In our army, pistols are paid much less attention than other small arms that are in the arsenal of the Russian Federation. Many of the pistols still have their pedigree from the USSR, and only in recent years have really new models created already created in our country began to appear. However, this type of weapon is still not widespread.
But there are some models that, for all their rarity and inaccessibility to the ordinary soldier, have a certain halo of mystery in the troops, and therefore are especially welcome. That is Stechkin’s gun. His characteristics are so inflated by word of mouth that he seems to someone almost a complete replacement for all automatic weapons. Is it so? Let's figure it out.
In fairness, it is worth saying that many "experts", who were hoarse about discussing the characteristics of this weapon, were seen alive except by Stechkin's airsoft gun . This explains the completely ridiculous discussions and verbal battles that are constantly flaring up on thematic sites.
When was it adopted?
In 1951, a unique pistol appeared in service with the SA, the main feature of which was the ability to conduct automatic firing. For more than three years, since the very spring of 1948, its tireless development was carried out by the young gunsmith Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin. At that time, he had just joined the Central Clinical Hospital-14. A prototype was submitted to them by the commission in 1949.
After a number of improvements, the new weapon was adopted under the APS index (Stechkin automatic pistol). Its characteristics were so good for its time that the young designer was immediately awarded the Stalin Prize. The pistol was intended for arming officers and sergeants of certain branches of the armed forces, special forces soldiers, as well as those personnel who did not rely on AKM or AKS (crews of armored vehicles, for example). However, even then, many rightly believed that in the event of a real clash with the enemy, an APS pistol would be clearly not enough for full-fledged self-defense.
In addition, in recent years Stechkin’s traumatic pistol, used by security companies who do not have the right to carry military weapons, has gained popularity.
Automation scheme
As in many examples of such weapons, the pistol works according to the scheme with a free shutter. Initially, it was equipped with a special wooden or plastic holster, which played the role of a stock. When using it, the dispersion of bullets during automatic shooting was significantly reduced. The instruction prescribed to hold the gun with both hands and fire exclusively short, in two or three rounds, in bursts.
The fact is that already after the third shot the barrel of the weapon dragged heavily to the upper right side. If we talk about "cinema" shooting, when the gun is held with only one hand, then more or less effective automatic fire is possible only at a distance of five (!) Meters or less. Note that in some foreign sources this weapon is called "Stechkin submachine gun." Stupidity, of course. Yes, in weight and dimensions it is similar to some submachine guns, but nevertheless it is a pistol, and nothing else.
Stechkin, rightly believing that a high rate of fire in such weapons was unnecessary, placed a slowing mechanism in the handle of the gun, which simultaneously plays the role of a self-timer. As a result, the rate of fire decreased to 700-740 rounds per minute, which could already be considered a satisfactory result.
A special layout of the store
But not only this is interesting for Stechkin’s pistol. Its characteristics include the use of stores, which are quite rare for this type of weapon, in which the cartridges are staggered (in two rows). The difficulty here is that almost perfect manufacturing accuracy of both the chamber and the store itself is required.
As in many other cases, when gunsmiths almost cried because of the characteristics of the domestic cartridge, standard ammunition 9 × 18 delivered many problems. Stechkin spent a lot of time bringing the cartridge feeding mechanism to absolute operability. He coped with his task brilliantly: the pistol functions perfectly in the most extreme conditions, in no way inferior to the PM (in which there is no automatic fire at all, and therefore it is ten times easier). The store capacity is 20 units. Here are the number of rounds in Stechkin’s pistol.
The high complexity of the task facing the developer is evidenced by at least the fact that at present neither American nor European manufacturers of pistols have moved to the chess layout of cartridges in the store.
About fuse
The fuse in the pistol in question is a flag type, it is located on the bolt. In order to simplify the design, it is also used to switch firing modes. The peculiarity of its design is that when the trigger is activated, the trigger immediately (in automatic mode) descends from the combat platoon.
On the left side of the frame there is a slide stop lever . The fastening latch for the store is traditionally located at the bottom of the handle. The sight is simple, sector type. Theoretically designed for 200 meters, but the maximum range relative to effective fire does not exceed 50 meters.
The bullet leaves the barrel with an initial speed of 340 m / s. Since the store fits immediately 20 rounds, the gun has a high density of fire. The early versions of APS were distinguished by the absence of chrome spraying on the barrel, the shape of the grooves for adjoining the holster-shutter, and also a slightly different design of the shutter moderator. However, steel trunks began to be made chrome soon after the first Stechkin pistol went into the series. His characteristics impressed the military, and therefore they rightly demanded that the manufacturer extend the uptime of the weapon.
Trigger mechanism
Since the trigger is double-acting, and the trigger stroke is quite long and slightly tight, a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber can be carried with you without fear of various unpleasant consequences. However, for reliability it is still better to put the trigger on the safety cock. Thus, a random shot is completely eliminated.
Self-cocking, although it has a long stroke, still allows you to make a shot almost instantly, if necessary. As we already said, the Stechkin APS pistol has the highest level of reliability, which is confirmed not only by multi-stage tests, but also by the repeated participation of weapons in hostilities around the globe. Despite the small angle of the handle (which many shooters do not like) and the rather mediocre characteristics of the ammunition used, the accuracy of the weapon is very high.
With a single shot, the recoil force and the throwing up of weapons are extremely insignificant. Having adapted, a fighter can fire a series of short bursts, literally breaking the target with a high density of hits. This quality of weapon provides significant melee advantages. Despite the presence of automatic fire, the design of the gun gives easy access to all its mechanisms for cleaning and maintenance.
As a rule, weapons made back in Soviet times can shoot at least 40 thousand rounds without a single serious breakdown. Of course, during this period, springs may still need to be replaced.
Some design flaws
However, the Stechkin system pistol collected not only rave reviews, since the weapon had enough shortcomings. Thus, the massive holster-butt was extremely inconvenient to use, the weight and dimensions of the gun caused a lot of problems, and such a widely “advertised” automatic fire mode in practice turned out to be almost useless. The handle of a weapon, which has almost no tilt, is extremely inconvenient, not suitable for instinctive fast shooting. Almost all officers believed that the Stechkin APS pistol was not suitable for everyday wear in peacetime.
As a result, the weapon was completely discontinued, most of the APS located in the troops were sent to the backup storage depots. However, this did not apply to various special forces and the KGB. The specifics of their work rarely provided for carrying pistols in peacetime, but such characteristics of weapons as high firepower, the accuracy of the first shots, automatic fire and reliability were very much in demand in these troops.
That is why so much in our countries and in the countries of the former USSR the Stechkin pistol. The combat path of this model was glorious and long. However, much more famous abroad is not the classical model, but its silent modification. We will talk about it in more detail now.
Silent modification
During the Afghan campaign, special units made extensive use of the Stechkin pistol with a silencer. This option was equipped with a removable device for suppressing the sound of a shot (i.e. a silencer), as well as an emphasis on the shoulder. The last device in the stowed position was fixed on the muffler. The weapon received an APB 6P13 index.
This modification was created in 1972, and Stechkin himself did not take part in its development. Stechkin’s pistol with a silencer was adopted by various special forces of all power departments in the same year. In order to reduce the speed of the bullet, leading it to subsonic (to reduce the noise from the shot), several holes were made in the barrel. There are twelve in all, with eight located 1.5 cm from the muzzle, and four - 1.5 cm from the chamber.
Around the barrel is a special tube into which the powder gases, after firing, fall through these openings. From it they are fed into the expansion chamber of the muffler. All additional (in comparison with the original weapons) parts are removable. This facilitates access to them during cleaning.
The silencer itself is attached to the expansion pipe at the crack joint. So that the massive device does not overlap the sighting line, it is located eccentrically, being significantly shifted downward relative to the center line of the barrel channel. In front of the muffler, designers placed blocks of separators. They separate the flow of powder gases, thereby also reducing the volume of the shot.
Advantages of the silent option
The development described above has an important advantage: since the silencer is quite heavy, the barrel of the weapon doesn’t pull up so much with long bursts in automatic mode. Accordingly, the dispersion of bullets in this case is also significantly reduced. Do not forget about the beam stop, which comes with this modification of the weapon. Once again, the use of a silencer does not make the gun completely silent in the philistine sense of the term. The device only hides the sound of the shot, which greatly complicates the determination of the location of the shooter.
In the territory of the former USSR, all modifications of APS and APB were used in most local conflicts. Currently, the APB is in service with military intelligence units, special units of the FSB, GRU and the MVD Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition,
Stechkin’s pneumatic pistol, the characteristics of which are far from any combat model, is used in many shooting ranges for initial shooting training.
Friendly Mode Supplies
At first, APS were delivered abroad only in limited quantities. As a rule, these were personal gifts that the USSR made to the leadership of countries loyal to him. So, Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara had these pistols, and both of these leaders considered them their favorite personal weapons. However, by the end of the 70s of the last century, “Stechkin” could be found in any corner of Africa. The gun, the technical characteristics of which provided for its use in the most extreme situations, turned out to be dearly loved by all categories of rebels and fighters for liberation.
Especially a lot of these weapons were delivered to Libya, Angola, Mozambique. Among domestic fans of this gun, one story is passed on by word of mouth. Its truthfulness raises some doubts, but this tradition is widely known.
Is it fiction or fiction?
It is alleged that the German company Transarms, on the initiative of purchasing a batch of APS (it is not known where and from whom), remade pistols, removing the possibility of automatic fire. After which, allegedly, this weapon entered the arsenal of one of the police (!) Formations in Germany. Fans of domestic weapons in a loud whisper report that all this was done, despite the variety of models Heckler und Koch, Walther, Sig Sauer and Glock.
This immediately raises the question: why such difficulties? Who generally needs a non-automatic “Stechkin” - a pistol, the technical characteristics of which are especially pronounced precisely due to the possibility of automatic fire? Some questions. If the Germans so demanded "home-made" reliability, they could have taken the PMM batch with much greater success.
Large store capacity? So in some modifications of the "Beretta" it is no less. Finally, the main misunderstanding. Who in Germany could need a pistol firing
a 9x18 cartridge, whose characteristics are much inferior to those for the 9x19 Parabellum? In a word, this whole story is extremely doubtful and unreliable.
User reviews
The impressions of the owners of Stechkin, which they used as official weapons, also vary greatly. Many emphasize the amazing accuracy of the first shot and the location of the gun barrel on the sighting line. As the “servicemen” note, the large dimensions of the weapon are partly offset by the selection of individually made holsters. Despite the fact that the modern “Yarygin” has much more powerful ammunition, many fighters prefer to take “Stechkina” for serious operations, since due to its “licked” shape it is easily removed from the holster almost instantly.
What else is Stechkin’s pistol good in the field? Reviews often contain the definition of “Pistol with a capital letter”. Users loved its reliability and power.
Most fighters prefer to use this gun paired with PM or PMM. "Makarov" is used when the main weapon is AKM. "Stechkin" is indispensable in cases where one hand is occupied by a shield, but there is a need for dense automatic fire. Despite the tight descent and low accuracy after three shots (in automatic mode), the military noted that knocking thirty points out of three hits is much more realistic than in the case of the PM or Yarygin.
The main complaints are caused by the wide and uncomfortable handle, the cheeks of which, being made of not very high-quality plastic, slip strongly in the sweating hand. But this problem is easily solved by using a special rubber pad. Such a "kit" in a wide range today produce many Western companies.
Modern use
As we have already noted, after the collapse of the Union, this gun managed to become familiar in all local conflicts in the territory of the former USSR. For Russian pilots, the Stechkin usually paired with the AKS-74U for combat sorties in Chechnya. Snipers also praised the combat capabilities of the APS. The pistol is much lighter than submachine guns and AKSU, and at short distances its effectiveness is slightly worse. In addition, with equal weight, you can take a lot more rounds. In the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, this gun is also popular.
During long-term practical operation, it turned out that many APSs can fire up to 45,000 shots, and not a single serious damage was observed throughout this period. Of course, I had to change the springs, but this is of little significance.
Currently, the gun is in service with the SOBR and riot police. In addition, the soldiers of the FSB and FSO carry it with them. This popularity is easily explained by the combination of relatively small dimensions and high combat power, comparable to the capabilities of submachine guns. A very important quality when cleaning rooms is its property that bullets from APS do not give rebounds, do not penetrate the human body through. Of course, today they prefer to wear this gun in special ergonomic holsters, rather than in bulky wooden cases.
During contact fights in densely populated villages and cities, as well as in concrete rooms, an APS pistol is in many cases a completely indispensable weapon. Today, Stechkin’s traumatic pistol, which is widely produced from decommissioned army samples, is also known.