Biting the Silver Bullet-20
By Sanjay Soni
The Cold War era (1950s-1980s) saw escalating tensions between the Soviet Union and the West, marked by proxy wars, undeclared conflicts, and localized military engagements. These situations created a demand for new specialized weapons and ammunition, particularly for close-quarters combat by soldiers often equipped with personal protective gear.
In response to this, the Soviet bloc established the KGB and special-purpose units within the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the Soviet Army. These units were dedicated to developing innovative weapons and ammunition designed for specialized operations. Their efforts focused on creating firearms capable of silent shooting and functioning effectively underwater or in extremely wet conditions.
Special-purpose cartridges are among the most diverse types of ammunition, designed not only for specialized weapons but also for various shooting devices intended for unique operational conditions. These cartridges differ in both design and size from those used in standard small arms and are typically incompatible with them, although they may incorporate individual elements of conventional ammunition. They can feature unconventional projectile designs, including bullets with unusual shapes or materials, as well as liquid or gaseous substances capable of causing fatal injuries or delivering a shock effect. Such ammunition is often produced in limited quantities, sometimes even as one-of-a-kind items, and is typically reserved for specific units within the armed forces and special services.
Covert operations conducted by special-purpose units, such as reconnaissance missions, raids behind enemy lines, or the elimination of specific targets, rely heavily on surprise and the shooter’s ability to remain undetected. Firearms are not always ideal for these scenarios, as the sound and muzzle flash from a shot can reveal the shooter’s position, often with severe consequences. As a result, achieving noiseless shots has consistently been a critical requirement for the development of specialized weapons and ammunition.
Efforts to address the issue of noiseless firing have taken various approaches over time. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that a partial solution emerged with the invention of silent, flameless firing devices—commonly known as silencers—designed for small arms. However, it’s important to note that no silencer can eliminate the noise of a shot. Instead, these devices significantly reduce both the sound and flash produced by firing.
The effectiveness of silencers relies on two primary principles to suppress the sound.
The primary source of a gunshot’s sound is the shock wave created by the rapid expansion of high-pressure, high-temperature powder gases released from the barrel immediately after the bullet exits. These gases rush out at a velocity significantly faster than the bullet itself, compressing the surrounding air and producing a powerful shockwave. This creates the characteristic sound of a gunshot, which can reach noise levels as high as 130 decibels.
The second source of gunshot noise is the ballistic wave generated when a bullet travels through the air, creating a high-frequency sound. The intensity of the ballistic wave decreases as the bullet’s speed drops. Once the bullet’s speed falls below the speed of sound in air (330 m/s at 0°C), the ballistic wave disappears entirely. Addressing this issue is relatively straightforward—by designing ammunition that reduces the bullet’s velocity to subsonic speeds, the ballistic wave can be effectively eliminated.
The Soviet Union was no exception when it came to the development of silenced weapons. By the mid-1930s, firearms equipped with silencers had been introduced and were effectively utilized during World War II. The design of weapons for silent and flameless firing required the establishment of foundational principles for suppressing a gunshot. This included the theoretical and practical study of optimal silencer parameters, such as nozzle design, expansion chambers, and the overall firearm structure.
In the 1960s, specialists from the Scientific Research Institute-61, later known as the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering in Klimovsk, Moscow Region, successfully addressed these challenges. Their advancements in silencer technology laid the groundwork for the integration of such weapons into the special forces arsenal, marking a significant milestone in firearm development.
During the 1950s and 1960s, numerous secret weapons were created for Soviet special-purpose units and state security agencies. These weapons, designed for silent and flameless firing, can be categorized into three structural groups:
1. Covert Weapons for Military Intelligence and Special Forces
This category includes weapons designed for individual covert attack and defence, intended for engaging targets with silent, flameless fire. These weapons were used in scenarios requiring discreet elimination of enemy personnel, such as command staff, reconnaissance teams, observers, and sentries, or for disabling enemy equipment. They typically utilized standard or specialized ammunition with bullets featuring reduced muzzle velocity. However, the physical constraints tied to the shot process imposed strict limitations on the weapon’s size and design. Solving the challenge of creating compact, silent firearms required fundamentally different theoretical and engineering approaches.
2. Ammunition-Weapon Systems for Silent Firing
The second group comprises short-barrelled weapons designed for the KGB and GRU that go beyond individual firearm designs. These systems were built as integrated ammunition-weapon systems specifically tailored for silent firing, with specialized ammunition designed to work in conjunction with these weapons.
3. Underwater Ammunition-Weapon Systems
The third group includes underwater weapon systems, such as pistols and automatic firearms, developed for operations beneath the surface. These systems employed an active bullet propulsion mechanism capable of reliable performance in underwater conditions.
Cartridges for Weapons with Silent and Flameless Firing Devices
1. 7.62 x 54 R CSS
The 7.62mm Mosin Nagant bolt-action rifle (model 1891/30) was widely used not only by the Red Army but also by state security agencies.
In the mid-1930s, special laboratory designers and brothers V.G. and I.G. Mitin developed several silencer prototypes featuring expansion-type chambers to equip the Mosin Nagant rifle. By 1938, the Red Army and NKVD adopted a new set of specialized small arms fitted with silent, flameless firing devices collectively known as BRAMIT, named after the inventors.
The BRAMIT silencers were compatible with standard weapons, including the Mosin Nagant rifle (model 1891/30) and the DP machine gun. These silencers utilized two rubber seals, each 15mm thick, in dual expansion chambers. The seals were designed to last for several dozen shots before requiring replacement. This innovation enabled silent firing capabilities, significantly improving the effectiveness of these weapons during covert operations.
For firing Mosin rifles, equipped with BRAHMIT devices for silent and flameless shooting, special reduced speed 7.62-mm US rifle cartridges with a reduced powder charge and a light bullet were used. Powder charge – BT brand (0,45-gram weight) was chosen so that the initial speed of the bullet was subsonic and was no more than 260 m / s. This, in conjunction with the device for silently flameless shooting, ensured the sound suppressing of the shot. To distinguish the cartridge with a reduced speed of a bullet designed for rifles mod. 1891 / 1930s, the whole bullet and the bottom of the cartridge case were painted with green lacquer, and the cartridge intended for firing from the DP machine gun was also completely painted with black lacquer.
2. 7,62 x 39 FF
In 1956, a special Kalashnikov AK assault rifle, equipped with a device for the soundless and flameless firing of the expansion type with partial gas cut-off (PBS), came into service with reconnaissance and sabotage units and special purpose units. In the CBE device and its modification of the PBN-1 (1962 g.), Sound jamming was achieved not only by reducing the pressure of the powder gases at the muzzle but also by using new cartridges with subsonic bullet speed. Shooting from this silencer was conducted with special 7,62-mm automatic cartridges of PS mod with a reduced ( 270 – 295 m / s) bullet speed created by the GM-61 research institute G. M. Tereshin and K. V. Smekayev under the supervision of the head of the munitions department B. V. Semina. The mass of the bullet was increased to 12,5 g to save energy, by increasing its length to 33,62 mm (the length of the bullet of the cartridge with a steel core – 26,8 mm). PS bullet-pointed, without a back cone with a groove, has a composite core – steel hardened – head and lead – the main one.
The required penetrative action was achieved using a U12 A tool steel core located at the head of the bullet. The lead core, located behind it, not only created the necessary mass but also served as a shirt. The selected diameter of the 7.94 mm bullet (for all other bullets, the diameter is 7.92 mm) ensured the bullet penetration into the grooves and the required pressure of the powder gases in the barrel. A bullet having a subsonic initial velocity did not create a ballistic wave on the trajectory, and the silencer PBS reduced the flow rate of gases from the muzzle of the barrel. The propellant charge is pyroxylin powder P-45, weight 0,57, the PS bullet pierced a steel helmet at a distance of up to 400 m and an anti-splinter vest at a distance of 75. The bullet came with a black tip and a green belt. The cartridge PS was produced with bimetallic or steel lacquered sleeves. The metal can with cartridges fit 3 internal cartons, each of which was designed for 200 cartridges.
3. 5,45 x39 FF
At the beginning of the 1980s, an AS Negodova PBS-4 device with partial gas cut-off was developed for silent single-shot firing of shortened AKS 74 UB Kalashnikov assault rifles. It was intended for silent and flameless shooting from a 5,45-mm assault rifle with a PS bullet (index 7 У1). The initial speed of the bullet of this cartridge was 303 m / s, i.e. it was subsonic.
To partially compensate for the sharply reduced energy and the damaging effects of the bullet, the mass of the bullet had to be increased to 5,15. The PS bullet was pointed, without a back cone and a groove, with a ledge toward the elongated head part, in which a heat-strengthened arrow-shaped core was placed in a lead envelope. The propellant charge is spheroid powder SF033, weight 0,57 g. The bullet came with a black tip and a green belt.
4. 9 x39
9-mm special cartridges with subsonic bullet speed- sniper joint venture. 5 (index 7 Н8) and armor-piercing (index 7 Н9) for low-noise firing from BCC rifles (Vintorez), VSK-94, machine guns АС (“Shaft”) and СР.3 (“Whirlwind”), 9 А91.
At the end of the 1970s, the requirements for designing a special silent weapon for a new assault rifle cartridge were worked out on the order of the leadership of the KGB and GRU. Designers P. I. Serdyukov and V. F. Krasnikov set about creating a new complex that received the RG-O36 index and special cartridges. The design began with the creation of a new assault rifle cartridge, designed to eliminate enemy personnel in specific conditions.
The new design needed increased penetration capacity of the bullet while reducing the sound level of the shot. Soon, designer N. V. Zabelin and technologist L. S. Dvoryaninova created a 7,62-mm RG-037 automaton cartridge with reduced initial bullet velocity. This was based on the 7H1 cartridge bullet and modified taking into account the requirements of external ballistics for bullets with subsonic flight speed. The total length of the cartridge was 46 mm, the mass – was 16 g, the mass of the bullet – was 10,6 g, the median deviation (R50) at a distance of 100 m was 4 cm, and at a distance of 400 m – 16,5 see.
This cartridge did not allow it to confidently hit the enemy’s fragmentation armor at the 400mt direct shot range. Therefore, the designers, N. V. Zabelin, L. Dvoryaninova, and Yu. Z. Frolov, designed a new 7,62-mm sniper cartridge based on the 9-mm cartridge sleeve with a heavy bullet 7 H8 mass 16,2 g (with subsonic initial speed – 295 m / s) called SP5.
Cartridge SP 5 possessed the power to hit soldiers in personal protective equipment. The subsonic initial speed of the bullet provided the necessary sound reduction when using a silencer, and the increased mass of a bullet with a steel core (possessing considerable kinetic energy – when departing it was around 60 km, and at a distance of 450 m – 45 km) offered sufficient penetration at distances upto 400 m. Mass of the cartridge SP 5 – 32,2 g, cartridge length – 56 mm.
The 7H8 bullet is a pointed octopus, with a bimetallic sheath, rear cone and groove, and has a composite core; a steelhead (with a truncated top) and a basic lead one. A steel core to enhance the bullet penetration was placed in its nose section. The edges of the bimetallic shell are not rolled up and form a cavity with a depth of 2 mm. The shape of the bullet length of 36 mm provided it with good ballistic properties when flying at subsonic speeds. Bullet weight 16,0 g, core – 3,25 g.
Cartridges SP 5 are equipped with powder brand P-45 (weight 0,6 g). Lacquered steel liners are not marked. Also, the 7H8 bullet cartridges of the SP 5 do not have a distinctive colour. The carton of 10 cartridges has the “Sniper” inscription.
In 1987, a new model of weapons based on RG-036, named “Vintorez”, was adopted by the special forces of the KGB and reconnaissance and sabotage units of the Soviet Armed Forces, as well as special-purpose units of the Interior Ministry forces under the designation “rifle sniper special (BCC) “(index 6 ПХNUMX) and” 29-mm special cartridge SP. 9.
Cartridge SP 5 H7 8 heavy-bullet steel core bullet provided 100% penetration of 6-mm special steel sheet at the 100 m firing range and 400-mm steel sheet at 2 m while maintaining sufficient power, receiving flattering reviews from experts. Its use in the BCC rifle made it possible to defeat enemy personnel even at 100 m – against class II protection body armor, which puts it on par with the most formidable types of infantry small arms.
At the same time, P. I. Serdyukov, developed another set of silent weapons based on the VSS rifle, including a special AS machine gun, which is an upgraded version of the Vintorez; and a more powerful 9-mm cartridge SP. 6 with an armour-piercing bullet created by engineers Yu. Z. Frolov and E. S. Kornilov. Bullet cartridge SP 6 consisted of a steel core, a lead shirt and a bimetallic sheath. Due to its design, the bullet cartridge SP. 6 had a higher punching effect than the bullet of the SP 5. The 7H9 bullet had a bimetal sheath with a rear cone and a sharp-pointed steel heat-strengthened core (6,5 mm diameter) protruding into a lead shirt on the 7,5 mm. The steel core of this bullet was significantly longer than that of the SP cartridge bullet. 5. The length of the leading part of the 7 H9 bullet was reduced to 10 mm ledge, which forms a cylindrical centering area (diameter 9 mm and length 6 mm), so the nose of the bullet protruded from the shell. The core has an ogival head and a back cone. The mass of the bullet is 15,6 g, the core is 10,4 g, with the mass of the cartridge is 32,0 g. The length of the cartridge is 56 mm, and the length of the bullet is 41 mm. The top of the 7 H9 bullet cartridge SP. 6 was painted black.
A distinctive black strip was applied to the cartons for these cartridges. Later, after the appearance of 9-mm cartridges with a 7 H12 armour-piercing bullet, the tip of the bullet of the cartridge SP. 6 was colored blue.
Cartridge SP 6 was designed to defeat splinter vests up to class III protection or 5-mm steel plates, as well as unarmoured equipment at a distance of 400 m, which is equivalent to the penetration of the American 5,56 A16 M1 A7,62, 5,45 mm AKM and 74 mm AK.
According to ballistics bullets SP 5 and SP 6 are similar, so they can be used in weapons with the same sights. But the accuracy of bullets 7H8 cartridges SP 5 is slightly better than that of the half-shell 7H9 bullets of SP 6. The device and the characteristics of the bullets determined the purpose of these munitions:
– Cartridge SP 5 is used for sniper-targeting unprotected personnel.
– Cartridge SP 6 is for hitting targets in personal protective equipment in vehicles or behind other lightweight shelters.
The developers of the new weapon wrote: “The 9-mm cartridge, which has a unique penetrating and damaging effect, will reach your enemy wherever your eyesight will reach it, simultaneously punching any body armour. And a not-too-long lineup can do enough damage to disable a truck, launcher, or radar.
In addition to this weapon, several new types of special forces weapons appeared in the same years. The original compact models of domestic-made automatic weapons include the unique 9-mm Vortex CP-3 submachine gun, as well as its competitor, the 9-А9 91 automat.
The use of 9-mm cartridges SP 5 / SP 6, as well as their cheaper version – the PUB.9 – achieved excellent performance. An SP 6 armour piercing cartridge fired at a distance of 100 m could penetrate body armour with two titanium plates 1,4 mm thick and 30 Kevlar / TCBM layers or steel sheet 6 mm thick.
At the end of the 1980s, while Klimov gunsmiths were working on the CP-3 “Whirlwind” machine gun, Tula gunsmiths from the Design Bureau of Instrument-Making Factory (KBP) began to work on an alternative option — the 9 А91 machine gun. In 1994, the Ministry of Internal Affairs adopted the 9 A91 assault rifle to solve a number of specific tasks.
Since the 9 A91 machine gun went into service with the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation, the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs had to attend to another problem – the supply of these weapons with ammunition. Since special 9-mm automaton cartridges, SP 5 and SP 6 turned out to be extremely expensive, it was necessary to create cheaper ammunition for mass weapons.
In the middle of the 1990s 9-mm cartridge, automatic armour-piercing PAB 9 (cheaper cartridge than SP 6) with a reinforced steel core was created by specialists at Tula.
This met all the needs of the police. Bullet PUB.9, unlike the SP6, had a truncated tip core protruding 8,2 mm, with a shoulder and a cylindrical part of 07,0 mm. At the same time, the length of the leading part was increased by 3,5 mm, and the centering length was reduced by 4,5 mm. Forcing pressure (due to the greater length of the leading part) and the initial speed of the bullet PUB.9 compared to the SP 6 is higher, but the accuracy is lower.
The PAB.9 bullet can defeat individual class III protection, at a distance of up to 100 m – guaranteed to penetrate an 8-mm steel sheet. Externally, the PAB.9 cartridges are different from the SP cartridges. The SP6 has a truncated tip with the inscription “9 x39 TPZ” and two digits of the year of manufacture. Bullet weight – 17,2 g, core – 9,9 g, gunfire brand PSI – 0,65 g.
After the delivery of several batches to the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, the use of PAB.9 was prohibited.
Thereafter the 9-mm assault rifle cartridge with an armor-piercing bullet (index 9 Н7) was developed to replace the PUB.12 Tula cartridge. In the course of tests conducted by the Russian Federation in June 2003, the new cartridge showed an increase in armour penetration by 10% and accuracy by 25%. The bullet of the cartridge is structurally similar to the SP 6, but the shape of the truncated vertex is preserved. Externally, the 7 ПХNUMX cartridge differs from PUB.12 only in its stamp, which includes the plant number and the last two digits of the year of manufacture. The mass of the bullet was 9 g, the core –15,7 g. and the powder “П-10,45” – 45 g.
In the next article, we shall look at the special-purpose cartridges that came from the Western Bloc i.e. USA and Europe in the 20th Century.
Sanjay Soni is the Managing Director of Hughes Precision Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd., India’s first small-caliber manufacturer in the private sector. An MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, he has been involved with the ammunition industry in India and abroad for the last 9 years.
