VSS 'Vintorez' silenced sniper rifle (USSR/Russia)

Information Brief

Brokaw Arms

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SUBJECT:

“7.62x39mm/9x39mm Sniper Rifles & Spec= ialty Ammunition”

Iraqi Tabuk (تبوك<= /span>) Sniper Rifle

VSS “Vintorez” Silenced Sniper Rifle= (Vinovka Snaiperskaja Spetsialnaya)<= /i>

VSK-94 Sniper Rifle

AS "Val" Silenced Assault = Rifle

SR-3 "Vikhr" Compact Assau= lt Rifle

"Groza" OC-14=

9A-91 Compact Assault Rifle
SP-5 & SP-6 Subsonic Assault R= ifle Ammunition

Iraqi Tabuk Sniper Rifle

Drag= unov.net

Iraqi Tabuk sniper in 7.62x39mm. Uses standard Kalashnikov mags<= /span>. Not much is known about the Tabuk rifle in th= e US. It appears to be based on a Zastava factory d= esign made in Serbia.

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The rubber buttpad is a leftover from the original Serbian design which also had a grenade launcher. When the Iraqi's adopted the design they left the launcher off their rifles but kept the rubber pa= d.

An interesting home project would be to make a replica = Tabuk using either the recently imported Century Int'l Arms/Romanian AES-10:

or the Eqyptian Maadi RML rifle as a donor:

The buttstock is a hollowed out Yugo style stock with a cheek re= st similar to the SVD's.

The flash hider is the same one used on the Al= -Kadesiah sniper rifle.

Rubber buttpad add= s length and shooting comfort.

This one has a Romanian LPS 4 power scope moun= ted.

At left is the Serbian Za= stava M-70B1 in 7.62x39mm. This is the rifle that the Iraqi Tabuk is based on. Note the addition of the grenade launcher on the end of the = barrel and flip-up grenade sight leaf on the gasblock. This Serbian design has the unique 3 slotted air vents on the handguards. All other AK's have 2 vent slots.

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The Tabuk = Sniper Rifle is made from a modified Yugoslav AK derivative; the Zastava M70 rifle adding a telescopic sight, a skelet= onized rear stock with a cheek piece. Its barrel is longer than the standard (non-paratrooper) AK whose nominal length is 415 mm / 16.3 inches. It uses = the same magazines as the AK-47 as it is also chambered in 7.62x39mm, taking go= od advantage of cheap and plentiful ammunition for this round.

After incidents in Baghdad in the Summer of 2005 initial media descriptions of the Tabuk Rifle were misspelled in many media reports as "T= obuk" or "Tobok". Tabo= ok/Tabouk (the latter two spellings are more correct transliterations of the Arabic <= span lang=3DAR-SA dir=3DRTL>تبوك<= /span> ) is a common place name in the Arab world, as it was the= site of an historically significant battle during the lifetime of the Muslim Pro= phet Mohammed. The most common association is probably the capitol city of the S= audi province of the same name (Saudi Arabia maps county detail provinces)

In many of these reports, the Tabuk Rifle is described incorrectly as being based on the SVD Dragunov. Unlike the Kalashnikov (AK-47 and AK-74) rifles, which fire 7.62x39mm and 5.45x39mm rounds respectively, the SVD Dragunov= and its variants chamber the older 7.62 x 54 mm R cartridge, adopted by the Rus= sian Army in 1891 by way of the Mosin-Nagant 1891 ri= fle that, in various forms, was used through the end of WWII and beyond.

This would be an easy mistake to make, as the furniture of the Tabuk looks much like the Dragunov and has a longer b= arrel like that of the latter rifle's 620 mm/24.4 inches.

A much more important point to make is that in m= ost of the world's armies this would not be called a Sniper rifle per se, b= ut a designated marksman's weapon. Different countries and different branches of military service within those countries all have slightly differing termino= logy for these roles, and differing distances that are covered by them. In armies that use a relatively modern assault rifle (AR-15, AK-74, G3 et al) the ave= rage infantryman is trained for striking targets out to 200-300 meters. A sniper= is typically trained to dispatch targets farther than 500-600 meters, and is generally not assigned typical infantry duties. This leaves a significant g= ap between the roles, which is filled by (what is called by the US and UK forces) the designated mar= ksman. A designated marksman is generally part of a conventional infantry unit and fills the gap between a typical infantryman and the sniper.

It should be noted that the equipment and distances employed by the military designated marksman overlap that of the (civilian) police sniper. Other than target distance, the main differences between the military and civilian sniper/marksman/sharpshooter are that the civilian rifleman typically has l= ess concern about concealment from persons other than the target(s); the second= is the concern about over penetration dictates not only which chamberings are appropriate (e.g a police sniper would typi= cally not use a 300 Winchester Magnum, and would have no use at all for a .338 Lapua Magnum) but even bullet selection. The civilian police marksman is typically less concerned about penetration of body armor, but more often concerned about round performance through glass, often tempe= red or automotive safety glass.

Juba, is the nickname for an alleged sniper or conglomeration of sniper activity, related to the shooting of American sold= iers in Baghdad, he is rumored to use the Tabuk Sniper Rifle. The R= elease of a second Juba tape in Oktober 2006 showed a interview with the commander of the Baghdad sniper brigade in which he reaffirmed that Juba is indeed using a Tabuk Sniper Rifle, and that J= uba is actually not a single person but a group of snipers. (Source: Answers.Co= m)

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VSS 'Vintorez' silenced sniper rifle (USSR/Russia) =

By Maxim Popenker

world.guns.ru

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Caliber: 9x39mm SP-5 and SP-6 subsonic cartridges
Action: auto, selective fire, gas-operated, striker-fired.
Length: 894mm
Barrel length: 200 mm
Weight: empty: 2.6 kg, loaded w. scope PSO-1: 3.41 kg
Magazine: 10 or 20 rounds detachable box

VSS (Vinovka Snaiperskaja Spetsialna= ya =3D Special Sniper Rifle) was designed for special operations. Designed at TSNIITochMash (Central Institute for Precision Machine Building) by team lead by Petr Serdjukov, the new rifle was intended to replace some AK-47/AKM rifles, fitted with silencers, in the hands of various Special Operations (SpetsNaz) troops of Soviet Army, KGB and MVD. To achieve desired lethality against targets, protected with body armor, TSNIITochMash had to develop a new subsonic cartridge, based on the 7.62x39 case, necked out for= 9mm bullet. The bullets used in new cartridges are long and heavy (about 16 gra= m), and of ball (SP-5) and AP (SP-6) type. The latter bullet features a hardened steel penetrator as the core, and can defeat most military issue body armor= s at ranges up to 300-400 meters. VSS is in use since late 1980s, and is widely = used in Chechnya against separatists. VSS is quite popular among its users for its stealthy capabilities and great lethality of heavy 9mm bullets. The effective range = of VSS is limited to 300-400 meters.

The VSS is a gas operated, selective= fire weapon. The long stroke gas piston is located above the barrel. The rotating bolt has 6 lugs and locks into the receiver, which is machined from solid s= teel for greater strength. The trigger unit differs significantly from AK-47 type firearms, being striker-fired. The safety switch and charging handle are AK-style, but the fire selector is a cross-bolt button, located inside the trigger guard, behind the trigger.

The barrel at the front has a set of tiny holes, drilled in the rifling grooves, which lead into the integral silencer. The silencer is the integral part of the weapon, and while it could be easily removed for stora= ge or maintenance, the VSS should not be fired wit silencer removed.

Standard sighting equipment consists= of side rail on the receiver, which usually accommodates the 4X PSO-1 scope, graduated for 9x39 ammo. Any other scope or night vision sight can be mount= ed on appropriate mount. Backup iron sights consist of tangent rear and blade front. Rear sight is graduated up to 400 meters.

The wooden, skeletonized butt stock is fitted with rubber butt plate and can be removed for compact storage and transportation, the compact for end is made from polymer.

Feeding is achieved from 10 or 20 round box magazines, made fr= om polymer.

VSK-94 sniper rifle (Russia)
By Maxim Popenker

world.guns.ru

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VSK-94, left side

Same rifle, right side

Close-up view on the re= ceiver and controls of VSK-94. Note the safety/fire selector switch above the trig= ger which allows for semiautomatic and full automatic fire, and a folding charg= ing handle.

Caliber: 9x39mm SP-5, SP-6 and PAB-9 subsonic
Operation: gas operated, rotating bolt semiautomatic
Barrel: n/a
Weight: 2.8 kg less magazine and scope
Length: 933 mm
Feed Mechanism: 20 rounds detachable box magazine.

The VSK-94 silenced sniper rifle was developed by the KBP (Instrument Design Bureau), most famous for its high-performance GSh-series aircraft cannons, as well as for antitank missi= le systems and other such "instruments". VSK-94 is actually an attem= pt to create a less expensive rival to the special purpose VSS "Vintorez" 9mm silenced sniper rifle. VSK-94 is a conversion of t= he 9A-91 9mm compact assault rifle, being different by having a fixed detachab= le skeletonized butt stock, a scope mount, and a detachable silencer. The VSK-= 94 retains the gas operated, rotating bolt action and the receiver of the 9A-9= 1, and also retains its possibility to fire in full auto.

The VSK-94 features a stamped steel receiver, a detachable skeleton polymer butt and polymer forearm. Telescope sights (standard is the 4X fixed) are mounting using the standard equipment rail on the left side of the receiver. VSK-94 also retains flip-up open sig= hts from 9A-91. Charging handle is attached to the bolt carrier and folds up wh= en not in use. Threaded barrel is usually fitted with long silencer. Feeding is from 20-round plastic magazines. VSK-94 could fire all 9x39 ammunition, including SP-5 ball, and SP-6 and PAB-9 AP ammo.

VSK-94 is in use with various law enforcement organizations in= Russia.=

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AS "Val" silenced assault rifle (USSR / Russia)
By Maxim Popenker

world.guns.ru

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AS "Val" silenced assault rifle, with shoulder stock opened<= /o:p>

AS "Val" silenced assault rifle, with shoulder stock folded<= /o:p>

AS "Val" silenced assault rifle, partially disassembled; note that barrel is significantly shorter than integral silencer

Author prepares to fire AS "Val" silenced assault rifle.

Caliber: 9x39 mm (SP-5, SP-6)
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt with 6 lugs
Length: 875 mm / 615 mm (stock open / folded)
Barrel length: 200 mm
Effective range: 400 meters
Weight: 2, 96 kg empty
Magazine capacity: 10 or 20 rounds

The Special Forces, generally known = as “Spetsnaz” (after the Russian term “Voiska Spetsialnogo Naznacheniya” – Special Purpose Troops), always played a key role in Soviet Military Doctrine. One of the aspects of every Special Force= s is that they prefer to operate stealthily, with as little sound and flash as possible from their weapons. The first generation Spetsnaz weapons were no = more than AK and AKM rifles, fitted with quick-detachable sound suppressors, and loaded with special subsonic ammunition with heavy bullets. Apparently, this was not enough, since in the mid-1980s the development of new, more effecti= ve silenced weapons was initiated. At first, designers from TSNIITOCHMASH in t= he city of Klimovsk developed a special-purpose 9 mm subsonic cartridges, known as 9x39 SP-5 and SP-6, based on necked-out 7.62 x 39 case. These cartridges were fitted with heavy (about 16-17 gram) standard “ball” or armor piercing bull= ets, with muzzle velocities about 280-300 meters per second.
             =    Having the ammunition, the team at TSNIITOCHMASH, lead by P. Serdyukov, developed a family of integrally silenced 9 mm weapons, which included the VSS “Vintorez” silenced sniper rifle and the AS “Val” silenced assault rifle. Both weapons are based on the same action and integrally silenced barrel. AS is widely used by Russian Army recon units, = as well as by MVD (Internal Affairs Ministry) and FSB (Federal Security Bureau) Special Forces.

The AS is a gas operated, integrally silenced weapon. The rece= iver is machined from steel forging for improved strength. The long stroke gas piston is located above the barrel, and rigidly attached to the bolt carrie= r. The rotating bolt has six lugs and locks into the receiver. The front part = of the barrel, ahead of the gas port, has several sets of holes, drilled at the bottom of the rifling grooves. These holes are used to bleed some of the gun gas into the integral silencer. The trigger unit is somewhat similar to tha= t of the Czech-made Sa. Vz.58 assault rifle, and is striker-fired. The safety le= ver is similar to the one found on all Kalashnikov-type rifles, but the fire mo= de selector is a separate cross-bolt type button, located within the trigger g= uard, just behind the trigger. The open sights are graduated up to 400 meters in = 25 meter increments, but the actual effective range is about 200-300 meters du= e to the rainbow-shaped trajectory of the subsonic bullets. The AS is optimized = for high performance armor piercing 9 x 39 ammunition, designated as SP-6, but = can also fire “ball” type SP-5 ammunition, intended for VSS sniper rifles. The pistol grip and the short forearm are made from polymer, the skeletonized, side-folding butt is made from steel tubing. The AS rifle has= a standard side-mounted rail for optical, night vision or red dot scopes. It = has no provision for mounting a bayonet or a grenade launcher. The integral silencer could be easily detached for maintenance, repair, or compact stora= ge, but the rifle shall not be fired with the silencer removed due to safety and reliability issues.

SR-3 "Vikhr" compact assault rifle (Russia)=

By Maxim Popenker

world.guns.ru

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Caliber: 9x39 mm
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 610 mm with open butt stock; 360 mm with closed butt stock
Barrel length: ??
Weight: 2.0 kg empty
Rate of fire: 900 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 10 or 20 rounds

The SR-3 "Vikhr" ("Whirlwind") compact assault rifle was developed in TSNIITOCHMAS= H by A. Borisov and V. Levchenko. Initially known as "MA" (Malogabarit= nyj Avtomat =3D small-size assault rifle), it was based on the silenced 9 mm AS= "Val" assault rifle, and intended for concealed carry by special VIP protection t= eams and State security operatives. The SR-3 is widely used by various FSO (Fede= ral Protection Service, a VIP protection organization, which guards the Preside= nt and the government of the Russian Federation) and FSB (Federal Security Service) operatives, elite Russian counter-terror teams and other specializ= ed users in the MVD and Russian police. In terms of size and weight, the SR-3 = is similar to most submachine guns, but it fires much more powerful 9x39mm amm= unition, available in armor piercing (SP-6) and ball (SP-5) loadings. Thus, SR-3 is considered as an assault rifle rather than a submachine gun.
             =    The SR-3 features the receiver, machined from a bar of steel, and gas-operated action with long stroke piston, plus the same rotating bolt group from the = AS. However, the SR-3 has no integral silencer, nor provision to mount one, and thus is much shorter than the AS. Other changes included a more compact, top-folding butt and simplified flip-up rear sight. The redesigned charging handle, made in the form of dual sliders above the forearm, must be grasped= by thumb and index finger and then retracted to load the weapon. The trigger u= nit is generally the same as in the AS, but the AK-type safety is replaced by a= mbidextrous lever above the pistol grip. The fire mode selector is of cross-bolt, push button type and located behind the trigger, inside the trigger guard. SR-3 = uses same polymer magazines for 10 or 20 rounds, as the parent AS and VSS rifles= .

"Groza" OC-14 (Russia)
By Maxim Popenker

world.guns.ru

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"Groza-1" in 7.62 mm - base configuration, with bayonet
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"Groza" in 9 mm - base configuration
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"Groza" in 9 mm - Assault rifle/grenade launcher configuration

Caliber, mm: 9x39 SP-6, 7.62x39 M43
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt with 2 lugs
Length, mm: overall: 700 barrel: 415
Sighting range,m= : 700
Weight, g: 3,200 (base config., unloaded= )
Magazine, 20rds (9mm), 30rds AK-47 type (7.62mm)
Rate of fire, rds/min: 750

"Groza" (Thunder) OC-14 assault rifle/grenade launch= er designed by CKIB SOO (Central Design Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Weapons= ), located in Tula, Russia, and manufactured by TOZ (Tula Weapons Plant, Russia).
             =    This gun was initially designed for Russian Internal Affairs Ministry special fo= rces as an assault rifle/grenade launcher kit, allowing quick in-field conversio= ns to the following configuration:
- assault carbine (with short barrel)
- assault rifle (with longer barrel and poost-type front handle)
- silenced assault rifle
- assault rifle/grenade launcher (for thiss conversion main fire control han= dle with trigger guard and trigger group is removed, and a 40mm grenade launcher with new handle and trigger group is installed; This new trigger group has = one trigger for both grenade launcher and rifle, and additional selector lever "grenade/rifle"
All parts necessary for this conversion supplied in one kit, along with carrying case
             =    A 7.62mm version named "Groza-1" was developed for Army Spetsnaz. T= his version accepts AK-47 standard magazines and may be equipped with standard issue AK-74 bayonet.
Mounts for scopes or night vision devices are available.<= /p>

9A-91 compact assault rifle (<= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Russia)
By Maxim Popenker

world.guns.ru

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9A-91 compact assault rifle with butt stock in open position

Caliber: 9x39 mm
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 605 mm with open butt, 383 mm with folded butt
Barrel length: ??
Weight: 2.1 kg empty
Rate of fire: 600-800 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 20 rounds

The 9A91 9 mm compact assault rifle = was originally developed as a part of the A91 family of compact weapons, which included versions chambered for 7.62 x 39, 5.45 x 39, 9 x 39 and 5.56 x 45 ammunition. Of those, only the 9 mm version survived and entered small-scale production at the Tula Arms Factory in 1994. Designed by the famous KBP des= ign bureau in Tula, the 9A91 was originally intended for an Army PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) role, but instead found some favor in the ranks of MVD and Russian police troops, as a less expensive equivalent of the SR-3 "Vikhr" compact assault rifle. The 9A91 also served as a basis for a silenced "Para-sn= iper" weapon, the VSK-94, also chambered for 9 x 39 ammunition.
             =    The 9A91 is a gas operated, rotating bolt weapon, which utilizes a long stroke = gas piston, located above the barrel, and a rotating bolt with 4 lugs. The rece= iver is made from steel stampings; the for end and pistol grip are made from polymer. The steel butt stock folds up and above the receiver when not in u= se. The charging handle is welded to the right side of bolt carrier. The safety= / fire selector lever is located at the left side of the receiver, above the trigger guard, and allows for single shots and full automatic fire. The fli= p-up rear sight has settings for 100 and 200 meters range, but the relatively sh= ort sight base and steep trajectory of the subsonic bullet effectively restricts the 9A91 to ranges of about 100 meters, at which the 9 x 39 ammunition is clearly superior in penetration and hitting power to either 9mm pistol ammunition from submachine guns, or 5.45 and 5.56 mm ammunition from compact assault rifles like AKS-74U or HK-53.

Ex-Top Secret "Silent Cartridges" of USS= R & Russia.

(c) 2000 by Max R. Popenker

=

During the Cold War, both sides of the "Iron Curtain" were deeply involved in many kinds of secret operations. Some= of that kind did (an do) require silent removal from existence of some unwanted persons. We know, that every secret service did that job, and some keep doi= ng now. One of such services was KGB.

Most of the "silenced weapons" are just silenced, not completely noiseless. Usual noise level of standard rifle cartridge is 160-165 dB. Usu= al way to decrease that level to 130-135 dB is to use sub-sonic bullets (with muzzle velocities lesser than speed of sound, ca. 300 meters per second or = 900 fps) and install a "silencer" - a special muzzle device, designed= to reduce sound of shoot. But as I said - that weapon complexes (gun+silencer+subsonic ammo) were not completely silent - just silencer than usual guns.

But Russian designers developed absolutely silent cartridges and weapons= for them! And now and here You can see, how this were done.
There are two main sources of sound when you fire any firearm. A "Boom" from extending hot burning gases and sound of bullet, traveling on superson= ic velocities. The latter problem is solved by using reduced powder charges and heavier bullets to reduce bullet speed. To remove a gas "Boom" Russian engineers developed "closed circuit" cartridges.

1 - metal brass
2 - powder charge
3 - piston & piston rod (initial position)
4 - bullet (same as 7.62mm M43)
5 - burning powder gases
6 - piston & piston rod (extended)

1 - metal brass
2 - powder charge
3 - piston (initial position)
4 - bullet (steel cylinder)
5 - burning powder gases
6 - piston (fired position)
7 - copper belt (to follow barrel rifling grooves)

Both cartridges shown were used in special purpo= se handguns, and the only noises heard while shooting were "click" f= rom striker pinning primer, "clack" from moving slide (only for guns = that used SP-4 loads, such as PSS special purpose handguns) and "ooh" = from person killed. All hot powder gases were securely locked up in steel case by moving piston. This piston also pushed the bullet from cartridge. Of course, such loads cannot be powerful, but they are strong enough to pierce standard steel helmet at some 20 meters (60 feet) and to kill person who wear that helmet.

But sometimes 20 meters is not enough. And when = shooting distance grows up to 100 meters and above, you have to switch back to proven combination of standard subsonic cartridge and silencer. So, for silent operations at the distances of up to 400 meters (440 yards), Soviet enginee= rs developed different loads. These loads - SP-5, SP-6 and, recently, PAB-9 are sub-sonic 9mm cartridges and used in VSS special purpose sniper rifle and AS special purpose assault rifle. Both weapons have integrated silencer. Loads itself are based on M43 case (7.62x39mm), re-necked to accept heavy 9 mm bullet. SP-5 was designed as "sniper" load and has Full Metal Jacketed bullet with small steel core and lead behind it. SP-6 was designed= as "assault" load with Semi-Jacketed bullet with pointed, hardened s= teel core exposed at the nose of the bullet. This cartridge, when fired from VSS= or AS, is capable of piercing 8mm of steel at 100 meters (110 yards). At 400 meters SP-6 is still capable to pierce 2mm steel plate. Worlds' most common cartridges that used in silenced guns are 9mm NATO and .45ACP. When compare= d to them, SP-5 series loads gave twice as much muzzle energy and at least 3 tim= es longer effective range.

Both SP-5 and SP-6 bullets weights approx. 16 gr= ams (ca. 235 grains). Those loads adopted by spec-op units of Soviet Union Inte= rnal Affair Ministry forces and by Soviet Army Spetsnaz in 1980s and still in service with different Russian special operations forces.=

PAB-9 is recently developed and cheaper version of SP-6. It also has heavier bull= et - 17.3 grams (ca. 255 grains) with hardened steel core.

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SP-5 (at left) and SP-6 (at right)<= /p>
=

Special purpose small arms ammunition of USSR and <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Russia.

© 2005 Maxim Popenker

For silent operations at the distances of up to 400 meters (440 yards), Soviet engineers developed different loads. These loads - SP-5, SP-6 and, recently, PAB-9 are sub-sonic 9mm cartridges and used in integrally silenced VSS Snip= er Rifle, VSK Sniper Rifle and AS Assault Rifle. Un-silenced weapons firing the 9x39mm cartridge include the SR-3 Compact Assault Rifle, 9A-91 Compact Assa= ult Rifle and OC-14 Bullpup Assault Rifle.

Loads are based on M43 case (7.62x39mm), re-necked to accept heavy 9 mm bullet. S= P-5 (OAL 55-56mm) was designed as "sniper" load and has Full Metal Jacketed bullet with small steel core and lead behind it. SP-6 (OAL 55-56mm) was designed as "assault" load with Semi-Jacketed bullet with pointed, hardened steel core exposed at the nose of the bullet. This cartri= dge is capable of piercing 8mm of steel at 100 meters (110 yards). At 400 meters SP-6 is still capable to pierce 2mm steel plate.

Worlds' most common cartridges that used in silenced guns are 9mm NATO and .45ACP. = When compared to them, SP-5 series loads gave twice as much muzzle energy and at least 3 times longer effective range.

Both SP-5 and SP-6 bullets weights approx. 16 grams (ca. 235 grains) with a velo= city of 285-295 mps. Those loads adopted by spec-op units of Soviet Union Intern= al Affair Ministry forces and by Soviet Army Spetsnaz in 1980s and still in service with different Russian special operations forces.=

PAB-9 is recently developed and cheaper version of SP-6. It also has heavier bull= et - 17.3 grams (ca. 255 grains) with hardened steel core.

= SP-5 and SP-6 subsonic assault rifle ammunition

2005 Maxim Popenker

Next line of development, also initiated by Spetsnaz requirements, also involv= ed silenced weapons, but in more powerful form. Since the effective range of silenced pistols is severely limited, scout and Spetsnaz elements of the Soviet army originally employed AK and AKM rifles, fitted with detachable sound suppressors (silencers) and loaded with special versions of 7.62x39= M43 ammo, known as 7.62x39 US (Umenshennaya Skorost – Low velocity). To achieve subso= nic velocity along with acceptable ballistics, these cartridges were loaded w= ith heavier bullets, but its performance was still inadequate. So, during the late 1980s, soviet designers developed improved sub-sonic ammunition, suitable for specially designed automatic weapons. These cartridges, know= n as SP-5 and SP-6, were based on a 7.62x39 M43 case, necked-out to 9mm, and loaded with heavy, streamlined bullets. The SP-5 cartridge was loaded with standard “ball” bullet with lead core, and was intended for accurate sniper work out to 300-400 meters. The SP-6 cartridge featured a= n armour-piercing bullet with hardened steel core, wh= ich could defeat typical military type body armour at the ranges of up to 300-400 meters. Two weapons were initially developed = for this ammunition, both based on the same receiver and gas operated action – VSS sniper rifle and AS assault rifle. Both weapons were selectiv= e fired, with integral sound suppressors, and used same magazines with 10- or 20-r= ound capacity. Latter on, several more weapons were developed for 9x39 ammunit= ion, such as SR-3 and = 9A-91 compact assault rifles, used by elite Internal Affairs Ministry, Police and State Security units. The one problem, associated with 9x39, as well as with most other special purpose cartridges, is that such ammunition is usually quite expensive. An attempt was made during late 1990s to produce much cheaper = 9x39 AP loading, designated as PAB-9. This cartridge featured bullets with sta= mped (instead of machined) steel cores, as well as increased driving surfaces.= As a result, accuracy was poor and barrel wear significantly increased, so t= his ammunition is apparently no longer in use.

cartridge

metric designation

bullet weight

muzzle velocity

7.62 US

7,62x39

12,5 g / 193 grain

290 m/s / 950 fps

СП-5

9x39

16,8 g / 260 grain

280 m/s / 920 fps

СП-6

9x39

16 g / 247 grain

280 m/s / 920 fps

left to right: SP-5 ball cartridge case and bullet; SP-6 AP dummy cartrid= ge, and 7.62x39 M43 cartridge for scale

= 7.62x39mm Ammunition

Source: AK-47.net<= o:p>

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<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'>      It is not intended here to exhaustively illustrate Communist head stamps in this caliber, but typical styles of head stamping are shown. Communist 7.62mm = M.43 ammunition, with few exceptions bears head stamps, although occasionally,= for reasons connected with subversive activities, head stamps have been omitt= ed entirely or partially. However the standard method of head stamping within the Communist sphere is to mark M.43 ammunition with the year of manufact= ure and with a factory identifying mark. The date usually appears as the last two digits of the year of manufacture, but some, mainly Yugoslavian,= may have the full 4 digits. In the 1950s, the Soviet U= nion made limited use of a Cyrillic letter in place of the date, the reason for this being

obscure. (For letters concerned see below.) Some North Korean M.43 ammunition, but= not all, has the date shown by means of a Korean character or hieroglyphic.&n= bsp; Although numbered factory codes are used throughout the Communist world, including China, and although the factory numbering sequence seems to be a common one, some duplication of numbers exists. Apart from numbered factory codes, s= ome letter codes are used instead. Early Cuban manufacture and Czech and Yugo= slav codes are letter codes, and most North Korean M.43 ammunition uses a Kore= an letter or hieroglyphic. Universally, head stamp factory codes, dates and other ciphers are stamped, not raised. Apart from factory codes and dates, some Communist 7.62 mm ammunition includes in the head stamp additional ciphers such as a star, triangle, etc.

CYRILLIC LETTER DATE CODE, USSR:

r

1952

A (Cyrillic A)

1953

E

1954

N (Cyrillic inverted/turned N)

1955

K

1956

FACTORY CODE LETTERS, 7.62 mm x 39 AMMUNITION:=

ZV

Czechoslovakia

aym

Czechoslovakia

bxn

Czechoslovakia

PMV

Cuba

IK = ;            &n= bsp;

Yugoslavia

NK (Cyrillic inverted/turned N)

Yugoslavia

nny

Yugoslavia

PP

Yugoslavia

FAC= TORY CODE NUMBERS, 7.62mm x 39 AMMUNITION:

04
<= /span>East Germany, GDR / DDR=

05
<= /span>East Germany, GDR / DDR=

10
= ;Bulgaria

10
unknown (be= lieved not Bulgarian)

13
Cuba

21
Hungary

23
Hungary

21
Poland

343
Poland

22
Romania

RPR 22<= /span>
Romania

93
North Korea

93 ( zero in triangle )
North Korea

3
USSR/Russia=

17
USSR/Russia=

60
USSR/Russia=

270
USSR/Russia=

539
USSR/Russia=

711
USSR/Russia=

31
PRC/China

031
PRC/China

51
PRC/China

61
PRC/China

71
PRC/China

81
PRC/China

101
PRC/China

111
PRC/China

121
PRC/China

301
PRC/China

351
PRC/China

391
PRC/China

501
PRC/China

661
PRC/China

821
PRC/China

964
PRC/China

6201
PRC/China

9121
PRC/China

9141
PRC/China

311
unconfirmed= , possibly PRC/China

451
unconfirmed, possibly PRC/China

671
unconfirmed, possibly PRC/China

946
unconfirmed, possibly PRC/China

     Duplication occurs over the allocation of Code 21 which is used by both Hungary and Poland. Hungarian ammunition, however has the factory code 21 and the date both t= he same way up, whereas Poland has the date inverted.

     Code 10 was at one time a factory code used by USSR = on calibers other than 7.62mm x39, but this factory ceased manufacture after 1945. Code 10 is still used by Bulgaria

Information Brief

Brokaw Arms

SUBJECT:

"Groza" OC-14=

SP-5 & SP-6 Subsonic Assault R= ifle Ammunition