known as "Chyornaya koshka" ("Black Cat"), that commits robberies in Moscow in 1951-1953. The gang based in the town of Krasnogorsk near Moscow, and the gang members lived a double life, being workers, students, Komsomol activists and players of local soccer team. The plot loosely follows real events.

This page is for the 2016 TV series. For the 2013 TV series Black Cats (Chyornye koshki) see here.

The following weapons were used in the television series Black Cat (TV Series):

Revolvers

Nagant M1895

Nagant M1895 revolvers are service sidearms of Militsiya personnel, notably the detective of Moscow Ugolovny Rozysk (criminal investigation department) Capt. Viktor Karatov (Igor Petrenko) and Krasnogorsk Militsiya officer Sr. Lt. Stepan Trofimych Dzhuro (Aleksey Shevchenkov). Criminals, notably the gang leader Ivan Mishin (Gela Meskhi), Andrey Garanin aka Khudozhnik ("Painter") (Dmitriy Solomykin), Pavel Andreev aka Pashka-America (Yuriy Chursin), Zhenya Lifshitz aka Tarzan (Semyon Shemes), Romka aka Shket ("Kid") (Denis Sukhomlinov), also use Nagants. Some of these revolvers are supposedly blank-firing versions, but the exact model(s) is unclear.

Nagant M1895 Revolver - 7.62x38R Nagant. Note the angular front sight which was used from 1930s.

Sr. Lt. Stepan Dzhuro carries his revolver in holster.

Capt. Viktor Karatov holds bandit Zhuk at gunpoint.

Tarzan holds a Nagant, stolen from his stepfather Stepan Dzhuro. Note the erased traces of the marking on the frame. This revolver appears to be a blank-firing, converted from a live gun.

Pashka-America holds a Nagant, taken from a security guard.

Andrey Garanin shoots at an accidental witness of the robbery.

Shket holds a Nagant.

Ivan Mishin threatens Militsiya Starshina Aleksey Perepyolkin who is an accomplice of the gang. Note the dummy rounds in the cylinder.

Mishin fires at a witness during the robbery.

Mishin's Nagant in the same scene. Note the black rubber grips. This revolver is most likely a blank-firing version.

Karatov fires at Mishin's car, escaping after the heist on the Goznak currency printing facility.

Karatov's revolver on the floor during his grapple with Mishin.

Karatov follows Pan. The muzzle of his revolver is clogged with snow but in next moment it is clean.

Nagant M1895 "Blef"

In one scene Ivan Mishin (Gela Meskhi) holds a Nagant that is definitly a blank-firing "Blef" (VPO-503 "Nagan-S"). This model is identified by a horisontal groove on the frame below the front part of the cylinder.

"Blef" (VPO-503 "Nagan-S"), a blank-firing version of Nagant M1895 - .22 Gevelot small cap

Mishin fires in air during the robbery.

Pistols

TT-33

TT-33 pistols are widely used by criminals, including Ivan Mishin (Gela Meskhi), Andrey Garanin (Dmitriy Solomykin), Pashka-America (Yuriy Chursin), Shket (Denis Sukhomlinov), Klimov aka Klim (Ilya Blednyy), Semyon Zhukov aka Zhuk ("Bug") (Yakov Shamshin). Among Militsiya personnel, TT pistols are seen in hands of Moscow Ugolovny Rozysk detectives Maj. Lev Aleksandrovich Shein (Konstantin Lavronenko) and Volodya Goncharov (Ivan Solovyov), and Krasnogorsk Militsiya Starshina Aleksey Perepyolkin (Igor Skripko). Both pre- and post-1947 models are seen. Due to numerous continuity errors, these versions are constantly changing with each other.

Tokarev TT-33 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Pre-1947 version.

Tokarev TT-33 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Post-1947 version.

Klim, disguised as an officer, fires his TT at Militsiya patrol.

Klim hands his pistol at Zhuk. This is a post-1947 model; later Zhuk's pistol switches to a pre-1947 model. A strange pin, seen in the back part of frame below the slide, possibly has something with the deactivating of the pistol.

Shein holds a TT. This is the only scene when he is armed with a TT; Shein's common handgun is a PM (see below).

Ivan Mishin digs out the hidden TT that previously was carried by Zhuk. This is a pre-1947 model.

Taya (Mariya Andreeva) finds Ivan's pistol and money.

Pashka-America plays a dangerous game with his mistress Galya. His pistol is pre-1947 model.

A good view of Shket's pre-1947 TT.

Andrey Garanin holds a TT.

Shket holds Pan's envoy Krupitskiy (Sergey Vershinin) at gunpoint.

Mishin and Garanin hold pistols during the negotiations with Pan.

Garanin, disguised as a Militsioner, fires at Karatov and Shein during the heist on the Goznak.

Karatov holds his Nagant and the TT, taken from a killed bandit. This is the same prop that was earlier seen in hands of Klim, with visible pin in the back part of frame.

Makarov PM

Maj. Lev Aleksandrovich Shein's (Konstantin Lavronenko) sidearm is a Makarov PM. PM was adopted by Soviet military and law enforcement services only in December 1951 and became widely available only several years later, so this gun hardly fits for that time. Due to the narrowed front part, Shein's gun can be identified as a blank firing replica MP-371 or a similar model. A gang member Anton Silkin (Aleksandr Zelskiy) uses a PM in one scene; his pistol looks more authentic.

For comparison: MP-371 blank-firing pistol.

Shein holds the PM when interrogating bandit Zhuk. The narrowed front part is seen.

Shein fires his PM at bandits during the heist on the Goznak.

Another view of the same scene.

Shein aims at Pan...

...but then has to surrender his pistol to the criminal who uses his own son as a hostage.

Makarov PM - 9x18mm Makarov

A "common" PM is seen in Silkin's hands (at the background).

Luger P08

The crime boss Nikolay Tsyganov aka Pan (Sergey Yushkevich) uses a Luger P08 in several scenes. A Luger is also seen in the suitcase of Galya (Yuliya Galkina). The squarish grip platings of this pistol are common for some blank-firing versions.

Luger P08 - 9x19mm

A Luger in Galya's suitcase.

Pan holds a Luger during the negotiations with Mishin and Garanin, armed with TT pistols.

Another view of the same scene.

Pan presses Garanin's TT-33 with his Luger.

Pan tries to escape, using his own son as a hostage.

Pan fires at Maj. Shein.

The Luger runs dry.

Walther PP

During the heist on the Goznak Anton Silkin (Aleksandr Zelskiy) is armed with a Walther PP.

War Time Walther PP - .32 ACP

Anton Silkin holds a Walther PP at the foreground.

Submachine Guns

PPSh-41

During the heist on the Goznak Ivan Mishin (Gela Meskhi) is armed with a PPSh-41 submachine gun. PPSh-41s are also used by prison guards.

PPSh-41 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

Prison guards with PPSh-41s.

Mishin fires at a security guard who is also armed with a PPSh.

Another view of the same scene.

MP38

In one scene Pan (Sergey Yushkevich) gives an MP38 to his unnamed henchman (Boris Zverev). Later the henchman is killed by Ivan Mishin (Gela Meskhi) who takes the submachine gun.

MP38 - 9x19mm

Pan takes the MP38 from a cache.

He gives the MP38 to his henchman.

A close view of the submachine gun on the dead body of Pan's henchman.

Mishin, in Militisya uniform, aims the MP38 at Pan.

Another view of the MP38 in Mishin's hands.

Taya (Mariya Andreeva) seizes the MP38 after the grapple between Mishin and Karatov.

Rifles

Mosin Nagant M1938 Carbine

A security guard on Goznak is armed with a Mosin Nagant M1938 Carbine.

Mosin Nagant M38 Carbine - 7.62x54mm R

A guard carries an M38 Carbine.

Mosin Nagant M1944 Carbine

Another security guard on Goznak is armed with a Mosin Nagant M1944 Carbine. The side-folding bayonet is removed from the carbine.

Mosin Nagant M44 Carbine, with attached side-folding bayonet - 7.62x54mm R

A guard holds his carbine. The bracket of the removed folding bayonet can be seen.

The guard fires at bandits.

Sporterized Mosin Nagant rifle

What appears to be a sporterized Mosin Nagant Rifle is seen in hands of robber Klim (Ilya Blednyy) who took the gun from killed watchman of a general store. While the gun looks similar to Mosin Nagant/Frolov Shotgun, it has a pistol-gripped stock and retains the rifle sight that is very uncommon for any version of "Frolovka".

Klim takes the gun of the killed watchman.

Shotguns

Sawed-Off Double Barreled Shotgun

A watchman of a grocery warehouse tries to use a Sawed-Off Double Barreled Shotgun with exposed hammers against bandits. A sawed-off shotgun (very likely the same prop) is seen in hands of Pan's henchman (Boris Zverev). The base shotgun is supposedly a TOZ-B or TOZ-BM.

A wounded watchman with a sawed-off shotgun.

Pan's henchman holds a sawed-off shotgun during not very peaceful meeting between Pan and Mishin.

Another view of the shotgun in the same scene.

Trivia

A ballistic laboratory. A TT-33 (seen at the right) is mounted on test stand. Posters showing Nagant M1895 and Mosin Nagant M1891/30 are seen in the walls.

A poster showing TT-33 on the wall in the Moscow Ugolovny Rozysk.

Footage

In one scene the 1932 Scarface film is shown in the cinema in Krasnogorsk.

An M1921A Thompson is seen firing on screen.