Silent sniper rifle VSS “Vintorez. Silent weapon (Special Sniper Rifle “Vintorez”) Sniper VSS

The "Val" family of weapons has long been famous for its use of advanced technologies and truly unique developments. Take, for example, the brand new, but already gained fame, “Whirlwind” - a silent and compact assault rifle that has become a favorite of special forces. Its brother AS "Val", a participant in many military companies, has already become famous even outside the Russian Federation, easily surpassing many analogues. The Vintorez is a worthy company for them - a rifle that combines the advantages of a sniper and an assault rifle.

Pedigree

The echo of the Cold War between the States and the Union makes itself felt even in our time. was developed under a special government order in the 1970s. Successfully conducted tests contributed to its adoption into service. Back in the 80s, it fell into the hands of KGB officers, intelligence officers and some special forces units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. "Vintorez" VSS made it possible to hit targets almost silently. And all thanks to the unique structure of the muffler. Moreover, with its help it was possible to destroy not only the enemy’s manpower, but also his unarmored equipment.

The use of the new rifle turned out to be so successful that the developer of the rifle, TsNIITOCHMASH, began creating a high-precision assault rifle based on it. The novelty appealed not only to reconnaissance and attack aircraft, but even to snipers. "Vintorez" VSS and AS "Val" are designed for the same cartridge, their structure is largely similar, most parts are interchangeable. It is not surprising that these two walk shoulder to shoulder almost their entire combat journey.

The device and its features

The design of the rifle is quite simple. The trigger mechanism consists of a striker and two sears. One of them is responsible for automatic fire, the second for single fire. The principle of automation is in many ways similar to that used for the VSS Vintorez rifle, which has the following parts in its structure:

  • barrel with receiver;
  • wooden stock;
  • group of sighting devices;
  • bolt frame with piston;
  • gate;
  • impact, return and trigger mechanisms;
  • gas tube;
  • forend;
  • receiver cover.

In addition to the above, there is a standard magazine designed for 10 rounds.

The automation works on the principle of removing powder gases through the barrel channel into the gas chamber. The channel itself is locked by turning the shutter. The gas piston has a rigid connection with the bolt frame. In its cavity there is a return spring. The fuse box is located on the right; in addition to its direct function, it also protects the box from dust and dirt. Fire modes are switched using a mechanism located in the trigger guard: its horizontal position allows for single fire, the left position allows for burst fire.

The rifle's sights consist of a sector sight mounted on a silencer and a front sight. The front part of the barrel with six rows of holes is completely covered by a silencer. It is through these holes that the powder gases are removed. Having passed through them, they enter the muffler cylinder, and there they are successively dispersed into mutually extinguishing flows, going into the expansion chambers.

The rifle can be equipped with PSO-1, NSPU-3 optics, and a collimator.

Complete unmasking

The VSS Vintorez sniper rifle has two undeniable advantages that set it apart from its analogues. First of all, this is the ability to shoot almost silently.

This useful option is complemented by its special structure and small dimensions. The standard optics, silencer and even the stock are removable parts, which can be easily removed to hide the rifle in a small

Ammunition

Like all members of the VAL family, Vintorez fires 9x39 caliber cartridges - SP-5 and SP-6. These fairly serious ammunition are capable of destroying even light armor of military equipment.

It is noteworthy that their ballistics are different; you need to shoot the weapon separately for each of them. Experts do not recommend using SP-6 cartridges unless absolutely necessary, as they accelerate the wear of the weapon due to the steel-reinforced core.

Lethal force and effective range

The SP-5 cartridge can penetrate two-millimeter steel and hit living targets behind it. SP-6 exceeds this figure by 20%. This weapon cannot boast of a long range of targeted shooting, and this is not its specificity. Still, the Vintorez is a universal weapon, primarily suitable for attack aircraft. Therefore, in order to hit the enemy’s head, you will have to get at least 200 meters away from him. The body can be hit from twice the distance. Installation of additional sighting devices is designed for a maximum range of half a kilometer.

"Vintorez" in battle

Despite a number of advantages, you should not think that Vintorez VSS is superior to all analogues. The weapon is designed primarily for assault, anti-terrorist, reconnaissance and sabotage activities. This weapon is ideal where the fighter cannot reveal his location, but at the same time it is possible to get close enough to the target. Perhaps in some cases it is more logical to use the good old SVD, which, although large-sized, can hit targets at a distance of almost a kilometer. In addition, "Vintorez" is not designed for prolonged battles. But where you need to appear unnoticed, quickly and quietly carry out an operation, and then just as silently retreat, the VSS Vintorez rifle is simply irreplaceable. The price of a combat rifle is relatively low, which makes it possible, if necessary, to equip special forces units with it.

"Vintorez" in peaceful life

It’s not just military and law enforcement officers who often love guns. It also attracts peaceful adventure lovers. Therefore, non-combat analogues of the Vintorez VSS were developed specifically for this purpose. Airsoft, laser tag, paintball are sports where you can meet the civilian version of this rifle. Of course, the design of the weapon has been greatly changed, but the shape is as close as possible to the original. The special shape of the butt, the muffler, and the original body have been preserved. "Vintorez" can be bought in a specialized store for $500-600, depending on the configuration.

Participation in wars and armed conflicts

The Vintorez rifle first showed its worth during the First Chechen Campaign. Then some special forces of the Russian Army were armed with it. She also took part in the Second Chechen War. A case became widely known when a Russian sniper single-handedly destroyed an entire enemy sabotage group with a Vintorez rifle, even before the militants had time to understand from which direction the fire was coming at them.

During the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, both sides were armed with Vintorez.

This rifle was also used in the notorious terrorist operation in Beslan. During the subsequent analysis of the films taken by journalists, it was discovered that at least one militant was armed with a Vintorez.

"Vintorez" in service

Currently, not only Russian soldiers and law enforcement officers have this rifle. It is also exported abroad. It is noteworthy that not only the countries of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and the post-Soviet space, but also the United States showed interest in it.

Does the Vintorez project have a great future?

It is difficult to guess what fate awaits this rifle. Today it does not have a single worthy analogue in its class, but there is no need to talk about its mass production, which could in any way compete with the legendary SVD. This is primarily due to the use of fairly rare ammunition with special ballistics.

But in any case, one thing is clear - Vintorez VSS copes with the task “excellently”. And those who have at least once experienced it in battle unanimously call this weapon “silent Russian death.”

VSS "Vintorez" and AS "Val"

Armed conflicts in the modern world are fundamentally different from those that existed half a century ago. And if earlier the word battle meant “trench” firefights during World War II, now full-scale military operations are a rarity. This fact is closely related to changes in the military doctrines of many countries, as well as to the goals that such missions set for themselves. The command, as a rule, prefers to launch a preemptive strike and prevent the ignition of a large center of resistance, paying for it with several accurate shots. In such conditions, the importance of anti-terrorist and other special forces, as well as their weapons, increases as an effective tool designed to facilitate the implementation of assigned tasks.

Often, when achieving the goal set for the special forces soldiers, it is necessary to eliminate one or more opponents. In order for the task to be completed as efficiently as possible, with minimal or no losses, a weapon is needed that can shoot far, quietly, accurately and with certainty. This is exactly how we can characterize our guests today - VSS Vintorez and AS Val.

Prerequisites

Until the early 80s of the last century, special forces soldiers had at their disposal general-arms firearms, somehow adapted to conduct silent and flameless fire. The whole point was that attaching a silencer to a standard weapon was not enough - extensive modifications were required. For example, the silent firing device (PBS-1), developed for the AK line, had a drawback that had a detrimental effect on the subsonic cartridges used and, as a result, blocked the operation of the automation. After the necessary improvements were made to the design of the silencer, the sighting range of the machine gun, with PBS-1 installed on it, was no more than 100 meters.

Also, to the above-mentioned technical problem, very banal ones were added: increased dimensions and weight of the weapon, decreased reliability and changes in firing, due to wear and tear on the attachment points for flameless and silent firing devices. At the same time, a decrease in range, accuracy and firing efficiency was a general rule for all weapons modified to use silencers.

Given this state of affairs and the growing needs of special forces, in the late 1970s, it was decided to create a single set of silent small arms, which would include a machine gun, a grenade launcher, a pistol and a sniper rifle. As a result of painstaking work, the VSS Vintorez saw the light of day, and then the AS Val - a weapon that was in many ways ahead of its time, both in the field of tactical and technical characteristics and appearance. But first things first.

First steps

During the development of the legendary Vintorez, the designers faced a huge number of difficulties. First of all, this concerns the fact that such weapons were created for the first time, so to speak, “from scratch,” and therefore there were practically no own developments in this area. Another snag was that the new complex had to go into service with several types of special forces, subordinate to different law enforcement agencies, which formed the requirements for future weapons. Often, the conditions put forward contradicted each other and were submitted late.

A group of engineers, under the leadership of designers V.F. Krasnikov and P.I. Serdyukov, began developing a rifle complex back in the 70s - as soon as the idea of ​​​​creating a quiet and inconspicuous weapon for special forces arose. However, it was not until 1983 that it was possible to agree on some aspects of the future sniper rifle, which made it possible to begin more constructive development. The project received the working title “Vintorez”.

Among the stated requirements, the most significant ones could be identified:

    Combat power is not lower than AKS-74U.

    Covert defeat of enemy personnel at a distance of 400 m, while at the same distance, breaking through a steel army helmet.

    Light weight and dimensions, as well as the ability to quickly be disassembled and assembled into component parts, which would allow the weapon to be secretly transported.

    Possibility of using optical (day) and electro-optical (night) sights.

Ups and downs

Already at the development stage, one significant difficulty became clear that hindered the creation of a new weapon - the lack of the necessary cartridge. The fact is that during the design of Vintorez, one type of ammunition was used for effective covert shooting, caliber 7.62x39 US, with a subsonic bullet speed. This sample was the only one and did not meet the requirements for effective firing range. Therefore, engineers created a new 7.62 mm caliber cartridge, designated RG037. Based on the test results, it turned out that the cartridge, although far from perfect, still has every chance of being used in Vintorez, since it provided acceptable accuracy at the required distances.

An interesting thing in this story is the fact that the designers created two prototypes of the rifle - chambered for the old 7.62x39 US cartridge, and the new RG037. Moreover, both guns had the index RG036. It was assumed that the version chambered for RG037 would undergo further development, since the created weapon met the general requirements - it had a length of 85 cm, a weight of 1.8 kg and was capable of piercing a steel sheet 1.6 mm thick at a distance of 400 m.

However, further development of the RG036 was prevented by the requirements for the machine gun, which were received in 1985. Since the machine gun and the sniper rifle were, in fact, part of one whole, another important point was added to the already existing conditions - the defeat of enemy personnel protected by body armor of the 3rd protection class at a distance of 400 meters. The RG037 cartridge used in the Vintorez prototype no longer satisfied the stated requirements, so all work on the RG036 was suspended until the development of a new cartridge, 9x39 mm caliber.

Breakthrough

The 9x39 mm cartridge was developed by designers N.V. Zabelin and L.S. Dvoryaninov by the mid-80s. The new ammunition received the SP-5 index, and during testing showed compliance with all stated requirements. RG036 was converted to a new cartridge, successfully passed tests and in 1987 entered service with special forces. In the same year, the AS (special automatic) “Val”, created on the basis of the VSS “Vintorez”, saw the light of day. It is curious that the SP-6 cartridge was created for the machine gun, which has improved armor penetration, but lower accuracy than SP-5.

Interesting Facts

In addition to their unusual appearance and impressive performance characteristics, VSS Vintorez and AS Val can boast of several remarkable facts from their biography:

    The most curious thing is that in the official terminology the name “Vintorez” is not present - it was a working term that was firmly entrenched in everyday life. The documents say the following: “9-mm special sniper rifle.”

    The assault rifle and the sniper rifle are 70% unified, which allows them to use individual elements borrowed from each other: from magazines to internal components. This fact has a positive effect on the production of weapons.

    The optical sights installed on this weapon system have new markings and an improved sighting reticle that takes into account the ballistics of the new ammunition. So, the famous PSO-1 in this case is called PSO-1-1.

    "Vintorez" and "Val" can use both cartridges - SP-5 and SP-6. At the same time, due to the design features of the rifle, SP-6 is not recommended for use unless absolutely necessary. Unlike a machine gun, the VSS has minimal gaps and backlashes, which quickly become clogged with carbon deposits when firing armor-piercing ammunition - this structure of the internal components was made to achieve higher accuracy of the rifle.

    The SP-5 and SP-6 cartridges are placed in a 7.62x39 cartridge case with a re-compressed barrel for a new bullet. In addition to these ammunition, there are also: SP-6UCH - for training in loading a magazine, as well as SP-5UZ, used to test the strength of the weapon locking unit and used strictly in factory conditions, since it has a reinforced charge.

    The magazine of an assault rifle or rifle has the ability to load from a clip.

    The lifespan of the Vintorez VSS is 1,500 rounds, however, with proper care and high culture of the owner, this figure increases to 5,000.

    The maximum effective range of a sniper rifle is 400 meters, while an accurate headshot is possible at a maximum distance of up to 250 meters.

Results

The effectiveness of the VSS Vintorez and AS Val has been proven by numerous armed conflicts, including two Chechen wars, in which the weapon coped with its assigned tasks perfectly. The practice of military operations has shown that guns are especially deadly in urban confrontations at night. Special forces say that in combat practice it often happened that the enemy lost about five people before he realized where the fire was coming from. However, a skilled sniper is capable of killing an entire squad of the enemy without even revealing himself.

The shooting complex, created more than twenty years ago, still has no competitive analogues in the world. This is largely achieved thanks to a narrowly targeted segment in which BCC and AC are used. It was the integrated approach, with the goal of creating the ideal weapon for saboteurs, that provided the weapon with enviable popularity among elite special forces units around the world.

Game realities

It would be strange if the Combat Arms arsenal did not include a domestic masterpiece of weapons engineering, so on the virtual battlefield you can use:

AS "Val"- classified as an assault rifle and has the following characteristics:

    Damage - 43.

  • Rate of fire - 285.

    Accuracy - 65.

    Recoil - 27.

  • Distance - 3750.

VSS "Vintorez" - automatic sniper rifle. Real exotics on the battlefield:

    Damage - 93;

  • Rate of fire - 100;

    Accuracy - 98;

    Recoil - 21;

    Distance -4950.

VSS "Vintorez" Zoe - an epic version of the weapon belonging to the famous Russian specialist. A real gift for fans of ranged combat:

    Damage - 100;

  • Rate of fire - 120;

    Accuracy - 99;

    Recoil - 20;

    Distance -5550.

Today, like a thousand years ago, only infantry can gain a foothold in captured positions and put a winning point in a military conflict. Therefore, close attention is always paid to the equipment and weapons of the infantryman. Weapon designers work most carefully to improve weapons for a special category - snipers. Their skill depends both on their training and on the availability of modern individual weapons. Russia has achieved good results in the production of high-quality models of sniper rifles. In addition to the well-known SVD, the Russian military also has other, no less high-quality models of sniper weapons. One of these samples was the VSS Vintorez rifle.

What is the model?

"Vintorez" VSS is a silent special sniper rifle used by special forces units. The place where weapons were developed was the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering in the city of Klimovsk. The chief designer of the project is P.I. Serdyukov. The name of the development - the VSS Vintorez weapon - was often used in design documentation. Being a silent sniper complex, during the design work it was also listed as BSK. Index of the Main Artillery Directorate: 6P29.

History of creation

In the 1970s, soldiers of the USSR special forces used modified general-arms models of small arms and grenade launchers, which were equipped with special cartridges that had a subsonic bullet speed. In addition to the weapon, silencers were included.

Using the AKM base, the Silence complex was created, and based on the AKS74U, the Canary complex was created. These automatic silent pistol systems had a number of disadvantages, including:

  • Increased size due to a screw-on muffler (PBS).
  • Changed combat and reduced effective firing range. Unlike their counterparts, silent versions of the weapon were characterized by poor sighting range and accuracy.
  • Weapon resource limitations. This is explained by the wear of the PBS fastening units.

The leadership of the KGB and the Main Staff of the GRU of the Soviet Union set the designers of the Central Research Institute of TochMash the task of creating a special type of weapon for narrowly targeted purposes. In addition, the heads of the intelligence services wanted the new weapon to enable soldiers to operate covertly behind enemy lines. Thus, the designers were required to assemble a complex sniper assault rifle. Thus began the development of a new sniper weapon “Vintorez” VSS, the tactical and technical requirements for which were very contradictory. This was the reason that design work dragged on until 1983. By this time, it had already been decided what qualities a sniper weapon should have.

What was required from the weapon?

The VSS Vintorez sniper rifle was created specifically to hit enemy personnel. She must have the following qualities:

  • Sighting range is not less than 400 meters. From this distance, the fired bullet should pierce the enemy's helmet. For the Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD), the firing efficiency was up to 800 meters.
  • Compact and light. The Vintorez VSS weighs up to four kilograms with full ammunition and sighting devices. The Dragunov sniper rifle has a mass of 4.68 kg. Compared to the SVD, the new VSS is more compact. Dimensions of the "Vintorez" VSS: 20 cm - the length of the barrel, and no more than 894 mm - the length of the entire weapon. The size of the SVD is 1 m 22 cm. Its trunk length is 62 cm.
  • Possibility of quick disassembly and assembly.

How was Vintorez VSS created?

In 1980, under the symbol RG036, the first version of a sniper weapon was created, using reinforced 7.62x39 caliber cartridges. Due to its length (850 mm) and weight (1.8 kg), this model looked like a toy in appearance. In addition, the designers noted that, despite the subsonic speed, the 7.62 cartridge is not capable of hitting targets using advanced personal protective equipment. Design work on RG036 was stopped.

In 1980, SP-5 (special cartridge) of 9x39mm caliber was developed. The fired bullet of this ammunition is capable of developing an initial speed of up to 300 m/sec. Its weight was 16.2 g, which is twice as much as that of the 7.62 mm cartridge. The bullet also had the required subsonic speed and high muzzle energy, capable of piercing a sheet of steel 0.2 cm thick from a distance of 400 meters. RG036 was converted to the new SP-5. This ammunition became the main one for Vintorez. VSS can also use SP-6 ammunition.

Testing a special rifle

The new sniper rifle was tested in 1985. Special mock-ups with personal protective equipment - 6B2 body armor - were used as targets. The tested "Vintorez" VSS showed good results. During testing, parameters such as power and accuracy of hits were assessed.

According to weapons experts, this rifle, with its silent shooting capability, low weight and compactness, can be classified as a melee weapon. This is explained by the fact that modern sniper weapons, when shooting at a distance of one hundred meters, must have an accuracy not exceeding 0.5 MOA (as minute of angle is designated).

The use of optical sights when shooting from a distance of one hundred meters provides the Vintorez with a hit accuracy above 1.0 MOA. The VSS Vykhlop, which uses 12.7x55 mm ammunition, has the same indicator. Both special rifles are considered good weapons for close-range shooting: the Vintorez has an effective target range of 400 m, while the Vykhlop has a range of two hundred meters longer.

The ASVK Kord rifle, using 12x108 mm ammunition, has an effective range of one and a half kilometers. At the same time, experts noted accuracy of hits exceeding 1.5 MOA.

For all Russian-made sniper rifles, accuracy when shooting at a distance of one hundred meters is at least one minute of arc (MOA). For the 1963 Dragunov sniper rifle, the accuracy rate is 1.3 MOA. According to weapons experts, this type of SVD weapon has a small effective firing range - up to 800 meters. Even low weight does not compensate for this disadvantage.

Who uses silent rifles?

This silent weapon first appeared in 1987 among soldiers of the Main Intelligence Directorate and the State Security Committee of the USSR. At one time, this silent rifle was widely used in two Chechen wars. Vintorez is still used today by military personnel of the Airborne Forces, FSB, GRU and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

VSS "Vintorez" for hunting

The Russian manufacturer Molot Arms created civilian weapons that began to be in great demand: the MA-Vintorez-7.62 smoothbore carbines, using 7.62x39 mm cartridges, and the MA-Vintorez -366, with 9.5x37 mm cartridges. Unlike military models, civilian weapons do not have a silent firing function. The muffler in these samples is not real. In civilian rifles, it serves as a PBS simulator to give the product realism.

The principle of operation of military weapons

The automatic rifle uses the energy of powder gases. After the shot, they pass through special holes in the barrel and accumulate in the gas chamber. The rifle's automatic operation is powered by the kinetic energy generated from these gases. The trigger mechanism allows the rifle to be used both for single shooting and for firing in short bursts. Ammunition is located in a two-row sector magazine in a checkerboard pattern. The bolt feeds them into the chamber. Extraction of spent cartridges is performed by a special spring-loaded ejector.

Rifle device

The weapon consists of the following parts:

  • Chromed barrel. It has special grooves with which mufflers are attached to it. Due to 54 holes in the muzzle, the generated gases are transferred to the muffler.

  • Detachable skeletal type stock. For its manufacture, multilayer plywood is used. In its shape it is very similar to the stock in the Dragunov sniper rifle.
  • Silencer. It is equipped with a special stamp-welded cage, which contains a bushing, a cage, washers and inserts. The muffler body has two chambers: a compartment for the muzzle muffler and an expansion chamber into which powder gases are discharged.
  • Sights. Depending on the purpose for which the weapon is used (as a machine gun or a sniper rifle), the appropriate scope is selected. Optical and electro-optical are provided for Vintorez. PSO-1 day sights for VSS are very similar to sights for the Dragunov rifle. They differ in that the silent rifle sight has a distance scale designed for the special SP-5 cartridge. In addition to day sights, night sights have been created for VSS: MBNP-1 and NSPU-3.

Conclusion

According to many weapons experts, the developers of TsNIITOCHMASH succeeded in creating silent weapons thanks to the right path: design work began only after all the tactical and technical requirements were formulated. This is what allowed Soviet weapons designers in the 80s to make a real breakthrough in the creation of silent rifles.

In the early eighties, a group of designers from the Klimovsky Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering began developing a fundamentally new weapon for snipers. When creating a silent sniper rifle, it was necessary to find a solution that would ensure high accuracy and confident destruction of various targets at a distance of up to 400 meters. The weapon was developed for the 7.62 mm US (reduced velocity) automatic cartridge. At the end of 1981, a prototype rifle under the symbol RG036 was ready. The military was struck by its appearance: with a total length of 815 mm, it weighed only 2.2 kg. It is not surprising that the nickname “toy” was immediately attached to the rifle. This “toy” easily penetrated an army helmet and a 25-mm pine board at a distance of 400 meters. However, new requirements that emerged around the same time insisted on the invention of a more powerful cartridge capable of penetrating standard military body armor. Therefore, the design idea, which had died down, began to work again.

The result was not long in coming. In the mid-eighties, new 9mm ammunition was created. The SP-5 sniper cartridge, which provided an accuracy of 75 mm at a distance of 100 m in a group of five shots, and the SP-6 increased penetration cartridge, which was capable of penetrating an 8-mm steel plate at a distance of the same 100 m.

The RG036 rifle was redesigned for new cartridges and in 1987 entered service with special units of the KGB and reconnaissance units of the Soviet army under the name VSS (special sniper rifle).

In the silent sniper rifle VSS (the designers of Klimovsk call it “Vintorez”) the main role is played by an integrated silencer, which extinguishes both the sound of the shot and the flame. The sound of a shot is reduced due to the cooling and dispersion of powder gases, as well as the elimination of the supersonic wave from the bullet. VSS has automation based on the removal of powder gases. The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt. Unlike the SVD, the Vintorez uses a striker-type impact mechanism. The lightweight striker gives a slight jolt to the rifle when fired, which contributes to good accuracy at a high rate of fire. The main mode of shooting from a rifle is single fire, but the possibility of automatic fire is provided. The magazines are made of plastic and are designed to hold 10 and 20 rounds. The Air Force can be easily disassembled into 3 main units: a barrel with a receiver, automatic parts, a trigger mechanism and a forend, a muffler with sights and a stock. These parts easily fit into a specially made case. A PSO type sight is attached to the rifle, as well as any standard night sight.

It should be noted that silent shooting is achieved thanks not only to the silencer, but also to a special cartridge. Therefore, “Vintorez” is not called a sniper rifle, but a sniper complex.

The design of the rifle was considered so successful that on its basis they created the Special Automatic (AS) “Val” and the small-sized SR-3 “Vikhr” assault rifle.

The financial problems of our defense industry in a market economy opened the way for many of the latest developments abroad in the 90s. VSS Vintorez was purchased by countries in the Near and Middle East and South America.

For the creation of the VSS, designers A. Deryagin, P. Serdyukov, N. Zabelin and other specialists became winners of the State Prize several years ago.

The sniper complex, which was created in Tula, at TsNIITOCHMASH by designers P. I. Serdyukov and V. F. Krasnikov. The complex, which included the VSS Vintorez itself ( IN intovka WITH special I am an explanation website) and the SP-5 9*39 mm cartridge, adopted for service in 1987. The rifle is still used by the Russian Army Special Forces to this day.

Ammunition for VSS

SP-5 is a sniper cartridge, which was developed by other inventors, N.V. Zabelin and L.S. Dvoryaninov, also adopted for service in 1987.

When creating the SP-5, the good old 7.62*39 US caliber cartridge was taken as a basis ( U smaller WITH crust). Such cartridges were used in machines with the PBS-1 device. The bullet from this cartridge had a subsonic speed of 310 m/s, which, when using a silencer, made firing from the machine gun silent. At the same time, the bullet had a decent weight of 12.6 g and a design that ensured effective destruction of enemy personnel at a distance of up to 400 meters. However, there was a drawback: low accuracy of fire. In the 60s, the indicator was satisfactory, but in the 80s it clearly became insufficient.

So, based on the cartridge case from this 7.62 * 39 mm cartridge, a sniper cartridge with subsonic (300 m/s) bullet speed was developed, which received the working designation RG037. It had a length of 46 mm, a total weight of 16 g, a bullet weight of 10.6 g, and had good shooting accuracy. At a distance of 100 meters R50=4 cm, and at 400 m – R50=16.5 cm.

Performance characteristics of the VSS Vintorez rifle

Caliber 9 mm
Ammo 9x39 mm SP-5, SP-6
Weight without sight with empty magazine 2.65 kg
Magazine weight without cartridges 0.15 kg
Weight with loaded magazine and sight 3.43 kg
Length 894 mm
Barrel length 200 mm
Height 159 mm
Width 59 mm
Initial bullet speed 290 m/s
Rate of fire 600 v/m
Rate of fire 40-100 v/m
Magazine capacity 10 rounds
Range of a direct shot at the chest figure 185 m
Sighting range 600 m

Description of "Vintorez"

A sniper rifle can conduct both single and continuous automatic fire using the good old principle of removing powder gases from the barrel. This channel is locked by 6 lugs of the rotary longitudinally sliding bolt. There is a double-action flag-type safety, similar to a rifle safety. SVD: It locks the trigger and limits the action of the bolt carrier. Butt VSS "Vintorez"- skeletal type, detachable and made of wood. The entire rifle can be disassembled and folded into a case for concealed carry and transportation.

The rifle's magazine is box-type and has a capacity of 10 rounds (but a machine gun magazine is also suitable AS VAL for 20 rounds), made of plastic. The rifle is equipped with open-type sighting devices: a front sight and a sector sight, located on the silencer body. For sniper shooting during the day, the PSO-1 sight is used, and for night shooting - ESPU-3.

The entire barrel in front of the forend is covered by an integrated silencer.

The muffler operates as follows: after the shot, when the bullet passes the front part of the barrel, part of the powder gases rushes through six rows of transverse holes in the barrel into the expansion chamber of the muffler. In this case, the pressure of the powder gases in the barrel bore and their speed are reduced. A stream of powder gases flowing from the muzzle of the barrel hits the separator, which “divides” it into numerous multidirectional flows, intensively reducing their speed and temperature. As a result, the gases flowing from the muffler have a subsonic speed and low temperature, which does not create pop or muzzle flame, and the shot becomes almost silent. The use of an integrated muffler made it possible to reduce the overall length of the weapon, compared to a muffler mounted on the muzzle of the barrel.

Disassembly and assembly of the special sniper rifle VSS "Vintorez"

Weapons of the VSS and AC type have an expansion type muffler and are subject to heavy contamination by powder deposits during firing. For cleaning and lubrication, as well as eliminating minor malfunctions of the VSS and AC, they are partially disassembled. It is carried out without the use of a special tool and is similar for both types of weapons in terms of the operations performed, with the exception of separating and attaching the butt of the rifle. The procedure for partial disassembly of the VSS and AC:

  1. Disconnect the magazine (holding the rifle with your left hand by the fore-end, grasp the magazine with your right hand, press the latch and, pushing the lower part of the magazine forward, separate it from the weapon), remove the weapon from the safety catch and, moving the bolt frame back, check if there is a cartridge in the chamber. Release the bolt and control release the hammer.
  2. Prepare accessories.
  3. Grasping the forend with your left hand, press the housing latch with your index finger, turn the silencer clockwise with your right hand, and, pushing it forward, separate it from the weapon.
  4. Using a screwdriver, press the separator latch, push the separator into the housing with your finger and then, pushing it with a cleaning rod, separate it from the housing. Separate the separator spring by moving it forward along the barrel.
  5. Press down the lock of the receiver cover, press the protrusion of the return mechanism stop with your finger and, lifting the rear end of the cover, separate it from the receiver.
  6. Holding the rifle, push the return mechanism stop forward until its protrusion comes out of the groove of the receiver; lift the stop and remove the mechanism from the bolt frame channel.
  7. While holding the rifle, push the guide forward until it comes out of the receiver socket, then remove it while holding the firing pin.
  8. Pull the firing pin back all the way and, lifting it, separate it from the receiver.
  9. Pull the bolt frame and bolt back as far as it will go and move them upward to separate them from the receiver.
  10. While holding the bolt carrier in a vertical position, lifting and simultaneously turning the bolt clockwise, remove it from the bolt carrier.
  11. Press the housing latch with your thumb and remove the forend, pushing it forward.
  12. By turning the tube clockwise until the protrusion of the box aligns with the slot on the receiver, separate it from the barrel, moving it backwards.
  13. For separating the butt of a VSS rifle – press down the butt lock and, moving the butt back, separate it from the receiver.




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