Submachine guns on the road to perfection. Answers to the challenges of time
Submachine gun: yesterday, today, tomorrow.
New ideas in the field of creating submachine guns became the consequence those calls of timethat once again stood before the military on the agenda. It remained only to translate the answer to them in the metal. And it was done! New types of ammunition have appeared, and under them are new models of modern and more effective submachine guns.
Today, from experience and according to science, we have the following: heavy and more aerodynamically improved bullets that accelerate more in the barrel, fly farther and more accurately and, accordingly, are less susceptible to wind demolition. But the accuracy of the shot is affected by the return weapons: the lower it is - the more accurately the bullet flies. Therefore, the choice of the caliber of small arms and submachine gun in particular is always a compromise. Now the bullets are becoming more elongated and streamlined, their caliber also decreases, so they accelerate in the barrel to higher initial velocities than before. Well, they try to reduce returns in various cunning ways. And today, bullets of submachine guns, with all other circumstances, fly farther and more accurately than those of the same military models, and at the same time they have better armor penetration.
As for our country, in the USSR, at the beginning of the 70-s, a small-caliber 5,45 × 18 mm cartridge was created with a bottle-shaped sleeve, a sharp-nosed bullet and increased penetration, and a PSM self-loading pistol (1972 year) for it. Then came the automatic gun OTs-23 "Dart" for the same ammunition. In 1980-s, they began to design submachine guns for it, but they all remained prototypes. It is believed that since his muzzle energy is only about 130 J, he is too weak for a PDW concept weapon. Although his bullet with a solid core at a short distance allows you to pierce 1-2 class body armor, which is an excellent result for pocket pistols.
It was also decided to create an ammunition with enhanced penetrating power, namely the 9 × 21 mm cartridge, which has a heavy pointed bullet (used in the SP-10, SP-11, SP-12, SP-13 and CP-2 submachine guns “Heather "). Heather allows 100 to break through 4-mm steel sheet at a distance of 70 m. Although in itself its firing range is relatively small, because it has a small flatness of bullet flight. That is, this is also not a “universal”, but a very specific PP for the needs of special forces and firing at the enemy, wearing bullet-proof vests in the melee. Compact 9-mm 9-91 (see BO 24 December 2010) chambered for 9 x39 mm became a kind of hybrid between our traditional machine gun and submachine gun. It is flat, comfortable, with a high (for submachine guns) muzzle energy around 700 J, which is nonetheless lower than that of traditional machine gun ammunition. At a distance of 100, the 9-91 bullet pierces 8-mm steel sheet or body armor to 3-grade protection. That is, it is more profitable than PP under 9 mm “parabellum” cartridges and can confidently hit targets at a distance of 200 m. However, in the army of the Russian Federation, despite all its high characteristics, it did not catch on. Apparently, his ammunition is quite expensive, and the niche that he occupies is narrow.
In the new conditions, by the way, the old Soviet cartridges for PPSh and PPS of 7,62 × 25 mm caliber may well be used as “armor-piercing ammunition”, since there are a lot of them in warehouses. Thus, in the United States, based on this cartridge, a civilian ammunition, equipped with a sabot (!) Lead bullet with a plastic tray, similar in design to the Swedish cartridge to the CBJ-MS PP, has already been created, and it is considered to be very effective.
Today in the army of the Russian Federation a Parabellum cartridge 9 × 19 + P + is adopted - i.e. the most powerful among its “brothers”, not counting the export version of 9 × 21. And many are surprised by this decision. First of all, its sleeve is only a millimeter longer than the sleeve of the 9 × 18 cartridge to the Makarov pistol. But the main problem of the latter is connected not with the cartridge case, but with the deep landing of a bullet in it, because of which the powder charge in it cannot be increased. A bullet has a small length, which degrades the ballistics and its striking effect. Meanwhile, in the same Belgium, on the basis of the “Makarovsky” patron, the VBR-B 9 × 18 KATE armor-piercing cartridge was made longer (29,6 mm) than the “Makarovsky” one and in almost all its characteristics quite comparable with the same 9 × 19 mm . However, we are also working to improve this cartridge (See, for example, VO "Pistol rounds" 10 January 2012). Well, 9 × 19 + P + could quite possibly be adopted in order to develop new types of PP for it and it is easier to sell them to the West.
Nevertheless, many experts still believe that it is pointless to try to create a new software for all occasions for mass armies. That the supply of two types of cartridges in the case of a real military conflict will complicate logistics, and in the event of a clash of fighters with rifles will not leave the “pistol-riders” chances. Therefore, as an alternative, they offer shortened versions of the machine gun (or "assault rifle"), under the regular for the army ammunition. Again, this concept (or trend) is again suitable for our Russian AKS74 and M4 from the Americans. However, this is in theory, but in practice, PDW submachine guns are still widespread, and there are more and more new samples of them.
Moreover, in the USA it is proposed a “step back”, that is, an increase in the caliber of submachine guns and pistols from 9 mm to a larger one. In the 2007 year, for example, the USAF decided that an .40 caliber Smith and Wesson (10 mm), or even the good old .45 ACP (11,43 mm) is suitable for them. They explain it this way: even if these bullets have heavy bullets, they do not give a high penetrating effect, but if they hit the vest they can cause serious injuries of a shock character to its holder. On the other hand, they have high dispersion and it will be quite difficult to hit the target at a distance above 50-60 meters.
But in the police weapon cartridges caliber 9 × 19 mm or .45 ACP are quite sufficient. It is noted that they are not prone to ricocheting, which is very important if the fire is conducted in urban environments. So the rejection of them in the near future is unlikely. Moreover, samples of large-caliber PP type HK UMP45 chambered for .45ACP (11,43x23 mm) cartridges began to appear abroad, oriented, however, primarily for sale in the US, where local police departments enjoy considerable freedom in buying weapons and equipment for their own needs. Compared to the same MP5, this is largely a simplified weapon with automatic shutter-based automation, which is why the UMP on the international arms market costs less than the same MP5.
Well, now let's summarize some results and see how the development of submachine guns at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries resulted. Let's start with the cartridges, because without them there would not be this class of weapon.
So, fundamentally new types of small-caliber cartridges with high-speed bullets with enhanced armor-piercing, but little stopping effect, have appeared. These are primarily ammunition with 4,38-mm, 4,6-mm, 5,6-mm, 5,7-mm, 5,8-mm, 6,5-mm bullets. As you can see - gauges for every taste - take it and create your own cutting-edge software for them. Accordingly, 7,62-mm ammunition “went into the shadows” and does not enjoy the same popularity, but the traditional “Luger” caliber 9-mm lives and thrives, although it undergoes continuous improvements. A new caliber appeared - 10-mm and under it already has a submachine gun "Heckler and Koch" MP5 / 10. Experiencing a kind of renaissance ammunition of large calibers - 11, 43 and even 12,7-mm. And again, because of the proliferation of bulletproof vests. Only small-caliber bullets pierce them, and these ... break through or defeat at the expense of their mass through the barrier.
Design: still used free and semi-free valves, to which was added an “automatic” lock based on the vapor mechanism, in which locking is carried out by their turn and even recoil of the barrel with its turning during a short stroke. Samples with a bolt and a magazine in a pistol grip incident on the barrel spread widely.
Plastics play a huge role in construction materials. Metal on many samples remained only the barrel, bolt, bolt spring (and various small springs) and individual parts USM. Everything else is now made of plastic.
There was a trend towards the use of larger capacity stores. If before the shops were standard in 30 cartridges, and 40-cartridges were rare, today 50-charging stores with a four-row arrangement of cartridges and rebuilding them into one cartridge before serving are widespread. We started using screw shops on 60 and more cartridges. In the Russian Federation, they are located under the trunk, in the USA and in China - above the trunk. In the custom of steel transparent plastic shops, easily allowing to control the flow of cartridges.
The fashion trend has become the Picatinny Plank. On the last years of PP, they are attached without fail, and not even one, but 2, 3 and even 4! Now you can hang on a weapon and a powerful sight, and a tactical flashlight, and a laser sight at the same time. Widespread collimator sights. Thus, electronics is slowly but surely moving to a place where, it seems, quite recently there was no place for it!
Modern (2001 development of the year) MP9 submachine gun from Swiss firm Brugger and Tome. It has a very high rate of fire up to 1100 rds / min (see VO “MP9. Super-rapid submachine gun for special forces" 1.05.2019). A collimator sight is mounted on the weapon, as well as a block with a tactical flashlight and laser designator.
Increasingly used modular scheme. Thanks to this, the weapon can be tailored to each fighter individually, and adapted for use by both right-handed and left-handed arrows.
Well, what effect (or will be able to bring) the realization of all these "achievements" in practice, we will tell you in the next issues of this series.
To be continued ...
New ideas in the field of creating submachine guns became the consequence those calls of timethat once again stood before the military on the agenda. It remained only to translate the answer to them in the metal. And it was done! New types of ammunition have appeared, and under them are new models of modern and more effective submachine guns.
What ammo necessary modern pistols, machine guns?
Today, from experience and according to science, we have the following: heavy and more aerodynamically improved bullets that accelerate more in the barrel, fly farther and more accurately and, accordingly, are less susceptible to wind demolition. But the accuracy of the shot is affected by the return weapons: the lower it is - the more accurately the bullet flies. Therefore, the choice of the caliber of small arms and submachine gun in particular is always a compromise. Now the bullets are becoming more elongated and streamlined, their caliber also decreases, so they accelerate in the barrel to higher initial velocities than before. Well, they try to reduce returns in various cunning ways. And today, bullets of submachine guns, with all other circumstances, fly farther and more accurately than those of the same military models, and at the same time they have better armor penetration.
American “frontier guards” with Hempler and Koch machine guns UMP45 caliber 11,43 mm
As for our country, in the USSR, at the beginning of the 70-s, a small-caliber 5,45 × 18 mm cartridge was created with a bottle-shaped sleeve, a sharp-nosed bullet and increased penetration, and a PSM self-loading pistol (1972 year) for it. Then came the automatic gun OTs-23 "Dart" for the same ammunition. In 1980-s, they began to design submachine guns for it, but they all remained prototypes. It is believed that since his muzzle energy is only about 130 J, he is too weak for a PDW concept weapon. Although his bullet with a solid core at a short distance allows you to pierce 1-2 class body armor, which is an excellent result for pocket pistols.
It was also decided to create an ammunition with enhanced penetrating power, namely the 9 × 21 mm cartridge, which has a heavy pointed bullet (used in the SP-10, SP-11, SP-12, SP-13 and CP-2 submachine guns “Heather "). Heather allows 100 to break through 4-mm steel sheet at a distance of 70 m. Although in itself its firing range is relatively small, because it has a small flatness of bullet flight. That is, this is also not a “universal”, but a very specific PP for the needs of special forces and firing at the enemy, wearing bullet-proof vests in the melee. Compact 9-mm 9-91 (see BO 24 December 2010) chambered for 9 x39 mm became a kind of hybrid between our traditional machine gun and submachine gun. It is flat, comfortable, with a high (for submachine guns) muzzle energy around 700 J, which is nonetheless lower than that of traditional machine gun ammunition. At a distance of 100, the 9-91 bullet pierces 8-mm steel sheet or body armor to 3-grade protection. That is, it is more profitable than PP under 9 mm “parabellum” cartridges and can confidently hit targets at a distance of 200 m. However, in the army of the Russian Federation, despite all its high characteristics, it did not catch on. Apparently, his ammunition is quite expensive, and the niche that he occupies is narrow.
9-9 Compact 91-mm
In the new conditions, by the way, the old Soviet cartridges for PPSh and PPS of 7,62 × 25 mm caliber may well be used as “armor-piercing ammunition”, since there are a lot of them in warehouses. Thus, in the United States, based on this cartridge, a civilian ammunition, equipped with a sabot (!) Lead bullet with a plastic tray, similar in design to the Swedish cartridge to the CBJ-MS PP, has already been created, and it is considered to be very effective.
Today in the army of the Russian Federation a Parabellum cartridge 9 × 19 + P + is adopted - i.e. the most powerful among its “brothers”, not counting the export version of 9 × 21. And many are surprised by this decision. First of all, its sleeve is only a millimeter longer than the sleeve of the 9 × 18 cartridge to the Makarov pistol. But the main problem of the latter is connected not with the cartridge case, but with the deep landing of a bullet in it, because of which the powder charge in it cannot be increased. A bullet has a small length, which degrades the ballistics and its striking effect. Meanwhile, in the same Belgium, on the basis of the “Makarovsky” patron, the VBR-B 9 × 18 KATE armor-piercing cartridge was made longer (29,6 mm) than the “Makarovsky” one and in almost all its characteristics quite comparable with the same 9 × 19 mm . However, we are also working to improve this cartridge (See, for example, VO "Pistol rounds" 10 January 2012). Well, 9 × 19 + P + could quite possibly be adopted in order to develop new types of PP for it and it is easier to sell them to the West.
Good old "Makarovsky" cartridge.
Opinion of some against opinion of others
Nevertheless, many experts still believe that it is pointless to try to create a new software for all occasions for mass armies. That the supply of two types of cartridges in the case of a real military conflict will complicate logistics, and in the event of a clash of fighters with rifles will not leave the “pistol-riders” chances. Therefore, as an alternative, they offer shortened versions of the machine gun (or "assault rifle"), under the regular for the army ammunition. Again, this concept (or trend) is again suitable for our Russian AKS74 and M4 from the Americans. However, this is in theory, but in practice, PDW submachine guns are still widespread, and there are more and more new samples of them.
Cartridges 7,65 × 17 mm Browning (left), 7,62 × 25 mm TT (center), 9 × 19 mm Parabellum (right)
Moreover, in the USA it is proposed a “step back”, that is, an increase in the caliber of submachine guns and pistols from 9 mm to a larger one. In the 2007 year, for example, the USAF decided that an .40 caliber Smith and Wesson (10 mm), or even the good old .45 ACP (11,43 mm) is suitable for them. They explain it this way: even if these bullets have heavy bullets, they do not give a high penetrating effect, but if they hit the vest they can cause serious injuries of a shock character to its holder. On the other hand, they have high dispersion and it will be quite difficult to hit the target at a distance above 50-60 meters.
Submachine gun UMP45
For the police, and these calibers are good!
But in the police weapon cartridges caliber 9 × 19 mm or .45 ACP are quite sufficient. It is noted that they are not prone to ricocheting, which is very important if the fire is conducted in urban environments. So the rejection of them in the near future is unlikely. Moreover, samples of large-caliber PP type HK UMP45 chambered for .45ACP (11,43x23 mm) cartridges began to appear abroad, oriented, however, primarily for sale in the US, where local police departments enjoy considerable freedom in buying weapons and equipment for their own needs. Compared to the same MP5, this is largely a simplified weapon with automatic shutter-based automation, which is why the UMP on the international arms market costs less than the same MP5.
Trend to the head!
Well, now let's summarize some results and see how the development of submachine guns at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries resulted. Let's start with the cartridges, because without them there would not be this class of weapon.
So, fundamentally new types of small-caliber cartridges with high-speed bullets with enhanced armor-piercing, but little stopping effect, have appeared. These are primarily ammunition with 4,38-mm, 4,6-mm, 5,6-mm, 5,7-mm, 5,8-mm, 6,5-mm bullets. As you can see - gauges for every taste - take it and create your own cutting-edge software for them. Accordingly, 7,62-mm ammunition “went into the shadows” and does not enjoy the same popularity, but the traditional “Luger” caliber 9-mm lives and thrives, although it undergoes continuous improvements. A new caliber appeared - 10-mm and under it already has a submachine gun "Heckler and Koch" MP5 / 10. Experiencing a kind of renaissance ammunition of large calibers - 11, 43 and even 12,7-mm. And again, because of the proliferation of bulletproof vests. Only small-caliber bullets pierce them, and these ... break through or defeat at the expense of their mass through the barrier.
Swedish submachine gun CBJ-MS. It uses 20 and 30 charging stores, but also these “snail shops” for whole 100 cartridges!
Design: still used free and semi-free valves, to which was added an “automatic” lock based on the vapor mechanism, in which locking is carried out by their turn and even recoil of the barrel with its turning during a short stroke. Samples with a bolt and a magazine in a pistol grip incident on the barrel spread widely.
Russian PP-93 with a magazine in the handle.
Plastics play a huge role in construction materials. Metal on many samples remained only the barrel, bolt, bolt spring (and various small springs) and individual parts USM. Everything else is now made of plastic.
Austrian submachine gun "Steyr" AUG-Z-A3, created on the basis of a rifle and on the system of bull-pap has a plastic case and a translucent plastic shop.
There was a trend towards the use of larger capacity stores. If before the shops were standard in 30 cartridges, and 40-cartridges were rare, today 50-charging stores with a four-row arrangement of cartridges and rebuilding them into one cartridge before serving are widespread. We started using screw shops on 60 and more cartridges. In the Russian Federation, they are located under the trunk, in the USA and in China - above the trunk. In the custom of steel transparent plastic shops, easily allowing to control the flow of cartridges.
American submachine gun with the top location of the auger shop "Kaliko-960".
The fashion trend has become the Picatinny Plank. On the last years of PP, they are attached without fail, and not even one, but 2, 3 and even 4! Now you can hang on a weapon and a powerful sight, and a tactical flashlight, and a laser sight at the same time. Widespread collimator sights. Thus, electronics is slowly but surely moving to a place where, it seems, quite recently there was no place for it!
Modern (2001 development of the year) MP9 submachine gun from Swiss firm Brugger and Tome. It has a very high rate of fire up to 1100 rds / min (see VO “MP9. Super-rapid submachine gun for special forces" 1.05.2019). A collimator sight is mounted on the weapon, as well as a block with a tactical flashlight and laser designator.
Scheme of the device MP9.
Increasingly used modular scheme. Thanks to this, the weapon can be tailored to each fighter individually, and adapted for use by both right-handed and left-handed arrows.
Transparent store on MP9.
Well, what effect (or will be able to bring) the realization of all these "achievements" in practice, we will tell you in the next issues of this series.
To be continued ...
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