Hello all. I’m a newbie here looking for information pertaining to the time period during which the AK47 (specifically the Type III) was standard issue to Russian troops (1951-1957). My interests are more along the lines of gun collecting/restoring and I’ll admit to knowing little of medals, badges or decorations. I’ve recently finished a very finely restored Type III AK47 replica and would like to accent its display with an appropriate and authentic Russian badge (as opposed to a medal) of the same era, something easily recognizable as Russian. Ideally, it would be striking in appearance, maybe 2-3" in size, not too costly, and easily obtainable. I’m completely open to ideas and would welcome your suggestions. I’ve seen hat cockades of many types but do not know which style is appropriate to the time period (there may be several). The cockades were appealing because they can be pinned to (say) a rifle case or magazine pouch for display and are often colorful with classic Russian symbols (hammer, sickle, or stars). But you may have other suggestions which I would very much welcome. My second question may not be appropriate to this forum; if not, I’d appreciate being redirected to the correct area; AK47s were maintained with cleaning kits issued with "oilers", small, dual-chambered round or squarish bottles which held both oil and alkaline cleaners. There were many Russian oiler styles and I’d like to know which Russian style (shape and markings) is appropriate for this same time period. I’ve collected a couple types over the years, but have not been able to determine which is historically correct for the period. The many gun forums I follow focus strictly on the weapons rather than support equipment. Any help on either of these two questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Could I please get the experts’ opinions on these awards? I am particularly interested in the SS medal and the panzer badges, but I am not an expert on these and a couple items look downright weird to me. Is there such a thing as an original hollowback destroyer badge? :confused: