Probably every person who is interested in weapons has heard about the 9x39 cartridge. Initially, it was developed for special services, the main requirement of which was maximum noiselessness. In combination with the simplicity of manufacture and reliability, this made the cartridge really successful - many other states created special weapons for it.
History of Special Ammunition
At all times, the main enemy of snipers was the roar of a shot. An experienced shooter chose a suitable position, carefully masked it, becoming completely invisible, and waited several hours or even days to make a single shot. And right after him he was forced to hastily evacuate - the noise of the shot immediately betrayed his position.
Therefore, in Soviet times, it was decided to create a new cartridge, which allows the sniper to provide a high level of stealth when working on targets. Moreover, such an order came from the KGB and the GRU - structures very influential and serious.
Initially, a series of tests was carried out with modified cartridges 7.62x39. As it turned out, they provided good breakdown power and even a fairly low noise level. Alas, the low accuracy did not allow even very good shooters to make a more or less accurate shot at a distance of several hundred meters.
They also tried to modify the cartridge 7.62x25 mm - here the result was completely different. The noise level and accuracy were quite acceptable. But the lethal action let us down - the shape of the bullet intended for supersonic speeds affected.
Experts also developed a fundamentally new cartridge, in which the piston, pushing a bullet, locked the gases in the sleeve. But the work was suspended in the phase of ballistic calculations. As it turned out, the cartridge was too massive - about 50 grams in weight and 85 millimeters long. This completely did not suit customers who wanted to get ammunition for compact weapons.
As a result, only in the mid-80s, specialists managed to create 9x39 mm sniper cartridges that meet all the requirements. They received the names SP-5 and SP-6.
How is silence ensured?
There are several sources of noise when shooting. First of all, it is overcoming the sound barrier by a bullet - an acoustic shock draws attention to the shooter. The second factor is a sharp discharge of pressure. The gases in the barrel are under tremendous pressure, which not only accelerates the bullet, but also ensures the operation of the automation. But when you exit the trunk, a loud pop is heard, unmasking the sniper. Finally, the shutter clang should also not be discounted. In silence, especially in the woods or in the fields, a sharp metal sound spreads tens of meters and can be easily detected by special equipment at a much greater distance.
The first problem was easily solved by the 9x39 cartridge. Specialists, taking 7.62x39 ammunition as the basis, were forced to weight the bullet to reduce its speed. That is why the caliber has been increased to 9 millimeters. The subsonic speed of the bullet provided almost complete noiselessness when firing.
The remaining two factors were solved only thanks to special weapons. Most of the rifle units using this cartridge were equipped with silencers, allowing the gas to be directed in different directions, sharply reducing the noise level. Well, the most accurate fitting of parts, the complete absence of extra gaps and crevices played a role. Even at a distance of 10-20 meters it was impossible to hear shooting from sniper weapons using a 9x39 cartridge. Customers were satisfied.
Cartridge SP-5
The first successful development was this cartridge. With a cartridge weight of 24 grams, the bullet weighed 16.2 grams. This ensured a low flight speed of the bullet and, accordingly, the absence of noise. True, as a result of the fact that the amount of gunpowder in the cartridge was relatively small with a very serious caliber, the initial power of the bullet was relatively small - 673 joules. Therefore, the initial flight speed turned out to be small - 290 meters per second.
Therefore, although the official maximum effective range was designated as 400 meters, in fact, this distance was much smaller - even for good shooters it was difficult to fire at a distance of 200-250 meters. The low speed of the bullet seriously complicated firing on moving targets - had to take huge corrections. Yes, and a little flatness made its own adjustments. Because of this, experienced professionals to this day try not to work on targets that are removed more than 200 meters.
Ammunition SP-6
Alas, with all its advantages, the SP-5 could only work for easily defended targets - a maximum of 1-2 levels of protection for the enemy in body armor.
Fortunately, experts found that the characteristics of the 9x39 cartridge were not fully disclosed - there was room for improvement. So the SP-6 appeared.
Its main improvement was a core made of high-carbon steel. The bullet weight was slightly reduced - up to 16 grams. But the initial energy increased to 706 joules, which allowed to increase the initial speed to 315 meters per second. This is less than the speed of sound, so it is quite satisfactory.
It turned out to be effective when shooting at targets, protected by level 3 body armor. At a distance of 100 meters, the bullet confidently pierces 2.5 mm of steel.
By the way, both cartridges were very good at firing at Kevlar body armor. Where ordinary bullets were “stuck” in the fibers, the slow subsonic did not penetrate, but rather push them through, hitting the target.
A few words about PAB-9
Subsequently, a new cartridge was developed - PAB-9. Its main advantage over the SP-6 was a lower price. The weight of the bullet increased to 17 grams, which led to a less steep trajectory compared to the original cartridge.
But he never went into mass production. The fact is that he created higher pressure in the barrel of the weapon. For a regular AK, this would not be a serious problem, but for a special sniper one - completely. As tests have shown, the resource of the weapon was reduced by about 3,000 rounds. Therefore, a ban on their use was issued in the army and special services.
The main weapon using this cartridge
The first weapon to use a 9x39 mm cartridge was the BCC, or a special sniper rifle , also known as the Vintorez. Lightweight, disassembled into several parts and quickly assembled, with excellent ergonomic properties, it entered the arsenal of snipers "Alpha", GRU special forces and other special forces, becoming an excellent weapon for conducting urban combat.
When it was decided to turn the BCC into an automatic machine, adding automatic fire mode, a special “Shaft” automatic machine appeared. Outwardly very similar to Vintorez, it is distinguished by the ability to shoot bursts - it is very important for close combat.
The VSK-94 rifle had much worse ergonomics, as it was developed not at the Tula arms factory, but at the instrument design bureau.
Also here you can add the machines "Tiss", "Whirlwind" and "Thunderstorm".
Hunting cartridge
The silent cartridge and weapons using it were advertised in books, films and computer games. It is not surprising that the hunting cartridge 9x39 mm soon appeared. The main weapon for which it was intended was a self-loading hunting carbine, created on the basis of BCC. Of course, its cost was astronomical, so the 9x39 mm sporting and hunting cartridge was not widely used - you can find it only in some stores.
However, he achieved some recognition. Still, in the hunt it is very important to be able to make a silent shot without attracting the attention of animals and birds. Therefore, today 9x39 cartridges for hunting wild boar, roe deer and other medium animals are actively used.
Why didn’t the ammunition go to the masses?
Here a logical question arises: "If the cartridge and weapons developed for it are so good, why were they not put into service in the regular army?"
In fact, everything is simple here. According to the device, any weapon using a 9x39 mm cartridge is much more complicated than a regular AK-74 or even an Abakan. Therefore, it is more capricious, needs constant cleaning, care and lubrication. Of course, a simple soldier of military service, spending the whole year in the army, will not be able to master it in full.
The average sniper will also not be able to conduct effective fire from Vintorez or VSK-94. Due to the low speed of the bullet, it is necessary to take appropriate corrections when shooting both at a fixed and a moving target. I would have to conduct a general retraining. Mastering a conventional SVD is much easier, and its effective firing range is much larger.
Conclusion
On this article comes to an end. From it you learned about the history of the appearance and development of the 9x39 silent cartridge. At the same time, they read about what weapons were developed for it - combat and hunting.