The Kalashnikov Concern, which is part of the Rostec State Concern, will launch mass production of the Lebedev pistol (PL-15) in 2019. This was announced earlier, on September 14, by the official website of Kalashnikov Media with reference to the managing director of the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (part of the concern) Alexander Gvozdik.
“Serial production (of the PL-15 pistol) will be in 2019, that's for sure. All the equipment is on its way, "Alexander Gvozdik told reporters, noting that the pistol will be manufactured in Izhevsk using new technologies. "The product will meet the consumer properties of the main customer both in the field of military small arms and in the direction of civilian small arms," said the managing director of IMZ. Any other details about the start of mass production of the Lebedev pistol have not yet been disclosed.
For the first time, a prototype of Lebedev's pistol was presented to the general public as part of the Army-2015 military-technical forum. A modified and improved version of this pistol for the worldwide popular 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge was presented a year later at the Army-2016 forum. And in 2017, at the Army-2017 forum, the PL-15K pistol was presented to the public, which is, in an extremely short time, a compact version of the standard PL-15. The pistol is equipped with a Picatinny rail for mounting additional tactical devices, the PL-15 magazine is designed for 14 rounds. According to the Kalashnikov concern, the new product has a number of advantages, which include the accuracy and accuracy of fire, the small thickness of the pistol and the ergonomics of the grip.
The development of the Lebedev pistol began in the 2010s; designer and sports shooter Dmitry Lebedev was responsible for its creation. When creating the new pistol, the main focus was on the issues of ergonomics and product balancing. All this should help an experienced shooter to significantly improve the accuracy of firing a pistol offhand. The pistol was created in the interests of the Russian special services and the armed forces. The weapons are planned to be supplied to the army and the police. The compact version of the pistol - PL-15K, presented at the Army-2017 forum, is considered as a possible replacement for the legendary PM (Makarov pistol).
The PL-15 pistol was developed for the use of 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridges. The length of the weapon is 220 mm (barrel length - 127 mm), width - 28 mm, height - 136 mm. The basic version of the pistol is equipped with a box magazine for 14 rounds. Small thickness is one of the distinguishing features of the Izhevsk novelty. In the front part, the thickness of the pistol is 21 mm, in the area of the handle - 28 mm. These values give the gun the best compactness in its class. It was also said earlier that they tried to make the pistol as comfortable as possible in terms of recoil, reducing the toss after the shot and ensuring the pistol quickly returned to the aiming line.
PL-15 is a truly compact model of firearms equipped with a modern ergonomic grip. The manufacturer states that interchangeable grip adjustments will be available with the gun. This will allow shooters with different palm sizes to make the weapon more convenient and comfortable just for themselves. The distance between the butt plate of the grip and the central axis of the pistol barrel bore is made small - the barrel is just above the top point of the palm gripping the grip. This solution allowed the designers to provide better control of the pistol's recoil and increases the speed and accuracy of fire, reducing the time for re-aiming after firing.
Like most modern small arms, the PL-15 pistol boasts two-way controls. The magazine latch button and the switch of the safety catch and the pistol shutter delay are double-sided. This is done for the convenience of using the weapon for both right-handers and left-handers.
Automatic pistol PL-15 works on the principle of short recoil of the barrel, locking is done by skewing the barrel. The trigger mechanism of the pistol, according to the assurances of the manufacturer, is presented in two versions: a striker-type trigger and a double-action trigger (self-cocking). The firing mechanism of a double action of a hammer type with a hidden location and an inertial firing pin has its own characteristics and distinctive features. When the safety lock is on, the trigger and the trigger of the pistol are disconnected. In general, the self-cocking trigger is designed so that the pistol cannot make a spontaneous shot even when falling from a height (falling onto a hard surface from a height of human growth), which increases the safety of handling weapons.
In the PL-15 pistol, the trigger pull is 4 kg. The length of the trigger stroke is 7 mm. The Lebedev pistol is equipped with a tactile indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the barrel bore - in the presence of a cartridge, a special pin protrudes slightly in the rear of the bolt, which allows the shooter to feel by touch whether the weapon is currently loaded or not. This solution also increases the safety of the shooter and others when handling weapons.
The pistol is powered by cartridges from detachable double-row magazines with the output of cartridges in one row. The capacity of a standard magazine is 14 rounds. Sights PL-15 are open, unregulated, installed in dovetail grooves. There is a Picatinny rail on the frame under the barrel, which allows you to install an additional tactical attachment: tactical flashlight, laser designator, etc. Also, the pistol can be equipped with an elongated threaded barrel for installing a quick-detachable silencer, such versions of the Izhevsk pistol were also demonstrated earlier at exhibitions.
PL-15K and PL-15 pistols together
The compact version of the pistol, designated PL-15K and based on the full-size model, was introduced last year and is also a classic self-loading pistol. To reload the weapon, the movement of the movable barrel is used, which, under the action of recoil, moves back together with the bolt. When fired, the PL-15K barrel travel is short, that is, less than the shutter travel. This automation scheme, chosen by the designers, allowed them to create a pistol with minimal dimensions. The design of the PL-15K pistol allows you to install a longer barrel on it, as well as various options for front sight and rear sight. At the same time, the trigger stroke was deliberately made large, and the pressing force is 4 kg - this is more than that of analogues. A spontaneous shot is almost impossible.
The PL-15K version turned out to be even more compact, while retaining the 9x19 mm caliber and the 14-round magazine. The length of this version of the pistol is only 180 mm, the height is 130 mm. The unloaded PL-15K pistol weighs 720 grams. It is the compactness that is called one of the main competitive advantages of the model. If the full-size PL-15, which is also difficult to call a giant, still has several rather serious competitors in its segment, then the niche that the PL-15K version claims is almost free of competitors. With the most successful development of circumstances, the compact pistol of the Izhevsk gunsmiths will finally be able to squeeze out the almost eternal Makarov pistol, which enjoys indisputable authority among domestic gunsmiths and industry, having been in service since 1951.
Compared to its trouble-free, although already very elderly competitor, the PL-15K has a number of advantages, which include better ergonomics, accuracy, accuracy, accuracy and rate of fire, small thickness and the absence of levers that protrude beyond the lateral edges of the weapon. In addition, the model can be equipped with a self-cocking trigger, which allows you to safely carry a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber without the need to use a safety catch. An important fact is the use of more powerful 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridges, including the possibility of using armor-piercing ammunition. It is also important to increase the capacity of the magazine: the standard PL-15 and PL-15K box magazine is designed for 14 rounds, while in the PM there are only 8 rounds, the difference is almost two times.
