In 1982, a weapon was designed for stellar expeditions, and in 1986, it was adopted by the Space Forces.
The fact of its existence for many years could not even be mentioned. The design and its purpose were kept secret. Of course, there was no talk of the militarization of outer space. The main purpose of the arsenal research was solely for defensive purposes, one might say for survival. The purpose of this weapon was to protect the crew of the descent vehicle when it landed in a deserted area.
Alexey Leonov is the initiator of the appearance of weapons in the outfit of astronauts. To do this, in 1979, he visited an arms factory in Tula. There he told the designers that the Voskhod-2 spacecraft that had landed in the Perm region had lost contact with the search group. The astronauts were searched for the whole day with the help of helicopters. This time, spent among deep snowdrifts and cold, could be the last for the cosmonauts. The local forests are full of wild animals and astronauts were threatened with death from a fierce beast, since they had nothing to defend themselves with. If the cosmonauts had a multifunctional special weapon at hand, Leonov said, we would all feel more confident.
After that, the Tula gunsmiths, at their own risk and fear, set about developing the individual use of "space weapons". I had to start from scratch, since there simply did not exist any analogues in the world.
Weapons were developed in three directions: a revolver, a self-loading smooth-bore gun, and a three-barreled pistol. The gun was abandoned immediately: its weight and size did not allow it to be used in the space of the apparatus, since every gram of load and centimeter of space is taken into account there.
Two test samples were soon sent to Star City: a three-barreled pistol and a revolver. The selection committee immediately eliminated the revolver, whose drum was adapted for cartridges of different calibers. "TP-82", the marking under which the three-barreled pistol, nicknamed "Poacher's Dream", was passed, was accepted by the commission without comment. Subsequently, the pistol became known as a portable emergency stock small arms - SONAZ. Special pockets were made on the spacesuits for carrying weapons.
This pistol is three-barreled: a rifled barrel - upper, smooth-bore - lower. The pistol is adapted for firing reinforced cartridges, shot and signal missiles. A loaded pistol weighs 2,400 grams. The lethal force is very high, it is possible to kill an animal weighing 360 kilograms from forty meters. It is clear that in the event of an emergency situation, for example, in the case of the insanity of an astronaut, it is impossible to use weapons, the spacecraft will fly apart.
For many years the SONAZ pistol was classified. Imported components and parts were not used to complete it. Parts were treated with long-term antioxidant compounds, cartridges were completely sealed. The serviceability of the weapon was carefully checked by specialists before the flight into space. The weapon was received on receipt by the crew commander along with the ammunition. The set of ammunition consisted of 10 signal flares and 40 rounds. The weapons were returned back to the warehouse upon arrival from space.
In total, according to various sources, Tula gunsmiths manufactured from thirty to one hundred space pistols. One of these pistols was exhibited as a sample at the State Arms Museum in Tula.
The release of the pistol and ammunition was discontinued in the late 1980s. The official version is that the space department has enough pistols, and their production is impractical.
According to the gunsmiths themselves, production was stopped due to lack of money. After the pistol was declassified, pilots, geologists, travelers and hunters, and all those whose profession and work are connected with extreme conditions, hoped for its serial production. They really need a survival weapon. And just SONAZ, which has successfully passed the test in different climatic conditions, is best suited for this. Now there is an analogue of TP-82 called Vepr, but in terms of characteristics it is much worse. Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, who is the commander of the sixteenth main expedition to the ISS, was presented with a Makarov pistol on the flight, since the expiration date of the SONAR cartridges had expired, because they were released in Soviet times. So now the orbital watch of the team captain comes with an ordinary police pistol.
