OTs-38 Stechkin silent revolver
| OTs-38 Stechkin silent revolver | |
|---|---|
Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin | |
| Designed | 2001 |
| Manufacturer | KBP Instrument Design Bureau |
| Unit cost | $567.80 |
| Produced | 2002 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 820g (1 lb 13 oz) (without laser and empty), 880g (1 lb 15 oz) (with laser and empty) |
| Length | 191mm (7.5 in) |
| Width | 40mm (1.6 in) |
| Height | 140mm (5.5 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×41 mm SP-4 |
| Action | Double-action Revolver |
| Effective firing range | 50m |
| Feed system | 5 round cylinder, loaded by full moon clips |
| Sights | Fixed front and rear, optional integral laser sight |
The OTs-38
Design
The effective range of fire for the OTs-38 Stechkin is 50 m. The fired cases are kept in the cylinder, thus ensuring the absence of sound of ejected cases. The cartridge employs a captive piston, creating a gas seal, so there is no flash or loud report upon discharge.[3]
As the cartridge is rimless, the cylinder is fed via full moon clips. The SP-4 cartridges emit no report or flame because the propellant gases are retained in the case. The OTs-38 revolver is claimed to be effectively silent, as the sound level of the live and dry firing is practically identical.
S&W QSPR
This system is virtually identical to that employed by the
Early prototypes had very short smooth-bore barrels with 0.40 inch (10 mm) bore and matching chambers, but later versions have longer barrels of up to four inches (100 mm). QSPR ammunition (which pioneered the captive piston propellant gas containment system) ejected fifteen tungsten balls from the special cartridges, weighing 7.5 grain (0.5 grams) each, exiting at a muzzle velocity of around 730 fps (222ms) for a muzzle energy of roughly 135 ft-lbs (185J).
This load was tailored to wound at up to 100 ft (30 m), and have a practical, and potentially fatal, effect at ranges below 30 ft (10 m), deemed sufficient for the QSPR's intended and narrow application: clearing the confined and dimly lit to pitch-black tunnels encountered by “tunnel rats" during the Vietnam War. No sights were fitted.
The acoustic signature of QSPR rounds was around 110 dB (similar to a traditionally silenced
OTs-38
In contrast to its virtually stock predecessor, the later OTs-38 is innovative to a degree unusual even in special purpose weapons:
- The cylinder pivots out to the right-hand side.
- A manual safety catch that allows the pre-cocked hammer to be set on manual safety, enabling the revolver to be carried cocked. (The mechanism also prevents accidental discharge with the cylinder open or not fully closed, with the revolver dropped or struck.)
- The barrel is mounted below the axis pin (the gun fires from the lowest cylinder chamber), so recoil is directed straight into the shooter's hand, rather than exerting a torque that raises the muzzle. This improves both accuracy and the maximum rate of fire.
The OTs-38 is fitted with an integral
Users
Russian Federation
Syria - Syrian special units and police
See also
- Captive bolt pistol
- List of Russian weaponry
- PSS silent pistol
- Stechkin automatic pistol
- Smith & Wesson Model 29
References
- ^ "ОЦ-38". Archived from the original on 2015-05-21. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
- ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ^ "OTs-38 Stechkin 7.62 mm silent revolver". Jane's Information Group. March 31, 2010. Retrieved 2009-06-16.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "9-мм автоматический пистолет ОЦ-38". KBP. Archived from the original on June 10, 2009.
External links
Media related to OTs-38 at Wikimedia Commons
- KBP Instrument—official page: OTs-38
- Modern Firearms: OTs-38
- ОЦ-38