In the race to replace the "old man" PM in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, another model of firearms is seriously involved. The fact that the serial production of the newest Russian pistol for the needs of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, which is intended to replace the Makarov pistol (PM), will begin in 2019, RIA Novosti reported earlier, citing its own source in the military-industrial complex. We are talking about the Udav pistol, which was designed by the specialists of TsNIITOCHMASH JSC.
According to the source of RIA Novosti, the interdepartmental commission, which decides on the assignment of the letter O1 to a new type of weapon, allowing serial production, will complete its work in March 2019. After that, it is planned to launch a new Russian pistol into the series. At present, the question of which specific production site will be used to manufacture the new pistol is being decided. Three main options are being considered: "Vyatskiye Polyany", "Kalashnikov" and TsNIITOCHMASH.
"The main contenders are Moscow and Izhevsk, while everyone understands that the main technologies and competencies that are necessary for the release of a new pistol are at TsNIIITOCHMASH," the source said.
On January 5, 2019, the official website of the Central Scientific Research Institute of Precision Engineering reported that tests of a new promising pistol complex chambered for 9x21 mm took place from August to December 2018 at the testing base of JSC TsNIItochmash (part of the Rostec state corporation) and training grounds of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation located in the Western and Central military districts. According to the assurances of the developer company, the new pistol complex was exposed to various mechanical and climatic factors to check for compliance with the requirements of resistance (stability, strength), which were established by the customer's normative and technical documentation. In addition, research was carried out on the ballistic characteristics of the pistol.
Supposed version of the pistol "Boa" TsNIITOCHMASH
According to the TsNIITOCHMASH website, the tests confirmed the high tactical and technical characteristics of the new pistol, its survivability and ability to function in very difficult, truly extreme operating conditions. For example, it is reported that the pistol worked steadily in a very wide range of ambient temperatures: from +50 to -70 degrees Celsius. According to TsNIITOCHMASH, the results of the tests of the new pistol complex are currently under consideration by the state commission.
We can say that the new pistol was the result of a natural evolution of similar models of small arms, which is associated not only with the progress of technology and design thought, but also with new challenges of the time, which include a change in battle tactics and an increase in the protection of opponents. The weapon, developed within the framework of the "Boa constrictor" theme, is a promising pistol with a double-action trigger firing mechanism and an automatic slide delay. Developed to replace the Makarov pistol, the weapon was first introduced back in 2016. At the same time, there is still not much information about the development of the designers of JSC TsNIITOCHMASH. It is reliably known that the pistol complex was created for the 9x21 mm cartridge, characterized by increased power and armor-piercing bullets. The use of such ammunition meets one of the main goals of the development of a new pistol - the ability to confidently hit the enemy's manpower using modern individual body armor. In addition to the powerful cartridge, the pistol is distinguished by the presence of a capacious magazine designed for 18 rounds at once. The old PM magazine chambered for 9x18 mm holds only 8 rounds.
The 9x21 mm cartridge is a Russian center-fire pistol cartridge with a cylindrical wafer-shaped sleeve with a small taper. This ammunition was developed by the engineers of the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering in the city of Klimovsk in the early 1990s. It is noted that the development of the ammunition was carried out from 1992 to 1995. The cartridge was originally developed to effectively defeat opponents who are protected by personal protective equipment (body armor, helmets, etc.). The cartridge and some new pistols for it were created in Klimovsk as part of R&D in the Rook competition for a new pistol for the Russian armed forces. In this case, the use of the cartridge is rather limited. This cartridge, in addition to the new pistol developed within the framework of the Boa constrictor theme, can be used with a Serdyukov self-loading pistol (SPS, Gyurza, index GRAU 6P53) and an SR-2 Veresk submachine gun.
9x21 mm pistol cartridge RG054 with armor-piercing bullet, experimental, 1994
By the way, a small fact about TsNIITOCHMASH and its products. The gold medals won by the Russian men's biathlon team on January 13, 2019 in the relay race in Oberhof, Germany, are also credited to representatives of the enterprise from Klimovsk near Moscow. So biathlete Yevgeny Garanichev used “Olymp-BI” cartridges produced by TsNIITOCHMASH when firing. So we can say with confidence that they definitely know a lot about the development of ammunition for various purposes in Klimovsk.
As noted in the "Rossiyskaya Gazeta", the team led by Alexander Borisov, the chief designer of TsNIITOCHMASH, practically accomplished the impossible. In mass and dimensions slightly exceeding those of the Makarov pistol, they managed to realize the power of the shot, which is much higher than that characteristic of the Colt, which is significantly larger in size and caliber. Most often, a new weapon in Russia is named after its creator. But in the case of a new pistol, a scenario seems likely in which it retains the name of the theme within which it was created. "Boa constrictor" - this in itself sounds quite menacing. Moreover, the new pistol was based on the ideas of the outstanding and one of the oldest Russian gunsmiths Pyotr Serdyukov, which he had previously implemented in the SPS self-loading pistol.
As noted in the "Rossiyskaya Gazeta", in terms of its destructive power, the Russian novelty may become one of the most powerful in the world. The cartridge of the new 9x21 mm pistol is superior to the Makarov cartridge - 9x18 mm. It would seem that the difference is only 3 millimeters, but in reality the difference in the effectiveness of cartridges is huge. The aiming range of the new pistol should be about 100 meters, for the PM - no more than 50 meters. At the same time, at a distance of 100 meters, a Russian 9x21 mm armor-piercing bullet pierces body armor consisting of two titanium plates of 1, 4 mm and 30 layers of Kevlar, or a sheet of steel up to 4 mm thick.
The alleged type of pistol "Boa" TsNIITOCHMASH
In addition to its destructive power, the new pistol, which was created in Klimovsk within the framework of the "Boa constrictor" theme, is very elegant, the weapon can be safely called beautiful. We can say that TsNIITOCHMASH decided to take an extraordinary step, since they attracted the team of Vladimir Pirozhkov, an industrial designer with a worldwide reputation, to create the appearance of the new pistol. In the appearance of the new Russian pistol chambered for 9x21 mm, you can see its power, as well as the high technical aesthetics of the model. It was the first time that such a step was taken in Russia, while more and more design bureaus began to involve technical designers in the development of modern weapon systems.
Comparing two promising pistols, which, perhaps, will soon replace the legendary Makarov pistol in the army, TASS military observer, retired colonel Viktor Litovkin, noted that they are very similar to each other, primarily in their design, and are in no way inferior Western weapons. We are talking about the new pistol "Boa" and the Izhevsk pistol Lebedev PL-15, which is also actively demonstrated by the concern "Kalashnikov" at various weapons exhibitions. "The ergonomics of the weapon is very similar, the pistols are adapted for shooting with both the right and left hands, in particular, due to the convenient location of the fuses on both sides," Litovkin quotes the website of the Zvezda TV channel.
Among the main advantages of the Udav pistol, which has recently completed a cycle of state tests, one can single out a large store volume (18 rounds for Udav versus 14 for Lebedev's pistol). In the context of special operations or military operations, this can play an important role. True, this also explains the greater weight of the weapon chambered for 9x21 mm, says Viktor Litovkin. Among the differences between the novelty, the TASS expert also highlighted the high power of the cartridges in the pistol, created by the designers in Klimovsk. According to Litovkin, this is several milligrams more than gunpowder, which affects the increase in muzzle energy and muzzle velocity.
PL-15 of the Kalashnikov concern
“If we talk about the cartridge itself for each of the pistols, then it can be noted that their diameter is traditional and is 9 mm, but there is a difference. The "Boa" cartridge is longer, and therefore more powerful: the latter has a case length of 21 mm, while Lebedev has a traditional Parabellum cartridge - 9x19 mm. In addition, one can distinguish the type of ammunition supply: the "Udav" has a box magazine for 18 rounds, and the Lebedev pistol - for 14 rounds. Plus, the PL pistol, due to the smaller magazine volume and the mass of cartridges, weighs less, about 730 grams, and with a loaded magazine - about a kilogram. While the "Boa constrictor" weighs more than 1100 grams, "- said the expert. Summarizing all that has been said, Viktor Litovkin emphasized the fact that both pistols are similar and should be chosen only based on the shooter's personal preferences.
It cannot be ruled out that both pistols, the "Boa" and the PL-15, will be adopted by the Russian army and will replace the Makarov pistol, which was adopted back in 1951. Earlier in January 2018, the A-545 and A-762 assault rifles were adopted by the Russian Special Operations Forces, while the competing models of automatic weapons, AK-12 and AK-15, were adopted by the Russian army as combined arms. The option is not excluded that if the pistols PL-15 and "Udav" are adopted, they will also be divided according to niches of use, or the choice of personal weapons will be left directly to its owner.
