The Soviet Union began to take an interest in military suppressors in the early 1930s, and experimented with things like suppressors for the DP light machine gun. Through the 1930s a variety of different designs were tested, but none were found really suitable. Everything they tested was deemed too heavy, too loud, or detrimental to accuracy. The Bramit (“Brothers Mitin”) design we are looking at today was first tested by the NKVD in June 1940, and that organization adopted it in December of 1940. Production began in Leningrad in September 1941, and expanded to three additional factories shortly thereafter.

The Bramit is specifically made for the Mosin Nagant M91/30, locking around the front sight. It is a wipe-based suppressor, with two large rubber wipes or baffles with an open chamber between them. It was designed for use specifically with subsonic ammunition, and the body of the suppressor was engraved with a conversion table to show proper rear sight settings for different ranges with that low-velocity subsonic ammunition.

Because the design used wipes, it had an expected lifespan of only about 60 rounds before the wipes were completely shot out and required replacement. However, in winter use the rubber because more brittle, and lasted only 15-20 rounds. This led to a development of a different winter composition in 1942, and eventually a better all-season type of wipe in 1943 using Lead-Lease supplies of rubber. The Bramits were used by snipers, some partisans, and both Army and NKVD scouts. Production ended in early 1944, with enough made to fully equip everyone who needed them. The total production is unclear, but 1942 alone saw 60,000 made.