This review describes the practice of using and applying belts for the Kalashnikov assault rifle during their intensive use.

Introduction:

Developed back in Soviet times, the Instructions on Shooting do not fully take into account the requirements and convenience for a soldier to use a belt for a machine gun.

Standard practice for using a belt according to NSD:

To be honest, I don’t understand such a retention of the machine gun when crawling along the bellies. When crawling, it is best to throw the machine gun on a belt behind your back or hold it in your hands, and crawling like a plastun in this way is very wrong because it leaves a lot of traces) but this is already a lyric) Again, the machine gun is in this position (I'm still talking about figure 55 ) is rather unstable and traumatic - shine a fly in your eye, and even successfully push the butt with your knee, and complete happiness. "Instructions" and "Charters" in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, unfortunately, are written by officers with high level staff culture, but lacking sufficient practical experience. To write such instructions, you need not sit in the office, but wander around the garrisons and go all the way from platoon commander to battalion commander. Then the practical component, safety precautions, and combat realities will be taken into account. Otherwise, the Instructions become the same abstraction as the concepts of "ideal liquid" or "ideal gas" in physics.

VC. (resource expert, GRU special forces veteran):

In this position, with a long burst, the machine gun tends to lift the barrel, which is dangerous for the surrounding comrades leading the battle, he himself almost became a victim of such a handsome man.

VC. (resource expert, GRU special forces veteran):

Incorrect holding of the machine by the magazine - in the heat of battle, the magazine can be unfastened by accident. And the machine is not at all stable in this position.

VC. (resource expert, GRU special forces veteran):

From this position, the Remba current in films and the natives of the Caucasus, who usually shoot into the white light like a pretty penny, effectively shoot.

Using an AK without a strap:

ak (vrazvedka.ru)
Not comfortable without it. Without a belt, it’s just that the weapon is constantly in the hands, and not on the neck, on the shoulder, behind the back. Thus, weapons without a belt - in constant readiness to open fire while moving. This is the basis of the practice of carrying weapons without a belt. As far as I know, this practice takes place in the British SAS and some other special forces. Personally, I think that this is still an inflection! There are a number of cases (unexpected fall from a slope, explosion, crossing rivers, carrying a wounded man, climbing / descending a rope, working with a short barrel, throwing a grenade) when a weapon without a belt will be thrown, dropped, laid down or even lost. For example, somehow two of us flew off a hill along a steep slope, so the VSSnik, even with a belt hanging around his neck, managed to lose a rifle falling, they looked for it then climbing this slope for more than an hour, lowering the rope. But it was on a combat mission. No, I would not remove the belt from my weapon for anything, in my opinion, holding a weapon in my hands is just a matter of self-discipline and training.

Djuric (vrazvedka.ru, veteran of the Bosnian war in Yugoslavia, veteran of the RDO "White Wolves")

Guys, I'll just give my reasons why I mostly wore AKs without a belt. In Bosnia, in the mountains, there is a very dense bush, just a jungle. You have to wade through them, and the belts have bad habit to cling to branches, isn't it, mountain ones? And you don’t walk much along the paths, mines! In our detachment, only two were left without legs because of them. Ak correctly wrote that by constantly carrying AK in your hands, you get used to it as if it were your own. Yes, and automatic, so to speak, is always at hand! In constant combat readiness! But I didn’t throw away the belt either, when it was necessary, then I wore it.

Use in existing realities:

Transferring the attachment of the rear swivel to the opposite side (by the type of attachment of the swivel on AK 100 series, AK74M and AKS74 assault rifles) on assault rifles with a wooden butt:

Using only the rear sling swivel:

Using the "neck" of the AK butt instead of the rear swivel for attaching a belt:

The position of the AK strap in the position behind the head can be used in different ways:

Rest on the belt...

"Work" AK (the belt is strongly lowered):

Or work with your hand, keeping the position of the machine and in readiness to open fire:

So that the sagging belt does not interfere with the machine in hand, it will be pulled down to be fixed on the butt:

And so that the metal parts of the carbine do not "rattle" on the swivel of the machine gun, the carbine is wrapped with tape / electrical tape / plaster:

There is a practice of using the so-called. "three-point" belts:

Members of illegal armed gangs on the territory of the Chechen Republic were great originals and went the furthest ... Fastening the AK belt to the gas outlet pipe (for the entire unit) ...:

The use of a clip for attaching a butt instead of a rear swivel when attaching a belt did not help members of illegal armed gangs on the territory of the Chechen Republic to operate effectively, which is illustrated by:

The use of the machine gun, and the belt for it as spacers, as the basis for shelter during the "daylight" at combat exits (photo 668 OOSN (422 RGSPn) 1988 Afghanistan):

Wearing and making

The most striking shortcoming is the inability to properly carry weapons and quickly prepare them for battle. The commonly used methods of carrying weapons do not allow you to quickly prepare for battle when suddenly on close range an armed enemy appeared. I will cite two cases that characterize similar situations that occurred in the city of Grozny. The mortar battery was located on the flat roof of the house and fired at the positions of the militants. Two soldiers went down to the courtyard of the house to the well for water. Buckets were carried in their hands, machine guns were in the “behind the back” position. Militants suddenly entered the courtyard of the house, pointed their guns at the soldiers, disarmed them and took them prisoner. The soldiers could not use their weapons.
Second case. During the period of reconciliation and dual power in Grozny, an officer of the commandant's office took photographs of the burial place of Russian soldiers. Hands were occupied with equipment, the machine gun hung on the right shoulder with the barrel down, the pistol was on the right side in a holster. Two militants approached from two sides, threatening with weapons, disarmed and took prisoner. And such cases in zones of military conflicts occur quite often. Soldiers and officers are not ready for sudden encounters with the enemy and do not have time to use their weapons.
I want to offer some ways to wear and use a regular small arms, allowing you to conveniently position it, while having free hands. And, at the same time, these methods allow you to quickly prepare for battle and repel an enemy attack.
1. On the left shoulder - it's old hunting way. To prevent the machine from slipping, it is necessary to properly fit the weapon belt. This method allows you to quickly prepare for battle, but if the enemy is close and hand-to-hand combat is ahead, this position of the weapon interferes. In this case, you should drop the belt from your shoulder and drop the machine to the ground.
2. On the chest - the belt is thrown over the neck, the machine hangs with the barrel down. This method is more convenient, allows you to quickly prepare for battle. This position of the machine does not interfere in hand-to-hand combat, it makes it possible to freely strike with hands and feet, fight in the grip, fall and roll.
In addition, machine guns can block enemy attacks and inflict strong blows butt and shop. With this method of carrying the machine gun, the weapon belt should be released quite strongly so that the butt is slightly below the right shoulder.
3. When making a march on armored vehicles, the landing, as a rule, is located on top of the armor. Usually paratroopers sit with one leg down in an open hatch, the other is held on top of the armor. From this position, it is easy to “leave” down the hatch if shelling starts, and it is easy to jump from the car to the ground if the car is blown up by a mine or an anti-tank grenade hits. At the same time, the weapon is usually held in the hands, and the machine gun greatly interferes when diving into the hatch, and is also easily lost if the paratroopers are thrown off the armor by an explosion or sudden braking. To prevent this from happening, you should loosen the weapon belt and put it over your head, the machine gun is located on the body with the barrel up. At the same time, the machine is quite conveniently located, does not interfere with jumping from the car and quickly aims at the target.
4. Both military personnel and police officers often have to serve at checkpoints, checkpoints, traffic police posts. The nature of the service at these facilities requires long stay at the post, while it is necessary to have free hands for giving signals and for checking documents, inspecting cars and searching people. The weapon must be in a position that ensures its rapid use, and at the same time, the people being checked must not be able to block the use of weapons. Usually, traffic police officers have a machine gun on their right side. Machine guns from this position cannot be thrown to the shoulder, you can only shoot from the waist and aimlessly. And if the sentry is dressed in winter clothes, then the machine gun becomes an extra weight that hinders movement. For a more convenient location of the machine, you should unhook the strap from the receiver swivel and hook its carbine on the butt swivel, forming a loop. This loop adjusts to fit and is worn over the shoulder and back. The machine gun with a retracted butt is located under the right shoulder and is easily raised with one hand. When checking, I recommend putting your left foot forward half a step, turning the body with the left side forward so that the machine gun is the most distant from those being checked, and they cannot grab it.
Shooting
The technical rate of fire of the AK-74 is very high. A thirty-round magazine is fired in one burst in 3 seconds, a 45-round magazine in 4.5 seconds. Therefore, experienced shooters in battle put the fuse on a single fire and shoot with frequent shots, refining the aiming after each shot. At the same time, the rate of fire will remain quite high, and the accuracy becomes much higher compared to firing in bursts. To illustrate the shortcomings of shooting in long bursts, I will give an example.
When in January 1995 the 81st motorized rifle regiment was surrounded in the city of Grozny, part personnel occupied the defense in the station building. Chechen fighters, who were shelling the station, ran up to the building and jumped into the window openings. Having released the store inside the building, standing on the windowsill, in one burst, they jumped back to the street, changed the store and again, jumping out the window, fired inside the building without much harm to the defenders. Our soldiers fired intensely at these "hells out of the box", but also without much success.
However, in some situations firing long bursts is preferable. These are cases when several armed opponents appear at once in front of the scout at close range. For example, reconnaissance group conducted a search in the area of ​​​​the village of Chechen-Aul. One of the sentinels of the advanced reconnaissance patrol unexpectedly went from the rear to the trench, in which there were 4 militants. The fighters of the scout have not yet seen, but at any moment they could turn around. The scout crossed out the trench with a burst, releasing the entire store, and hit all the militants. In such cases, there is no time for aiming.
But you can roughly aim at the barrel of the machine gun, and not at the front sight and rear sight. The AK-74 assault rifle leads to the right and up when firing in bursts. Therefore, it is advisable to start shelling from the nearest left target.
When conducting combat operations in populated areas, in mountainous and wooded areas, the probability of meeting the enemy at close range is always high. In this case, the fighter may need to retreat to the main group or to the shelter, and there is no one to cover him at this moment. Running backwards, firing at the enemy, is inconvenient, and there is no shooting accuracy. The method of firing from the machine gun back on the run, if before that the weapon was held in ways 1 or 2. At the same time, the machine gun is fixed quite stably even on the run, moving right hand butt, you can approximately aim left-right and up-down. Although it is not aimed fire, but at close range it will force the enemy to seek cover.
And if the target appears at ultra-short distances (one or two steps)? For example, if a sentinel or patrol met closely with one militant, skills can help hand-to-hand combat or a knife. And if there is one enemy in front of you and his hands clutched your machine gun with his ear, and 2-3 more militants are behind him in one or two steps? For such cases, it is necessary to have an auxiliary melee weapon (pistol).
If a shooter armed with a machine gun also has a pistol, he can quickly switch to using it. You just need to carry a gun so that it is not conspicuous. Here are two examples to illustrate the usefulness concealed carry pistol. Both cases occurred in the Republic of Tajikistan.
In the first case, at night, the officer, accompanied by one soldier, returned to the stronghold after checking the posts. Both were armed with machine guns (the officer's machine gun hung on his chest, the soldier's on his shoulder). The officer, in addition, had a pistol with a cartridge sent into the barrel, on the fuse, which he put on the right side under the "belt A" (in the army this belt is also called a bib or bra).
Already when approaching the strong point, two Islamist militants armed with machine guns came out towards our servicemen. One militant stood in front of the officer and started a conversation on the topic: “Where are you coming from, why did you go?”. The second shifted to the side and ended up on the side. At that time, the soldier also shifted to the side, as if hiding behind an officer and preparing his machine gun for battle. A militant, who was standing aside, took off his machine gun from the safety lock (there was a characteristic click), and another militant rushed to the officer and tried to grab his machine gun. The officer fired at him directly through the breastplate, with a second shot (almost simultaneously with his soldier, who also opened fire), he hit another militant, who was raising his machine gun to his shoulder.
On the second occasion, two commando officers entered a small shop. They were armed with pistols, which hung openly on their belts, in holsters. While the officers were examining the counter, 7 militants entered the store, one of them with a machine gun. One militant ordered us to put our hands up. An attempt to get a weapon in such an arrangement could not go unnoticed and was immediately stopped by automatic bursts overhead. The militants disarmed the officers, disabled one with a blow to the head with a rifle butt, and, jumping out of the store, left in their cars. In the first case, the concealed carrying of weapons helped to destroy the enemy. In the second case, open carrying provoked criminals to seize weapons and did not allow them to successfully use pistols.
Quite often, in hot spots, you can see "cool" fighters whose machine gun is equipped with magazines connected in pairs. I want to warn against this way of wearing stores. When shooting, the fighters often rest the machine shop on the ground. At the same time, the lower magazine feeder becomes clogged with dirt, and this causes delays in firing. In a combat situation, such a delay can be paid with your life.
Everyone who has fired a military weapon at least once is familiar with the command “UNLOAD, WEAPON FOR INSPECTION!” And how to unload weapons if, say, a reconnaissance group went to the location of its troops after completing the task. The scouts did not sleep or eat for several days, their fingers were swollen and did not bend, because they were frostbitten. And there is no way to line up in one line, to direct weapons in a safe direction, because there are people and equipment around.
In this case, the so-called combat discharge is applied. Scouts stand in a circle (to control each other). Machine guns are raised with their trunks up so that the shutters are at eye level. The store is detached and placed in the pouch, and the soldiers twitch the shutter 5-6 times in a row. If someone forgets to disconnect the magazine, it will be immediately noticeable, because the bolt will start throwing out cartridges, and they will fall into the face of one of the neighbors. If an accidental shot occurs in this position, then the bullet will go vertically upwards without causing harm. After such a check, each fighter makes an independent control descent and puts the weapon on the safety. The magazine is not connected to the weapon, because in a combat situation a habit is quickly developed by connecting the magazine and immediately sending the cartridge into the chamber.
The basic rule in war is never to part with a weapon. As soon as you left the protected area - do not let go of your weapon, always keep it where it is easy to take it from, in order to always be ready for battle.
In addition to the fact that the commander must have 1-2 magazines with tracer cartridges, it is desirable that each fighter also has one such magazine. This is a store designed as a last resort, to indicate its location or for target designation.
The magazine mount at Kalashnikov is inconvenient for quick reloading. It is impossible to detach an empty magazine while holding a new loaded one in the same hand. Therefore, in a tense fight, do not expect the store to be completely empty. If the magazine is partially empty and there is a pause in the battle, change the magazine, and leave the partially used one in reserve. In order not to waste time on jerking the shutter when loading, when starting to equip the magazine, insert the first three tracer cartridges. Then, when you shoot and notice that the tracer bullet has passed, you will know that there are only two rounds left. You can shoot again and, having disconnected the empty magazine, replace it with a full one. Since the last cartridge has already been sent to the chamber, it is not necessary to distort the shutter. An empty magazine is usually thrown to the ground in battle so that it does not interfere and so as not to be confused with full magazines. If necessary, an empty magazine can be thrown at the enemy, simulating a grenade throw to cover reloading. In hand-to-hand combat, it is also possible to throw an empty magazine, aiming at the opponent's face. With a little practice, you can learn to throw the magazine so that it hits the enemy’s forehead or temple with its prong. If the throw is strong, then the hit incapacitates the enemy.
It is advisable to divide the personnel of the unit not into pairs, but into combat troikas, add one more person to the calculations of machine guns, RPGs, AGS. It is easier for three fighters to interact: if one gets wounded, it is easier to pull him out of the fire together. If someone has a delay in shooting (due to a malfunction or when reloading), the two of them are easier to cover. (In this case, the signal “Cover!” is given, the cover must answer “I hold”).
During the fighting in Grozny, it was often necessary to inspect the attic, basement and other premises. Often it was necessary to work in the dark. Domestic night devices, operating on the principle of enhancing the natural illumination of the area, are not suitable for indoor operation. During the Great Patriotic War soviet soldiers used this method. An ordinary electric flashlight was packaged in a piece of rubber cut from a car tire. When inspecting dark rooms or during a battle in a basement, sewer network, tunnel, etc., the fighters turned on these "shockproof" lights and threw them in the direction of the alleged location of the enemy. Thus, they illuminated the target and were able to conduct aimed fire.
A few words about the NSPU-1 and 2 night sights. It should be borne in mind that these devices do not start working immediately after being turned on, in cold weather they need 1 to 2 minutes to warm up. But on the other hand, immediately after turning on the eyepiece of these devices, it begins to give a greenish light reflection, giving out an arrow to observers and enemy snipers. Therefore, turning on the device or taking your eyes off the eyepiece, immediately cover the eyepiece with your palm or make a special shutter for this.
These devices are easily illuminated by open light sources. There was a case when, near the village of Komsomolskoye in Chechnya, our reconnaissance group monitored a fire, near which the militants were sitting. The scouts watched for a long time with night instruments, but they could not see that behind the fire there was a whole stronghold with fortifications, firing points, significant forces and firepower. The firelight illuminated the instrument screens, interfering with observation. As a result, the group, having opened fire, came under return fire from superior enemy forces.
There are little tricks when firing from the GP-25 underbarrel grenade launcher. It is inconvenient to press the trigger of the GP-25 with the right hand, it is too far away. To make it more convenient to shoot from the "grenade launcher", not the butt, but the pistol grip of the machine gun should rest against the shoulder. This position of the weapon is especially convenient when shooting prone. When firing with mounted fire, the butt of the machine gun should rest against the ground. In this case, the assistant should insert the grenades into the barrel of the GP-25, and the shooter fixes the position of the machine gun, remembers it, and, depending on where the flash from the previous shot was, by changing the slope of the barrel, makes adjustments to the shooting. When fighting in the city, do not forget that the cocking of a grenade for the GP-25 takes place 10-20 meters after the shot. When shooting at the windows of buildings at a shorter distance, the grenades may not explode.
When moving on the battlefield or at the shooting range, shooters usually hold the machine gun at stomach level, pointing the muzzle forward. In order to get ready for shooting faster and not waste time throwing the machine gun to your shoulder, you should move around without taking the butt off your shoulder, while lowering the barrel a little. From this position, the shooter is quickly prepared for combat and aimed shooting.
Of course, you can also fire from the stomach, but then you can hit the target with the first shots only at very short ranges (5-10 meters). Good shooters, specially trained in shooting from the stomach, can hit the growth target with the first shots at a distance of 20-50 meters. If the target is located farther, then it can be hit from the stomach only with a significant number of shots (5-10), and then only if the fire is adjusted along the tracks or splashes of the soil.

The most common disadvantage is the inability to carry weapons. Incorrect wearing does not allow you to quickly make a machine gun for battle, in case of acute situations. In combat, even fractions of a second matter. In the Chechen campaign, more than once or twice there were cases when soldiers, and even officers with standard weapons, were not ready for sudden encounters with the enemy. They simply did not have time to use their weapons.

Meanwhile, there are several good ways to carry regular weapons, although not spelled out in general military regulations. The main thing that unites them is that the weapon is located conveniently, while the hands remain free. And these methods allow you to quickly make a machine gun for battle and open fire on the enemy.

The first way: wearing a machine gun on the chest. The belt is thrown over the neck, the machine hangs with the barrel down. This position of the machine does not interfere with hand-to-hand combat, it makes it possible to strike both with legs and with hands. It allows you to grab, fall and roll. Naturally, weapons can be quickly made for battle. In addition, the machine gun can block enemy attacks and deliver strong blows with the butt. The gun belt of the machine gun is released strongly so that the butt is slightly below the right shoulder. In the cinema, this method is shown in the film "In the Zone special attention"during the paratrooper march.

The second way. Wearing a machine gun on the left shoulder. An old partisan and hunting way of carrying weapons. But in order for the machine to not slip, it is necessary to properly fit the weapon belt. With this method, weapons are quickly made for battle, but in hand-to-hand combat, this position of the machine gun is only a hindrance. The machine will have to be thrown off the shoulder to the ground.

The third way. When carrying out guard and guard duty. Sooner or later, the partisans will still take control of the territory or join the regular army. We will have to fulfill the duties that are now being performed by military personnel and policemen at checkpoints, checkpoints, and traffic police posts. Group "special forces tactics" And the nature of the service at these facilities is specific. Being at the post for a long time, and hands should be free - to check documents, give signals, search people, check cars. Weapons must be carried in such a way that they can be quickly used, and at the same time, testees must not be able to block them. You can often see how the guards of the traffic police (during the events under the plans "Siren", "Interception", etc.) carry a machine gun on their right side. But from this position, the machine gun cannot be thrown up to the shoulder and aimed shooting - the fire is fired from the waist and aimlessly. Well, about winter conditions and there is nothing to say. In a sheepskin coat, a sentry wears a machine gun or a weight on the side, no difference.

For a more convenient location of the machine, you need to unhook the belt from the receiver swivel and hook its carbine on the butt swivel, forming a loop. This loop adjusts to fit and is worn over the shoulder and back. The machine gun with a retracted butt is located under the right shoulder and is easily raised with one hand. When checking, it is better to put the left foot forward half a step, turning the body with the left side forward so that the machine gun is the most distant from the tested, and they cannot grab it.

Reference books

Small melee tricks

Small melee tricks

The combat manuals of the Russian Armed Forces so far reflect only the essence of classic combined arms combat, in which the actions of any unit are supported by artillery, armored vehicles, and aviation. The phrase that we have been preparing for the past war all the time, losing the invaluable experience of small military conflicts, has become commonplace. The experience of defeating the Bandera formations in Ukraine and the "forest brothers" in the Baltic states, operations in Hungary (in 1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968), battles in China and Korea, military operations in Vietnam, battles in the Congo and Somalia. Finally, it is difficult to call the experience of two recent small wars, in Afghanistan and Chechnya, well learned. After the Great Patriotic War, our soldiers and officers fought in a total of 20 countries around the world. But, oddly enough, the methods of conducting those military operations were not reflected in our combat regulations.

During conflicts of low intensity (the war in Chechnya, in which about 1/30 of total number military formations of Russia) regular army units often have to fight against illegal armed groups (IAF), which prefer to conduct guerrilla-type operations, imposing battles in closed areas (in the mountains, forests, jungles, settlements), where the warring parties, as a rule, separated by only a few tens of meters. The Vietnamese called the tactics of binding the enemy with close combat the term "capture by the belt", the Americans called it "handbinding".

Under such conditions, armored vehicles become ineffective, and artillery and aviation fire poses a threat to friendly troops. As a result, the unit has to fight on its own, using only standard man-portable weapons. By its nature, close fire combat in a closed area is a series of local battles, success in which is determined by the skills and abilities of each fighter, and squad and platoon commanders do not have the opportunity to command their subordinates, since only 2-3 nearby soldiers hear them.

There are little tricks to help you survive in close combat.

In order to successfully assess the situation in this type of battle, commanders should learn by ear, by the density of enemy fire, to determine his strength, weapons, location on the ground, and where he concentrates his main efforts. Unfortunately, the assessment of the enemy by ear by the strength of fire is not taught in any military school. When I was a platoon commander, I was taught this by a company commander who went through Afghanistan. During the exercises, he took us to the areas of shooting ranges and ranges and forced us to determine by ear the types of weapons, the composition of the firing units and their approximate location on the ground.

Each shooter must independently choose targets for himself and hit them (grenade launcher - equipment, fortifications, accumulations of manpower; machine gunner - fire weapons and accumulations of manpower; sniper - commanders, drivers, signalmen, etc.). But, besides this, each commander must give target designations to his subordinates to defeat important targets. To do this, squad, platoon and company commanders must have 1-2 magazines fully equipped with tracer cartridges. For target designation, it is enough to connect this store and shoot 2-3 times with single shots towards the desired target. The remaining shooters, noticing the track from the first bullet, specify the location of the target by the 2nd and 3rd shots and focus fire on it.

Tricks of the grenade launcher

It should be clarified that illegal armed formations widely use hand grenade launchers. The vast experience accumulated in Afghanistan by the combined forces of the Mujahideen in the combat use of the RPG-7 is widely distributed to other hot spots. If in a motorized rifle platoon there are 3 RPG-7s in the state, in a special forces group - 1, then in the illegal armed formations up to 50-80% of the personnel are armed with RPGs. Given the lack of artillery, RPGs are given the additional task of "artillery" support for combat operations, which is sometimes more effective than artillery fire. In illegal armed formations, for this purpose, special groups of grenade launchers are created to conduct massive fire in battle. Our soldiers and officers had to deal with similar groups in Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Chechnya. A feature of the tactics of such groups is that armored vehicles are destroyed by sequentially concentrating fire from 2-3 or more RPGs on one armored object from a distance of 20 to 50 meters. Even dynamic protection and additionally installed screens do not save from such a fire. The means of protection are knocked down by the first shots, after which the grenade launchers hit the equipment in vulnerable places.

Grenade launchers of illegal armed formations actively use RPGs for firing at openly located manpower. Even when using cumulative ammunition, personnel are affected by shrapnel and a blast wave within a radius of up to 4 meters. In addition, in Afghanistan, the Mujahideen used fragmentation grenades for RPG-7 Egyptian and Chinese production. Cases of the use of such grenades in Tajikistan were also noted, and not only for manpower, but also for armored vehicles (to disable surveillance devices). In Chechnya, the use of home-made fragmentation grenades was noted, when the Chechens wrapped the head of the cumulative grenades with wire or wrapped fragments fixed with electrical tape (metal balls, etc.). In addition, massive RPG fire on manpower has a demoralizing effect. There were cases when for each of our shots or bursts of small arms, the militants were followed by 2-3 shots from RPGs.

The firing position of the grenade launcher at the time of the shot is unmasked by a characteristic flash and white-gray smoke. The flight of a grenade along the trail from a running engine is also clearly visible. If you notice such a flash and a grenade track on the battlefield, then you need to give a command, for example: “Flash, lie down!” Your subordinates on this command should lie down on the ground (behind the cover) and cover their ears with their hands. When these requirements are met, with a close rupture of a cumulative grenade, even if you are on an open, flat area without shelters, there is a high probability that you will remain alive and unharmed.

If there is time to equip the position of the grenade launcher (for example, when setting up an ambush), then to reduce dust formation, the soil at a distance of up to 2-4 m behind the grenade launcher should be poured abundantly with water. Thickets of high (up to 2 meters) bushes, reeds, corn crops and other herbaceous plants camouflage the firing position of the grenade launcher well. But we must remember that in the direction of firing there should not be vegetation that prevents the flight of a grenade (to prevent a grenade from exploding when touching branches and grass, the protective cap should not be removed from the fuse).

To suppress firing points on the slopes of mountains and upper floors buildings, RPG fire is used slightly above shelters in order to hit the enemy not only with fragments and the blast wave of an exploding grenade, but also with pieces of stone and concrete that break off during the explosion.

In battle, 1-2 fighters must be assigned to cover the grenade launcher. They must destroy enemy shooters dangerous for the grenade launcher, give him target designations, make sure that the grenade launcher changes position as often as possible (preferably after each shot). The fact is that after 2-3 shots, the grenade launcher stops hearing the sounds of battle and commands. And if the shots hit the target, the grenade launchers get into an unhealthy excitement, forgetting about the precautions. Therefore, they must be watched by cover fighters.

In combat conditions, a grenade launcher should be carried with a grenade inserted into the barrel. If it is rainy, damp weather, then a plastic bag must be put on the grenade and the barrel of the grenade launcher, since the paper insulation of the powder charge is easily moistened, which leads to the complete unsuitability of the powder charge. To prevent the package from flying off, it should be attached to the trunk by tying it with a cord. Before the shot, the package can not be removed, it does not interfere with shooting. Additional grenades with attached powder charges are best carried on the shoulder using a quick-release rope strap. In this way, grenades can be carried by both the grenade launcher and his assistants. To protect the grenades from dampness, they must be wrapped in a waterproof cloth or polyethylene, over which a carrying strap can be fitted.

Often, the troops do not like to take RPG-7 to combat exits because of its large mass, replacing RPG-18, 22, 26 and manual RPO-A flamethrower("Bumblebee"), which is used in night battles not only as incendiary, but also to illuminate enemy positions and create light landmarks. Do not neglect the RPG-7, its effective range is higher than that of disposable grenade launchers, and the presence optical sight makes shooting from it especially accurate. Although it should be noted that the creation of fragmentation incendiary, lighting and other special grenades for the RPG-7 would significantly expand the capabilities of the units of the Russian Army.

Submachine gunner's tricks

The most striking shortcoming is the inability to properly carry weapons and quickly prepare them for battle. The commonly used methods of carrying weapons do not allow you to quickly prepare for battle when an armed enemy suddenly appears at close range. I will cite two cases that characterize similar situations that occurred in the city of Grozny.

The mortar battery was located on the flat roof of the house and fired at the positions of the militants. Two soldiers went down to the courtyard of the house to the well for water.

Buckets were carried in their hands, machine guns were in the “behind the back” position. Militants suddenly entered the courtyard of the house, pointed their guns at the soldiers, disarmed them and took them prisoner. The soldiers could not use their weapons.

Second case. During the period of reconciliation and dual power in Grozny, an officer of the commandant's office took photographs of the burial place of Russian soldiers. Hands were occupied with equipment, the machine gun hung on the right shoulder with the barrel down, the pistol was on the right side in a holster. Two militants approached from two sides, threatening with weapons, disarmed and took prisoner.

And such cases in zones of military conflicts occur quite often. Soldiers and officers are

are not ready for sudden encounters with the enemy and do not have time to use their weapons.

I want to offer some ways to carry and use standard small arms, allowing you to conveniently position them, while having your hands free. And, at the same time, these methods allow you to quickly prepare for battle and repel an enemy attack.

On the left shoulder - this is the old hunting method. To prevent the machine from slipping, it is necessary to properly fit the weapon belt. This method allows you to quickly prepare for battle, but if the enemy is close and hand-to-hand combat is ahead, this position of the weapon interferes. In this case, you should drop the belt from your shoulder and drop the machine to the ground.

On the chest - a belt is thrown over the neck, the machine gun hangs with the barrel down. This method is more convenient, allows you to quickly prepare for battle. This position of the machine does not interfere in hand-to-hand combat, it makes it possible to freely strike with hands and feet, fight in the grip, fall and roll. In addition, the machine gun can block enemy attacks and deliver strong blows with the butt and magazine. With this method of carrying the machine gun, the weapon belt should be released quite strongly so that the butt is slightly below the right shoulder.

When making a march on armored vehicles, the landing, as a rule, is located on top of the armor. Usually paratroopers sit with one leg down in an open hatch, the other is held on top of the armor. From this position, it is easy to “leave” down the hatch if shelling starts, and it is easy to jump from the car to the ground if the car is blown up by a mine or an anti-tank grenade hits. At the same time, the weapon is usually held in the hands, and the machine gun greatly interferes when diving into the hatch, and is also easily lost if the paratroopers are thrown off the armor by an explosion or sudden braking. To prevent this from happening, you should loosen the weapon belt and put it over your head, the machine gun is located on the body with the barrel up. At the same time, the machine is quite conveniently located, does not interfere with jumping from the car and quickly aims at the target.

Both military personnel and police officers often have to serve at checkpoints, checkpoints, and traffic police posts. The nature of the service at these facilities requires a long stay on duty, while it is necessary to have free hands for signaling and for checking documents, inspecting cars and searching people. The weapon must be in a position that ensures its rapid use, and at the same time, the people being checked must not be able to block the use of weapons. Usually, traffic police officers have a machine gun on their right side. Machine guns from this position cannot be thrown to the shoulder, you can only shoot from the waist and aimlessly. And if the sentry is dressed in winter clothes, then the machine gun becomes an extra weight that hinders movement. For a more convenient location of the machine, you should unhook the strap from the receiver swivel and hook its carbine on the butt swivel, forming a loop. This loop adjusts to fit and is worn over the shoulder and back. The machine gun with a retracted butt is located under the right shoulder and is easily raised with one hand. When checking, I recommend putting your left foot forward half a step, turning the body with the left side forward so that the machine gun is the most distant from those being checked, and they cannot grab it.

Shooting

The technical rate of fire of the AK-74 is very high. A thirty-round magazine is fired in one burst in 3 seconds, a 45-round magazine in 4.5 seconds. Therefore, experienced shooters in battle put the fuse on a single fire and shoot with frequent shots, refining the aiming after each shot. At the same time, the rate of fire will remain quite high, and the accuracy becomes much higher compared to firing in bursts. To illustrate the shortcomings of shooting in long bursts, I will give an example.

When in January 1995 the 81st motorized rifle regiment was encircled in the city of Grozny, part of the personnel took up defensive positions in the station building. Chechen fighters, who were shelling the station, ran up to the building and jumped into the window openings. Having released the store inside the building, standing on the windowsill, in one burst, they jumped back to the street, changed the store and again, jumping out the window, fired inside the building without much harm to the defenders. Our soldiers fired intensely at these "hells out of the box", but also without much success.

However, in some situations firing long bursts is preferable. These are cases when several armed opponents appear at once in front of the scout at close range. For example, the reconnaissance group conducted a search in the area of ​​the village of Chechen-Aul. One of the sentinels of the advanced reconnaissance patrol unexpectedly went from the rear to the trench, in which there were 4 militants. The fighters of the scout have not yet seen, but at any moment they could turn around. The scout crossed out the trench with a burst, releasing the entire store and hit all the militants. In such cases, there is no time for aiming. But you can roughly aim at the barrel of the machine gun, and not at the front sight and rear sight. The AK-74 assault rifle leads to the right and up when firing in bursts. Therefore, it is advisable to start shelling from the nearest left target.

When conducting combat operations in populated areas, in mountainous and wooded areas, the probability of meeting the enemy at close range is always high. In this case, the fighter may need to retreat to the main group or to the shelter, and there is no one to cover him at this moment. Running backwards, firing at the enemy, is inconvenient, and there is no shooting accuracy. The method of firing from the machine gun back on the run, if before that the weapon was held in methods 1 or 2. The machine is fixed quite stably even on the run, moving the butt with the right hand, you can approximately aim left-right and up-down. Although it is not aimed fire, but at close range it will force the enemy to seek cover.

And if the target appears at ultra-short distances (one or two steps)? For example, if a sentinel or patrol met closely with one militant, hand-to-hand combat skills or a knife can help. And if there is one enemy in front of you and his hands have already grabbed your machine gun, and 2-3 more militants are standing behind him in one or two steps? For such cases, it is necessary to have an auxiliary melee weapon (pistol).

If a shooter armed with a machine gun also has a pistol, he can quickly switch to using it. You just need to carry a gun so that it is not conspicuous. I will give two examples to illustrate the usefulness of concealed carrying a pistol. Both cases occurred in the Republic of Tajikistan.

In the first case, at night, the officer, accompanied by one soldier, returned to the stronghold after checking the posts. Both were armed with machine guns (the officer's machine gun hung on his chest, the soldier's on his shoulder). The officer, in addition, had a pistol with a cartridge sent into the barrel, on the fuse, which he put on the right side under the "belt A" (in the army this belt is also called a bib or bra).

Already when approaching the strong point, two Islamist militants armed with machine guns came out towards our servicemen. One militant stood in front of the officer and started a conversation on the topic: “where are you coming from, why did you go?” The second shifted to the side and ended up on the side. At that time, the soldier also shifted to the side, as if hiding behind an officer and preparing his machine gun for battle. A militant, who was standing aside, took off his machine gun from the safety lock (there was a characteristic click), and another militant rushed to the officer and tried to grab his machine gun. The officer fired at him directly through the breastplate, with a second shot (almost simultaneously with his soldier, who also opened fire), he hit another militant, who was raising his machine gun to his shoulder.

On the second occasion, two commando officers entered a small shop. They were armed with pistols, which hung openly on their belts, in holsters. While the officers were examining the counter, 7 militants entered the store, one of them with a machine gun. One militant ordered us to put our hands up. An attempt to get a weapon in such an arrangement could not go unnoticed, and was immediately stopped by automatic bursts over their heads. The militants disarmed the officers, disabled one with a blow to the head with a rifle butt, and, jumping out of the store, left in their cars. In the first case, the concealed carrying of weapons helped to destroy the enemy. In the second case, open carrying provoked criminals to seize weapons and did not allow them to successfully use pistols.

Quite often, in hot spots, you can see "cool" fighters whose machine gun is equipped with magazines connected in pairs. I want to warn against this way of wearing stores. When shooting, the fighters often rest the machine shop on the ground. At the same time, the lower magazine feeder becomes clogged with dirt, and this causes delays in firing. In a combat situation, such a delay can be paid with your life.

Everyone who has fired a military weapon at least once is familiar with the command “UNLOAD, WEAPON FOR INSPECTION!” And how to unload weapons if, say, a reconnaissance group went to the location of its troops after completing the task. The scouts did not sleep or eat for several days, their fingers were swollen and did not bend, because they were frostbitten. And there is no way to line up in one line, to direct weapons in a safe direction, because there are people and equipment around.

In this case, the so-called combat discharge is applied. Scouts stand in a circle (to control each other). Machine guns are raised with their trunks up so that the shutters are at eye level. The store is detached and placed in the pouch, and the soldiers twitch the shutter 5-6 times in a row. If someone forgets to disconnect the magazine, it will be immediately noticeable, because the bolt will start throwing out cartridges, and they will fall into the face of one of the neighbors. If an accidental shot occurs in this position, then the bullet will go vertically upwards without causing harm. After such a check, each fighter makes an independent control descent and puts the weapon on the safety. The magazine is not connected to the weapon, because in a combat situation a habit is quickly developed by connecting the magazine and immediately sending the cartridge into the chamber.

The basic rule in war is never to part with a weapon. As soon as you left the protected area - do not let go of your weapon, always keep it where it is easy to take it from, in order to always be ready for battle.

In addition to the fact that the commander must have 1-2 magazines with tracer cartridges, it is desirable that each fighter also has one such magazine. This is a store designed as a last resort, to indicate its location or for target designation.

The magazine mount at Kalashnikov is inconvenient for quick reloading. It is impossible to detach an empty magazine while holding a new loaded one in the same hand. Therefore, in a tense fight, do not expect the store to be completely empty. If the magazine is partially empty and there is a pause in the battle, change the magazine, and leave the partially used one in reserve. In order not to waste time on jerking the shutter when loading, when starting to equip the magazine, insert the first three tracer cartridges. Then, when you shoot and notice that the tracer bullet has passed, you will know that there are only two rounds left. You can shoot again and, having disconnected the empty magazine, replace it with a full one. Since the last cartridge has already been sent to the chamber, it is not necessary to distort the shutter. An empty magazine is usually thrown to the ground in battle so that it does not interfere and so as not to be confused with full magazines. If necessary, an empty magazine can be thrown at the enemy, simulating a grenade throw to cover reloading. In hand-to-hand combat, it is also possible to throw an empty magazine, aiming at the opponent's face. With a little practice, you can learn to throw the magazine so that it hits the enemy’s forehead or temple with its prong. If the throw is strong, then the hit incapacitates the enemy.

It is advisable to divide the personnel of the unit not into pairs, but into combat troikas, add one more person to the calculations of machine guns, RPGs, AGS. It is easier for three fighters to interact: if one gets wounded, it is easier to pull him out of the fire together. If someone has a delay in shooting (due to a malfunction or when reloading), the two of them are easier to cover. (In this case, the signal “Cover!” is given, the cover must answer “I hold”).

During the fighting in Grozny, it was often necessary to inspect the attic, basement and other premises.

Often it was necessary to work in the dark. Domestic night devices, operating on the principle of enhancing the natural illumination of the area, are not suitable for indoor operation. During the Great Patriotic War, Soviet soldiers used this method. An ordinary electric flashlight was packaged in a piece of rubber cut from a car tire. When inspecting dark rooms or during a battle in a basement, sewer network, tunnel, etc., the fighters turned on these "shockproof" lights and threw them in the direction of the alleged location of the enemy. Thus, they illuminated the target and were able to conduct aimed fire.

A few words about the NSPU-1 and 2 night sights. It should be borne in mind that these devices do not start working immediately after switching on, in cold weather they need from 1 to 2 minutes to warm up.

But on the other hand, immediately after turning on the eyepiece of these devices, it begins to give a greenish light reflection, giving the arrow to observers and enemy snipers. Therefore, turning on the device or taking your eyes off the eyepiece, immediately cover the eyepiece with your palm or make a special shutter for this.

These devices are easily illuminated by open light sources. There was a case when, near the village of Komsomolskoye in Chechnya, our reconnaissance group monitored a fire, near which the militants were sitting. The scouts watched for a long time with night instruments, but they could not see that behind the fire there was a whole stronghold with fortifications, firing points, significant forces and firepower. The firelight illuminated the instrument screens, interfering with observation. As a result, the group, having opened fire, came under return fire from superior enemy forces.

There are little tricks when firing from the GP-25 underbarrel grenade launcher. It is inconvenient to press the trigger of the GP-25 with the right hand, it is too far away. To make it more convenient to shoot from the "grenade launcher", not the butt, but the pistol grip of the machine gun should rest against the shoulder. This position of the weapon is especially convenient when shooting prone. When firing with mounted fire, the butt of the machine gun should rest against the ground. In this case, the assistant should insert the grenades into the barrel of the GP-25, and the shooter fixes the position of the machine gun, remembers it, and, depending on where the flash from the previous shot was, by changing the slope of the barrel, makes adjustments to the shooting. (While fighting in the city, do not forget that the grenade for the GP-25 is cocked 10-20 meters after the shot. When shooting at the windows of buildings at a shorter distance, the grenades may not explode.)

When moving on the battlefield or at the shooting range, shooters usually hold the machine gun at stomach level, pointing the muzzle forward. In order to get ready for shooting faster and not waste time throwing the machine gun to your shoulder, you should move around without lifting the butt from your shoulder, while lowering the barrel a little. From this position, the shooter is quickly prepared for combat and aimed shooting.

Of course, you can also fire from the stomach, but then you can hit the target with the first shots only at very short ranges (5-10 meters). Good shooters, specially trained in shooting from the stomach, can hit the growth target with the first shots at a distance of 20-50 meters. If the target is located farther, then it can be hit from the stomach only with a significant number of shots (5-10), and then only if the fire is adjusted along the tracks or splashes of the soil.

Sniper tricks

It is best for the sniper to be close to the group leader. He is not only a destroyer of important targets, but also an observer and commander's guard. In cases of a sudden attack on the enemy (raid, ambush, search, etc.), the sniper must identify and destroy those enemy fighters who have come to their senses faster than others and are trying to return fire, organize resistance.

There are so many tricks and tricks in sniping that any good sniper can write an entire textbook. But this tutorial may not be suitable for other snipers. For example, snipers from anti-terrorist units of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs work at relatively short ranges of 100-200 meters in urban areas; snipers of combined arms units learn to fire in conditions of combined arms combat at ranges of 400-600 meters on flat terrain; snipers of army and navy special forces also work on longer range in the conditions of their areas of operation (mountains, coast, forest, plain, etc.). Therefore, it is difficult to give general recommendations for snipers. I will cite only two, in justice, which I was convinced myself.

When firing through a water barrier, you need to take a larger elevation angle (aim higher), since cold air from water and humidity reduce the trajectory of the bullet.

In the mountains, the air is more transparent, therefore (especially when firing through a gorge) there is an error in determining the distance to the target (the target seems closer). When looking up and down slopes, distances appear shorter, which also leads to aiming errors.

Fighting in populated areas during Chechen war showed the need to have more snipers than provided by the state of the military and special units. Often, only snipers could timely identify and hit the firing points of militants and conduct counter-sniper combat in densely built-up areas.

The lack of a sufficient number of snipers made it necessary to put optical sights on machine guns with mounts (tides) for night devices. The PGO-7 grenade launcher optical sight mounted on the AK-74 allows sniper fire at a distance of up to 300-400 meters; using an optical sight from the SVD PSO-1, you can accurately shoot from an AK at a distance of up to 500-600 meters. The VSS special sniper rifle (“Vintorez”), which is in service with the reconnaissance units of the Moscow Region and special forces of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, turned out to be unexpectedly popular. VSS turned out to be great weapon for fighting in the city. Compact, light, silent, equipped with day and night sights, it allows day and night to conduct very accurate fire at a distance of up to 300 meters (although the VSS manual indicates effective range 400 m.)

A sniper armed with this weapon cannot be seen or heard by the enemy. This weapon was used for covert combing of terrain and buildings. The scouts, not revealing themselves, fired from the VSS at suspicious places, finding out if the enemy had taken refuge there. In addition, the VSS was used for silent demining. Having discovered a mine, the scouts shot it from the VSS from a safe distance. As a rule, mines and improvised land mines were destroyed without detonation (explosion).

The VSS and the special AS (“Val”) machine gun created on its basis are equipped with laser designators. The beam from target designators at night is visible not only in night devices, but also with the naked eye. Especially if there is dust or fog in the air. There was a case when our reconnaissance group, operating at night, stumbled upon a Chechen sniper. Three of our scouts, armed with Vintorez, started a duel with him. Since the beams from the target designators were clearly visible, the Chechen determined in time that he was being taken at gunpoint, and changed his position. The group commander shot the sniper using a regular AK with a night sight.

The SVD sniper rifle can be successfully used to overcome high fences and to climb the wall of any structure (stone, brick, concrete). To do this, you need to shoot at the wall with steel-core bullets (the bullet tip is painted silver) or armor-piercing incendiary bullets (black tip with a red belt) so that the holes are arranged in a herringbone pattern. Then you can climb the wall by inserting specially prepared pegs-stops into the holes. Metal pegs from the MKS kit are well suited for such stops (MKS is a mesh camouflage kit for masking equipment and structures).

Rules for interaction in battle

In battle, one should act in combat twos, even better and more reliably - in threes, covering each other. Whenever possible, use manual and underbarrel grenades. The fire of all available fire weapons should be concentrated on any center of resistance. If you have three opponents running at full height and only one lying behind cover and shooting, then first of all you need to destroy the one who shoots, without being tempted by a lighter and larger target.

To hide from the fallen nearby hand grenade, you need to fall prone, head towards the grenade, cover your head (if there is no helmet) with your palms, open your mouth (so that the eardrums are not damaged by the blast wave). The first one who sees the grenade gives a signal: "Grenade on the right (left, front, rear)."

In the event of a sudden attack by the enemy, one should fall behind the nearest shelter, at the same time preparing for battle. Experience shows that fighters do not do this. Some begin to shoot, remaining in place and being a good target for the enemy. Others fall behind cover, forgetting to remove the machine gun from their shoulders, and then start fiddling, trying to get a weapon that is in an uncomfortable position, and being unable to fire. There are those who fall into a state of tremor (fright, severe trembling, lack of reaction to the situation and commands).

Therefore, soldiers should be taught in such a way that when they come under massive fire, they are not lost. I will give an example showing how the correct actions of a scout saved his life in an almost hopeless situation.

reconnaissance group special purpose under the command of Captain Gennady O., she advanced at night to the area in which it was planned to ambush the caravan of Afghan Mujahideen. Ahead at a short distance was a reconnaissance patrol (2 people), followed at some distance by a group with a commander at the head. Moving along the route, the group reached the top of a small mountain. The reconnaissance patrol examined the peak and descended to the other side of the mountain. Following the patrol, the commander of the group Gennady climbed to the top. And it was at this moment that a group of Mujahideen came out on another slope to the left of the group to the top of the same mountain. The sentinels walking in front of her, rising to the top, saw the figure of “Shuravi” against the sky, fell and opened fire.

The distance between the partisans and Gennady was about 10 meters. Gennady heard the noise and clicks of the fuses (the enemies had 7.62 mm AK). And a fraction of a second before the shots, he managed to drop his backpack, throw it in front of him, take cover behind him and make a machine gun. The Mujahideen opened fire first. Bullets from 2 AKs pierced the backpack, mangled the machine gun and breastplate with magazines and flew into Gennady's chest. But even such an insignificant obstacle reduced the lethality of the bullets, and the wound was not fatal. The scouts who came to the rescue destroyed the shooting sentinels. And while the main group of partisans approached the battlefield, the scouts went down the slope, breaking away from the enemy. At the same time, the wounded Gennady (later a lump of 4 deformed bullets was removed from his chest) ran for about a kilometer on his own, unbandaged, clutching the wound with his palm.

So a good reaction and the right actions helped the officer survive under fire from two machine guns at close range.

See also Spetsnaz.org:

• Combat regulations for the preparation and conduct of combined arms combat
• ... The retreating "spirits" in a group of three to five people, be sure to put up a cover. First you need to destroy it, otherwise the “spirit” from its cover will kill the attackers. Then you need to remove or at least seriously injure the furthest of the fleeing. After all, he has more chances to go into cover and from there start fire on ours to support his own. Then just get the rest...
  ... A grenade fell nearby. Lean your head towards her. If there is no helmet, cover your head crosswise with your hands. Even half a meter from the gap there are “dead” zones for fragments to fly apart, they will go a little higher above you. Just open your mouth as wide as possible. Otherwise, when you break, you will go deaf for a long time, maybe forever. The one who saw the thrown grenade first, shout: “a grenade on the right! ..” - or: “a grenade on the left!” At the same time, do not hold back your own maneuver. You can scream in flight to mother earth, and already lying on it. But you must warn your comrades ....
  ...When suddenly shooting at you, immediately fall with a roll and at the same time prepare for battle at the moment of rolling. Why do you need to immediately fall and roll? Because with a sudden attack by the enemy, fear paralyzes, your fingers refuse to work and you lose a fraction of a second to prepare the machine gun for firing and die. And if you fell, when you fall, a surge of adrenaline occurs from a painful impulse, blood runs through all the veins, and the muscles are obedient. He rolled, that is, changed his position, for a moment left the aiming field of the enemy barrel, at the same time he removed the machine gun from the fuse, jerked the shutter and, already in control of the situation, instantly joined the battle.
  - And you will lie down, - the new adviser cuts in, - within a few minutes, you need to change the place two or three times with the same roll in order to confuse the enemy's sight ...
  A sudden cry at the right moment of attack helps no less than a trusty knife or foolish bullet. A cry lifts your spirits and evokes the nostalgic sadness of saying goodbye to life in the “darling” whom you are about to kill. And now the guys rush at each other with a cry, trying to out-yell the “adversary”. Fun!
  - If the “spirits” managed to creep up unnoticed, you did not hear the clicks of the cocked shutters, and besides, you yourself are temporarily disarmed, when the enemy fires, you must immediately cover yourself with the first things that come to hand, even rags, preferably crumpled. Take special care of your head. A bullet that has fallen into a lump of clothing, into an overcoat, loses its impact force. In this way, death and even serious injury can be avoided. You’ll just get off with a shell shock or cut off skin, and hitting the frontal bone at an angle, a 5.6 caliber bullet will simply ricochet away. True, Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov used to say that a bullet is a fool!

  Vladimir Sadovnichy, 25.08.2012 17:34:19

  "The magazine mount on the Kalashnikov is inconvenient for quick reloading. It is impossible to detach an empty magazine while holding a new loaded one with the same hand." Why? Can be reloaded with one left hand without releasing the pistol grip. After the old magazine is empty without releasing the pistol grip and without changing the position of the machine with the left hand, we take out a new magazine, hit the magazine latch with it and push the new magazine forward a little more, it turns out that with the equipped magazine we first press the latch and then knock out the empty magazine , insert the equipped magazine, turn the machine gun 90 degrees (so that the barrel looks there, but the magazine turns out to be not at the bottom, but looks to the right) and distort the shutter with the edge of the palm of the left hand. If you practice a little, you can reload the machine with one left hand so that the right one holds the handle and the barrel always looks forward. P.S. I hope you understand my explanations

  yanki, 26.08.2012 01:37:17

  I understand that V. Nikolaev is an internationalist warrior "Afghan" and I do not detract from his merits, but the books that he writes are military adventure novels. Now for reloading. long it all-1 2-you will need to look at the place where you “hit” ... but for me it’s generally better to feel with your own hands what you press. 3-it’s necessary to turn the machine gun 90g with one hand, and even by the pistol grip, and even so that the barrel looks straight .... try to turn the machine gun with a full magazine, and if it is also with a grenade launcher ..... MAD MAX, 26.08.2012 23:34:04 Actually, on the topic of quick reloading of the machine gun, I quote the words of Comrade. KardeNa MAD MAX, 28.08.2012 00:40:49 I express my deep gratitude to Comrade. Carden for participating in the discussion of this topic!!

“A dagger is good for someone who has it, and bad for someone who doesn’t have it at the right time”
(Abdullah, "White Sun of the Desert")

Firearms are an essential attribute of civilization. Since ancient times, weapons have served as a tool for protection, obtaining food, and conquering territories. And always a weapon is a tool that fulfills the will of its owner, a criminal or a servant of the law, an invader or a defender of the Fatherland.
For eighteen years, small arms have been my constant companion. In the heat and cold, day and night, in different parts of the area, in different regions, in the shooting range, at the training ground, in battle, in everyday life - it is always with me. Over the years, many samples of domestic military weapons and quite a few foreign ones have passed through my hands. I know what each sample is capable of, what to expect from it, what to hope for and what to fear.
And, of course, everyone has their own opinion, often not coinciding with the common one. Not without my active participation in combat situations. And I can judge about weapons, perhaps with more right than other "specialists" on the Internet and some "weapons" magazines, who write at length about the advantages and disadvantages of a particular type of weapon. The main trouble with domestic small arms is mediocre, and sometimes just terrible ergonomics, and, of course, low workmanship (this does not apply to the Soviet period).
But, as they say, how many people - so many opinions. So, let's begin…

Pistol Self-loading Compact PSM

Can be deciphered as “Pistol for Complacency. Maybe you'll get lucky." There is a known case when a wounded man, with five bullets in his stomach fired from a PSM, independently walked to a medical facility located one and a half kilometers away.

5.45mm self-loading pistol PSM

Moreover, he was of a slender build. A very accurate pistol, at the level of sports small-caliber pistols. Very compact. James Bond would be pleased with it. On a combat pistol, a spur on the lid of one of the magazines would not hurt. Suitable as a spare pistol, but not as a primary weapon. Plus the problem with the shortage of ammunition.

Pistol Makarov PM

Legendary, without a doubt, a pistol. The standard of reliability, relatively compact, always ready for battle. Even despite its venerable age, it still remains in service, and is actively used both in the shooting range and in battle. A classic pistol for civilian and police use. Of course, this is not a pistol for target or high-speed shooting, but putting three bullets into the center of a standard target (a circle with a diameter of 10 cm) from 25 m is not a problem for this "old man". He is capable of more. Some of our PMs allow you to put five holes in a circle of 6 cm. As for the small stopping effect of a bullet, I can say that this is what people who, at best, kill paper targets and have never shot in a combat situation say. It is important to hit the vital organs of the “target”, otherwise even a rifle bullet will not guarantee a reliable defeat.

9mm self-loading pistol PM

Some problems are created by Pst steel-core bullets, which sometimes ricochet off solid obstacles. In recent years, the situation with ammunition for PM has changed, cartridges with bullets have appeared that have an increased stopping effect and increased penetration ability of the PBM (7N25). For example, a cartridge for law enforcement PPO allows the use of weapons (pistols and submachine guns) in enclosed spaces, in populated areas, with a low probability of dangerous ricochets, due to the absence of a solid core in the pool. There is information about the poor quality of PPO cartridges, unstable characteristics, but the cartridges supplied to our unit do not present unpleasant surprises and the weapon works with them like clockwork.
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Makarov pistol Modernized PMM-12

Modernization of PM chambered for increased power. Improved handle ergonomics, increased magazine capacity. It is used with both Pst and PPO cartridges, since standard 7N16 cartridges are a rarity and have not been produced for a long time.

9mm self-loading pistol PMM

The springs in the stores work with overvoltage, so they quickly lose their elasticity, which leads to delays in firing. Poor-quality plastic, from which the feeder is made, is the cause of cracking, as well as wear or breakage of the feeder tooth.

Pistol Tula Tokarev TT

Another weapon legend. Much has been said about him, but very little can be added. More suitable for military use when it is on alert. For its relatively small size, one of the most powerful pistols in the world.

7.62 mm self-loading pistols TT

And it is much more pleasant to the touch, for example, PYa and all sorts of Glocks. Completely unsuitable for urban shooting and self-defense. The large penetrating power of the bullet and the lack of self-cocking can lead to prison (through and into a random passerby) or to the cemetery (you need to have time to cock the trigger).
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Automatic pistol Stechkin APS

The same age as PM, even more popular. Pistol with capital letter. Reliable, powerful, accurate, with a large ammunition load and the ability to conduct automatic fire. It is often used as the main weapon in operations in tight spaces, when using bulletproof shields, when only one hand is free. The automatic mode is used when shooting at close ranges to create a high density of fire and a greater probability of destruction.

APS pistols with stock holsters and pouches.

APS pistols in a modified hip holster with a rubber grip and twisted pistol strap

A favorite of employees of special units, in demand even now. Even before the pistol enters the unit, a real “hunt” is already underway for it. Some, having tasted the "charms" of PY, prefer to change them for old, sometimes understaffed APS. The pistol has a streamlined shape, does not cling to anything when quickly removed from the holster. Some problems when holding are created by the pistol grip, polished over the years by palms and clothes. In heat and cold, the gun tends to "slip" out of the hands. But this minor annoyance is eliminated by putting a piece of a bicycle inner tube or lining on the handle, for example, from Uncle Mike's.
The pistol is rather big, but with due skill and experience it can be carried discreetly, like all pistols. I usually carry it in my own made trouser holster, without any buckles for quick release, and with a twisted pistol strap, or in a suitably sized shoulder bag.
I never use a safety catch, even with a cartridge in the chamber, no one is outraged by the lack of fuses on most revolvers, and a loaded self-cocking pistol is as safe as a loaded revolver. When working in urban conditions, I carry a pistol in a converted hip holster, and not fastened - the design of the holster allows you to hold the pistol even in an upside down position. I carry spare magazines on my left thigh in a homemade pouch. One magazine always with the valve open for quick retrieval.
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Pistol Yarygin PYa

A miracle of domestic weapons thought. Although, undoubtedly, a long-awaited type of army pistol. Powerful, moderately ergonomic, with a capacious store. But ... I doubt that in Soviet times he would have been adopted. The gun is frankly "raw". Angular, with protruding parts, as if carved with an axe. The build quality is appropriate. When ten new pistols were fired with sports cartridges issued for training shooting, two pistols had stuck shells, one misfired, and after a second injection, a shot was fired. When equipping magazines, the sharp edges of the sponges cut your fingers, and in order not to die from periodic bloodletting, you have to pick up a file. With an increase in the capacity of the magazine by one cartridge, it would be necessary to move the holes to control the number of cartridges (the 18-round pistol was adopted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs). The holes themselves are located on the right side, and in order to visually determine the number of cartridges, the magazine must be completely pulled out of the handle or be left-handed. It was probably not possible to move the holes to the left wall of the store or to the back.

The magazine latch is not protected by anything, accidental pressing while wearing is not uncommon. At best, you can lose the magazine, at worst, you are left in the face of danger with an empty chamber, because if you accidentally press the magazine latch button, it moves down from the chambering line and the bolt slips past the cartridge. And the store is sort of like in a handle, pressed by a latch. The store itself should have been made like an APS store, with large windows, or like a PSM store, in order to facilitate loading with cartridges. The shutter delay lever is located close to the fuse and when you press one of the levers, the other gets under your finger, which requires additional effort. On some relatively new pistols, the bolt spontaneously breaks off the bolt stop. The back of the shutter - downright openwork design. Probably specially made for collecting various garbage. (Unlike PM and APS).

9mm automatic pistols APS

The notch in front of the shutter is probably a tribute to fashion and nothing more. When using this notch, the fingers run into the sharp edges of the front of the frame. Maybe it is used to check the presence of a cartridge in the chamber, as they do on foreign pistols? But for this there is an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.
Double sided safety lever. Good decision. But if there is only a right-handed standard holster, this solution remains unclaimed. The same can be said about setting the safety with a cocked trigger. Completely redundant feature. When drawing a pistol from a holster, simultaneously cocking the hammer does not present any problems. Moreover, the self-cocking on the PJ is soft and does not greatly affect the accuracy of the first shot.

9mm PYa self-loading pistol

What can not be taken away from the PJ is a smooth descent and a quick return to the aiming line after a shot. It is more suitable for high-speed shooting. The similarity of USM PYa and PSM is obvious and noticeable even to a non-specialist. Why not make the fuse the same as on the PSM design and place it on the gate, ensuring that the safety is removed and the trigger is cocked at the same time. And at the same time close the back of the shutter from possible clogging with foreign objects. Ledge on the front of the trigger guard for the index finger. Maybe he improves the accuracy of shooting - I did not notice much difference. The pistol throws up in the same way as with a normal grip. And with such a wide bracket, for a normal grip, you need to have not an index finger, but a tentacle. Sights had to be made streamlined in order to prevent snagging on clothing or an operational holster.

The pistol comes with only one spare magazine. Regular cartridges with a Pst bullet differ from the 9x19 Luger sports cartridges used in training firing by the level of acoustic impact on the shooter, greater recoil force and a strong flash when fired. As a result, the shooter learns about these features only when using the pistol in combat conditions. When using cartridges with a Pst bullet in enclosed spaces, dangerous ricochets were observed, which can be corrected by replacing half of the wearable ammunition with cartridges with lead-core bullets. In general, such things with this gun. Full analogy with domestic and foreign cars. Similar, but something in ours is not right ...
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Pistol Self-loading Special PSS

Here we can say with full confidence about him the phrase that is abused in our country - "has no analogues." compact pistol, flat enough for concealed carry. Accurate, unpretentious, always ready for battle - no need to attach a silencer.

Used as a second or third weapon. Rarely, but if necessary - he is ready for your service. A pistol is not uncommon for those to whom it is due. There are no problems with ammo either.

NRS-2 knife, PN14K goggles, PSS pistol, SP4 and 7N36 cartridges
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Revolver TKB-0216

A fundamentally degraded version of the Smith and Wesson revolvers. Its only advantage is a smooth and soft descent. Given its large dimensions, it would be possible to use more powerful ammo, for example SP10, SP11.

9mm revolver TKB-0216(OTs-01 Cobalt

Poorly fitted handle grips. Often the drum axle unscrews spontaneously.
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Submachine gun PP-93

Compact submachine gun with good fire capabilities. With some experience, you can "plant" the entire store in the target. Good accuracy and when firing automatic fire with one hand. In the APB modification, it comes with a PBS and a powerful laser designator LP93. Unfortunately, either PBS or LCC can be attached to the barrel at the same time. Fastening is carried out using a latch and has a large backlash. The shoulder rest is still a masterpiece. Due to the low recoil, the buttplate germ can still be dealt with, but due to poor fixation of the shoulder rest in the firing position, the bullets do not always go in the desired direction. And over time, this knot loosens even more.

9 mm APB submachine guns (PP-93 modification) with PBS (above) or LCC (below) installed

The magazine latch button is very good. No complaints, which can not be said about the cocking handle, located in a very interesting place. To quickly cock the shutter, you need to train for a long time, since you need to not only pull the handle, but before that also drown and remember to return it back, like on a PC. Otherwise, during the shot, you can get the handle returning along with the bolt on your fingers. The fuse translator is located on the “correct” side, but the flat shape does not always allow you to quickly rearrange the fire modes, especially in winter, with gloves.
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9 mm submachine gun SR-2M "Veresk"

A powerful submachine gun, accurate, with a large ammunition load. The samples purchased for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation do not have a regular collimator sight - one of the main attributes of this weapon. Instead of a regular case, there is a case from AKS-74U and a bag for AK-74 magazines. Apparently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not have enough money, or the responsible officials did not consider it necessary to purchase weapons in standard configuration.

9 mm SR-2M submachine gun with a 30-round magazine. Nearby lies a 20-round magazine

SR-2M submachine gun - fuse and reload handle are located on the right side

At the first communication, the ill-conceived arrangement of the controls is surprising. The safety is located on the right side, although if you place it on the left side, under the thumb, you could quickly bring the weapon to combat readiness, and also quickly transfer it to a safe state. And all this - with one hand. On the contrary, the fire mode translator is used most often once, and quick access to it is optional. For quick reloading, you should move the handle bolt carrier on the other side or make double-sided. With the butt folded, on some samples, the right rod overlaps the folded cocking handle by a couple of millimeters, and the handle has to be pulled out from under the butt.

When Vereskov entered the unit, everyone who took their hands paid attention to the too long shoulder rest. When shooting in body armor, this is very noticeable, especially when held by the front handle.
By the way, about the handle. The thing is, of course, necessary. When using the handle lock, sooner or later it pinches the skin on the index finger. The handle itself is located close to the muzzle, which gets very hot during intense shooting and does not add comfort to the hand. It would be nice to install a plastic pad at the bottom of the muzzle. A muzzle with compensation holes would not hurt. When holding the weapon by the front handle, the sharp edges of the lower part of the forearm cut into the brush. Tolerable, but annoying. Quite recently, during an operation, I tried to silently send a cartridge into the chamber. That is, accompany the bolt carrier with your hand, avoiding the impact of moving parts in the forward position. I did it out of habit, since this trick “rolls” on 9A-91.

The shutter pushed out the upper cartridge, which along the way pulled the lower cartridge along with it. As a result, the upper cartridge stuck into the breech section of the barrel, the lower cartridge half crawled out of the magazine, propped up the upper cartridge from below and jammed the magazine, which turned out to be impossible to remove. I had to, holding the bolt frame with my left hand, pick out the upper cartridge with my right finger, push the lower cartridge back into the store. In the instruction manual, this delay is explained by a magazine malfunction. And this is on a new PP with several shots fired. In general, in terms of dimensions, ease of use and power, the SR-2M is inferior to the proven and reliable 9A-91 machine gun.
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Kalashnikov assault rifles

As for any "authoritative" statements about the best machine gun in the world, the most reliable, the strongest, which can not be cleaned, thrown from any height, and so on, I will say the following. Kalashnikov assault rifles, I think, are not the best in the world. Otherwise, the whole world and the nearest inhabited planets would be armed with them. In the eighties, the Belgian FN FAL was the most common rifle in the world. This speaks of her fighting qualities, since Belgium is a small country and cannot afford, like the USA and the USSR, to give, sell at a low price or use weapons as a reward for loyalty to itself.

7.62 mm AKMS and AK assault rifles, 1954 release

In this situation, in addition to the arranged price, quality plays a decisive role. A lot of materials appeared in the press about the developed models of weapons, which at one time surpassed the AK family in many respects, but it turns out that at that time the combat qualities of these samples were not decisive in choosing the best. And it’s difficult to call Kalashnikov (I personally respect him very much) the sole author of the design, because, again, according to media reports, dozens of institutes and enterprises participated in the creation of the AK family and its refinement. Undoubtedly, the Kalashnikov assault rifle is both beautiful and reliable and convenient for someone, but for my work it turned out to be not very suitable.

In my job, I often have to carry a weapon loaded. The situation is interesting: on the one hand, one must be ready for the immediate opening of fire - therefore, the fuse is removed, the cartridge is in the chamber. On the other hand, there is no obvious threat, there are citizens of the Russian Federation around, you have to move around, perform some manipulations with your hands, and therefore it is better to keep the weapon on the safety lock. To open fire, one movement is desirable, and preferably the shooting hand. The Kalashnikov assault rifle is not a weapon that can instantly open fire. To do this, I either need to keep the safety off (and constantly shake at the thought of an accidental shot). Or take the machine in left hand, remove the right one from the pistol grip and remove the machine from the fuse. Lots of time and lots of manipulation. The reload handle is also on the right side and again forces you to remove your hand from the trigger. A short low stock, an uncomfortable pistol grip, the junction of which with the receiver rubs the skin between the thumb and forefinger.

7.62 mm assault rifle L1A1 - British modification of the Belgian FN FAL

The butts of the AKS-74 and AKS-74U assault rifles do not bring much joy to the hand either. I understand that the right position of the butt swivel is very convenient when the butt is folded, but the weapon is mainly worn in the firing position, and this position of the swivel is not very convenient for me personally, especially if you carry it with the barrel down. The magazine has a lot of protruding parts that make it difficult to remove the magazine from the equipment and insert the empty one back. I don’t understand the reluctance of the people responsible for the supply (at least the police) to adopt increased-capacity magazines. Four-row and drum magazines are used all over the world, except for our hearts. Paired stores are used not from a good life. Unless you're climbing mountains or shooting at targets, all "authoritative" statements about imbalance and weighting of weapons are forgotten in a close-range firefight. When cleaning rooms, when you need to create a high density of fire and the enemy is so close that any normal person has a natural desire to have as many rounds in the magazine as possible (while it is desirable that they would not run out). And no one will remember about the imbalance and excess weight.
If some factory or company would take up and produce drum magazines or couplers for pairing AK-74 magazines, I think I would not be the only one who would buy such magazines for reasonable money.

7.62 mm AKM assault rifle (with installed PBS-1 and GP-25) and 5.45 mm shortened AKS-74U assault rifle
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Reliability of AK and M16

The most important "trick" of the AK (compared to the M16 family) is reliability. There are no questions - you can not clean the AK, rape it as you like, but it will shoot and shoot. Well, firstly, weapons still need to be cleaned - any. Secondly, the reliability of AK is based on high speed rollback of moving parts and a large gap between them. Hence and main disadvantage- increased dispersion during automatic firing. Personally, I think that for the army or for those who use weapons, mainly carrying them on the shoulder or firing a few rounds at the shooting range, the Kalashnikov assault rifle is even too good. This weapon is unpretentious, allowing for a somewhat barbaric attitude. I think the AK fully meets the requirements for a mass weapon.

5.45 mm AK-74M assault rifle, improved by the owner

And for my work, I need a 5.45 mm machine gun, with a thickened barrel 30 cm long, with a large-capacity magazine, a low-noise firing device, a slide delay, a double-sided fuse, an automatic safety on the trigger, an adjustable butt and Picatinny rails - for the front handles, collimators, optics, flashlights and target designators. The ideal option for such a weapon is the presence of interchangeable barrels (standard and compact length for indoor operations). The presence of a replaceable barrel will lead to a complication of the design and an increase in cost. But it's cheaper to have one machine gun with two barrels than two machine guns of different sizes. We sometimes have situations when we are forced to take with us on operations, in addition to the standard AK-74M, small-sized weapons like 9A-91, and silent ones, depending on the situation, which often changes during one single operation.

5.56 mm American M16 assault rifle

As for reliability... Designer Korobov said that he wanted to create an automaton that would help a soldier survive in a trench, and not outlive all the soldiers in a trench... Comments, as they say, are superfluous. Personally, I do not need 200% reliability. 100% reliability and 100% ergonomics are enough for me. Now about the eternal dispute between AKM and AK74. Without any doubts. Only 5.45 mm! (During my military service, I had a lot of weapons in my hands. There was also an AKMS with PBS-1 and GP-25. There was also an AK-74. And after the army there were and are many different models, including the AK-74M, and AKS-74U.) First, ammunition. I can take much more 7N10 (5.45 mm) cartridges, carry them further, and shoot more before the barrel overheats than PS cartridges mod. 1943 (7.62 mm). Secondly, the trajectory of the AK-74 bullet is much flatter, which in battle has great importance, and bullets have no less penetration and lethality. Thirdly, the accuracy of the AK-74 is no worse than that of the AKM. As for ricochets and boring discussions about shooting through branches, all pointed bullets will ricochet - these are the laws of physics. And through the branches you need to aim better. And in general, there is an old principle: if I don’t see, I don’t shoot.

We once conducted a spontaneous experiment. At the range, several offhand shots were fired at a high rate at chest targets located on different sides of the shooter, which is similar to life. It turned out that the AK-74M (5.45 mm) returns to the line of sight much faster than the AKMS (7.62 mm). If you give a long queue from AKMS, which is often done normal people in a difficult situation, then most bullets just make holes in the sky. But the AK-74 allows such liberties, including hand-held shooting. Putting a big plus for AKM for the presence of a silencer is not serious. Even in my office, far from Moscow and supply bases, 100% of the personnel have silent weapons, and various modifications. And he has plenty of ammo. And the fact that AKM shoots US and PS cartridges is also not a special plus. Virtually any of silent weapons better than the AKM assault rifle with PBS-1 - tighter, lighter, more compact. And the PAB-9 and BP gross cartridges penetrate what AKM with PS and US cartridges cannot do. Not to mention the 5.45 mm PP and BP cartridges, which we have in abundance, and they are not inferior to the BZ cartridge and the like. So AKM is not the leader here either. Yes, and the knock of moving parts on AKM with PBS, and the same on OTs-14, is not drowned out by cotton from PBS.
And again about the ricochet when firing from the AK-74. I read and hear about it all the time. It seems that all the shooters only hit the branches, they run out of ammo, and they throw their AK-74s on the ground in impotence and look with envy at the happy owner of the AKM. And he mows down the bushes with the hooligans hiding behind them, like a machine gunner with a Minigun mows down the jungle in the Predator. By the way, in the movies this is given as the truth. In fact, not a single person on earth can do this, because this machine gun has no aiming devices, is powered by batteries, such as automobiles, has a return of more than 100 kg, and spits out as much ammunition in a small queue as a person is not able to carry. Once again I will repeat. All pointed bullets ricochet. AKM has no advantages. Are the ricochets really so strong that you can’t even hit the target from one store. Maybe find a light? Or better aim?
From any machine...

And finally the simplest example. You have an AKM, and other ignoramuses have an AK-74. Ammunition - only those that are with you. Sometimes ammo runs out. However, not all. AK-74 owners can easily share ammo with each other. And you? I have an AK-74M made in 1992. With a buttstock that does not unfold the first time, with a gas piston, on which the layer of chrome is thinner than a child's hair, with a Saiga pistol grip and a pirated copy of the handguard with a handle, with a Cobra sight that cannot stand the proximity to an underbarrel grenade launcher, and the main advantage of this machine is that it exists.
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Automatic special AS "Val"

Very comfortable, fit. So it asks for hands. The butt itself finds the point of emphasis on the shoulder, the cheek lies in Right place on the example. Of the domestic folding stocks, the AC stock is the best. The rough surface allows you to firmly hold the fire control handle, which is also facilitated by the shape of the handle itself. A relatively long aiming line favorably affects the accuracy of shooting. Comfortable, despite its small size, the forearm has the same non-slip surface as the handle. The forearm is completely covered by the folded butt and in this position it is difficult to shoot, for example, in a tight space, while holding the weapon securely. To correct this shortcoming, I installed a handle on the muffler body. Almost every detail in the machine helps to improve accuracy and reduce noise when firing. In these parameters, it surpasses all the same type of domestic machines. For example, at a distance of 100 m, lying down using an optical sight, I hit the bottom of an inert VOG-25 shot. Certainly not on the first shot.

9mm AC submachine gun with optional front grip and flashlight.

Spare magazines and clips with cartridges for their equipment.

The machine gives a lot to its owner, but it also requires special attention. This applies to maintenance, more precisely cleaning. Anyone who has dealt with AC and BCC cleaning after shooting will understand what I mean. Gunpowder P-45, used in regular cartridges, gives abundant soot, which hardens after some time, you have to sweat to get rid of it. The lion's share of the time is spent cleaning the separator and the inner surface of the muffler, as they are the most susceptible to the destructive action of powder gases. Here various powders and gels for cleaning dishes are used. But, despite all these little things, the machine is very good. Although it requires delicate handling. I love this machine and it loves me back.
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Rifle Sniper Special VSS"Vintorez"

Excellent rifle. Compact, practical, precise. In our division, it is used with AC automatic magazines.

9mm VSS sniper rifle. The muffler is equipped with a place for installing additional equipment

Regular SP-5 and SPP cartridges have, to a small extent, different ballistics, so our snipers, depending on their preferences, bring their rifles to normal combat under the type of cartridge they like. The only thing depressing is the absence of a cheek on the butt, which, apparently, was done for the sake of a quick transition, when shooting, to mechanical sights.
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Small-sized machine gun 9A-91

A real workhorse. Compact, powerful machine. Streamlined shapes. In the dashing nineties, it was widely used as a weapon of concealed carrying, when capturing criminals who were in the passenger compartment of a vehicle or in a residential area. Due to its small thickness, weight, folding charging handle, it was often carried covertly, under a jacket, behind a belt or on its side on a belt loop over the shoulder. The stock in the folded position does not go beyond the dimensions of the machine. Easily and quickly transferred from traveling to combat position and vice versa. Super reliable. Shoots at any degree of pollution. The sights are very clearly “outlined”, but due to the short length of the aiming line, aiming at more than 50 m is inefficient, and more than 100 m is unrealistic.

Upgraded 9A-91 with red dot sight

The machine has several modifications: The first one is equipped with a compensator, has a fuse-translator on the left side. The second one is equipped with a silencer and a reduced size translator. The compensator is missing. Third (1995) - equipped with a silencer, a bracket for mounting optical sights. In this regard, the flag of the translator-fuse has been moved to the right side. There is a version of this modification, in which there is no bracket for mounting optics. The latest modification has a forearm of increased size. The transfer of the fuse box to the right side made it more difficult to manipulate it. Small store capacity. It would not hurt to have an increased-capacity magazine or a hitch for two magazines in the kit. Difficulty in replacing it. The presence of one spare store. The magazines of some automata are not fixed in the necks of other automata due to the excess of the thickness of some magazines and the mismatch of the windows for the latch of the magazine with the latches of some automata.

Stores were produced with feeders of different designs and different arrangements of holes to control the presence of cartridges. At first, feeders with the right arrangement of the upper cartridge were produced. Then they released feeders with the left location of the upper cartridge. Magazines with feeders of the second type have a hole for controlling the number of cartridges, made one cartridge thicker than with feeders of the first type. As a result of poor quality control at the manufacturing plant, magazines with feeders of the first type began to arrive with late-model magazine bodies. When such magazines are loaded with cartridges, a cartridge case is visible in the hole, which indicates that the magazine is fully equipped with 20 rounds. In fact, there are 19 rounds in the magazine. All this leads to problems in obtaining and handing over weapons and ammunition.

There are no guides on the forearm for attaching the flashlight and the front handle. After the abolition of the compensator, the front handle would not be superfluous. The bolt carrier handle is poorly fixed in the combat position, spontaneously folds, which creates difficulties when reloading in a combat situation and when using gloves. When firing cartridges SP5, PAB-9, BP into the ground and solid obstacles at an angle, almost one hundred percent ricochets are observed.
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Shooting and grenade launcher complex OTs-14-4A "Groza"

Impossibility of firing from the left shoulder. The shooter's face is located above the hole for the ejection of spent cartridges and, accordingly, the outgoing powder gases. The inconvenience of replacing the store.

9/40-mm rifle-grenade launcher system OTs-14-4A

OTs-14-4A silent sniper rifle variant

Only one spare magazine. The fuse translator does not allow them to be used promptly. When shooting in a helmet and bulletproof vest, it is quite problematic to “attach” normally. After shooting, a tedious cleaning awaits you. It turns out that after a few magazines, cleaning the Groza is even more dreary than the AS assault rifle and the BCC rifle due to the many hard-to-reach places in the receiver.
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Dragunov SVD sniper rifle

Nothing bad to say. An excellent rifle that has stood the test of time. When using plastic forearm pads, it was not possible to achieve a snug fit to the forearm assembly, which slightly warps the elegant look of this beauty. To mitigate recoil, the butt plate of the GP-25 grenade launcher is often used. The standard sight basically meets the requirements for a rifle.

7.62 mm SVD sniper rifle

7.62 mm sniper SVD-S rifle with folding stock

Dragunov SVD-S sniper rifle

Compact version of the SVD. A thicker barrel gives more consistent results. The shape of the fire control handle does not contribute to its strong retention. Rifle when firing sensitively "kicks".
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SVU-AS sniper rifle

Dimensions and accuracy are better than those of the SVD. My SVU-AS has factory shooting - 2.5 cm at 100 m, LPS bullet, 4 shots. When shooting, you can stand nearby, unlike the SVD. The recoil is not strong compared to the SVD. Weight - 5.5 kg, but not very heavy. Due to the fact that the trigger pull is a long, thin plate, and is hidden under a high, poorly secured cover, when the trigger is pressed, it bends and rests against the cover. And then it transfers the force to the USM. Therefore, the descent is long and unpredictable. When firing, especially from a bipod, the power of the compensator is such that it blows the rifle a few centimeters to the side, the target is lost from sight. Without optics, with a mechanical sight - very accurate, convenient type FG42, especially since the sight and front sight are copied from it and a front sight guard is added. It is strange that nowhere and no one mentions this.

7.62 mm shortened sniper rifle SVU-AS
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SV-98 sniper rifle

Cudgel, but shoots well. In the passport - the best group of 10 shots - 8.8 cm at 300 m. Assembly - in the best domestic traditions. When assembling the shutter at the factory, pins were inserted into the holes from below, and a guide bar was attached from above, which should be attached to the shutter with these pins. When attaching the bolt to the rifle, the bar fell down and jammed the bolt. Ele disassembled it. Then I wondered how this bar is attached. Bulky stores, obviously overcomplicated design. A sports unified case is included - long only for a rifle, but does not accommodate a rifle with a silencer. A whole epic happened with the sights for this rifle. They entered the unit only with night sights. So they stood idle. Then one good person presented the unit with an expensive Zeiss sight - Diavari 2.5-10-50T. A year later, we received PPO 5-15x50.

7.62 mm SV-98 sniper rifle

Then, after a considerable period of time, they received the Belarusian POSP 4x12-42W sight with mounts for the Weaver bar. Although the rifle has a Picatinny rail. The locking pins on the scope bracket that prevent longitudinal displacement did not fit the guide on the rifle, which was corrected with a file. It turns out that for a couple of years the rifles were not used for their intended purpose. Due to the lack of sights. The rifle is bulky and, in terms of maneuverability, loses to the SVD. In practice, the accuracy of SVD is quite at a level corresponding to the conditions of its application. AT highlands the weight of the SV-98 is a tangible burden.
Reliability, untested by time and operation, makes a sniper take on an operation SVD, SVD-S or VSS, VSK-94. They are proven and reliable. And the SV-98 is often assigned the role of a competition rifle.
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SV-99 sniper rifle

I think the reason for its appearance in service is as follows. Izhevsk had to sell something. And then one of the responsible officials, who had read or heard from their entourage about the use of small-caliber rifles in the United States as "dog killers" and "light bulb destroyers", came up with the idea to purchase such things. And Izhevsk is right there. A dolly rifle, but practically suitable only for sports and recreational shooting. The powerful cartridge "Marmot", I think, will not stand it, and with weaker cartridges you will not immediately dump anyone. Since it is in service as a sniper rifle, ammunition for firing is dispensed according to the norms corresponding to normal-caliber rifles. That is, it makes no difference what to shoot from - from SV-99 or from SVD and SV-98. So it is better to shoot from rifles of normal caliber. The scope bracket does not have a locking pin, and after removing the scope, it is impossible to install it exactly in the same place.

5.6 mm SV-99 sniper rifle
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Kalashnikov light machine gun Modernized RPK-203

Possesses sufficient firepower at close range. Put the forearm as on the Vepr-12, bipod on the bar, front handle, collimator, drum magazine. If you climb deep, then the trigger must be done like on the American IAR with a “front and rear sear”. If desired, the conditions for the use of the PKK can be found. In close combat, in the city, to create a fire screen, if the PC machine gun is too lazy to carry. In general, you need a machine gun for automatic cartridges, with belt feed, with interchangeable barrels of different lengths and a folding butt. At one time there was a very good RPD-44 machine gun. The prototype of all today's machine guns chambered for less powerful than a rifle. Compared to a machine gun, the PK is more compact, allowing the machine gunner to carry more ammunition. Modern conditions of warfare, for example, in settlements, and the tactics of special units give this type of machine gun the right to exist. A small upgrade by installing a new plastic forearm of greater length, a system of slats for the front handle and bipod, a lightweight stock (can be of a skeletal design).

7.62 mm RPK-203 light machine gun

It is a pity that due to the presence of a return spring in the butt, it will not be possible to make it folding. Place the bipod closer to the breech, to facilitate the transfer of the direction of fire. And be sure to place the bar for the sight on the cover of the receiver. Everything - the mini-PC is ready.
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Machine gun Kalashnikov Modernized PKMS

Powerful machine gun. Doesn't like the tape bending back when shooting - a delay is likely. The absence of a folding butt and a full-fledged forearm. And this machine gun is often fired from the hands. All boxes for 200 rounds are included. And it is used, as a rule, - without a machine. Large dimensions, with a long wear, the carrying handle loosens. The best way to remake is like the Americans, such as SPW. You can put a muzzle brake compensator, otherwise it bounces when shooting from a hard surface. And a box for cartridges - more compact. Underbarrel grenade launchers: GP-25. Until now remains the best in its class.

7.62 mm machine gun PKMS

Compact and fast firing. Equally important is the ability to shoot at a distance of less than 100 m. The sight allows this. Over time, the junction of the barrel with the USM body becomes loose. On some frequently used grenade launchers, the latches weakened from rust. When fired, they broke, and the grenade launchers flew off the machine guns. Features of the self-cocking USM adversely affect the accuracy of fire.
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My favorite grenade launcher. Convenient sight, almost "pistol" descent, smooth and relatively soft. Convenient fuse. There is no setting on the sight for shooting at a distance of 50 m. When shooting at close range, when you press against the butt, you can get hit.

5.45 mm AK-74 assault rifle with GP-25 grenade launcher

5.45 mm AK-103 assault rifles with GP-30 and GP-34M grenade launchers

5.45 mm AK-103 assault rifle with GP-30M grenade launcher

GP-30M

Almost the same. There is no fuse, which I am very disappointed with. An extractor that plays the role of a ramrod. In the stowed position does not understand. Camera high pressure now firmly attached to the barrel of the GP-34. The descent is like a water pistol. Do not compare with the GP-30. The scope is harder to handle. When installing a 50 m sight, you have to press your cheek against the crest of the butt, and after the shot you come to your senses. Like a punch to the jaw. The butt plate is twice as thick as the old one and it is almost impossible to shoot in bulletproof vest and unloading vest. And most importantly, during installation, the ramrod is removed, and in the kit it is prefabricated, but there is nowhere to put it.
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Hand grenade launcher Special RGS-50M

Multifunctional weapon, with the appropriate ammunition. There are no antabok for attaching the belt. You have to carry it in your bag. During the application, repeated cases of discrepancies between the trajectories of shots and the settings of the sight were revealed.

50-mm hand grenade launcher special RGS-50M
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Hand-held anti-personnel grenade launcher RG-6

The high density of fire is negated by the time spent on loading. Together with 20 rounds of ammunition, it represents heavy load on the shooter, especially in personal armor protection. Moreover, a normal grenade launcher, in his right mind, will never refuse a machine gun with ammunition. With the shoulder rest folded, the butt plate makes it difficult to clasp the control handle normally and open fire. Although such situations do exist. It would be possible to make another hole in the base of the grenade launcher in order to push the shoulder rest five centimeters. The sling swivels on the left side, as on the GM-94, would not interfere. On the right side of the arrow there is an automatic machine. On the left is a grenade launcher as an additional weapon.

40 mm RG-6 anti-personnel grenade launcher
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Grenade Launcher Magazine GM-94

It can successfully replace the RG-6 and RGS-50. Very ergonomic. Completely double sided. There is an indicator of the presence of a shot in the grenade launcher. Allows you to shoot at a distance closer than 50 m. At one time, the fighters of the US Navy S.E.A.L. they would give a lot for the GM-94, since when fighting in South Vietnam they had to use a heavy (more than 8 kg without shots), inconvenient EX-41 grenade launcher.

43-mm manual magazine grenade launcher GM-94
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Carbine Special 18.5 KS-K

At one time, the KS-23 carbine was developed as a weapon that allows you to deliver a projectile of a larger volume and mass to the target than a 12-gauge weapon. Now weapons are being adopted for a reason that is clearly the opposite of that which was the basis for switching to weapons of 23 mm caliber. Moreover, 12-gauge weapons are often presented as an ideal weapon for close range operations. Apparently, not without regard to foreign experience. But there criminals usually use pistols, revolvers, rifles. And the use of smoothbore weapons to neutralize them is quite adequate. In addition, their city buildings are made of less thick and durable material than ours. We have a different situation. The criminals are armed, most often with automatic weapons, and the doors in the apartments are most often made of iron. Our smoothbore weapons are an inadequate response to the threat.

Special carbine 18.5 KS-K 12 gauge

Bulky weapon. Dimensions, even with the butt folded, do not allow working with it in a tight space. The design of the weapon does not allow you to install a forearm with straps for the front handle and attachments, since the standard forearm has a butt lock spring in the folded position. And at a fast rate of fire or shooting with a folded stock, the front grip is not an extra detail at all. The rubber butt pad is designed in such a way that it is possible to fix the butt in the folded position after a couple of strokes with the palm, due to the fact that the rubber does not allow the latch to engage with the butt. When the magazine is equipped with eight rounds, it cannot be fixed in the weapon. To attach even an empty magazine to the carbine, again, a blow from the bottom of the palm is needed to fix it.

In conclusion, I can say that everything described above is not only my personal opinion, it is the opinion of my colleagues and colleagues from other departments. We work with weapons not only at the range or at the shooting range. Very often it is necessary to use weapons for their main and historical purpose. These are the realities of our life. It may seem that I am too critical of some samples. Or too soft and want a "comfortable" weapon. But there are no trifles in my work. Especially those related to weapons. Any little thing, a hitch with manipulations, an inconvenient attachment is even worse - a delay in firing can adversely affect the integrity of my skin. And I trust only those weapons that I have personally tested at the training ground or in battle.