The Kharkov Labour Commune (later "Factory") named Dzerzhinsky started production of FED cameras in 1934. In 1939 the factory mastered the production of sniper scopes and started supplying these scopes to the Red Army. Kharkov was re-organized as Factory Number #3 of the NKVD and in February, 1941 control was passed to the NKAP (People's Commissariat of the Aviation Industry) with a new number designation, Number 266. Throughout, it kept up the production of the finest sniper scopes in the Soviet Union. In September, 1941 the Factory was evacuated to Berdsk near Novosibirsk. The Factory was able to resume production of scopes in early 1942, but soon the company switched to production for the aviation industry due to the war needs of the Soviet Union. For 1940-42, the Factory produced more than 28,000 PU sniper scopes, most of which were destroyed during the war owing to having been produced towards the beginning of the War. Kharkov PU scopes are extremely rare. After WWII the factory was given a new name, the State Union Plant FED. All Kharkov scopes we have in stock are own below.
