Russian 12,7mm sniper rifles
The development of large-caliber sniper rifles in our country began later than in the West. But, despite this, Russian gunsmiths managed to create a number of original samples that are not inferior and often superior to foreign designs.
The design of the first 12,7-mm sniper rifles in the USSR began in the late 1980s, after it became known about the adoption of rifles chambered for 12,7 × 99 mm by the American special operations forces, which was used for firing from the Browning M2NV heavy machine gun. However, until the collapse of the Soviet Union, such rifles were not adopted for service.
12,7 mm rifles V-94 and OSV-96
The first serial Russian 12,7-mm rifle was the OSV-96, created in Tula by specialists from the Instrument Design Bureau (KBP). The prototype of this rifle (chambered for 12,7 × 108 mm), known as the B-94 "Volga", was presented in 1995, apparently shortly before running in combat on the territory of the Chechen Republic.
Officially this weapon was intended for firing at the embrasures of firing points, fighting lightly armored enemy vehicles, destroying radars, vans with radio stations, command and control facilities and missile systems, as well as destroying enemy aircraft at the airfield.
The B-94 large-caliber sniper rifle is a semi-automatic rifle that works by removing part of the powder gases. The bolt is locked by turning the bolt with four lugs.
12,7-mm rifle V-94 "Volga"
The long barrel and powerful cartridge inevitably affected the overall dimensions of the weapon. A highlight of the design is the ability to fold the rifle, which makes transportation much more convenient.
12,7-mm rifle V-94 "Volga" folded
The barrel of the B-94 rifle is equipped with a muzzle brake-flash suppressor, the buttstock was originally made of wood. On the back of the butt to reduce the effect of recoil on the shooter, a rubber butt pad is provided. Shooting is possible only from a prone position or from a support - for which there are folding bipods.
For trial operation, rifles with a PSO-1 sight were originally supplied. Subsequently, more durable optical sights with high magnification were created for the large-caliber rifle.
The B-94 rifles of several modifications were produced in small series and from the second half of the 1990s were used in the North Caucasus.
After military trials, the modified rifle was put into service under the designation OSV-96 "Cracker".
The new modification differs from the B-94 in a modified plastic butt, a different design of the muzzle brake, folding adjustable bipods and a carrying handle. Instead of a single-row magazine, a staggered cartridge magazine is used.
Initially, within the framework of the Vzlomshik ROC, several rifles of different calibers were developed, but this name “stuck” to the OSV-96.
12,7-mm rifle OSV-96 "Cracker" in firing position with accessories
According to materials published in the public domain, the mass of a rifle without a sight is 12,9 kg. Length in firing position - 1 mm, folded - 746 mm.
12,7 mm rifle OSV-96 folded
Magazine capacity - 5 rounds. Combat rate of fire - up to 20 rds / min. On the OSV-96 rifle, it is possible to install various optical and night optoelectronic sights of domestic and foreign production. The maximum firing range is 1 m.
For firing from the OSV-96, cartridges of 12,7 × 108 mm, designed for DShKM, NSV and KORD machine guns, can be used. The B-32 armor-piercing incendiary bullet weighing 48,3 g leaves a rifle barrel 1 mm long with an initial velocity of 000 m / s and at a distance of 890 m along the normal is capable of penetrating 300 mm armor.
Cartridge 12,7 × 108 mm
Taking into account the fact that standard machine-gun ammunition measuring 12,7 × 108 mm demonstrates an unsatisfactory accuracy for a sniper weapon, special cartridges were developed. It is known that for firing at lightly armored targets, an armor-piercing cartridge with improved accuracy with a bullet with a hardened steel core is used.
It is stated that when firing from the OSV-96 rifle, the dispersion diameter of 5 shots at a distance of 100 m does not exceed 50 mm. The best accuracy is given by cartridges with a bronze bullet, turned on a precision machine. But these handcrafted cartridges are expensive and have limited use.
The real characteristics of the "Burglar" with a high-precision cartridge are not disclosed. Based on indirect data, it can be assumed that a target of the "chest figure" type can be hit from the first shot at a distance of up to 800 m.
In open sources, it was not possible to find information about how many OSV-96 rifles were produced. In Russia, OSV-96 are in service with the special forces of the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and "other law enforcement agencies."
Large-caliber "Crackers" enjoy some success with foreign buyers. The OSV-96 rifles were adopted for service in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, India, Iran, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Licensed production of OSV-96 in 2018 was established in Vietnam.
These weapons were used in Syria and eastern Ukraine. Although the first Russian 12,7-mm rifle was mainly intended for firing at vehicles and suppressing firing points, in real hostilities it was mainly used as a counter-sniper weapon and in street battles - to defeat manpower hiding behind the walls of buildings and in light field fortifications.
Although the OSV-96 is not very accurate for sniper weapons, the use of a 12,7 × 108 mm cartridge allows the shooter to remain out of the reach of the aimed fire of small arms of 7,62 mm caliber. Automatic reloading in the event of a miss makes it possible to quickly fire a second shot.
12,7-mm rifles SVN-98, KSVK and ASVK
In 1998, the 12,7-mm Nergulenko sniper rifle - SVN-98 was presented for testing. Since the first half of the 1990s, work on the creation of this rifle was carried out at the design bureau of the Degtyarev Plant in Kovrov.
12,7 mm SVN-98 rifle
The SVN-98 rifle is made according to the bullpup scheme and uses a sliding bolt with a twist. Food is supplied from a detachable 5-round magazine. The barrel has a compensator brake that reduces recoil and suppresses the flash of the shot. The butt end of the rifle is covered with a porous material, which makes shooting more comfortable. For easy portability, there is a handle in the center of the rifle, on which an optical sight is also mounted. Convenience of shooting in the "prone" position is provided by folding bipods.
Although the SVN-98 rifle was at least as good as the OSV-96 in terms of its effective firing range, thanks to the use of the bullpup scheme, the overall length of the weapon in the firing position is much less.
In the late 1990s, a small batch of SVN-98 rifles was tested in Chechnya. Based on the experience gained in combat conditions, the 12,7-mm KSVK rifle went into a small series, which differs from the START-98 in a number of details.
12,7 mm rifle KSVK
The KVSK rifle without cartridges and an optical sight weighs 12,5 kg. The total length is 1 420 mm. Barrel length - 1 mm. Bullet muzzle velocity - 000 m / s. Combat rate of fire - up to 900 rds / min.
In 2004, an improved, manually reloadable 12,7 mm ASVK rifle was created in Kovrov.
According to the advertising information published by the press service of JSC "Plant named after V. A. Degtyarev", thanks to the use of a barrel made by the cold forging method, the shooting accuracy has significantly improved. The average dispersion diameter declared by the manufacturer without the use of special ammunition at a distance of 300 m is about 160 mm. When using special cartridges, the accuracy is about 1,5 MOA.
The guaranteed resource of the barrel without loss of accuracy is 3 shots. With proper care, the total barrel life is up to 000 shots. High-performance muzzle brake allows to reduce recoil by more than 5 times. When shooting, bipods are used, which are attached to the receiver rod. In the stowed position, they fold forward. The butt plate is equipped with a shock absorber made of porous material. This allows the shooter to fire several dozen shots without feeling unpleasant sensations.
Sniper of the 76th Guards Airborne Assault Division with a 12,7-mm AVSK rifle. Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The official entry into service of the AVSK rifle took place in 2014. This rifle is used not only by snipers of the FSB and FSO, but also in army special forces. This weapon was successfully used in the armed conflict in the east of Ukraine.
12,7 mm rifle VM-2000
At about the same time as AVSK, the 12,7-mm VM-2000 rifle was created in the Tula State Unitary Enterprise KBP, also made according to the "bullpup" scheme.
12,7 mm rifle VM-2000
This rifle took part in a competition announced by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, and at the first stage showed very good results. However, the VM-2000 rifle was subsequently withdrawn from testing.
Very little is known about this rifle, no precise information is provided about the device, and it can only be judged by the available photographs. According to information published in open sources, a total of 10 copies of the VM-2000 were made.
The VM-2000 layout is made according to the "bullpup" scheme and has a manual reloading with a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt. The bolt cocking handle is moved far forward relative to the breech of the barrel, which makes reloading more convenient. Cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines.
The rifle is equipped with open sights on folding bases and a seat for mounting optical or night sights. In front of the fire control handle there is a handle for carrying a weapon. To soften the recoil, the VM-2000 rifle is equipped with a muzzle brake and a shock absorber in the stock. When shooting, the support is carried out on a folding bipod.
12,7 mm rifle OTs-44
Another large-caliber Russian bullpup rifle is the 12,7 mm OTs-44. This weapon was designed by the Tula Central Design Bureau for Sports and Hunting Weapons (TsKIB SOO) in the late 1990s, chambered for the standard 12,7 × 108 mm cartridge.
12,7 mm rifle OTs-44
A number of original technical solutions were used in the design of this rifle. So, instead of moving the bolt of the rifle when reloading, the shooter moves the barrel of the weapon. To reduce the sound of a shot, there is a large-sized silencer that attenuates the sound of a shot to the level of a 7,62-mm SVD rifle. Rifle weight without cartridges - 14 kg. Length - 1 mm. Magazine capacity - 070 rounds.
The muffler reduces the muzzle velocity of the 12,7 mm B-32 bullet to 800 m / s. The maximum firing range is 1 m. The effective range is 200 m. To drastically reduce the noise level of a shot, special cartridges with a subsonic bullet can be used. But at the same time, the effective firing range is approximately halved.
Apparently, when developing this sample, the designers tried to create a universal, most compact rifle, which, when firing with conventional cartridges, could be used to defeat various equipment, and with subsonic cartridges - in special operations.
There is no information in reliable sources about the adoption and combat use of the OTs-44 large-caliber sniper rifle.
12,7-mm rifle VSSK "Exhaust"
By special order of the Special Purpose Center of the FSB of Russia, in parallel with the large-caliber assault rifle ASh-12 TsKIB SOO, a 12,7-mm special-purpose rifle VSSK "Exhaust" was created, which was put into service in May 2004. It was first presented to the public at the Interpolitech exhibition in 2005.
The main purpose of the 12,7-mm VSSK rifle is the covert defeat of manpower in personal protective equipment (including heavy body armor) at a distance of up to 600 meters, as well as behind obstacles or light armor.
An acceptable sound level is provided by an integrated silent firing device and cartridges with an initial bullet velocity below the speed of sound (290-295 m / s). The integrated muffler can be removed for transport or cleaning.
12,7-mm rifle VSSK "Exhaust" with different attachment points for the optical sight and bipods of various designs
In addition to the possibility of installing various optical and night sights, there are duplicate sights: a folding diopter sight and a front sight.
For firing, special STs-130 cartridges with a dimension of 12,7 × 55 mm are used, with specially made weighted bullets, relatively short 55 mm long sleeves and a muzzle energy of about 2,5 kJ.
The VSSK rifle ammunition nomenclature includes:
- cartridge STs-130 PT with a high-precision shell bullet;
- cartridge SC-130 PT 2 with a bronze bullet of increased accuracy;
- cartridge SC-130 VPS with an armor-piercing bullet;
- training cartridge STs-130 PU, designed for training.
The 12,7 mm subsonic bullet weighs from 59 to 76 g. The full length of the 12,7 mm SC-130 cartridge is 97,3 mm versus 147,5 mm for the standard domestic large-caliber cartridge 12,7 × 108 mm.
At a distance of 100 m, when firing a series of 7 shots with STs-130PT cartridges (a bullet weighing 59 g), they fit into a circle with a diameter of 35 mm. The bullet of the STs-130VPS cartridge weighing 76 grams at 200 m along the normal penetrates a steel plate 16 mm thick. In addition to armor, such a cartridge can easily pierce a wooden wall or brickwork up to 10 cm thick.
The VSSK is recharged manually. The bolt handle is located on the right side of the rifle, moves translationally, which is more ergonomic than handling a traditional bolt with a turn. On the handle, connected to the bolt carrier, there is a preliminary start-off lever and a handle safety device, which excludes spontaneous opening of the bolt. The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt on four symmetrically located lugs.
The rifle has good ergonomics and can be fired from any position. There is a pad on the butt plate that can be adjusted to suit your individual needs. Foldable bipods are located at the front of the rifle. In the stowed position, they are completely retracted into the forend and have an adjustable height.
For a 12,7 mm caliber, VSSK has very modest weight and dimensions. The weight of the rifle with a magazine, a silencer and without a sight is 6,5 kg. Length - 1 125 mm. Food is supplied from a detachable 5-round magazine.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of domestic 12,7-mm sniper rifles
Concluding the review devoted to Russian 12,7-mm rifles, we can state that in terms of their characteristics they are not inferior to the best foreign models. So, the OSV-96 self-loading rifle in terms of size, rate of fire and accuracy is quite comparable to the Barrett M82. At the same time, a domestically produced rifle is cheaper, lighter, can be folded for transportation, has a longer barrel and more ammunition, which potentially allows you to hit targets at a greater distance.
Russian 12,7-mm rifles with manual reloading, built according to the "bullpup" scheme, look quite dignified against the background of the American Barrett M-90 / M-95 / M-99.
Not only in the USA, but also nowhere in the world is there a serial analogue of our low-noise rifle VSSK "Exhaust".
At the same time, it should be stated that the ammunition load of Russian large-caliber rifles lacks modern armor-piercing incendiary cartridges, similar in their characteristics to the American MK 211, which, in turn, does not allow to fully reveal the potential of the domestic cartridge 12,7 × 108 mm.
It is also highly desirable to improve the quality and characteristics of domestic optical and night sights. It's no secret that snipers of the FSB and FSO often use foreign-made optics.
Currently, Russian large-caliber sniper rifles are mainly available in services dealing with the fight against terrorism, the physical protection of top officials and the protection of strategically important objects. Compared to the American armed forces, there are still few 12,7 mm rifles in our army.
Information