Often, employees of various special services have a need for firearms, which, with tolerable characteristics, would be compact and secretive. For "liquidator specialists" gunsmiths from time to time make various flush-mounted systems, but for most users they are not suitable. In this case, the most expedient solution to the problem is small-sized pistols. One of the most famous representatives of this category of weapons is the Belgian Bayard 1908. However, in our country, several similar samples were developed.
In the first half of the 90s of the last century, the designer of the Tula TsKIB SOO Yu. I. Berezin developed his own version of the weapon for concealed carry. According to his idea, a pistol called OTs-21 or "Malysh" was supposed to become a regular weapon of special services employees, as well as a means of self-defense for those people who are impractical to carry something like a Makarov pistol, but a weapon is required. The usual cartridge 9x18 mm PM was chosen as ammunition for the new pistol. Despite the not too small dimensions of the cartridge, Berezin managed to fit into the small dimensions both the pistol itself and the magazine for five rounds. At the same time, the width of the pistol, match the name, turned out to be small - no more than two centimeters. The length of the OTs-21, in turn, is 126 mm, and the height is 100. Remarkable indicators, especially against the background of "full-fledged" pistols.
However, in the OTs-21, not only the dimensions are of interest. Observing the shooting from this pistol, we can assume that the automation is made on the basis of a free shutter, because when fired, the shutter cover goes back, and a spent cartridge case is thrown out of the corresponding window on it. There is a grain of truth in this assumption - the extraction of the cartridge case and the delivery of a new cartridge in the "Malysh" are really made thanks to the recoil energy. However, it does not affect the cocking of the hammer. The fact is that the convenience for concealed wearing required the designer to remove all protruding parts from the outer surface of the "Kid". One of the "extra" details was the fuse box. And due to the lack of the latter, the safety of handling the pistol was "entrusted" to the firing mechanism and the arrangement of the trigger and the staple. USM "Kid" works only on a double-action scheme. This means that the cocking and release of the hammer is carried out in the course of one pull on the trigger. Accordingly, the trigger is located inside the breech casing and does not protrude beyond it. In turn, the trigger has a relatively large pressing force - about 6 kilograms. On the one hand, firing a shot from the OTs-21 is more difficult than from other pistols, but on the other hand, accidentally pressing the hook in most cases will not result in a shot. Some users initially had some complaints about such a replacement of the fuse, but a little experience with the operation of the "Kid" forced them to change their minds.
The pistol is powered by a detachable box magazine, in which five 9x18 mm PM cartridges are located in one row. The magazine latch is located on the underside of the handle. A detail located at the bottom of the store is worth noting separately: the small dimensions of the entire pistol also influenced the size of the grip. As a result, holding the pistol became not very comfortable. To solve this problem, a special overlay of a specific shape is attached to the lower edge of the store. Thanks to it, the lower finger of the arrow, lying on the front edge of the handle, does not slide down from it. Also, with some skill, you can additionally support the pistol with your little finger, wound under the underside of the magazine lining.
The sights of the "Kid", like a safety catch or a trigger, have been somewhat changed: the role of both the front sight and the rear sight is played by a rectangular groove made on the upper surface of the shutter casing. Naturally, long-range fire or wind adjustments with such a sight are impossible, but at short distances, for which the OTs-21 is intended, it will do just fine. As a result, due to the barrel length of 63.5 mm and the aiming groove, the holes from shots from a distance of 10 meters fit into a circle, the diameter of which does not exceed 60-65 millimeters. Berezin himself several times argued that tolerable accuracy is maintained at 25 meters, however, for a covert self-defense weapon, such a distance is not working and, as a result, the results of firing at 25 meters or more are not of particular interest, although they are a certain reason for the authors' pride constructions.
Several modifications were created on the basis of the original "Kid":
- OTs-21S ("S" - service). It differs from the basic model in the used cartridge. Here it is 9x17 mm K. Designed for security structures, including private ones;
- OTs-26. Just like the OTs-21S, it differs from the original by the cartridge - 5, 45x18 MPTs. Unlike some other types of weapons, this cartridge was not widely used.
OTs-21 "Malysh" interested law enforcement agencies and in the mid-90s was adopted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There is also information about the use of a pistol as a self-defense weapon by employees of the prosecutor's office and the Investigative Committee. At the end of 2005, by a government decree, the OTs-21 pistol was included in the list of award weapons. On this occasion, the production of the gift version was launched. It differs from the usual one, whose parts are subjected to oxidation, it differs in nickel plating.
