Pistol news: what tsniitochmash is actually developing. Gunsmiths have created the most lethal domestic pistol According to official data ...

Tests of the next generation Russian advanced pistol, known as the Udav, will be completed during 2016. "Economy Today" I learned why the Udav will use 9X21 mm cartridges for firing, and how it still differs from its predecessors.

The CEO of TsNIItochmash spoke about the completion of preliminary tests on the new RNS pistol Dmitry Semizorov. Now, according to him, the identified deficiencies are being eliminated and samples are being prepared for state tests. All characteristics of the new weapon are classified. In addition to the caliber, it is known that the "Boa" will receive an 18-round magazine and will be adapted for use. It is expected that in terms of its characteristics it will surpass all available analogues.

About the creation of pistols in Russia and the choice of caliber for the Udava, we were told by a researcher in the history of weapons and a specialist in firearms Semyon Fedoseev:

“What is a 9X21 mm cartridge? It already exists and is now being finalized, it arose in a very interesting way. The question of replacing the Makarov pistol was raised back in the 80s. The Makarov itself, if we talk about domestic self-loading pistols for military purposes, was a second-generation pistol, the TT is considered the first.

In the 80s, requirements for a new generation were developed and a development work called "Rook" was opened, during which the task was set to increase the lethal effect. The fact is that Makarov uses a 9X18mm pistol cartridge, which has a very limited penetrating effect with a more or less good stopping one. The main task is to quickly disable the enemy, since they are used at short ranges.

The armor-piercing effect there is negligible, so the bulletproof vest of the second level of protection, relatively speaking, the police level, calmly protects against the Makarov bullet. Here, the developers were tasked with increasing the penetration action with a high stopping power. "Makarov" thing, of course, is a good, exceptionally reliable, very convenient and easy-to-handle pistol, but according to these criteria, it did not satisfy the requirements of the military already in the 80s.

Then we had perestroika, the collapse of the USSR and the economy, so the work was delayed. Later, changes were made to the requirements for the pistol and additional participants in the competition were pulled up. As a result, in 2004, we adopted three new pistols at once. The first is Klimov's development, the Serdyukov self-loading pistol (SPS). The second is the Izhevsk model, the Yarygin pistol. And the third is the GSh-18 pistol of the Instrument Design Bureau.

The SPS was designed for the 9X21 cartridge, and the Yarygin pistol and GSh-18 were chambered for the 9X19 cartridge. All weapon options are third-generation pistols, they were created for the tasks of increased bullet penetration

The Yarygins pistol was supposed to be the most massive, the SPS 9X21 was mainly intended for special forces, and the GSh-18 for those who needed a compact sample. But on the operation of the Yarygin pistol, claims arose on the operation, and since the generation of pistols is conditional, remembering the "Boa constrictor" they say a new generation, without specifying what number it is. The choice of 9X21 cartridges for it is due to the fact that the new weapon requires a significant increase in the damaging effect.

Change of PM is ready: "Boa constrictor" is undergoing final tests. "Boa constrictor" is calculated under the most powerful cartridge of caliber 9x21 mm. Technical specifications are still classified.

The Udav 9-mm self-loading pistol, which is being developed for use in various special units of the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Internal Troops, is being prepared for the final state tests. This was announced by the Director General of the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TsNIItochmash) Dmitry Semizorov at the Eurosatory-2016 arms exhibition in Paris.

As reported, to date, preliminary tests have already been completed. All work on the improved pistol is in its final stages. The developers eliminate all the shortcomings identified during the tests.

According to Semizorov, state testing of the prototype will be completed this year. And then he will replace the Makarov and Yarygin pistols.

"Boa constrictor" is a pistol of greater power than all analogues that exist to date, ”adds Semizorov.

The pistol uses the developments obtained during the creation and operation of the pistol designed by Serdyukov SPS, which was put into service in 2003.

"Boa constrictor" is calculated under the most powerful cartridge of caliber 9x21 mm. Technical specifications are still classified. One thing is known, his magazine will hold 18 rounds. "Boa" is adapted for attaching a wide variety of additional equipment, including a sight, flashlight, collimator.

Some time ago, Russian news sites once again delighted their readers with headlines: “A pistol has been created in Russia to replace the Makarov!” The news, as they say, is from the category of shocking - the PM adopted in the middle of the last century for Russian security officials is just as familiar an attribute as its older comrade, the Kalashnikov assault rifle. And as in the case of AK, so far attempts to replace the PM can hardly be called successful. "Izvestia" understood the issue.

So what is it this time?

It must be admitted that the flashy title played its role - many were not too lazy to follow the link and find out what kind of new miracle gun they created. As one would expect, upon careful reading, everything turned out to be not at all so dramatic. Just in the course of a rather long interview, the new general director of TsNIItochmash, Albert Bakov, among other things, announced the development of a new pistol system chambered for 9x21 mm. The new pistol must pass state tests in December of this year and after that it will be put into service.

Meanwhile, the list of replacement candidates is much wider. In addition to the well-deserved old man "Makarov", the Russian security forces are armed with and actively use his age-mate APS - he even flashes in photographs from Syria. And in addition to two veterans, since the beginning of the 2000s, three new pistols have been received by the Russian military at once: PYa, GSh-18 and SPS (SR-1). So in fact, there are as many as five possible candidates for a replacement.

Is Makarov's pistol really that bad? Why change it at all?

In fact, the classic PM is a wonderful weapon, compact, quite accurate and very reliable. And since it has been produced for more than 60 years, it has two more advantages: the sophistication of the production process and low cost. That is, from an economic point of view, PM is good for everyone and it is hardly worth changing it to something new.

But still there are claims to it. First of all, too much weight (730 g), a small magazine capacity (8 rounds) and a low power of 9x18 mm ammunition are blamed on the Makar. All these "shortcomings" would not look depressing if more modern designs did not exist in the world. Let's say the Glock 26 weighs 560g with the same dimensions, has 10 rounds in the magazine and uses a more powerful 9x19mm cartridge. In general, back in the 90s of the last century, the PM was branded in the press as "obsolete".

Despite the fact that in 95% of cases of using weapons, the power, accuracy and supply of PM cartridges were enough for the eyes, the same 5% of unusual situations remained. Let's say the enemy is "under substances" or he is wearing a bulletproof vest, or both at once. The army in such situations is easier - it has machine guns, mortars and other tanks with artillery; you can immediately hit the squares. But the police and various special forces are somewhat limited in their means. They wouldn't mind a powerful gun.

Rooks flew by

The development work on the Rook theme, which began in 1990, which then smoothly moved into the competition of the same name, should have given the army a new combat pistol. Moreover, the first candidate for replacement was rather "Stechkin" than "Makarov". It was the APS that was actively used both in the army special forces and in the police SOBR and OMON - not least because in the USSR it more or less replaced a compact submachine gun. The shortening AKS-74U was still quite large, and the powerful army cartridge was far from suitable for use in all situations.

Designers filled the empty niche of submachine guns quite quickly, back in the first half of the 1990s, creating a number of samples both for the old "Makarov" cartridge 9x19 mm, and for the popular Western 9x19 mm and the domestic novelty that appeared at the same time - cartridge 9x21 mm. With pistols, the matter dragged on until the early 2000s, when all three favorites of the protracted competition were adopted.

But strange as it may sound, the new pistol of TsNIItochmash can replace one of the newcomers rather than the old PM. If the Makarov, as indicated above, claims are made for the most part in terms of moral obsolescence, then the claims for new pistols are often much more serious. The most common PYa (Yarygin pistol), also produced for the civilian market under the Viking brand, is also the object of the greatest criticism.

Moreover, if the athletes complain only about the low reliability and low survivability of parts, then for the security forces, the problems of PJ are directly related to the death of several fighters who at the decisive moment could not use their weapons. The GSh-18 had slightly fewer complaints - rather, due to noticeably inferior production volumes and prevalence. But in any case, where pistols were required not just to be carried in holsters, the attitude towards new products was ambiguous. Some fighters openly said that when they go “to war”, new pistols are left in safes, and they still prefer to take APS into battle.

"Boa constrictor", son of SR-1

Developed by the designers of TsNIITochmash P. Serdyukov and I. Belyaev, the SPS pistol (aka Gyurza, aka 6P53 according to the GRAU index) was initially more focused on the requests of the FSB / FSO than the army. The novelty and low prevalence of the 9x21 mm cartridge did not scare away representatives of these departments. Rather, on the contrary, they were quite satisfied that “their” gun would be the most powerful and penetrating, while others would not. The SR-1 was adopted by the former "committees" back in 1996 (the army did this only in 2003). However, despite the lengthy refinement process, the CP-1 never became a truly reliable and widespread pistol.

In the first series, the too tight and sharp keys of the automatic fuses on the trigger and the back of the handle caused criticism from the shooters. And the applied scheme of automation was not the simplest and increased the cost. As a result, TsNIItochmash took up the development of new weapons.

Back in 2016, the then general director of TsNIItochmash, Dmitry Semizorov, practically repeated Bakov’s current interview word for word, saying: “The new generation Udav pistol is being prepared for state tests, which should be completed before the end of this year” .

True, at that moment it did not cause any sensation. And, as we see, things are still there.

Judging by its appearance, the Udav pistol does not contain any "unparalleled" structural elements. This is a weapon designed according to the classic "Browning" scheme with a swinging barrel and locking the cartridge case ejection window. One can, perhaps, say that the "Boa" is an analogue of the German Heckler & Koch USP (with a discount on domestic workmanship).

That is, the new TsNIITochmash pistol will be a large, powerful, highly specialized and expensive weapon chambered for a rare cartridge. Perhaps it will find its niche in special forces units, but it is unlikely to succeed in replacing the massive service compact.

What is the result?

In the dry residue we have the following. A new director has appeared at TsNIItochmash - and he, as expected, gives interviews in the media, talks about the prospects for the enterprise. He also mentions small arms being produced (perhaps in an overly optimistic way - it is far from a fact that the new pistol will be tested and put into service).

The pistol itself is a highly specialized, niche weapon for special forces, it is by no means a replacement for the old Makarov. And in general, it is not a fact that during our lifetime the PM will forever leave the power structures.

Pistol SR-1 "Vector", also known as "Gyurza", developed by the designer of the Klimov arms enterprise "TsNIItochmash" Peter Serdyukov, is one of the most powerful 9 mm calibers in the world. This weapon should replace the regular "Makarov" in the Russian army.

“Preliminary tests have now ended. In the autumn we are entering the state tests, which we must complete by the end of this year, and next year, if the Ministry of Defense makes an appropriate decision, serial deliveries will begin,” says Dmitry Semizorov, general director of TsNIItochmash.

The appearance of "Gyurza" was due to the fact that such personal protective equipment as bulletproof vests began to enter the arsenal of the armies of the world. Accordingly, there was a need for a pistol that could pierce them. First of all, the special services became interested in the Serdyukov pistol, and he entered service with the special forces of the FSB of Russia.

Special forces fighters were attracted by these individual weapons with extremely powerful cartridges, which were developed for special operations. The new 9x21 ammunition has increased combat characteristics due to a heavy bullet, inside of which there is a steel core. It punches through a steel sheet 6 millimeters thick, or 30 layers of Kevlar.

According to gunsmiths, a pistol with such a cartridge can not only pierce a door, but also pierce an army helmet, body armor, and even stop a car.

The new generation Russian pistol "Udav" is being prepared for state tests.

A powerful weapon, chambered for 9x21 mm caliber, will replace the Makarov and Yarygin pistols in the future.

This was announced to RNS by the general director of TsNIItochmash Dmitry Semizorov.
- Work on a promising pistol "Boa" is in its final stages, - he specified. Preliminary tests have been completed, the shortcomings identified during them are being eliminated and samples are being prepared for state tests.

The characteristics of the pistol are classified. It is only known that the Udava store is designed for eighteen rounds. It is adapted to be equipped with a laser target designator, a collimator (a device that facilitates aiming), and a flashlight.

The country's oldest gunsmith Pyotr Serdyukov is working on the project. Actually "Boa" is a development, created by him earlier self-loading pistol Serdyukov (SPS), also known as "Gyurza". It is used by army special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB and the FSO. Able to penetrate class 3 body armor at a distance of 50 meters and beyond. Sighting range - 100 meters.

However, "Boa", as Dmitry Semizorov assures, will surpass in its characteristics all existing analogs. The general director of TsNIITochmash hopes to complete state testing of the pistol in 2016.

OTs-27 "Berdysh" - The best combat pistol in Russia (video)

Submachine gun SR-2 "Heather".

The development of a submachine gun chambered for the powerful armor-piercing cartridge 9x21 SP-10 was started in the mid-1990s on the instructions of the Russian FSB. The new submachine gun, created at the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering in Klimovsk, was first shown in 1999. It received the designation SR-2 (Special Development 2), and the code designation "Veresk".

Currently, the SR-2 and SR-2M "Veresk" submachine guns are in service with the FSB and the FSO of Russia, as well as a number of other Russian special services. The SR-2 is notable for its small size, but it provides significant firepower, in combination with armor-piercing cartridges SP-10, providing a reliable defeat of the enemy protected by bulletproof vests at ranges up to 100 meters.

Submachine gun PP-19 "Bizon".

The PP-19 "Bison" submachine gun was developed at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant in the early 1990s to arm the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The PP-19 was built with extensive use of components and parts from the AK-74 Kalashnikov assault rifle, in particular, a shortened receiver from the AK-74 with a trigger mechanism and a pistol grip, a folding stock from the AKS-74 are used.

The original high-capacity magazine was obviously developed not without the influence of the American Calico submachine guns, however, on the PP-19, the magazine is located more conveniently, and in parallel acts as a forearm. In general, the "Bizon" is quite comfortable to hold and aim, largely due to a full-fledged side-folding buttstock and a massive gripping forearm - magazine.

Pistols for the Russian special forces. The latest samples (video)

Over the past few decades, the topic of replacing the Makarov pistol in the arsenals of the army and law enforcement agencies has been regularly raised. This no longer fully meets modern requirements, and therefore it should be replaced by a more advanced model. However, recent attempts to create a new pistol have not always been successful. A new contender for the title of replacement for the PM is a promising self-loading pistol, known as the "Boa". It is already being tested, but its real prospects are still in question.

The development of a self-loading pistol with the code "Boa" began several years ago. The general public was told about the new project in 2016, when part of the development work had already been completed. At that time, the authors of the project gave him the most optimistic estimates and talked about the imminent start of the necessary tests and checks. However, over the past two and a half years, the situation around the new project has not fundamentally changed. This is cause for concern.

According to official data…

The existence of the Udav self-loading pistol project was announced in June 2016. The project was created by specialists from the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering, and Dmitry Semizorov, General Director of the organization, spoke about it for the first time. According to the head of the institute, at that time work on the Udav product was in its final stages. Preliminary tests were carried out, according to the results of which fine-tuning was carried out. Also, prototypes were being prepared for future state tests.

One of the first prototypes of "Boa"

The new pistol is chambered for the high-powered 9x21mm cartridge, which should give it an advantage over existing designs such as the Makarov and Yarygin pistols. According to the plans of the developers, the new "Boa" in the future could become a replacement for the army PM and PYa.

In June 2016, it was argued that the promising "Boa" would have to enter the state tests in the very near future. This work was expected to be completed by the end of the year. It should be noted that information about the work on the topic "Boa constrictor" came only from the leadership of TsNIITochmash. The Ministry of Defense and other law enforcement agencies did not comment on these reports.

In August of the same year, D. Semizorov again told the domestic press about the progress of the promising project. He recalled the recent completion of the preliminary tests of the "Boa", and in the fall it was supposed to bring the product to the state. Completion of state tests was again planned for the end of the year. If the Ministry of Defense would make an appropriate decision, then the mass production of pistols could be launched as early as 2017.

The general director of the developer organization indicated that one of the main goals of the Boa constrictor project was to ensure a confident defeat of enemy manpower using individual armor protection equipment. In this regard, the well-known 9x21 mm cartridge was chosen for the pistol of the new model, which differs from other ammunition in increased power and an armor-piercing bullet. Previously, this cartridge was used with the SPS / SR-1 / Gyurza pistol. At the same time, the Boa constrictor project was not built on borrowed solutions, and some new ideas were used in its design.

In May 2018, the Kalashnikov profile magazine published an image of a new type of experimental pistol. In July, a snapshot of another prototype appeared at the disposal of the publication. The products differed markedly from each other, and it was about successively created samples and refinement of the basic design. At the same time, unfortunately, the exact technical characteristics of the weapon remained unknown. TsNIITochmash was in no hurry to publish such data, and therefore the press and weapon lovers had to rely only on their own estimates.

In October, the topic of the new project was again raised by the leadership of the developer organization. The new general director of TsNIITochmash, Albert Bakov, announced some information about the development of the Udava and plans for the near future. According to him, self-loading pistols have been submitted for state tests. A new stage of activities is being carried out at the training grounds of the Ministry of Defense. In accordance with the directive of the military department, the tests should be completed in December. After that, the Ministry of Defense will have to decide on the future fate of the new pistol - it can go into service.

In the wake of this news, interesting reports were published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta. It turned out that together with gunsmiths, industrial designers worked on a new pistol. The appearance of the future Udava was determined by specialists from TsNIITochmash and the Kinetics Center for High Accuracy Prototyping at the National Research Technological University MISiS. The reason for such cooperation was the specifics of the development of modern shooting systems. The weapon has approached the maximum possible technical characteristics, and now one of the ways to improve it is to improve ergonomics.

The external contours of the future pistol were determined taking into account technical limitations, ease of use, as well as artistic features. In the future, the original design has undergone certain changes, but its main provisions have been preserved. Also, using modern technologies, the designers of "Kinetics" and the gunsmiths of TsNIITochmash developed some additional devices for the "Boa". In doing so, remarkable results were obtained.

Technical questions

To date, the authors of the Boa project have not published all the technical information, but the main features of the pistol are already clear. In addition, the approximate appearance of the product and the parameters of the main components of the pistol complex are known. All this allows you to make various assessments and build forecasts regarding the future project.

Version of the appearance of the pistol from the Center "Kinetics"

The Udav project provides for the manufacture of a self-loading pistol based on well-known and time-tested solutions. This could, to a certain extent, simplify the design, but did not eliminate the need to solve a number of design problems associated with the use of a relatively powerful 9x21 mm cartridge. The product is built according to the classical scheme with a T-shaped frame, including a handle, and a movable shutter casing. In the manufacture of the product, polymeric materials are widely used. In particular, the handle and the frame as a whole are at least covered with plastic or even completely made of it. The shutter casing remains completely metal.

It is impossible not to note the curious appearance of the "Boa". If the photographs of spring and summer of this year featured a utilitarian-looking pistol without any special artistic frills, then in October they showed a more interesting example. Different prototypes differ from each other in the shape of the main parts, ergonomics and, very likely, the design of internal mechanisms. For example, one of the most noticeable differences was the shape and depth of the notches on the shutter casing.

The type of automatic pistol has not yet been specified. According to some sources, a swinging barrel system is used, in which locking is carried out by the interaction of the barrel projections and the case ejection window. However, information about the possibility of using a silent firing device may contradict such versions.

The pistol is equipped with a double-action trigger mechanism with a trigger protruding beyond the weapon. Fire control is carried out by a traditional trigger, covered with a traditional bracket. Older photographs showed that there were fuse flags at the back of the movable casing. The sample shown in the fall, for some reason, did not have such details. Moreover, in its appearance it was generally impossible to speak of the presence of a non-automatic fuse.

Like other self-loading pistols, the Udav uses detachable box magazines placed in the inner shaft of the handle. The magazine holds 9x21 mm cartridges, but its capacity has not yet been specified. Fixing the store is carried out by a side button. The pistol has a slide delay that allows it to be ready to fire faster after emptying the magazine. The delay lever is located on the frame on the left, above the trigger.

Apparently, the pistol "Boa" can have two options for sighting devices of a similar type. They include a front sight and rear sight of a simple design, placed on the casing. On the basic version of the pistol, these parts have a small height. The silencer-compatible modification features an increased height of sights, which allows you to raise the line of sight.

According to press reports, the development of the silencer for the Udava was carried out using computer-aided design systems. The prototype was made using 3D printing technology. The resulting design was able to solve its problems, but at the same time it weighed only tens of grams. In addition, the cost of the finished product was sharply reduced.

It is also possible to use other accessories. For their installation on the front of the frame there is a guide rail of standard sizes. It is proposed to be used with flashlights, laser designators and other devices.

Unfortunately, the exact dimensions and weight, as well as the combat characteristics of the Udav self-loading pistol, are still unknown. It can be assumed that in terms of combat qualities it is comparable to previous systems chambered for 9x21 mm. In the case of the SPS / SR-1 pistol, such a cartridge made it possible to obtain an initial bullet velocity of about 400 m / s and a muzzle energy of more than 600 J. Depending on the type of cartridge and bullet, the SPS from a distance of 50 m could pierce class 3 or 3A body armor. How "Boa" is similar to the ATP in terms of tactical and technical characteristics is unknown.

Near future

According to reports two years ago, in the very near future, the Udav pistol from TsNIITochmash was supposed to go to state tests. Apparently, such plans were carried out with some delay, and therefore the promising weapon has not yet completed all the necessary checks. However, as reported in mid-autumn, state testing of the pistol will be completed in December. Thus, this stage of work should come to an end - if it has not already ended.

Experienced silenced pistol

The Ministry of Defense has not yet talked about the progress of testing the Udav pistol and has not announced its plans for it. Based on the results of the current checks, the military will have to draw final conclusions and decide whether they need a promising self-loading pistol chambered for a powerful cartridge. Perhaps this kind will appear in the near future, and the public will know the real prospects for a new pistol.

So far, we have to rely only on a limited amount of data and our own estimates. Apparently, the Udav product is a typical modern self-loading pistol, but it differs from many other samples in the use of a relatively powerful 9x21 mm cartridge, which gives it advantages in combat qualities. Also, differences can be found in some features of ergonomics worked out by industrial designers. At the same time, the internal mechanisms of the Udav are based on proven solutions, although they are adapted to the characteristic loads of a powerful ammunition.

What decision the military will make, and what will be the further fate of the new domestic pistol "Udav" is a big question. In the light of published data, this sample looks like a good modern weapon that can find its place in the army. However, tests at the range should reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the pistol, so that the army can make an informed decision. It is quite possible that a situation in which the cons of the gun will not be able to outweigh the pros.

An ambiguous feature of the project should be considered the cartridge used. Ammunition 9x21 mm was adopted by the army in 2003, but never became truly massive. This was due, first of all, to the insufficient number of weapons for them. It cannot be ruled out that the “Boa” will eventually be able to change this situation, but so far the use of an “unusual” cartridge looks more like a minus. What the command thinks about this may become known later.

According to the news of recent months, in December, the Ministry of Defense should complete state tests of a new self-loading pistol. Based on the results of these events, a decision will be made on the future of the Udava, as well as on the future of the PM and PYa pistols. The army will have to decide whether it needs a new weapon, and whether a promising development from TsNIITochmash will become this new model.

According to the websites:
http://ria.ru/
http://tass.ru/
http://iz.ru/
https://kalashnikov.ru/
https://modernfirearms.net/
http://bastion-opk.ru/