Black Cats (Chyornye koshki)

DVD Cover

Country	Russia
Language	Russian
Creator	Evgeniy Lavrentyev
Broadcast	2013
No. of Seasons	1
No. of Episodes	12

Main Cast
Character	Actor

Maj. Egor Nikitich Dragun	Pavel Derevyanko
Col. Pavel Nikolaevich Burov	Pavel Trubiner
Darya Kirillovna Demidova	Marina Konyashkina
Anna Antonovna	Olga Lomonosova
Prokhor Petrovich Kuplyonov	Evgeniy Sidikhin
Viktor Anatolyevich Kalyonkin aka Kalyonyiy	Egor Barinov
Grif	Mikhail Khmurov
Maj. Fyodor Akimovich	Aleksandr Suvorov

Black Cats (Chyornye koshki) is a 2013 Russian detective TV series. The plot is set in 1947 in the city of Rostov-na-Donu in the Southern Russia. The head of the Counter-banditry Department Maj. Egor Nikitich Dragun (Pavel Derevyanko) investigates a number of robberies and murders. After a time it turns out that not only mere criminals are involved in the events but also a group of saboteurs, former members of German Abwehr special force Brandenburg who covertly work on some problem that is connected with Nazi Germany nuclear programme.

This page is for the 2013 TV series. For the 2016 TV series Black Cat (Chyornaya koshka) see here.

The following weapons were used in the television series Black Cats (Chyornye koshki):

Revolvers

Nagant M1895

Nagant M1895 revolvers are used by criminals and Militsiya (police) personnel. There are several screen Nagants, some of those are converted blank-firing guns, but the exact model(s) is unclear. Such revolvers can be identified by the different muzzle bore, dummy rounds in cylinder and grey surface finish.

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

Lom ("Crowbar") (Bogdan Kolesnik), a bandit of Kalyonyiy's gang, aims a Nagant at Krechet ("Gyrfalcon") (Aleksey Komashko). The revolver is most likely a blank-firing version.

Another view of the same scene.

Lom's revolver switches to another gun with blued finish (contrary to the grey finish of the first Nagant). This revolver is seen firing on screen that explains the replacement.

During the grapple between Lom and Krechet the revolver is again the first model. Note the smaller bore (especially in comparison with a Nagant on the next screenshot) and dummy rounds in the cylinder.

Krechet who turns out to be a former Brandenburger Oberleutnant Maier uses Lom's revolver to kill two mounted Militsioners. This is the blued gun. Note the larger bore (in comparison with the Nagant on previous screenshot) and the empty cylinder.

A Militsioner draws his revolver but has no chance to fire.

Krechet fires his revolver.

Militsiya Lt. Artyom Potapov (Yaroslav Beliy) holds the revolvers of killed Militsioners. The cylinders are loaded with dummy cartridges. A small pin in the muzzle of the revolver at the left is a sign of deactivated gun.

Zhigan (Andrey Miroshnichenko (II)), another bandit of Kalyonyiy's gang, fires a Nagant during the attempt to release his arrested accomplicies.

Another view of Zhigan's revolver. This is most likely same gun with blued finish that was earlier seen in hands of Lom and Krechet.

Pistols

TT-33

TT-33 pistols are widely used by Militsiya and State Security personnel, notably the main character, the head of the Counter-banditry Department Maj. Egor Nikitich Dragun (Pavel Derevyanko), Dragun's deputy Maj. Fyodor Akimovich (Aleksandr Suvorov), Lt. Col. of State Security Viktor Ivanovich Staryuk (Oleg Simonenko), operatives Lyokha (Sergey Frolov (II)), Yasha (Egor Karelskiy), Armen (Viktor Stepanyan), and driver Mishka (Aleksandr Rud'ko). Crime boss Viktor Kalyonkin aka Kalyonyiy ("Red-hot") (Egor Barinov), members of his gang Kuvalda ("Sledgehammer") (Denis Falyuta) and Burunduk ("Chipmunk") (Valeriy Shvets), and Brandenburgers Drozd ("Thrush") (Viktor Elizarov) and Kurt alias Grif ("Gyp") (Mikhail Khmurov) also use TT-33 pistols. 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.

Bandit Kuvalda aims at Yasha during the Militsiya operation on the food warehouse.

Maj. Egor Dragun holds a post-1947 TT in the shootout with criminals.

Maj. Fyodor Akimovich holds a pre-1947 TT in the same scene.

Bandit Burunduk holds a TT.

A close-up of Yasha's TT when he holds Burunduk at gunpoint during the arrest of bandits on the marketplace.

A good view of Armen's pre-1947 TT in the same scene.

Gang boss Kalyonyiy holds a TT.

Dragun surrenders the pistol when he submits a report on dismissal after the failed operation.

During the operation in the apartments, used by the saboteurs, Dragun holds a pre-1947 TT, unlike previous scenes where he was seen with a post-1947 model.

A good view of a post-1947 TT in hands of a State Security operative in the car.

Grif's post-1947 TT.

Fyodor Akimovich holds a pre-1947 TT during the final shootout with the saboteurs.

A close-up of Dragun's pre-1947 TT. Note the deactivating hole in the slide.

Dragun's pistol in hands of Col. Pavel Nikolaevich Burov (Pavel Trubiner) who turns out to be the former commander of a battalion of Brandenburg Maj. Karl Lange.

TT-33 (mockup)

In the scene in the hospital Maj. Dragun holds a mockup TT together with a real pistol. The reason for such combination is unclear.

Dragun holds two TT pistols. The one at the left lacks the hammer and has the solid rear part that allows to identify it as a mockup.

Walther P38

Brandenburgers Krechet (Aleksey Komashko) and Lt. Reinhardt alias Strizh ("Swift") (Aleksey Samokhvalov) use Walther P38 pistols. A P38 is also seen in hands of Anna Antonovna (Olga Lomonosova) who turns out to be the former Abwehr agent Anna Nebel.

Walther P38 WWII dated with black grips - 9x19mm

A P38 in hands of Krechet in the opening scene. Note the empty magazine and the sealed hole in the chamber.

Krechet holds a P38.

Krechet disassembles the pistol for cleaning in the saboteurs' hideout.

Note the screw inside the muzzle, probably made for attaching the fake sound suppressor (suppressors that are screwed inside the barrel are commonly seen on screen).

Krechet's pistol in the table.

Strizh fires at Maj. Dragun in the scene in the hospital. In previous moment he holds a Denix replica (see below).

Krechet holds a P38 with the fake sound suppressor.

Krechet holds the "suppressed" P38. Note that the suppressor bent down.

Anna holds the P38, given to her by Burov-Lange, in the scene in the swamp. A holster for P38 is seen on her belt.

A good view of Anna's P38 when she drowns in the swamp. Curiously, Anna cocks the hammer to fire her pistol, despite P38 is a DA/SA gun.

Denix Walther P38

In the scene in the hospital Strizh holds a Denix replica of P38.

Strizh with a Denix P38. In next moment his pistol switches to a real gun that is seen firing.

Beretta M1934

Anna (Olga Lomonosova) uses a nickel plated Beretta M1934.

Beretta M1934 Stainless - .380 ACP. The screen gun is more bright and appears to be nickel plated.

Anna kills two state security officers, firing through the open lid of a suitcase.

Anna fires her Beretta. Note the moving hammer.

Another view of Anna holding the pistol.

Beretta 92-style pistol

When Anna gets in the car, her Beretta M1934 switches to a Beretta 92F-style pistol, incredibly anachronistic for 1947. This pistol is most likely some blank-firing version or even non-firing replica.

For comparison: Reck Miami 92F, nickel finish - 9mm P.A.K. blanks

Anna holds the Beretta 92F-style pistol.

Submachine Guns

PPSh-41

PPSh-41 submachine guns are widely used throughout the series. They are seen in hands of Militsiya personnel, including Maj. Egor Nikitich Dragun (Pavel Derevyanko), Maj. Fyodor Akimovich (Aleksandr Suvorov) and Yasha (Egor Karelskiy), Brandenburgers Strizh (Aleksey Samokhvalov), Grif (Mikhail Khmurov) and Drozd (Viktor Elizarov), and criminals Kalyonyiy (Egor Barinov) and Kuvalda (Denis Falyuta).

PPSh-41 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

Strizh with a PPSh.

Strizh and Grif with PPSh-41s.

Drozd fires a PPSh, covering retreating Strizh and Grif.

Drozd throws an empty magazine and takes another from a poach.

Kuvalda holds a PPSh, taken from a wounded Militsioner.

Dragun and Fyodor Akimovich with PPSh during the shootout with Brandenburgers.

Fyodor Akimovich in shootout with Grif.

The investigator of the military prosecutor's office Maj. Sergey Orlov (Sergey Denga) (at the left) reloads his PPSh. Next to him Monya (Vadim Norshtein), a former sapper, now a musician, also with a PPSh.

Monya with a PPSh.

Strizh, in the uniform of State Security, fires a PPSh.

Orlov fires a PPSh.

Egor Dragun with a PPSh.

MP38

In the final episode Grif (Mikhail Khmurov) holds an MP38. This submachine gun has uncommon smooth magazine housing like the one, used on early series of MP40, and lacks the resting bar under the barrel. Possibly this gun was assembles of parts of several MP38s and MP40s.

MP38 - 9x19mm

Grif holds an MP38.

Another view of the submachine gun.

MP40

Brandenburgers Strizh (Aleksey Samokhvalov), Krechet (Aleksey Komashko) and Grif (Mikhail Khmurov) use MP40s in the final episode. MP40s are also used by Burov-Lange (Pavel Trubiner) and Anna (Olga Lomonosova).

MP40 - 9x19mm

Strizh and Krechet with MP40s.

An MP40 is seen on the box next to Burov-Lange. Note the MP38-style charging handle.

Burov-Lange takes the MP40. The gun has smooth magazine housing that could be seen on early production MP40s.

Grif fires his MP40. This submachine gun lacks the head of the charging handle.

Another view of Grif's MP40.

Anna with MP40.

Burov-Lange surrenders his MP40. This gun is different from the one that the character used earlier as it has a common magazine housing.

Machine Guns

MG42

During the final shootout Krechet (Aleksey Komashko) uses an MG42.

MG42 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

The MG42 in the crate.

Krechet loads a belt. The cartridges are fitted with dummy bullets.

Krechet prepares to fire at Dragun on motorcycle.

A closeup of the gun.

Krechet fires the machine gun. Spent brass is seen in midair.

Another view of firing MG42.

A second before Krechet is gunned down by Maj. Orlov. Note that now the belt is loaded with real-looking cartridges.

Other Weapons

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

Maj. Fyodor Akimovich (Aleksandr Suvorov) uses a pair of Model 24 Stielhandgranate hand grenades during the final shootout.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate "Potato Masher" high-explosive fragmentation hand grenade

Fyodor Akimovich holds two grenade, preparing to throw them at the saboteurs' lorry.

Grif (Mikhail Khmurov) uses a bundle of Model 24 Stielhandgranates, similar to German "Geballte Ladung", to make a booby trap.

Model 24 "Geballte Ladung" ("Bundled Charge")

Grif prepares a "Geballte Ladung".

Dragun finds and disarms the booby trap.

Yasha holds the grenade.

Mockup Hand Grenades

A number of mockup hand grenades are seen in the scene when the saboteurs prepare a distracting explosion. They resemble F-1, Mills Bombs and RG-42s.

For comparison: F-1 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade
For comparison: No. 36M Mk. I "Mills Bomb"
For comparison: RG-42 fragmentation hand grenade

F-1, Mills and RG-42 lookalike grenades are seen in the crate. They look too crude and simplified for real grenades. A stick grenade, seen near the explosive charge, is obviously plastic as the handle and the head are a single detail.

Smoke Grenade

Brandenburgers use smoke grenades to imitate a fire in hospital. These grenades look similar to RDG-2 but may be mere pyrotechnical smoking devices. RDG-2 was issued only in 1950s, and a correct model for 1947 would be the RDG-1 that has a different outlook.