Comparison of TT and PM. History of TT and PM. Who is better? Currently in Russia there are a large number of models of small arms, including pistols. But definite interest is still represented by "veterans" - TT, PM and APS, for more than one decade.

Currently, there are a large number of models of small arms in Russia, including pistols. But the "veterans" - TT, PM and APS, who have served people for several decades, are still of definite interest.

Currently in Russia there are a large number of models of small arms, including pistols. They differ both in caliber, and in the principle of operation of automation, and in the tasks for which they are intended. But the most significant authority is still possessed by the "veterans" - TT, PM and APS, who have served people for decades.

The most honored of the above is the "pistol of 1933", often called TT - Tula Tokareva.

It was adopted by the Red Army in 1930 to replace the morally and physically obsolete Nagant revolver of 1895. In terms of its tactical and technical characteristics, the TT surpassed all modern models. Exceptional simplicity, strength and reliability, as well as low cost of its production - these are the distinctive features of this pistol.

In 1933, the TT underwent minor modernization. Minor changes were made to the trigger mechanism, the back wall of the handle was made in one piece.

TT automatics worked using the recoil of the barrel with its short stroke. The movable shackle lowered its breech when the barrel moved back. At the same time, the weapon was being reloaded (the same principle was used by the Colt M1911A pistol, which allowed Western authors writing about weapons to call the TT "Tokarev-Colt pistol").

The pistol uses a 7.62x25 caliber cartridge (the same as in the Mauser pistol). Later, under this cartridge were developed submachine guns PPD (1934), PPSh (1941), PPS (1942).

However, the pistol also has a rather significant drawback - it lacks a fuse as an independent part. Its role is played by the safety cocking of the trigger. But if the pistol falls, a spontaneous shot is possible as a result of a break in the safety platoon.

The pistol passed the tests of the Great Patriotic War with honor, having established itself as a powerful, simple and reliable melee weapon. He remained in service for some time after the war. Its popularity is also evidenced by the fact that the production of TT was established in China, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia and other countries. In some of them, TT is still produced today.

High accuracy of fire is ensured due to the successful layout of the pistol parts. Due to the fact that the center of gravity of the pistol and the axial barrel are shifted closer to the grip, the TT, with its rather significant weight (940 grams), is practically not felt in the hand.

But the development of individual small arms required new solutions. At some point, the TT ceased to be a self-sufficient weapon, and in 1951 it was replaced by the pistols of N.F. Makarov (PM) and I.Ya. Stechkin (APS).

Both of these pistols use the simplest, and therefore more reliable, principle in the operation of automation - the recoil of the free breechblock. In both pistols, the return spring is put directly on the barrel (although in the first modification of the APS, the return spring was under the barrel, as in Browning pistols). For both of these pistols, a 9x18 cartridge was developed, more powerful than that used in the TT.

The undoubted advantage of the PM is the design of the firing mechanism. The self-cocking device allows you to make the first shot (if there is a cartridge in the chamber) without first cocking the hammer. The fuse box is located in the back of the bolt casing, on the left, which allows you to control the pistol with one hand (the right one holding the weapon). Bringing the pistol to the firing position for its further carrying in this position is carried out as follows. By twitching the bolt, the cartridge is driven into the chamber. Then the fuse is turned on, and the shot does not occur. Now, for the first shot, you just need to remove the safety catch and pull the trigger.

APS

Despite the apparent similarities, APS and PM are completely different types of individual small arms. APS is designed to arm officers directly involved in hostilities. The trigger mechanism of this pistol is also self-cocking, allowing not only single fire, but also burst fire. The fuse box, located in the same way as that of the Makarov pistol, also serves as a fire translator. The sight of this pistol is mobile, for shooting at distances of 25, 50, 100 and 200 meters. The magazine holds 20 rounds (staggered). The APS pistol is carried in a wooden or plastic holster, which, being fastened to the rear wall of the grip, acts as a butt when firing bursts. In extreme cases, bursts of fire can be fired directly from the hand, without a stock (the cartridge used allows you to do this). Unfortunately, despite the perfection of the design, during the operation, serious shortcomings of the APS were revealed (first of all, its excessive weight and dimensions), therefore, at present, this pistol is no longer produced, giving way to submachine guns such as "Kedr", "Kashtan "and" Cypress ", using the same cartridge 9x18 mm.

The Makarov PM pistol, on the contrary, served as the base model for a number of new developments. In 1994, the PMM was launched into mass production - a modernized Makarov pistol. Outwardly, it practically does not differ from the base model (except for the grip cheeks), but its magazine holds 12 rounds of 57-N-181SM, which, not differing in size from the standard "Makarov" cartridge, has increased penetration and stopping power. The design of the chamber has been slightly changed - three screw grooves are made on its surface, which provide braking of the shutter recoil and smooth out the difference in the dynamics of automation when firing with conventional and reinforced cartridges. As for the rest, the design, which has proven itself well over more than 40 years of operation, has not undergone any changes.

IZH-71

In the mid-1990s, the IZH-71 pistol was developed specifically for security personnel, based on the PM, which uses the 9x17 Kurz cartridge and has specially lowered characteristics (for example, the initial bullet speed of the IZH-71 is 290 m / s versus 320 m / s for PM). The IZH-71 magazine is produced in 2 versions - for 8 and 10 rounds (in the latter case, the pistol is called "IZH-71-10"). Outwardly, the "IZH-71" differs from the PM, again, by the cheeks of the handle.

PSM

The PSM pistol (self-loading small-sized pistol) was developed by the creative team of T.I. Lashnev, A.A. Simarin and L.L. Kulikov specially for arming the top command personnel of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB-FSB. This pistol is designed for the new 5.45 mm cartridge. The trigger mechanism is self-cocking. Interesting is the location of the fuse (above the rear of the shutter). When it is turned off, the trigger is cocked at the same time. The pistol has no protruding parts, so its thickness does not exceed 18 mm, which creates advantages for concealed carry. But due to the low penetration capacity of the cartridge, this weapon is of little use in real combat. Rather, its niche is an individual self-defense weapon. All of its design features indicate this.

Of course, now new types of pistols are being produced, designed to perform completely different tasks in different conditions, but TT, PM, APS and PSM have left their worthy contribution to history, serving faithfully for the cause of protecting the Motherland for more than a decade.

During use, not on a shooting range, but in a real pistol battle, not for life, but to death, the advantages and disadvantages of weapons (practically of the same class) are determined, first of all, by the qualifications and experience of the shooter, this also includes the technical condition of the pistol and ammunition, then is, their reliability and quality at the current time. And the tactical and technical characteristics of weapons will be an advantage only if they are used correctly.

The production of TT pistols (model 1930) began in 1933. Back in the mid-20s of the last century, the question of providing the soldiers of the Red Army and other paramilitary structures of the state with uniform samples of small arms was acute in the USSR. The situation was especially critical in the field of personal weapons of army officers, police and NKVD workers, because at that time a very "motley company" of pistols and revolvers of various systems was in service, starting from the Mauser K-96 and revolvers of the 1895 model (already pretty outdated) and ending with a variety of foreign pistols. Naturally, this state of affairs did not suit the leadership of the "land of the Soviets" and by the beginning of the 1930s, the TT pistol, developed by the Soviet gunsmith and designer FV Tokarev, was adopted on the basis of the American Colt М1911.

Mass production fell on the years of the Great Patriotic War. Pistols released during this period do not differ in the quality of workmanship and assembly. At that time, the gun conveyors did not always have qualified personnel (adolescents, women), and the necessary steel for the manufacture of weapons was not always at hand. Pistols were also received from the front for repairs. In addition, pistols produced before 1943 suffered from design flaws and defects. The shot of such pistols, as a rule, was no more than 700 - 750 shots, after which the automation began to malfunction. Malfunctions such as the loss of the magazine and the loss of the drummer were also frequent. On the hands, more often in the criminal world, there may be TT pistols found on the sites of past battles and restored by "black diggers". The reliability of such specimens is extremely low. To date, the TT pistol remains in service in individual units of various law enforcement agencies, these are usually pistols produced in the post-war period, but the technical condition of many of them leaves much to be desired. The main disadvantage of "modern" TT, in comparison with PM, is low reliability. But this unreliability is not related to the design of the pistol, it is the result of poor-quality manufacturing, assembly and harsh operation. In addition, it significantly affects the reliability and the time factor.

This weapon is quite suitable for some special operations (this is not speculation, but real facts). It even has two advantages - flat dimensions, allowing the hidden carrying of a rather powerful weapon and a high penetration ability of a bullet, especially with a steel core, in front of which most soft hidden body armor is powerless.
There were also “TT” pistols, manufactured specifically for “organs” (such as SMERSH, NKVD, MGB, etc.), which differed from the serial “TT” in the manufacture of more durable and higher quality grades of weapon steel and better fit of parts, and also by the fact that they were 30 mm longer (meaning the total length) than serial production of TT pistols.

Now the TT pistol has worldwide fame. There is no doubt that if it were not a good weapon, it would not still be in service with many countries of the world and would not occupy a worthy place next to the Kalashnikov assault rifle and the Stechkin pistol in the big family of the best small arms of the USSR. For a long time, he could be found in the holster of law enforcement officers and in army arsenals. There was a huge amount of TT produced and they simply did not have time to "demolish" everything. In addition, pistols of this design were produced under license in Hungary, Yugoslavia, North Korea and, of course, China. A huge number of samples, lack of proper accounting, cheapness on the black market - all this made TT a frequent guest of crime chronicles. And today "Tulsky Tokarev" is strongly associated with contract killings by many. So it is too early to write off TT on pension.

Until now, the TT pistol of post-war production is in service with parts of the VOKHR and irregular formations of some CIS countries. The resource of these pistols, produced in the forties and fifties, has long been exhausted, so they are extremely unreliable. A common defect is cartridge misalignment and sticking.

Since the appearance of the TT pistol, research in the field of the "new Soviet pistol" did not stop: firstly, when it was put into service, the TT caused criticism from some military officials, and secondly, many officials and "loyal Leninists" were extremely unhappy with the fact that Tokarev's pistol was based on the weapons of the United States, because the Soviet military needed a completely "Soviet weapon".

A competition for a new army pistol that could replace the TT was announced in 1945. Even then, one of the main requirements was the transition from 7.62 mm to 9 mm. since the cartridge 7.62 TT had a so-called sewing effect, when a bullet, having a high initial velocity, pierced the soft tissues of the body, and a person in the heat of battle did not even notice this. It was required that one hit was guaranteed to disable the enemy. Therefore, in the end, the leadership of the Ministry of Defense opted for the 9 mm cartridge. The simplicity and peculiar "grace" of the design of the Makarov pistol (PM) made a very serious impression on the government of the USSR, and in 1948 the first trial batch of 50 Makarov pistols was published. A year later, it was decided to launch the Makarov into serial production and put it into service. The PM proved to be a reliable and convenient weapon, but the short barrel (which led to a noticeable decrease in accuracy and accuracy of fire) and the small clip capacity made it not the most successful pistol in a war. This became an absolutely obvious fact during the hostilities in Afghanistan, in which most of the servicemen abandoned the PM in favor of the Stechkin automatic pistol, bulky and heavy, but much more effective than the Makarov.

The PM pistol was put into service in 1951 to replace the TT pistol, and to this day it is actually in the ranks of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other power structures, although more advanced and modern models have been officially put into service.
The parts of the pistol are hung out, which prevents dirt and soot from accumulating and clogging them. The chrome-plated barrel and very licked contours, which is very important for operational use, does not cling to clothing, does not injure hands during use and disassembly. Awesome, prohibitive resource - up to 50,000 shots. True, this applies only to pistols manufactured in the period from 1955 to the beginning of the 70s. years.
Since the 80s and 90s, PM and PMM have been produced in extremely low quality.

It is better to use Makarov effectively at a distance from "point-blank" and up to 15 m. So the PM exactly meets the designations and combat properties declared in the NSD and, in essence, is a personal weapon of attack and defense, designed to defeat the enemy at short distances.

PM differs from TT primarily in high reliability. To date, the PM is one of the most reliable pistols in the world. The main disadvantage in comparison with TT is the ammunition with a relatively low penetration effect of the bullet. Therefore, for the Armed Forces, the PM pistol is of little use as a modern weapon. It is also not suitable as a means of disabling or stopping vehicles, if used, for example, in traffic police units.

However, during a firefight within the stairwell, the PM is still preferable to the TT. Since almost no modern door can resist a bullet fired from a TT, if it is not armored in the corresponding class, third parties may suffer, which is unacceptable when carrying out operational activities by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There is such a thing as stopping the action of a bullet. Here, theoretically, you can put an equal sign between PM and TT. But in practice (according to statistics) the stopping effect of the PM bullet is considered higher. This is due to the cross section of the bullet. The cartridge used in the PM - 9X18 with a bullet mass of 6.1 g and an initial speed of 315 m / s. The advantage over TT and the presence in the PM of a self-cocking percussion-sponic mechanism, as well as automatic free shutter.

The disadvantages in comparison with PM include weight and dimensions. TT is heavier and larger (with a magazine without cartridges TT - 850 PM - 730). The impossibility of self-cocking is also considered a disadvantage. The advantage of the TT over the PM is its ammunition, which has a fairly high penetrating effect. The TT uses a cartridge 7.62X25 with a bullet weighing 5.5 g and an initial speed of 420 - 450 m / s. From TT, you can hit an object in a body armor up to class II armor protection (PM only up to class I). Therefore, TT is in great demand among killers. A fairly common and cheap ammunition (cheap and cheerful) can be attributed to the advantage.

Interesting Facts:

In 1969, a serviceman of the Soviet Army Ilyin made an unsuccessful attempt on the life of the USSR Secretary General L.I.Brezhnev. Ilyin was armed with two PM pistols.

Despite the fact that both the cartridge and the pistol "TT" have long been removed from service and are almost never produced (since in military warehouses from the time of the Great Patriotic War there was almost a billion-dollar supply of "TT" cartridges). The high-speed TT cartridge has always posed a serious threat to police officers around the world. For example: police officers of the Royal Hong Kong Police put on reinforced body armor of the third class of protection A + before going on duty, since they often encounter criminals armed with TT pistols (usually made in China).

Firearms are an essential attribute of civilization. Since ancient times, weapons have served as an instrument of protection, obtaining food, conquering territories. And always a weapon is a tool that fulfills the will of its master, criminal or servant of the law, invader or 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 terrain, in different regions, in the shooting range, on 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 bit of 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, which often does not coincide with the widespread. Not without my active participation in combat situations. And I can judge about weapons, perhaps, with a greater right than other "experts" on the Internet and some "weapon" magazines, which describe at length about the merits and demerits of this or that 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…

It can be deciphered as “Self-Soothing Pistol. Maybe you’ll get lucky. ” There is a known case when a wounded man with five bullets in his stomach fired from the PSM walked independently to a medical facility located one and a half kilometers away.

5.45 mm PSM self-loading pistol

Moreover, he was slender in addition. A very accurate pistol, at the level of sports small-bore pistols. Very compact. James Bond would be happy 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 lack of ammunition.

Makarov PM pistol

A legendary pistol without a doubt. The standard of reliability, relatively compact, always ready for battle. Even despite its venerable age, it still remains in the ranks, is actively used both in the shooting range and in battle. The classic pistol for civilian and police use. Of course, this is not a pistol for target or high-speed shooting, but placing three bullets in 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 individuals say who, at best, kill paper targets, and have never fired in a combat situation. 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 posed 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, which have an increased stopping effect and increased penetration capacity of PMB (7N25). For example, the PPO cartridge for law enforcement agencies allows the use of weapons (pistols and submachine guns) in enclosed spaces, in settlements, 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 like clockwork with them.

Makarov pistol Upgraded PMM-12

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

9mm PMM self-loading pistol

Springs in shops work with overstressing, so they quickly lose their elasticity, which leads to delays in firing. Poor quality plastic from which the feeder is made causes cracks, 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 on alert. For its relatively small size, it is one of the most powerful pistols in the world.

7.62 mm TT self-loading pistols

And to the touch it is much more pleasant, for example, PYa and any "Glocks". Completely unsuitable for urban firefights and self-defense. The large penetrating ability of a bullet and the lack of self-cocking can lead to prison (through and into a random passer-by) or to a cemetery (you must have time to cock the trigger).

Stechkin automatic pistol APS

The same age as PM, even more popular. A pistol with a 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 confined spaces, when using bulletproof shields when only one hand is free. Automatic mode is used when shooting at close ranges to create a high density of fire and a greater likelihood of destruction.

APS pistols with standard stock holsters and pouches.

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

A favorite of employees of special units, in demand now. Even before the pistol enters the unit, a real "hunt" is already underway for it. Some, having tasted the "delights" of the APS, prefer to exchange them for the old, sometimes disassembled APS. The pistol has a streamlined shape, does not cling to anything when quickly removed from the holster. Some problems with holding are created by the pistol grip, which has been polished over the years by palms and clothing. In hot and cold weather, the pistol has a tendency to "slip" from the hands. But this minor nuisance is eliminated by putting a piece of a bicycle tube or pad on the handle, for example, from Uncle Mike's.
The pistol is rather big, but with the proper skill and experience it can be carried discreetly, like all pistols. I usually carry it in a custom-made underpant holster, without any fasteners for quick release, and with a twisted pistol strap, or in a matching shoulder bag.
I never use a fuse, even if there is 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 the pistol in a converted hip holster, and not buttoned up - the holster design allows you to hold the pistol even in an inverted position. I carry spare magazines on my left thigh in a homemade pouch. One magazine always with an open valve for quick retrieval.

Yarygin pistol PYa

A miracle of domestic weapons thought. Although, undoubtedly, the long-awaited type of army pistol. Powerful, moderately ergonomic, with a capacious magazine. But ... I doubt that in Soviet times it would have been adopted. The pistol is frankly "raw". Angular, with protruding parts, as if hewn with an ax. The workmanship is appropriate. When ten new pistols were fired with sports cartridges issued for practice shooting, two pistols were stuck in their cases, one misfired, and after a second prick - a shot. When equipping stores, the sharp edges of the sponges cut fingers and in order not to die from periodic bloodletting, you have to take a file in your hands. With an increase in the magazine capacity by one cartridge, it would be necessary to move the holes to control the number of cartridges (the Ministry of Internal Affairs adopted an 18-round pistol). 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. In the best case, you can lose the magazine, in the worst - to remain 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 kind of like in the handle, pressed by a latch. The store itself should have been made as an APS store, with large windows, or as a PSM store, in order to make it easier to equip with cartridges. The slide stop lever is located close to the safety catch and when one of the levers is pressed, the other gets under the finger, which requires additional efforts. On some relatively new pistols, the bolt spontaneously breaks off the slide delay. The back of the shutter is downright openwork design. Probably specially made for collecting various garbage. (Unlike PM and APS).

9mm automatic pistols APS

The notch in the front of the bolt is probably a tribute to fashion and nothing more. When using this notch, fingers bump 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 is done 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 in the presence of only the right-hand regular holster, this solution remains unclaimed. The same can be said about setting the safety catch with the hammer cocked. A completely redundant function. When removing the pistol from the holster, at the same time cocking the hammer does not present any problem. Moreover, the self-cocking on the PYa is soft and does not greatly affect the accuracy of the first shot.

9-mm self-loading pistol PYa

What cannot be taken away from the PY is a smooth descent and a quick return to the aiming line after a shot. It is more suited 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 structure and place it on the bolt, ensuring the simultaneous removal from the fuse and the cocking of the trigger. And at the same time close the rear of the shutter from possible clogging by foreign objects. Forefinger protrusion on the front of the trigger guard. Maybe he increases 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 brace, for a normal grip you need not have an index finger, but a tentacle. Sights had to be streamlined in order to prevent snagging on clothing or operational holsters.

The pistol has only one spare magazine in the kit. Standard cartridges with a Pst bullet differ from the 9x19 Luger sports cartridges used for training firing in 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 closed rooms, dangerous ricochets were observed, which can be corrected by replacing half of the wearable ammunition with cartridges with lead-core bullets. In general, this is the case with this pistol. Complete analogy with domestic and foreign cars. They are similar, but something in ours is not right ...

Pistol Self-loading Special PSS

Here about him we can say with complete confidence 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 who have it. There are no problems with cartridges either.

NRS-2 knife, PN14K glasses, PSS pistol, SP4 and 7N36 cartridges

Revolver TKB-0216

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

9-mm revolver TKB-0216 (OTs-01 Cobalt)

Poorly fitted grip cheeks. Often the drum axle unscrews spontaneously.

PP-93 submachine gun

Compact submachine gun with good firepower. With some experience, you can "plant" the entire store in the target. Quite good accuracy when firing automatic fire with one hand. The APB modification has a PBS and a powerful laser target designator LP93. Unfortunately, either PBS or LCC can be attached to the barrel at the same time. The fastening is carried out with a latch and has a large backlash. The shoulder rest is still a masterpiece. Thanks to the small recoil, the embryo of the butt plate can still be dealt with, but due to the 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 looses even more.

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

The magazine latch button is very nice. No complaints, which cannot be said about the platoon handle located in a very interesting place. To quickly cock the shutter, you need to train for a long time, since you have to not just pull the handle, but before that you also have to drown and do not forget to return it back, like on a PC. Otherwise, during the shot, you can get the handle returning with the bolt on your fingers. The translator-fuse is located on the "right" side, but the flat shape does not always allow for quick rearrangement of fire modes, especially in winter, with gloves.

9 mm submachine gun SR-2M "Veresk"

Powerful submachine gun, accurate, with a lot of ammunition. The samples purchased for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation do not have a standard collimator sight - one of the main attributes of this weapon. Instead of a standard cover, there is a cover from the AKS-74U assault rifle 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 the standard configuration.

9-mm submachine gun SR-2M with a 30-round magazine. There is a 20-round magazine nearby.

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

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

When the "Heathers" entered the unit, everyone who took them in their hands paid attention to the too long shoulder rest. When shooting in a bulletproof vest, this is very noticeable, especially when holding the front grip.
By the way, about the handle. The thing, of course, is necessary. When using the grip lock, sooner or later it pinches the skin on the index finger. The grip itself is located close to the muzzle, which heats up very much during intense shooting and does not add comfort to the hand. It would be nice to install a plastic overlay at the bottom of the muzzle. A muzzle with compensation holes would not hurt. When holding the weapon by the front grip, the sharp edges of the lower part of the forend cut into the hand. Tolerable, but unpleasant. More 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, as this trick “rolls over” on 9A-91.

The bolt pushed out the upper cartridge, which pulled the lower cartridge along the way. As a result, the upper cartridge buried itself in the breech section of the barrel, the lower cartridge came out halfway from the magazine, propped up the upper cartridge from below and jammed the magazine, which was impossible to remove. I had to, holding the bolt carrier 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 attributed to a malfunction of the store. And this is - on the new PP with a shot several shots. In general, in terms of size, ease of use and power, the CP-2M is inferior to the proven and reliable machine 9A-91.

The Stechkin automatic pistol has become as much a "visiting card" of the Soviet weapons school as the Kalashnikov assault rifle. It was put into service more than 60 years ago, but it is still very popular among the special forces.

The second half of the 40s of the last century was marked by an explosion of activity of Soviet designers of small arms. The Great Patriotic War showed the need for a qualitative change in the system of personal weapons of fighters, and the military and political leadership of the USSR tried to create conditions for these changes to be embodied in metal. For example, six weapon schools and designers took part in the competition for a new assault rifle, which was then eventually won by Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov with the famous AK-47 product. Ten gunsmiths took part in the competition for a new self-loading pistol, which was held in 1947-48, including the creator of "TT" Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev and the creator of "SKS" Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. However, in the end, a 9-mm pistol designed by Nikolai Fedorovich Makarov was adopted for service in 1951.

The Makarov pistol (PM), created according to the general layout of the Walther PP pistol, turned out to be simple to operate and manufacture, reliable and small-sized. At that time, he became the optimal personal weapon for senior officers, and perfectly suited for arming the police. Therefore, even in Soviet times, "PM" produced several million units, and the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant continues, albeit not on that scale, to produce various modifications of this product.

However, the "PM", with its effective firing range of up to 50 meters (in reality, of course, it is much less) and the magazine for 8 rounds was not "strong" enough in a real clash with a prepared enemy. In addition, the short barrel of the "Makarov" at a distance of already 25 meters gave a significant dispersion of bullets. Therefore, to arm the crews of combat vehicles, the first numbers of heavy weapons crews, as an individual defense weapon for snipers, grenade launchers and platoon-company officers, at the same time - at the end of the 40s of the last century, it was decided to develop an automatic pistol, but under the same pistol cartridge - 9x18 PM. Such a pistol was the "APS", designed by a young talented Tula gunsmith Igor Stechkin.

For the sake of fairness, it must be said that there is still a lot of incomprehensible and even mysterious in the history of the APS pistol. Let's start with the fact that Igor Yakovlevich himself was a very extraordinary person. For example, the members of the commission remembered for a long time the defense of his thesis on the topic “Self-loading pistol of 7.65 mm caliber” (Stechkin graduated from the weapons and machine gun department of the Tula Mechanical Institute). According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the project was so original that one of the members of the diploma commission publicly expressed doubt that this weapon would work. In response, the student pulled a pistol of this design that he had made with his own hands from his jacket pocket, and fired three times with blank cartridges at the ceiling of the auditorium, where the defense was in progress ...

As a result, Stechkin received a "red" diploma and was sent to work straight to one of the main "weapons" of the country - TsKB-14 (now - the Tula Instrument Design Bureau). Moreover. A 26-year-old graduate of the institute at the Central Design Bureau is almost immediately instructed to create a new army 9-mm pistol, which, with single and automatic firing modes, could effectively hit the enemy at distances up to 200 m. Moreover, this happens at the end of 1948, when the battle between ten weapon designers for the right to equip the Soviet army and navy with a new self-loading pistol reaches its climax. And already, in principle, it is clear that the victory in this battle is won by Nikolai Fedorovich Makarov, who, by coincidence, has been working at TsKB-14 for the fourth year already, and, moreover, was a scientific consultant of such a sensational thesis of a student of the Tula Mechanical Institute Igor Stechkin.

Now it is difficult to say what kind of participation Nikolai Makarov, in addition to developing and "fine-tuning" his pistol, could have taken in the creation of the "Stechkin automatic pistol" (APS). Some design features and the order of assembly and disassembly of the APS are similar to the PM. Both pistols, despite the fact that work on "Makarov" began several years earlier than on "Stechkin", were adopted at the same time - in 1951. And both designers also received the Stalin Prize together - in 1952. Stechkin - for "APS", Makarov - for "PM". But at the same time, in the memoirs of Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin, it still sounded that "APS" was his own engineering brainchild. “The task I received was to design a 9mm pistol that allows single and automatic firing at distances up to 200 meters, has a large-capacity magazine and uses a holster as a stock. After the development and approval of the project, a sample was manufactured, which successfully passed the factory tests. After revision and elimination of deficiencies, field tests of two pistols were carried out in comparison with Mauser, Astra pistols and Sudaev's submachine gun. My pistol, having shown excellent results, was noticeably superior to Mauser and Astra, and was practically not inferior to the PPS ”- Igor Stechkin recalled in 1966.

Starting in 1952, "APS" went to the troops. Its serial production was launched at the facilities of the Vyatka-Polyansky Molot plant. However, already in 1959 the production of the "Stechkin automatic pistol" was discontinued. And this became another mystery of this pistol.

The tactical and technical data of the "APS", as an individual weapon intended for use in a combat situation in a collision with a trained enemy, suited the Soviet military. The barrel lengthening up to 140 mm (for the PM - 93.5 mm) made it possible to partially compensate for the weakness of the 9x18 PM pistol cartridge, and, together with the greater mass compared to the "Makarov" and smoother operation of the automatics, made it possible to achieve good firing accuracy - the dispersion of bullets with single shots at a distance of 50 meters from the "APS" did not exceed 5 cm. At a distance of 200 meters, the radius of dispersion of bullets when firing from the "APS" increased to 22 cm, but for a trained shooter, effective fire from this pistol at distances and more than 100 meters was not particularly difficult ...

The magazine for 20 rounds and the originally made retarder of the rate of fire made it possible to conduct automatic fire from the "APS". At the same time, Stechkin provided for a mechanism that made the reloading of the pistol almost instantaneous. After the ammunition is used up, the magazine feed tooth raises the shutter stop, which delays the shutter in the rear position. And after replacing the store, the shooter needs to press the bolt stop head to be ready for firing again - the bolt stop will go forward and send the cartridge into the chamber, while the trigger will remain on the alert platoon.

In addition to the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, "APS" and its modifications, according to foreign experts, were supplied to Angola, Cuba, Bulgaria, Libya, Mozambique, Zambia, etc. There are photographs where Ernesto Che Guevara poses with "APS", it is reliably known that "Stechkin" was one of Fidel Castro's favorite weapons. And not in vain. “Unlike the Makarov pistol, the recoil of which is felt by the hand as sharp, it is very pleasant to shoot from the Stechkin. Accuracy is also excellent. The shop is very easy to equip. The trigger mechanism and its characteristics are very good for military weapons "- the American expert on small arms Nick Steadman assessed this pistol. In addition, the APS proved to be a very reliable weapon. There are known cases of shooting 40 thousand rounds without any damage to the main parts of this pistol.

However, in the Soviet Army in massive quantities, "APS", paradoxically, did not take root. The most common version is the inconvenience of carrying this weapon. In order to ensure the stability of automatic fire, especially at long distances, a wooden holster was attached to the Stechkin, which at the same time played the role of a butt. The mass of the pistol with a holster - butt was almost 2 kg. In addition, the army's requirements assumed that each soldier armed with the Stechkin had to carry 4 more loaded magazines with 20 rounds each. Therefore, a murmur arose in the army of that time on the topic that the new weapon was too "heavy and cumbersome." As a result, in the 60s of the last century, most of the army "Stechkin" migrated to the weapons depots, and in return, in the 70s, the crews of combat vehicles, aircraft and gun crews were armed with "clamshells" - a shortened modification of the AK-74 - AKS-74U.

However, "Stechkin" did not die, because by that time, for its power and accuracy, he had already managed to fall in love with the employees of special units of the Ministry of Defense and the State Security Committee. Moreover, at the end of the 60s, specially for them on the basis of "APS" by the designer A.S. Neugodov (TsNIITOCHMASH) developed a "silent" version of "APS" - "APB" (silent automatic pistol). Reducing the sound level when fired in it was achieved due to the perforation of the barrel and a special expansion chamber, put on the barrel, ease of wearing and use - due to a removable wire shoulder rest and a soft holster. Of course, the use of a silencer reduced the effective range of the shot. But at a distance of 50 meters "APB" and now there are few equals.

This modification of the "APS" was put into service in 1972, and from that time on, "Stechkin" began, in fact, a "second life". "APS" and "APB" were actively used by Russian special forces during the war in Afghanistan (1979-1989) and in all local conflicts that arose in the post-Soviet space. Moreover. In the 90s, during the rampant banditry in Russia, the army "Stechkin" began to actively arm the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. And this is also understandable, since this automatic pistol just occupies a niche between two other types of standard weapons of Russian law enforcement agencies - Makarov pistols and Kalashnikov assault rifles. However, the Russian militia was not original in this respect - after the fall of the Berlin Wall some of the FRG police officers also armed themselves with the "Stechkin".

Thus, the "Stechkin automatic pistol" outlived its creator for a long time (Igor Yakovlevich died in November 2001) and still remains a popular weapon in the structures of the Russian Ministry of Defense, FSB, FSO, Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as special forces of a number of foreign countries. Perhaps this is one of the most important signs of a designer's genius - when a product created by him, despite the emergence of new ideas and designs, continues to work even after the death of the creator.

Currently, there are a large number of models of small arms in Russia, including pistols. But the "veterans" - TT, PM and APS, who have served people for several decades, are still of definite interest.

Currently in Russia there are a large number of models of small arms, including pistols. They differ both in caliber, and in the principle of operation of automation, and in the tasks for which they are intended. But the most significant authority is still possessed by the "veterans" - TT, PM and APS, who have served people for decades.

The most honored of the above is the "pistol of 1933", often called TT - Tula Tokareva.

It was adopted by the Red Army in 1930 to replace the morally and physically obsolete Nagant revolver of 1895. In terms of its tactical and technical characteristics, the TT surpassed all modern models. Exceptional simplicity, strength and reliability, as well as low cost of its production - these are the distinctive features of this pistol.

In 1933, the TT underwent minor modernization. Minor changes were made to the trigger mechanism, the back wall of the handle was made in one piece.

TT automatics worked using the recoil of the barrel with its short stroke. The movable shackle lowered its breech when the barrel moved back. At the same time, the weapon was being reloaded (the same principle was used by the Colt M1911A pistol, which allowed Western authors writing about weapons to call the TT "Tokarev-Colt pistol").

The pistol uses a 7.62x25 caliber cartridge (the same as in the Mauser pistol). Later, under this cartridge were developed submachine guns PPD (1934), PPSh (1941), PPS (1942).

However, the pistol also has a rather significant drawback - it lacks a fuse as an independent part. Its role is played by the safety cocking of the trigger. But if the pistol falls, a spontaneous shot is possible as a result of a break in the safety platoon.

The pistol passed the tests of the Great Patriotic War with honor, having established itself as a powerful, simple and reliable melee weapon. He remained in service for some time after the war. Its popularity is also evidenced by the fact that the production of TT was established in China, Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia and other countries. In some of them, TT is still produced today.

High accuracy of fire is ensured due to the successful layout of the pistol parts. Due to the fact that the center of gravity of the pistol and the axial barrel are shifted closer to the grip, the TT, with its rather significant weight (940 grams), is practically not felt in the hand.

But the development of individual small arms required new solutions. At some point, the TT ceased to be a self-sufficient weapon, and in 1951 it was replaced by the pistols of N.F. Makarov (PM) and I.Ya. Stechkin (APS).

Both of these pistols use the simplest, and therefore more reliable, principle in the operation of automation - the recoil of the free breechblock. In both pistols, the return spring is put directly on the barrel (although in the first modification of the APS, the return spring was under the barrel, as in Browning pistols). For both of these pistols, a 9x18 cartridge was developed, more powerful than that used in the TT.

The undoubted advantage of the PM is the design of the firing mechanism. The self-cocking device allows you to make the first shot (if there is a cartridge in the chamber) without first cocking the hammer. The fuse box is located in the back of the bolt casing, on the left, which allows you to control the pistol with one hand (the right one holding the weapon). Bringing the pistol to the firing position for its further carrying in this position is carried out as follows. By twitching the bolt, the cartridge is driven into the chamber. Then the fuse is turned on, and the shot does not occur. Now, for the first shot, you just need to remove the safety catch and pull the trigger.

APS

Despite the apparent similarities, APS and PM are completely different types of individual small arms. APS is designed to arm officers directly involved in hostilities. The trigger mechanism of this pistol is also self-cocking, allowing not only single fire, but also burst fire. The fuse box, located in the same way as that of the Makarov pistol, also serves as a fire translator. The sight of this pistol is mobile, for shooting at distances of 25, 50, 100 and 200 meters. The magazine holds 20 rounds (staggered). The APS pistol is carried in a wooden or plastic holster, which, being fastened to the rear wall of the grip, acts as a butt when firing bursts. In extreme cases, bursts of fire can be fired directly from the hand, without a stock (the cartridge used allows you to do this). Unfortunately, despite the perfection of the design, during the operation, serious shortcomings of the APS were revealed (first of all, its excessive weight and dimensions), therefore, at present, this pistol is no longer produced, giving way to submachine guns such as "Kedr", "Kashtan "and" Cypress ", using the same cartridge 9x18 mm.

The Makarov PM pistol, on the contrary, served as the base model for a number of new developments. In 1994, the PMM was launched into mass production - a modernized Makarov pistol. Outwardly, it practically does not differ from the base model (except for the grip cheeks), but its magazine holds 12 rounds of 57-N-181SM, which, not differing in size from the standard "Makarov" cartridge, has increased penetration and stopping power. The design of the chamber has been slightly changed - three screw grooves are made on its surface, which provide braking of the shutter recoil and smooth out the difference in the dynamics of automation when firing with conventional and reinforced cartridges. As for the rest, the design, which has proven itself well over more than 40 years of operation, has not undergone any changes.

IZH-71

In the mid-1990s, the IZH-71 pistol was developed specifically for security personnel, based on the PM, which uses the 9x17 Kurz cartridge and has specially lowered characteristics (for example, the initial bullet speed of the IZH-71 is 290 m / s versus 320 m / s for PM). The IZH-71 magazine is produced in 2 versions - for 8 and 10 rounds (in the latter case, the pistol is called "IZH-71-10"). Outwardly, the "IZH-71" differs from the PM, again, by the cheeks of the handle.

PSM

The PSM pistol (self-loading small-sized pistol) was developed by the creative team of T.I. Lashnev, A.A. Simarin and L.L. Kulikov specially for arming the top command personnel of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB-FSB. This pistol is designed for the new 5.45 mm cartridge. The trigger mechanism is self-cocking. Interesting is the location of the fuse (above the rear of the shutter). When it is turned off, the trigger is cocked at the same time. The pistol has no protruding parts, so its thickness does not exceed 18 mm, which creates advantages for concealed carry. But due to the low penetration capacity of the cartridge, this weapon is of little use in real combat. Rather, its niche is an individual self-defense weapon. All of its design features indicate this.

Of course, now new types of pistols are being produced, designed to perform completely different tasks in different conditions, but TT, PM, APS and PSM have left their worthy contribution to history, serving faithfully for the cause of protecting the Motherland for more than a decade.