Small-sized PSM pistol, nicknamed “a weapon for spies. PSM is a second chance weapon. Unknown pistol (4 photos)

History of development small arms in the Soviet Union and subsequently Russia can boast big amount unusual ideas and concepts. Many of the designs developed by Russian gunsmiths subsequently began to be used almost throughout the world, like the AK. This article will tell you about a unique pistol, which is still actively used by the troops, despite its rather long existence. This is a small-sized self-loading pistol - PSM.

general characteristics

It is perhaps impossible to find a pistol like the PSM, the characteristics and design of which have remained unchanged since its release in 1974. This weapon is well known all over the world, and it is no coincidence that respect for it came. This is the flattest pistol in the world - its width is only 18 mm, in addition, it is very accurate and practically trouble-free. And he had to take part in various military conflicts a lot.

History of creation

At the end of the 60s of the twentieth century, the development of a small-sized pistol for concealed carry by officers and intelligence authorities began in the Soviet Union. The order was sent by the KGB to the design bureau of the TsNIITOCHMASH plant. Among other conditions, special attention was paid to the following: the small mass of the future weapon (up to 0.5 kg), the possibility of concealed carry, the absence of protruding parts and dimensions (thickness up to 18 mm).

The types of cartridges existing at that time could not meet these requirements, so the question arose of developing a cartridge specifically for the new weapon. A group of engineers headed by Bochin A.I. took on this task. As a result of the work, a new cartridge appeared - MPC, which stands for “small-sized pistol center fire.” It had a caliber of 5.45x18 mm, assigned the index - 7N7. It was almost identical in characteristics to the PM cartridge, not inferior to it in anything. Thanks to the use of a pointed bullet, the new cartridge easily penetrated body armor close range, had an excellent stopping effect.

Direct development of the pistol

The PSM pistol was developed by Tula designers from TsKIBSOO Kulikov L.L., Lashnev T.I., Simarin A.A. The idea of ​​the main layout of the pistol was borrowed from the foreign Walther PP.

In 1972, a competition was held that tested two samples - PSM and another pistol - BV-025. According to the test results, the PSM won an unconditional victory, which showed excellent combat characteristics, high ergonomics and ease of operation, balancing when firing and accuracy that met the requirements. At the same time, the BV-025 was noticeably inferior to it in the quality of automatic operation and could not fully realize its potential with the MPC cartridge.

Already in August of the same 1972, the PSM pistol was approved for arming the special services and law enforcement agencies of the USSR. Typically, it was immediately received positively by many employees. The pistol could be fired instantly, and it was small in size. In addition, at a distance of 5-6 meters, the bullet from the MPC cartridge pierced all body armor available at that time. However, its developers considered the penetration of the pistol insufficient, but the Americans who used it had a completely different opinion. During tests in the West, it was found that a bullet, piercing 30-45 layers of Kevlar, still has enough energy to inflict a fatal wound on a person. This caused serious concern to the US government and police.

Modernity

Now this pistol is still popular. On its basis, several successful samples were developed, for example, IZH-75, which was simply widened to 20 mm and gave new sight, and also provided an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber. Initially it was planned to sell it abroad. But since the MPC cartridge is not common in the West, the pistol had to be remade for other cartridges. This is how the MP-441 “Baikal” variant was created, which uses 6.35 mm Browning cartridges. It is much thicker (37 mm), due to the use of cheeks of a different design. The gunsmiths fulfilled all the requirements put forward by the US government. But in America, as well as in many foreign countries, it was banned due to its exceptional lethality; it is widely known under the nickname “assassination pistol.” Now it is actively used as sporting weapon, although the combat qualities of the PSM are still poor high level.

Design Features

The PSM pistol has an automatic mechanism that operates on the principle of blowback. The double-action trigger mechanism, with an open trigger, allows only single firing. The flat frame of the pistol is securely connected to the barrel. Like the PM, the return spring is simply put on the barrel. A rod and a spring-loaded sear are mounted under the trigger. With the help of a special protrusion on the sear, when the pistol was put on safety, the rod blocked the trigger. In the rear position, the bolt is limited by a special spring-loaded bracket.

The PSM pistol is fed with ammunition from a single-shot box-type magazine with a capacity of 8 rounds. When the ammunition was used up, the bolt moved to the rearmost position and locked, which speeded up the reloading process. The sighting device consists of a front sight and a rear sight. The safety lever blocks the firing pin and locks the bolt and trigger in the forward position. The flag is on the left side, near the back of the bolt. This makes it possible to immediately cock the hammer when the safety is turned off. When the safety is engaged, the trigger is immediately released from the cocking position. These features allow you to carry a pistol that, even when the safety is on, is ready to fire, which is why intelligence officers love it.

A well-made pistol grip allows the pistol to fit comfortably in the hand and hold it when shooting. It is attached to the frame with a single stop, making it easy to assemble and disassemble the pistol without the use of tools. At first, the cheeks of the handle were made of duralumin, and later they became polyamide.

The pistol has a long barrel, which gives excellent ballistic performance. The PSM pistol, the characteristics of which were excellent, also has excellent performance indicators, which allow disassembling the weapon with the help of hands, while tools and any additional maintenance and equipment are not required.

PSM pistol - technical characteristics

The cartridge used is 5.45x18 mm MPC.

Total length - 155 mm.

Barrel length - 85 mm.

Weight (with empty magazine) - 460 g.

Weight (fully loaded) - 510 g.

Thickness - 18 mm.

The initial bullet speed is 315 m/sec.

Magazine capacity - 8 rounds.

Modifications and options

Today, many manufacturers focus not only on the military, but also on the civilian weapons market, which forces them to make modifications to their models. PSM is also popular among civilian gun owners.

Among its variants is the PSM gas pistol, which is intended for self-defense and has been mass-produced since 1993. Let's talk a little about this sample. During its development, they simply changed the bushing, adapting it to a 7.62 mm gas cartridge, and made a smooth barrel. New sample called 6P37. The bolt was not subjected to any modifications, since the gas cartridge had the same sleeve as the combat one, only the shape was changed to cylindrical, and the barrel was crimped in the form of an asterisk.

But its release was complicated by the fact that the permit issued to civilians in the 90s gave free access to such weapons to criminal circles. And it was not difficult to convert a gas pistol into a combat pistol. To do this, the separator and muzzle sleeve were removed, and the barrel was drilled to fit the desired cartridge. The frequency of these alterations led to the fact that by the beginning of 2000, the gas pistol had practically disappeared from the shelves of gun stores.

Traumatic version - "Chain mail"

The PSM traumatic pistol is also produced. This is its modification “Kolchuga”, developed for a cartridge with a 9 mm RA rubber bullet. Since the caliber was larger than that of the standard PSM, the design of the receiver and feeder was changed, which became much thicker. The magazine capacity has also changed - 6 rounds, although there are also pistols with 7 rounds in the magazine. It is also worth noting that of all the modifications, it is the “Chain Mail” that is most similar to the original combat pistol. The difference can only be found by checking the manufacturer's mark. When the barrel was redesigned, two ridges were added to prevent it from firing anything harder than rubber, and its density and geometry were also changed to prevent the bullet from gaining enough energy to inflict a fatal wound. If you shoot from it, for example, with live ammunition, the barrel will simply become deformed and shooting will be impossible. This secured the weapon, preventing it from being used as a combat weapon and thereby eliminating the possibility of alterations for criminals. Today "Kolchuga" is one of the most popular pistols for self-defense.

Results

As you can understand from this article, the PSM small-sized pistol — This is one of those weapons that turned out really successful. Its prevalence not only in Russia, but throughout the world indicates that this brainchild of Russian gunsmiths has high combat potential, which even meets foreign standards. In addition, the PSM pistol (the photos allow you to see this) is very compact and convenient.

The history of the creation and experience of using the little-known pistol, now superseded by the GSh-18.
On assignment for the development of a small-sized pistol for arming the senior command staff of the Soviet Army, operational groups of the KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR in the Tula TsKIB SOO, designers T. I. Lashnev, L. L. Kulikov and A. A. Simarin created a new compact pistol for concealed carry , designated PSM (small self-loading pistol). The main requirements were minimum dimensions and weight with no protruding parts. Work on the creation of weapons was carried out from 1970 to 1972. The PSM pistol was put into service in 1974 after the first state tests. Automation works according to the scheme of using recoil with a free shutter. The trigger mechanism is hammer-type, double-action, with automatic safety cocking. Once all the cartridges have been used up, the bolt-casing moves to the bolt stop, actuated by the magazine feeder, and remains in the rearmost position until a loaded magazine is attached or removed from the bolt stop manually.
On the left side of the bolt-casing there is a safety lever, which is also a lever for safely decocking the hammer. When on, the safety locks the hammer, trigger and bolt housing. The magazine latch is located at the bottom of the handle. The cheeks of the early version of the handle were made of aluminum alloy. The pistol used a new 5.45×18 cartridge developed by designer A.D. Denisova. This cartridge, designated 7N7, differs from other small-caliber ammunition for compact short-barreled weapons primarily in its pointed bullet and bottle-shaped cartridge case. The cartridge is equipped with a shell bullet weighing from 2.5 to 2.9 g, with an initial speed from 315 to 320 m/s and energy from 124 to 137 J. The bullet consists of a combined core of steel and lead parts or of a solid lead core and bimetallic shells. Cartridges with lead core bullets are exported.
Law enforcement agencies use cartridges with bullets that have a combined core and have a high penetrating effect. It is ensured by the steel part of the core, located in the head of the bullet. It is the ability to penetrate light body armor that is the main advantage of this cartridge. High penetration allows you to confidently hit a target behind light cover or wearing body armor of the first and second classes, and the flat flight path contributes to more uniform aiming when shooting at different distances. Perhaps the most serious drawback of the PSM pistol is the lack of stopping power of the bullet of the cartridge used, which is a consequence of the small caliber due to the requirements specified during the development of the weapon.
There have been recorded cases of the use of PSM in clashes with criminals, where those who received mortal wounds continued to attack or flee. True, after this, after some time, they still died. As a result, the enemy can be quickly stopped only by targeted shooting to the head. PSM is not a weapon for ordinary self-defense; its job is to eliminate the threat to the owner in certain situations. The main advantage of the PSM pistol is its compactness and lightness, and at the same time, the pistol, thanks to the large penetrating effect of the bullet, gives a chance to hit an enemy protected by NIB. The width of the gun is only 18 mm! This was achieved thanks to the rational placement of structural elements. The safety lever is placed so that its protrusion is not on the side, but above the rear surface of the bolt-casing, allowing the safety to be turned off and the hammer to be cocked almost simultaneously. When the fuse is turned on, the hammer is safely released from the cocking position.


This is how the owner described his feelings from the PSM: “The blueing is normal, the processing of external surfaces is done carefully, there are no traces of machine processing. When grasping the handle, the little finger falls onto the magazine cover, and the pads of the middle and ring finger should press firmly on the left side of the handle, the gun is firmly sunk into the flesh between the thumb and forefinger. With this grip, the pistol fits tightly into the hand and is confidently held in it for shooting. The descent, with the hammer pre-cocked, turned out to be smooth, moderately tight, without dips, and quite short. Overall a good descent.
In self-cocking, it surprisingly turned out to be even and short, although noticeably tighter. It seems that the developers of the pistol assumed that the first shot from the pistol would be fired by self-cocking. The recoil is stronger than on 5.6 mm pistols, noticeable, but much weaker than the PM. Subjectively, the shot feels somehow strong, even powerful for such a small cartridge. It’s a strange feeling that doesn’t exist when shooting from 6.35 and 5.6 mm pistols, that this shot can certainly kill. The accuracy is excellent, it knocks out dozens at 25 meters, this really surprised me. The pistol allows you to quickly fire a series of shots. The myth about concealed carrying in a jacket pocket has been dispelled - you cannot carry it in an outer jacket pocket, the pistol pulls heavily on the jacket.


You can only carry a pistol in the inside left pocket of your jacket. When worn this way, the pistol is not visible at all, although when pulled out, the safety catch catches a little, and the half a kilogram of iron in the inner pocket lets you know. In general, this is where you should wear it; it’s perfect for ultra-secretive wearing in a classic suit. In jackets and coats it is not noticeable at all and is easy to wear. It must be carried with a cartridge in the chamber with the safety off. The first shot can be easily fired by self-cocking; this does not greatly affect the accuracy of shooting. When carrying a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber, it is better to pull the trigger (the pistol goes into self-cocking mode) and turn off the safety. It is extremely difficult to cock the hammer and turn off the safety at the same time; it is better to immediately turn off the safety. In a combat situation, in this case, you will be able to shoot either immediately by self-cocking, or, if you have time, you can cock the hammer, and you will not have to do any manipulations with the safety. Using a pistol requires good shooting skills, given the specificity of the cartridge, that is, the virtually absent stopping effect of the bullet, it is best to shoot at vital important organs enemy. If the situation allows, then you can easily fire a series of shots.”
Vlad17 And one more opinion about the PSM pistol. An employee of a special unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the author of the photos presented here: “Can be deciphered as Self-Calm Pistol, Maybe you'll get lucky. There is a known case when a wounded man, with five bullets in the stomach fired from a PSM, independently walked to medical institution, located one and a half kilometers away. Moreover, he was of slight build. A very accurate pistol, at the level of sporting small-caliber pistols. Very compact. James Bond would be pleased with him. A combat pistol would benefit from a spur on the lid of one of the magazines. Suitable as a backup pistol, but not as a primary weapon. Plus the problem with the shortage of ammunition.”


The modernized PSM pistol was produced under the designation IZH-75, with several differences from its prototype. The cheeks of the handle are made of plastic and have a horizontal protruding notch and a curved rear surface, which makes the weapon more secure and correct, and also improves the controllability of the weapon when shooting. The shape of the trigger guard was slightly changed. The width of the weapon is 20 mm. For export, the MP-75 pistol was produced chambered for the 6.35mm Browning cartridge. This pistol is currently in production and is designated as the MP-75 chambered in 5.45x18, but is marked "IZH-75" on the left side of the front of the slide. In general, the pistol has proven itself to be a trouble-free, easy-to-use, safe, accurate and durable weapon throughout its entire operation.
Main characteristics of MP-75
Caliber: 5.45×18
Weapon length: 155 mm
Barrel length: 85 mm
Weapon height: 109 mm
Weapon width: 20 mm
Weight without cartridges: 460 g.
Magazine capacity: 8 rounds

Intended for arming the senior command staff of the Soviet army. The main requirements for the new pistol were a flat design with no protruding parts on the side surfaces, a thickness the size of a matchbox, and a weight with a loaded magazine of no more than 500 grams. The traumatic version of the PSM-R is made of the same materials as its combat ancestor. The bolt, frame and other parts are made of weapon steel, the linings on the handle and the magazine cover with a modified shape for a better grip are made of plastic.

Traumatic pistol PSM-R (Small-sized Self-loading Pistol) - a self-loading pistol of 9 mm caliber.

USM- trigger, double action. The safety lever is located on the left side of the slide next to the trigger. When the weapon is put on safety, the hammer is automatically released from cocking. The safety itself is located in such a way that by moving your thumb when turning it off, you can simultaneously cock the trigger. The PSM-R design has a bolt delay, but there is no lever to turn it off (this was done to reduce the number of parts protruding from the weapon). To remove the bolt from the slide stop, you need to remove empty store and, slightly pulling back the open shutter, release it. Unlike the Russian modification, the Ukrainian traumatic PSM-R does not have any protrusions in the barrel bore.

Self-loading pistol, small-sized (PSM) and its modifications

The small-sized self-loading pistol, abbreviated PSM, was developed at TsKIB SOO in Tula by a team of designers consisting of T.I. Lashnev, A.A. Samarin and L.L. Kulikov. in 1970-1972. The pistol was created on the basis of TTT approved by the military-industrial complex under the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The main requirement was “flat, without protruding parts on the side surfaces; as thick as a matchbox (17mm), lightweight, weighing with a loaded magazine no more than 0.5 kgf”, with overall parameters - length 155 mm, height 106 mm, thickness 17 mm .
In 1972, a pistol with a factory index of 6p23 was adopted by the services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB of the USSR, the highest command staff of the Soviet army.
It began to be produced in 1974 at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant.
For this pistol, designer A.D. Denisova developed a new MPTs cartridge (5.45*18), the mass of which was 4.8 g, the bullet - 2.5 g, the initial speed of the bullet was 300-315 m/s.
It should be noted that over more than 30 years of production, the PSM pistol has not undergone any modernizations or modifications, with the exception, perhaps, of the handle shell.
The first PSMs had an aluminum handle, but to improve the ergonomics of the pistol, it was soon decided to replace the handle with a plastic one. The pistol “got thicker” by 2 mm, now its width was 20 mm, but this was a small price to pay for improving its “grip”. All modifications of PSMA produced and currently produced are equipped with a plastic handle.

Fig.1-1. PSM combat pistol of the first releases.

Rice. 1-2. PSM combat pistol currently produced.

In addition to the PSM pistol produced, the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant produces two combat modifications of the pistol: Izh-75 chambered for the same 5.45*18 cartridge, which, except for the name, is no different from the regular PSM.

Another modification of the pistol is the pistol Baikal-441 or MP-441.
This pistol has two differences:
— it is made for caliber 6.35 (.25ACP)
— a rear sight is installed, adjustable vertically and horizontally.

Fig. 1-4 Export pistol Baikal-441 (MR-441)

All Performance characteristics of pistols are given at the end of the article.

In 1993, with permission for Russian citizens to purchase gas weapons, the production of domestic gas pistols was launched, which differed favorably from foreign models in that they were made of weapons-grade steel. As in the case of the PM, when developing the gas PSM, they did everything simply: they took a regular combat PSM, installed a chamber sleeve for a specially designed 7.62 mm gas cartridge. The trunk was smooth throughout.
There was no need to redo the shutter, because this cartridge was developed on the basis of the MPC cartridge, only instead of a bottle shape it received the usual cylindrical shape and its barrel was clamped in the form of an asterisk. The pistol was named 6p37.

Fig.2-1. The first version of the gas 6p37-7.6

Fig.2-2. View of the barrel of the first version of the gas 6p37-7.6. The absence of a separator is noticeable and a hole in the cartridge sleeve is visible.

Later they began to produce a new version of the gas 6p37, in the barrel of which a twisted separator plate was installed, which was supposed to swirl the gas cloud, but in fact only reduced its density and the speed of its departure from the barrel. The separator was fastened with a bushing from the muzzle of the barrel. The bushing was pressed in and cored from the side surfaces of the barrel.

Fig.2-3. An ordinary gas 6p37 that was left in the store and sold only in 2002.

A little later they started producing 6p37 for the foreign 8mm gas cartridge. But they didn’t have much time to release 6p37-8.

Fig.2-4. The entrance to the chamber is 6p37 with the corners remaining from the combat PSM at the entrance to the chamber (shown by an arrow), they must be ground off for normal chambering.

Fig.2-5. Pistol 6p37 incompletely disassembled.

In 1996-1997 The plant began producing a new modification of the gas PSM - the Izh-78 pistol.

The production of a new modification of the gas PSM was due to the fact that the 6p37, falling into criminal hands, could very easily be converted into a combat pistol, both chambered for 5.45 mm and 6.35 mm. To do this, it was enough to remove the separator, the muzzle sleeve and drill the barrel for these cartridges. Therefore, the Izh-78 was distinguished by a thinner barrel made of inferior steel. Due to the design features of the PSM, it was no longer possible to weaken the pistol.

Fig.2-6 Gas Izh-78-8

Now it was the other way around: the gas Izh-78-8 was produced en masse, and the Izh-78-7.6 was produced in separate batches. It should be noted that in terms of reliability, the 8mm modification of the Izh-78 is much more reliable than the similar 8mm version of the Izh-79 due to the more suitable length and width of the magazine for an 8mm gas cartridge.

But the constant criminal conversions of the gas-powered Izh-78 into a combat pistol, as the most suitable for this purpose from the entire range of pistols produced, led to the fact that the Izh-78 abruptly disappeared from the assortment of gun stores at the beginning of 2000.

Also at the beginning of 2000, the pistol magazine underwent some changes: its cover began to be made of plastic, and it received a slightly different shape, more convenient for the little finger of the shooting hand.

Fig.2-7. Pistol 6p37-7.6 with a magazine with a modified cover.

2.3. Gas pistol with the ability to fire a rubber bullet Izh-78-9T "Kolchuga".

In the fall of 2004 in gun store"Kolchuga" a new modification of the PSM pistol has appeared, more precisely the gas Izh-78 - Izh-78-9T chambered for a 9mm-RA caliber cartridge with a rubber bullet. This pistol received its own name "Kolchuga", after the name of the store of the same name, which pushed the pistol onto the civilian market.

Fig. 2-8 Gas pistol with the ability to fire a rubber bullet Izh-78-9T "Kolchuga"

Unlike the usual gas Izh-78-7.62/8, this pistol received a 9-RA caliber. In connection with this, the magazine body was changed (the thickness of the walls became smaller, the cutout in the side walls changed), the feeder became a little thicker, having a different shape. Due to the use of a 9mm cartridge, the magazine capacity became only 6 rounds, although by making the feeder yourself, the capacity can be increased to 7 rounds (it’s strange that this was not done at the factory). Also, due to the use of a 9mm cartridge, the thickness of the walls of the barrel post has decreased significantly, but is strong enough for firing a cartridge with a rubber bullet.

By the way, I would like to note that the Izh-78-9T pistol is more like a combat pistol than any other gas, or gas-powered pistol. It can only be distinguished externally by its factory marks. The channel of the pistol barrel has two protrusions, which have already become standard, in order to prevent the possibility of firing anything harder than a rubber ball, and also to keep the muzzle energy of a shot with a factory cartridge within 40 J.

Figure 2-9. Places for welding protrusions in the Izh-78-9T barrel bore.

2.9. Traumatic pistol PSM-R

Specially for Ukraine, another modification of the pistol of the same caliber 9-RA is being produced, chambered for a cartridge with a rubber bullet. Its difference from the Russian modification is the absence of protrusions in the barrel bore.
Moreover, according to available information, the pistol comes to Ukraine with an unidentified barrel, which is simply installed there and sent for sale. The pistol was named PSM-R

Figure 2-10. Traumatic pistol PSM-R with the bolt removed.

3. Pistol design. Operation of pistol parts and mechanisms.

The pistol is a self-loading weapon in which all functions of reloading the pistol and cocking the hammer when firing are performed automatically.
The automatic action is based on the recoil principle of the free shutter.
The double-action trigger mechanism, of the hammer type, ensures single-shot fire both after pre-cocking and without pre-cocking. To fire again, you need to release the trigger, then press it again, and so on until the set of cartridges in the magazine is completely used up.
The trigger is freely located on the axis at the rear of the frame. Below it are located the mainspring, sear and trigger rod.
The barrel is fixedly mounted on a ledge in the middle part of the frame; the barrel bore is locked by the inertia force of the heavy bolt and the force of the return spring.
A spring-loaded trigger guard is attached to the bottom of the frame in front, which serves to protect the trigger from accidental pressing. At the same time, it performs a number of functions to hold the moving parts of the gun.
On the front upper plane of the guard there is a protrusion that serves to limit the travel of the bolt when moving backwards; at the bottom there is a special shoulder for fixing the trigger guard when the magazine is inserted. Safe handling of the pistol is ensured by a safety lock that blocks the trigger and locks the bolt and trigger in the forward position. When the fuse is off, it is possible to additional measure safety - setting the trigger to safety cock.
The pistol consists of the following main parts and mechanisms:
Barrel - serves to direct the flight of the bullet and impart rotational motion to it using screw rifling. The rear part of the barrel is the chamber; on the magazine side there is a bevel for receiving cartridges. A return spring is placed on the barrel.
Trigger mechanism - serves to keep the hammer cocked, fire control and self-cocking firing. Consists of a hammer, hammer rod, trigger assembly and sear with a spring.
The bolt is a moving part of the pistol, locks the barrel bore and, under the influence of recoil force, activates its automation. The bolt contains: sighting devices, a safety catch, a firing pin, an ejector, recesses and protrusions for stopping the bolt in the rear extreme position, cocking the hammer, and chambering a cartridge.
Return spring - serves to return the bolt to the front extreme position after firing and create additional force for locking the barrel bore. At one end of the spring there is a coil of smaller diameter to hold it on the barrel and at the other end there is a coil of larger diameter to create a stop against the transverse annular wall of the bolt.
Stop - designed to hold the bolt in the rear position after the entire set of ammunition in the magazine has been used up. It is activated by the feeder after all cartridges have been used up. Handle - covers the side windows and the rear wall of the frame, serves to hold the pistol when firing.
Stopper - serves to secure the handle to the frame and limit the rotation of the magazine latch.
The magazine assembly is designed to accommodate and feed cartridges during semi-automatic shooting. Consists of a magazine body, feeder, spring and cover.

Fig.3-1. Parts and mechanisms of a pistol.

1 - handle; 2 - stopper; 3 - magazine latch; 4 - mainspring; 5 - trigger pull; 6, 27, 31 - axles; 7 - sear spring, 8 - sear; 9 - safety tooth; 10 - trigger; 11 - striker; 12 - fuse, 13 - drummer; 14 - shutter; 15 - front sight; 16 - rear sight; 17 - ejector; 18 - ejector stop; 19 - stop; 20 - barrel; 21 - return spring; 22 - trigger guard; 23 - trigger rod; 24 - reflective protrusion; 25 - window; 26 - release spring; 28 - trigger; 29 - trigger rod; 30 - frame; 32 - bracket protrusion; 33 - store body; 34 - feeder; 35 - feeder spring; 36 - magazine cover; 37 - ejector spring.

Fig.3-2. Frame with barrel.

1 - trigger; 2 - trigger axis; 3 - frame; 4, 9 - axes; 5 - clamp; 6 - bracket protrusion; 7-barrel; 8 - trigger guard; 10 - bracket spring; 11 - special shoulder.

Fig.3-3. Pistol bolt.

1 - fuse box; 2 - fuse; 3 - rear sight; 4 - ball spring; 5 - ball; 6 - window; 7 - shutter; 8 - front sight: 9 - ejector stop; 10, 13 - grooves; 11 - ejector; 12 - window for the barrel; 14, 16 - longitudinal projections; 15 - recess; Channel 17.

Fig.3-4 Trigger mechanism

B) Sear with spring

B) Pull trigger.

D) Mainspring with trigger rod.

a - trigger; b - sear with a spring; c - trigger with pull; g - mainspring with trigger rod; 1, 2, 20 - axles; 3 - recess; 4 - wedge-shaped protrusion; 5 - pin; 6 - head; 7, 9, 28 - holes; 8 - trigger; 10, 17, 24 - safety teeth; 11 - combat tooth; 12, 21 - self-cocking teeth; 13 - groove; 14 - rib; 15 - internal recess; 16 - spout: 18 - sear; 19 - sear spring; 22, 23 - teeth; 25 - disconnecting ledge; 26 - trigger rod; 27 - traction axis; 29 - trigger; 30, 34, 37, 39 - protrusions; 31 - release spring; 32 - rebound protrusion; 33 - notch; 34 - trigger pull; 35 - mainspring; 36 - magazine latch; 38 - notch Fig. 3-5 Drummer

1 - striker; 2 - drummer; 3 - ledge
Rice. 3-6 Ejector and ejector stop with spring.

1 - ejector; 2 - ledge; 3 - hook; 4 - axle; 5 - ejector stop; 6 - ejector spring
Fig.3-7. Fuse.

1 - checkbox; 2, 3, 6, 7 - grooves; 4 - rib; 5 - platform; 8 - protrusion
Figure 3-8. Shutter stop.

1 - reflective protrusion; 2, 3, 4 - protrusions; 5 - trunnion 3.2. Operation of pistol parts and mechanisms.

3.2.1. Before loading.

The bolt in its extreme forward position is pressed by the return spring to the breech end of the barrel; the fuse is on (the flag is turned forward); the trigger, under the action of the mainspring through the hammer rod, is turned to the forward position, the fuse protrusion blocks its further rotation forward; the shutter is locked with a fuse - the cylindrical part of the fuse fits into the recess of the frame; the sear is turned forward with the safety guard, and its safety tooth is located in front of the trigger rod tooth;
the trigger is turned by the trigger spring and top part rests against the back wall of the window frame; trigger rod - in the rearmost position, its self-cocking tooth is located behind the self-cocking tooth of the trigger; when you press the trigger, the trigger rod moves slightly forward and engages with the safety tooth of the sear with the safety tooth, while the trigger turns slightly back, but is not cocked;
the magazine is located in the window of the frame and is fixed with a latch, its feeder is in the upper position and its spring is pressed against the longitudinal protrusion of the bolt.

3.2.2. When charging

when loading the magazine, the cartridges lie on the feeder in one row, compressing its spring; the upper cartridge is pressed and held by the bends of the side walls of the magazine body;
when inserting a loaded magazine into the window of the frame, the magazine latch slides over the protrusion on its wall and holds the magazine in the frame; the upper cartridge rests against the lower plane of the longitudinal protrusion of the bolt;
when the fuse is turned off (by turning its flag back), the protrusion of the fuse turns down, stopping the trigger from blocking; the edge of the left groove of the fuse releases the sear, which, under the action of its spring, turns back, and its protrusion becomes under the safety tooth of the trigger; the sear safety tooth stops blocking the trigger rod tooth and allows the trigger to rotate; the cylindrical part of the fuse comes out of the recess of the left wall of the frame and separates the bolt and frame;
when the bolt is pulled back, the return spring is compressed; the trigger rod, under the action of the bolt, is lowered onto its protrusion and disconnected from the sear tooth and the self-cocking tooth of the trigger; the trigger turns and moves the trigger rod down, compressing the mainspring; the right wedge-shaped protrusion of the trigger, additionally moving the trigger rod forward, puts it and the trigger in the position for firing a shot; the sear, under the action of its spring, falls with a protrusion under the combat tooth of the trigger; the feeder, under the action of its spring, lifts the cartridges, the top of which becomes in front of the forwarding part of the longitudinal protrusion of the bolt; movement of the shutter back is limited by the protrusion of the trigger guard;
when the bolt is released, the return spring sends it forward; the ramming part of the bolt moves the upper cartridge from the magazine into the chamber; the cartridge, sliding along the bends of the side walls of the magazine and along the bevel of the rear part of the barrel, enters the chamber and rests with the slope of the sleeve against the chamber cone; the barrel bore is locked with a bolt; the ejector hook slides into the sleeve groove; the next cartridge is lifted by the magazine feeder until it stops at the lower plane of the longitudinal protrusion of the bolt; the trigger, freed from the action of the bolt, turns slightly forward and engages with the protrusion of the sear with its fighting tooth; forward movement of the bolt is limited by the rear end of the barrel.

3.2.3. When the fuse is turned on

When the safety is engaged on a loaded pistol (by turning the safety flag forward), the safety protrudes. turning upward, it is installed in the path of movement of the trigger; the cylindrical part of the fuse fits into the recess of the left wall of the frame and locks the bolt with the frame; the edge of the left groove of the fuse turns the sear forward, stopping its engagement with the trigger; the safety tooth of the sear becomes in front of the trigger rod tooth; the trigger, under the action of the mainspring, rotates through the trigger rod until it is limited by the fuse protrusion; the trigger rod turns upward, and its self-cocking tooth becomes behind the self-cocking tooth of the trigger;
When the safety is turned off (by turning its flag back), the pistol is ready to fire by self-cocking.

3.2.4. When shooting

When the safety is turned off and the hammer is cocked, the parts operate as indicated in paragraph 2;
when you press the trigger, the trigger rod moves forward, rises, turning the sear with its tooth, and disengages it from the trigger tooth; the trigger, freed from the sear, under the action of the mainspring through the trigger rod, sharply turns forward and strikes the firing pin, which strikes the cartridge primer with its striker;
by the pressure of the powder gases, the bullet is ejected from the barrel, the cartridge case with the bolt moves back; the return spring is compressed, the trigger rod is lowered and disconnected from the trigger tooth of the sear, the trigger turns and moves the trigger rod down, compressing the mainspring; the released sear, under the action of its spring, is pressed against the trigger and, with its further rotation, sinks with a protrusion under the combat tooth of the trigger;
the sleeve, encountering the edge of the flange with the reflective protrusion on the stop (reflector), is thrown out through the shutter window; the feeder places the next cartridge in front of the forwarding part of the longitudinal protrusion of the bolt;
moving to the rearmost position, the bolt hits the protrusion of the trigger guard, the return spring opens and sends the bolt forward; the cycle of operation of the parts is repeated as described in paragraph 2;
when the trigger is released, it rotates forward under the action of the trigger spring, and the trigger rod, moving backward, comes out from under the sear, rises, and its tooth becomes behind the sear tooth.

3.2.5. When shooting by self-cocking.

When firing by self-cocking, the hammer is cocked and released by pressing the trigger; the trigger rod moves forward, its tooth engages with the self-cocking tooth of the trigger; the trigger turns and, cocking, the disconnecting edge of the wedge-shaped protrusion squeezes the trigger rod out of engagement with it; the trigger rod removes the sear from the zone of passage of the safety and combat teeth of the trigger; at the moment of complete disengagement from the rod, the trigger rotates forward under the action of the mainspring, striking the firing pin.

3.2.6. When the magazine runs out of ammunition.

After firing the last cartridge, the bolt moves to the rearmost position, the magazine feeder rises, and its protrusion, resting against the lower platform of the reflective stop protrusion, turns the stop all the way with its protrusion against the stump of the barrel; the shutter, returning to the forward position, stops and is held; the trigger rod is lowered and separated from the trigger tooth of the sear; the trigger, under the action of the mainspring, is pressed against the lower plane of the longitudinal protrusion of the bolt; there is a gap between the trigger tooth and the protrusion of the sear, pressed to the trigger by a spring;
After removing the empty magazine, the bolt, under the action of the return spring, continues to hold the stop in the upper position with its ledge; when the bolt is retracted to the rearmost position, the stop is released and rotated downwards by a spring-loaded lock, and its rear end leaves the movement zone of the bolt ledge; after releasing the bolt, it is sent forward by the return spring, the trigger is cocked, the trigger rod rises, and its tooth is installed behind the sear tooth.

4.1. Incomplete disassembly of the pistol.
Make sure the gun is unloaded. To do this, remove the magazine, pull back and release the bolt.

Rice. 4-1. Pulling the trigger guard

Pull the trigger guard (10) and lower it down.

Fig.4-2 Removing the shutter.

Pull the bolt back (in direction A), lift it and remove it forward (in direction B)

Fig.4-3. Removing the return spring.

Using a twisting motion, remove the return spring from the barrel.
This completes the partial disassembly.

4.2. Complete disassembly of the pistol.

Carry out partial disassembly as indicated in paragraph 4.1.

Fig.4-4. Removing the handle.

Push the magazine latch vertically into the depth of the handle and use the end of a wipe to press out the handle stopper (21), then remove the handle downward.

Fig.4-5. Removing the mainspring with the trigger rod.

Pull the trigger and release the trigger, holding it carefully (1, movement A). Push the magazine release (20) vertically upward (movement B). Pull back the trigger rod with the mainspring assembly (23, movement B). Take it down.

Fig.4-6. Removing the shutter stop.

Stop the shutter (12), remove to the left. For further disassembly of the pistol, it is necessary to separate the trigger assembly with the trigger rod (according to the manual for the PSM pistol this procedure can only be done if the gun is so dirty that the parts move with difficulty)
So, for further disassembly:
Push out the trigger pin (white arrow in Fig. 4-4). Withdraw back trigger pull from under the trigger. After this, holding and gradually releasing the rear part of the trigger rod upward, pressing the trigger guard down, move the trigger forward, and turning it to the left in the frame socket, bring it down and separate the trigger from the trigger rod.
After this, push out the sear axis and separate the sear from the frame downwards.

Fig.4-7. Dismantling the store.

Press the feeder spring (18) towards the feeder (14), and its bend will come out of the slot in the magazine cover (19). Slide the magazine cover forward and separate it from the magazine body (17). Remove the feeder and feeder spring from the magazine body.

This completes the complete disassembly.

Reassemble the gun in the reverse order.
5. Cleaning and lubricating the gun.

The gun is cleaned and lubricated in the same way as the PM gun. Nevertheless, we will present it here. The pistol must be kept clean and in good working order at all times. This is achieved by timely and proper cleaning and lubrication, careful handling of the gun and proper storage of it.

Pistols are cleaned:
- after the shooting. Immediately after shooting, the barrel bore and chamber must be cleaned and lubricated. Perform final cleaning of the pistol upon returning from shooting; in the next 3-4 days, clean the gun daily;
— if the gun is not in use, at least once every 7 days.
Apply lubricant only to a well-cleaned and dry metal surface immediately after cleaning to prevent moisture from affecting the metal.
To clean and lubricate the gun, use:
— liquid gun lubricant - for cleaning the pistol and lubricating its parts and mechanisms at air temperatures from +5 to -50 C;
— gun lubricant - for lubricating the barrel bore, parts and mechanisms of the gun after cleaning them; this lubricant is used at air temperatures from +5º C and above;
— RChS solution (barrel cleaning solution) - for cleaning barrel bores and other parts of the pistol exposed to powder gases;
- rags or KV-22 paper for wiping, cleaning and lubricating the gun;
It is also highly recommended to clean the weapon after shooting with a water solution of soap, a water solution of ash from a fire, and special cases, with rusty weapons and kerosene.
To make it easier to clean grooves, cutouts and holes, you can use wooden sticks or sticks with cotton wool.
The pistol is cleaned with RFS solution only after shooting.
If you fired gas cartridges, then first, before cleaning, you need to degas the pistol.
Degassing of the pistol is carried out with any alcohol-containing liquid (alcohol, cologne, vodka. A clean rag is moistened with alcohol, and all parts of the pistol are wiped with it. In Izh-78-7.62/8 (6p37-7.62), alcohol is forced through the bore of the pistol using a medical bulb. In 6p37 early series there is no separator in the barrel, so there inner surface The trunk is also wiped with an alcohol-soaked rag. After this, you can proceed directly to cleaning the gun.
1) Prepare cleaning materials and lubricants.
2) Disassemble the gun.
3) Clean the bore (for PSM, Izh-75, MP-441 and early 6p37 pistols).

Pass tow or rags through the wiping slot; The thickness of the tow layer should be such that the wipe with tow is introduced into the barrel bore with a slight hand effort. Soak the tow with liquid gun lubricant. Introduce the rub into the bore from the muzzle. Place the pistol frame on the table and, holding it with your left hand, right hand smoothly move the wipe along the entire length of the barrel several times. Change the tow and repeat the cleaning again. Rub thoroughly. Wipe the bore dry first with tow and then with a clean, dry rag. white. Inspect the rags; If traces of soot or rust are noticeable on the rags, wipe the barrel bore again with tow soaked in liquid gun lubricant, and then with dry tow or rags. Repeat cleaning the bore until the rag removed from the bore is clean.
Clean the chamber in the same way. The chamber must be cleaned by rotating the wiper with tow (rags).
In the Izh-78-9T pistol, clean the barrel bore using either cotton swabs or by passing a strip of cloth soaked in liquid gun lubricant or RSF through the barrel.
Cleaning with the RChS solution is carried out in the same order as with liquid gun lubricant, and continues until carbon deposits are completely removed and tombakization, i.e. until a brush moistened with a solution, a stick with cotton wool or tow comes out of the barrel bore without signs of soot or greenery. After this, wipe the bore with a dry stick with cotton wool, tow or rags. The next day, check the quality of the cleaning performed and, if carbon deposits are found on it when wiping the barrel bore with a clean rag, clean again in the same order. After cleaning the bore, clean the chamber by wiping in the same way.
4) Carefully inspect the bore and chamber against the light. When inspecting, pay special attention to the chamber, which should not contain any dirt or carbon deposits.
5) Clean the pistol frame with barrel and trigger guard. Wipe the parts dry with a rag until dirt and moisture are completely removed. Remove rust with tow or rags soaked in liquid gun lubricant.
6) Clean the bolt, return spring, bolt stop and parts of the trigger mechanism. If the pistol is cleaned after shooting, then clean the bolt cup with tow or rags soaked in liquid gun lubricant or RFC solution until the carbon deposits are completely removed. After cleaning, wipe it dry. If the pistol has not been fired and there is no carbon deposits or rust on the bolt cup, then wipe it with a dry cloth.
Wipe the remaining metal parts and mechanisms dry with a rag until dirt and moisture are completely removed, using wooden sticks for this.
Clean the bolt, bolt stop and parts of the trigger mechanism in assembled form during duty wear without shooting, and in disassembled form after shooting, leaving the pistol in the rain and heavily soiled.
7) Wipe the handle with a dry rag or tow.
8) Clean out the store. The magazine is cleaned when worn on duty in assembled form, and after shooting, the pistol is exposed to the rain and is heavily soiled - in disassembled form. After outfits and activities, wipe the store dry with a rag until dirt and moisture are completely removed. After firing, remove carbon deposits from the feeder with tow or rags soaked in liquid gun lubricant or RSF solution. After cleaning, wipe the feeder dry.
9) Wipe the holster with a dry cloth both from the inside and outside until dirt and moisture are completely removed.
10) Wipe the wipe dry.

5.2. Additional gun cleaning products.

In special forces of the army and police, weapons are treated with even greater attention, because... they have to use it much more often and people’s lives depend on them to a greater extent. Therefore, many intelligence officers, especially of the old school, in whose training they participated the best specialists and old tsarist army and Soviet special services such as SMERSH and the NKVD use other materials to clean weapons. Of course, the same tools are used, but the solutions are different, unfortunately forgotten by many.
So, to clean weapons after shooting, as indicated, aqueous solutions of soap and ash from a fire are used. Just like grease (RFS), weapons are cleaned with these solutions. But after cleaning, be sure to let the weapon dry for 15-20 minutes and only then wipe the parts dry.
If rust stains are noticeable in the weapon, also due to microcracks and pits on the metal surface, after cleaning, the parts of the pistol are lowered and soaked in kerosene for about 10 minutes. After this, allow the weapon to dry completely and wipe the pistol dry. Kerosene penetrates into all microcracks and removes traces of soot and rust from there. After this, the weapon is cleaned again with gun oil and wiped dry.

5.3. Gun lubrication.

Used to lubricate the gun gun oil. For low temperatures(from -5) - liquid. The best option- use neutral gun oil, which is suitable for both low and high temperatures. Lubricate the gun in the following order.
1) Lubricate the bore. Pass a rag through the wiping slot. Soak a rag with lubricant. In Izh-78-9T, soak a stick of cotton wool with lubricant. Insert the rub or stick into the bore and smoothly move it two or three times along the entire length of the bore to evenly cover the bore with a thin layer.
2) Lubricate the chamber. Lubricate the chamber from the breech by rotating and wiping with a rag.
If you carry a weapon with a cartridge chambered in the chamber, then after lubricating the chamber, be sure to wipe it and the barrel dry with a rag, because Due to the increased surface tension, the oil will certainly penetrate inside the cartridge and render it unusable - the gunpowder will become damp and oxidize.
3) Lubricate the remaining metal parts and mechanisms of the gun. Lubricate the outer surfaces using an oiled rag. To lubricate channels, sockets and holes, use an oiled rag wound on a wooden stick. Apply the lubricant in a thin, even layer. Excessive lubrication on gun parts will cause contamination and may cause gun malfunction.
4) Magazine lubrication.
After lubrication, all parts of the magazine are wiped dry. Only the spring can be left lubricated. This is also done to prevent oil from getting into the cartridges. Naturally, do not lubricate the cartridges under any circumstances! It is enough to simply wipe the cartridges with a dry rag to remove traces of soot, if any.
It is not necessary to lubricate the holster; you can just wipe it with a rag and dry it.
5) Lubricate the wipe.
6) After lubrication is completed, assemble the gun, inspect it, check the correct assembly and operation of the parts and mechanisms of the gun.
A gun brought from a frost into a warm room cannot be lubricated until it “sweats”; when drops of water appear, without waiting for the moisture to dry, wipe the parts and mechanisms of the gun dry and lubricate them.

Produced at the enterprise for 25 years. According to the designers, it was intended to arm the army's senior command staff, but high efficiency its small dimensions and weight made it popular among security forces and law enforcement officers. The combination of these qualities also makes it an ideal weapon for self-defense.

The operating principle of the automation is the use of the recoil energy of the shutter. Locking is carried out by an inertial shutter. The trigger mechanism is a hammer type with self-cocking. The safety is non-automatic; when turned on, it decocks the hammer and blocks the firing pin and the bolt.

The pistol provides high accuracy of fire: the best dispersion diameter when shooting at a distance of 7 m is less than 25 mm, at a distance of 10 m from a sitting position with elbows resting - less than 20 mm.

The unique 5.45 mm MPTs cartridge surpasses the 6.35 mm and 7.65 mm Browning cartridges (.25 ACP and .32 ACP) most common among self-defense pistols in terms of penetration. With a firing range of 3 m, the MPC cartridge bullet completely penetrates 45 layers of Kevlar and penetrates 10-15 mm into the support without deviating from the trajectory.

The trigger force when firing without self-cocking is no more than 2.7 kg, when firing with self-cocking - 5.7 kg.

Low recoil energy - less than 1 J - reduces the tossing of the pistol when firing.

The firing dynamics and noise level are comparable to the characteristics of pistols chambered for rimfire cartridges.

Despite its small thickness (21 mm according to the fuse), it fits very comfortably in the hand.

Specifications
Caliber, mm 5.45x18
Barrel length, mm 85
Overall dimensions, mm 155х109х21
Magazine capacity, 8 rounds
Weight with loaded magazine, kg 0.5

Caliber: 5.45x18 mm

Length: 155 mm

Barrel length: 85 mm

Thickness: 18 mm

Weight without cartridges: 460 g

Magazine capacity: 8 rounds

5.45mm pistol PSM(designers Lashnev, Simarin and Kulikov), originally intended for concealed carry by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB, was adopted for service in 1972 based on the results of a competition in which it defeated its only competitor - the Babkin BV-025 pistol. To achieve a minimum gun thickness at an acceptable lethal action for it, the Klimovsky TsNIITochMash developed a special, unique 5.45x18mm cartridge with a bottle sleeve (designation 5.45x18 MPC, index 7N7). Subsequently, the PSM pistol was also used as a weapon of personal self-defense by senior command ranks of the law enforcement agencies of the USSR and Russia.

The Small-Size Self-Loading Pistol, or PSM for short, gained fame primarily for its exceptional compactness and minimal thickness, as well as for the ability of its small-caliber pointed bullet to penetrate some soft body armor at short ranges, successfully protecting against more powerful cartridges such as 9x18PM or 9x19.

The disadvantage of the PSM pistol is the low stopping effect of bullets. There are known cases when, after using PSM on a criminal, the latter, even having received mortal wounds, continued to resist or flee, and then, after some time, “suddenly” died.

The reason for such a low stopping effect lies in the small caliber of bullets, which, in turn, was determined by the specified tactical and technical requirements 1971 with the minimum dimensions of the future weapon. In particular, the requirements stated that the thickness of the pistol “should not exceed the thickness of a matchbox,” that is, 17 mm; in addition, the pistol should not have protruding parts and be as flat as possible.

The limitation on the thickness of the bolt obviously limited the maximum possible diameter of the barrel, which, in combination with the simplest scheme with a free bolt and a return spring around the barrel, limited the possible caliber of the new weapon. Commercial versions of the PSM pistol in export version have the index Izh-75 and are produced both in the native caliber 5.45x18 and in the once popular caliber for pocket pistols 6.35mm Browning (.25ACP).

The PSM pistol is built on the basis of automatic blowback action.

The design of the pistol is made almost entirely of steel; on pistols of early releases, the grip cheeks were made of aluminum alloy; later they began to use plastic cheeks, which had a more convenient shape. The trigger trigger for the PSM pistol is double action. The safety lever is located on the left side of the slide, next to the trigger.

When the weapon is put on safety, the hammer is automatically released from cocking. The safety itself is located in such a way that by moving your thumb when turning it off, you can simultaneously cock the trigger. The PSM design has a bolt delay, but there is no lever to turn it off (this was done to reduce the number of parts protruding from the weapon). To remove the bolt from the slide stop, you need to remove the empty magazine and, slightly pulling back the open bolt, release it.

The small-sized self-loading pistol (aka PSM) is, along with the Makarov pistol, the most famous short-barreled weapon in the country. Popular rumor even nicknamed the small-sized PSM pistol a “spy pistol” - for the reason that from the very beginning it was intended mainly for employees of special agencies (the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB) and was used, due to its characteristics, for the most part to carry out all sorts of operational (secret) activities. IN Soviet films about spies, the PSM was simply shown as the most important spy weapon.

In addition to all sorts of espionage matters, the pistol was intended for the highest command ranks of the army, and also as a reward weapon.

The pistol was designed in 1972 by Russian gunsmiths. For firing from a pistol, special cartridges of 5.45x15 MPC caliber were created. Having defeated its competitors as a result of tests, two years later the pistol officially became one of the types of weapons for the army and special forces. It is still in service to this day.

And here’s what’s interesting: starting from the seventies of the last century and ending nowadays, the pistol has not undergone any design changes, additions or other innovations. There was simply no need for such changes, since the weapon had proven itself to be the best, and rightfully occupied a leading position among pistols of its class not only in Russia, but also abroad. The only change was some reworking of the handle, and this is more related to tuning than to some kind of design change.

This concerns a sample of weapons that were used within the country. The export sample of PSM has undergone some fundamental alterations. The fact is that the export model had to be adapted for firing with cartridges of a different type and caliber.

More about the pistol

The weapon is configured in the same way as the famous German-made Walter pistol. The PSM differs from other weapons of the same class in the following characteristics:

• Excellent accuracy;
• High precision;
• Excellent balancing, making it very comfortable to shoot from the pistol;
• The simplicity of the device allows you to easily disassemble and reassemble the pistol.

In addition, the consumer liked the dimensions of the pistol. Weapons of smaller thickness simply did not exist at that time. Another undoubted advantage is that the charges for this pistol were with unusual bullets. Unlike most other pistol loads, these bullets were pointed. Having this design, the bullet was capable of penetrating protective vests - despite the relatively small caliber. Even more powerful charges do not have such properties.

By the way, in addition to the fact that a bullet fired from a PSM pierced protective vests, it did not lose its lethal qualities and could kill the person wearing the vest. For some reason, domestic weapon users did not attach any importance to this, but, say, the Americans did, and were very worried about this circumstance, since they did not have compact weapons with such an impressive destructive force of the charge.

Features of the tactical and technical characteristics of weapons

The performance characteristics of the PSM pistol are as follows:

• The length of the weapon (total) is 15.5 cm;
• The trunk is 8.5 cm long;
• Gun width – 1.8 cm;
• When unloaded, the pistol weighs 460 grams;
• When loaded, the pistol weighs 500 grams;
• The pistol's magazine capacity is 8 charges;
• Rate of fire – up to 30 rounds per minute;
• The most effective fire is up to 85 m;
• The number of rifling in the barrel is 6;
• Bullet flight speed (initial) – 310 m.

The 5.45x18 MPC caliber cartridges are intended for firing from a pistol.

How automation and other components of the pistol work

The automatic operating principle of a weapon is classic - blowback recoil. Impact mechanism– trigger type. The trigger is open. The first shot can be fired without cocking the hammer. You can only fire single shots from a pistol. The frame is firmly connected to the barrel. The return spring is put on the barrel. When moving during the firing process, the bolt reaches a special protrusion located on the trigger guard and inhibits further movement of the bolt. When the last shot occurs, the magazine delay stops the bolt in its rearmost position. In order for the bolt to return to its place, you must first remove the magazine and move the bolt itself back a little.

In general, the operation of pistol automatics is traditional in everything. As well as the sight device (front sight and fixed rear sight).

But the safety flag on the pistol is located in a unique way- on the left side of the pistol body. In this way, you can use your thumb to turn off the safety and at the same time cock the trigger. Another feature of the weapon is that in order to remove the bolt, you must first remove the magazine from the handle. This must be remembered - including during the process of disassembling the pistol.

Additional technical characteristics of PSM

If we talk about the combat performance of weapons, they are generally recognized to be at a very high level. Despite the fact that the pistol itself is compact, its barrel is relatively long. With such a barrel, the weapon's ammunition, despite its relatively small caliber, has sufficient power to hit the enemy.

This concerns the ballistic data of the pistol. If we talk about its operational data, they differ in the following characteristics:

• The pistol is thin (it is considered the flattest pistol in the world);
• The pistol is easy to control while firing;
• Disassembling the pistol, as well as assembling it, is not difficult;
• Spare parts for the pistol are not in short supply, and the pistol itself is not difficult to repair.

If we talk about the disadvantages, then, perhaps, the main disadvantage of the PSM (small-sized self-loading pistol) is that its bullet has a rather small stopping effect. Rumors are passed on from mouth to mouth in Russia that sometimes an enemy, struck by several bullets fired from a pistol at once and receiving mortal wounds, nevertheless does not fall dead from them, but continues to act for some time, and only after some time time is dying.

However, this is a relative disadvantage, because the PSM from the very beginning was not created for the battlefield, but to carry out some specific operations with its help.

About the appearance of the pistol

The appearance of any weapon is perhaps its main advantage. It happens that all other characteristics of a weapon are very mediocre, but if at the same time it has an excellent modern design, then such a weapon is simply doomed to popularity. As for the appearance of the PSM, according to many of its users, it is quite up to par. Its handle has specially made sidewalls (cheeks). Thanks to them, the design of the weapon is improved, and, in addition, the pistol is more convenient to shoot. The cheeks mask the side windows, as well as the back of the frame. At the very beginning, the cheeks were made of duralumin, later they became polyamide.

Again, according to the testimony of many weapon users, the pistol grip is quite successful and ergonomic. The handle fits freely and comfortably in any palm - be it large or small.

There are no protrusions on the pistol's slide. Thanks to this, the pistol was always easily hidden in a pocket or in the folds of clothing, as well as in handbags (remember movies about spies), and was removed from there without any problems.

Weapon modifications

It is clear that such a successful and legendary pistol sooner or later had to serve as the basis for modifications. However, until the early nineties, no modifications or versions of PSM existed. In the early nineties, due to known historical events, such modifications began to appear.

At first they tried to introduce the pistol to the Western market. The attempt turned out to be quite successful, and the pistol very soon took a prominent place in the world market firearms. True, for this it was necessary to slightly change the design of the weapon, adapting it for firing with other charges - 6.35 mm Browning. And by the way, it was a very good decision. The PSM, which fires 6.35 Browning charges, has become very popular among the intelligence services of many countries around the world, and, in addition, among ordinary users who use weapons for self-defense.

In addition to the above version, there are currently many purely civilian modifications of the famous “spy” pistol. Here are just a few of them:

• The PSM-R traumatic pistol, produced by craftsmen from Ukraine, is practically an exact copy his combat double;
• Gas pistol 6p37;
• Gas version of IZH-78. This is a modified modification of 6p37. So that no one is tempted to convert the gas 6p37 for firing live rounds, a barrel of a different caliber is attached to the IZH-78, made of a material with worst quality what the barrel of the previous version was like;
• IZH-78-9T. This - traumatic pistol, externally similar to the PSM and adapted for firing 9 mm RA charges;
• Traumatic pistol "Chain mail". Of all the PSM modifications, it is the “Kolchuga” that is most similar to the original. Due to design decisions, it is almost impossible to convert this version to fire live rounds, however, due to its exceptional similarity to the original, the weapon is extremely popular.

According to available data, several more versions are currently being developed by gunsmiths in several countries. traumatic weapons based on the PSM pistol.

Final conclusions

PSM is a famous, recognizable and in demand pistol. He is rightfully considered a pride Russian weapons and even, along with AK, a national symbol. Probably no one can say how many copies of this weapon have been produced over the years. To this day, many intelligence agencies around the world willingly use this weapon - despite the fact that the pistol has many much more modern competing models. And this indicates the high quality of PSM.

In addition to performing purely combat missions, the pistol is also used for self-defense. In addition, the pistol is used for sporting purposes, shooting at targets from it.