In previously published materials, we examined the thorny path of the emergence of a new army pistol in the armed forces of the Russian Federation: part 1, part 2, as well as a similar process that took place at about the same time in the US armed forces: Part 1, Part 2. In the next article it was planned to consider, what could be a promising army pistol in the context of the PDW concept. But since the topic of the army pistol is quite extensive and interesting, it was decided to preliminarily consider some aspects of the use of army melee weapons and the stopping action of ammunition.
Purpose and requirements for a modern army pistol
What is the purpose and tasks of an army pistol in the armed forces? On the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation), in the comments to the samples of small arms, it is indicated:
- Makarov pistol (PM): "Designed to destroy manpower at short distances";
- pistol MP-443 "Rook": "Designed to defeat the enemy at short distances, protected by anti-splinter body armor of I and II protection levels";
- pistol SPS "Gyurza": "Designed to defeat manpower in close combat, protected by anti-fragmentation body armor or located in unarmored vehicles."
Based on the foregoing, it can be noted that in the more modern pistols MP-443 "Grach" and SPS "Gyurza" the task of defeating the enemy in body armor is indicated, which is a consequence of the requirements laid down in the TZ for R&D "Rook" in 1990.
At the same time, in the American program of the new army pistol MHS (Modular Handgun System, modular weapon system), there is no mention of the need to defeat targets protected by personal body armor (NIB), at least in the part that is available for study. The main requirements of the MHS are rather aimed at increasing the modularity and improving the ergonomics of the army pistol, which in turn should have a positive effect on the speed and accuracy of shooting from weapons.
Due to the dissatisfaction of the military with pistols chambered for 9x19, which manifested itself during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the MHS program could consider pistols chambered for.40 S&W.45 ACP,.357 SIG and FN 5, 7x28 mm. But later they were abandoned. To increase the damaging properties of 9x19 mm cartridges, the possibility of using expansive and fragmented bullets in them is being considered, while there was no information about the need to increase the armor penetration.
Thus, you can see a clear difference in the requirements for an army pistol (weapon-cartridge complex) in the armed forces of Russia and the United States, in Russia it is high armor penetration, in the United States it is a stopping effect.
What is the purpose of an army pistol? There is no doubt that the main weapon of an infantryman is a submachine gun / assault rifle (hereinafter referred to as a submachine gun).
Based on this, it can be assumed that a fighter needs a pistol in order to get to a machine gun if it is lost or damaged. At the same time, with a high probability, the enemy in the NIB will oppose the fighter, which imposes the requirement to ensure high armor penetration of the weapon-cartridge complex
Sometimes opinions are expressed that the military does not need a pistol at all, it is better to take more grenades or magazines to the machine gun, and only officers need a pistol as a weapon of "status", for which the PM is suitable, they say, it is easier to carry. The presence of pistols in the Russian armed forces only by officers and soldiers of special units is most likely a consequence of the fear of loss or theft by ordinary recruits. For contract servicemen, this is no longer so relevant. One way or another, but the leading armies of the world do not plan to abandon the army pistol in the near future, which means it makes sense to give this type of weapon maximum efficiency.
Why, given the increase in the number of NIBs in the world, does the United States not use armor-piercing bullets in army pistols? Perhaps they are counting on the off-barring action of conventional cartridges on an enemy in a bulletproof vest. In other words, in close combat, a soldier fires 1-2 shots into the corps, which incapacitates the enemy for a while, after which he has time for an aimed shot at an unprotected part of the body. It is believed that the PM pistol bullet in terms of its kinetic energy is equal to the impact of a sledgehammer weighing about 2 kg, for more powerful cartridges this value will be even greater.
The disadvantage here is that the protective properties of the NIB are constantly increasing, including in terms of reducing the obstruction action, and at one point, an ammunition that does not penetrate a bulletproof vest may not disable the enemy even for a short time (the enemy will move, shoot back), and it will be impossible to carry out an aimed shot at an unprotected part of the body.
The Russian approach involves the use of reinforced cartridges with an armor-piercing core. In fact, when firing at the enemy in the NIB, only the core with a diameter of 5-6 mm penetrates "under the armor", and the shirt with an outer diameter of about 9 mm is crushed against the bulletproof vest, without making a special contribution to the striking or stopping effect. At the same time, the high recoil of ammunition with increased armor penetration complicates the task of hitting the target.
Which approach is preferable, Russian or American, and can they be combined? As for armor penetration, there are no questions here. Most likely, this requirement will become more and more relevant, including for melee weapons. But what to do with the stopping action? Increasing the caliber and power of cartridges is ineffective both due to a decrease in ammunition and an increase in the difficulty of firing from such weapons. To understand this issue, it is necessary to understand in more detail the factors that determine the stopping effect of the ammunition.
Stopping action
Various methods of assessing the stopping action of small arms ammunition are well reviewed by Maxim Popenker with the article "Stopping action of bullets" published in the journal "Arms". It also contains the definition of stopping action given by D. Towert:. Instantly means a time of no more than 1-2 seconds.
It is believed that the stopping effect is the property of the bullet to ensure the complete inability of the target to attack and resist when hit. Causing death is seen as the "lethal effect of a bullet."
The article lists such approaches and theories as the Taylor formula, the theory of police officers Evan Marshall and Ed Sanow, Dr. Martin Fackler, MD's optimal penetration theory, Strasbourg goat tests and various types of testing. weapons and ammunition by the FBI Weapons Advisory Committee (Weapons Advisory Committee of the FBI).
The FBI commission was assembled after the Miami Massacre in 1986, when an FBI agent shot and killed a criminal who had just robbed a bank. The 9 mm bullet fired by the agent hit the offender from the side, pierced his right arm and got stuck in his right lung, fully expanding. However, the perpetrator returned fire, killed two FBI agents and wounded four more.
All tests and studies often show quite contradictory results, when a 9x17 cartridge, with an initial energy of about 300 J, shows, according to tests, a stopping effect comparable to that of a.357 Magnum cartridge, with an initial energy of about 800 J (according to the results of the Strasbourg tests).
The article lists various damaging factors of bullets, including the depth of penetration of bullets, the transfer of kinetic energy to the body (the bullet passed through or got stuck in the body), the change in the shape of the bullet when moving in the body, the occurrence of a temporary cavitation cavity, and others.
At the end of the article, Maxim Popenker concludes that the FBI commission's conclusion is closest to reality that since no combination of calibers and bullets can provide a guaranteed immediate defeat of a target, it is necessary to fire to kill as long as the target is a threat … Therefore, all experts recommended the use of weapons with a larger magazine capacity.
Key findings of the FBI commission:
With regard to the enemy protected by the NIB, it can be added that the effect of the caliber of the bullet will be even less, since only a hard-alloy core with a diameter of 5-6 mm will penetrate into the body through the body armor.
The prohibitive action of the pistol (revolving) cartridge, without penetrating the NIB, may not provide the effect necessary to disable the target for the time required for its targeted destruction in unprotected parts of the body. Climatic amortization backwater (CAP) helps to significantly reduce the over-blocking effect.
To understand the problem of stopping action, one can give an example of the conflict between the Indonesian police and the French MMA fighter Amokran Sabe, which occurred in 2016. During the clash in Sabe, about 15 bullets were fired from various weapons, but at the same time he managed to inflict mortal wounds with a knife to one of the police officers.
It is not known for certain what the reason for the high survivability of Amokran Sabe is drug intoxication and the strength of the body of an MMA fighter, or the low shooting training of the Indonesian police, but the fact remains - half a dozen people with pistols and automatic rifles could not stop one person with a knife without losses on their part … The fire was carried out with pistol and rifle cartridges, most likely in calibers 9x19 mm Para and 5, 56x45.
In my opinion, this incident clearly confirms the thesis that only the defeat of the central nervous system can guarantee the termination of the enemy's attack. To a lesser extent, this applies to damage to vital organs, for example, the heart, and organs, damage to which leads to profuse bleeding. Accumulation of damage from two or three or more hits significantly increases the likelihood of the enemy being incapacitated
Getting into the head of an actively moving enemy is extremely difficult. It is also difficult to hit a specific organ, both because of the enemy's movement, and because of the individual characteristics of the location of internal organs and the unpredictable displacement of the bullet in the body after being hit (especially in the case of overcoming the NIB).
From the above, we can conclude that an army pistol should allow a fighter to make the maximum number of shots at a target in a minimum time. At the same time, a moderate recoil should be realized, contributing to the provision of the necessary shooting accuracy, and a sufficient penetration depth of the bullet. These requirements must be met to engage targets protected by the NIB. To increase the likelihood of hitting a target, the number of cartridges in the pistol magazine should be maximum, without increasing the existing dimensions of this type of weapon
At the moment, the armed forces of the Russian Federation use cartridges with increased armor penetration 9x21 mm 7H29 and 9x19 7H21 / 7H31 (there are other types of cartridges, including those with an expansive bullet). These ammunition show excellent characteristics, but have their modernization potential been exhausted, and it is necessary to move to new form factors?
