Soviet military uniforms used a dual-code sizing system combining chest size with height group. Understanding this system is essential for buying Soviet military surplus.
| EU | US | UK | USSR/RU | Chest cm | Chest in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | XS/34 | 34 | 44 | 88 | 34.6" |
| 46 | S/36 | 36 | 46 | 92 | 36.2" |
| 48 | S/38 | 38 | 48 | 96 | 37.8" |
| 50 | M/40 | 40 | 50 | 100 | 39.4" |
| 52 | M/42 | 42 | 52 | 104 | 40.9" |
| 54 | L/44 | 44 | 54 | 108 | 42.5" |
| 56 | L/46 | 46 | 56 | 112 | 44.1" |
| 58 | XL/48 | 48 | 58 | 116 | 45.7" |
| 60 | XXL/50 | 50 | 60 | 120 | 47.2" |
| 62 | 3XL/52 | 52 | 62 | 124 | 48.8" |
The Combined Code System
Soviet military size codes such as '48-3' mean: chest half-circumference = 48 cm (total chest 96 cm), height group 3 = 170–176 cm. Group 1 = under 164 cm, group 2 = 164–170 cm, group 3 = 170–176 cm, group 4 = over 176 cm.
Converting to US Military Sizes
US Army uniform sizing uses chest in inches plus height in inches: Small Regular (35–37" chest, 65–67" height) ≈ Soviet 46-2. Medium Regular (38–40" chest, 67–69" height) ≈ Soviet 50-3.