Pistols are the most common type of combat and service weapon. firearms, it is used not only by military personnel and employees of special services, but also by ordinary citizens for self-defense or sports shooting. A pistol is a short-barreled weapon with an effective range of 25-50 meters.
Most modern handguns are rifled, self-loading and (usually) non-automatic weapons. The capacity of a classic pistol magazine is 8-9 rounds, although recently there are more and more models with a capacity of up to twenty rounds.
Pistols in their usual form are the brainchild of the twentieth century, although the first examples of these weapons appeared in the 15th century. The first pistols were equipped with a matchlock, which was replaced by a wheel lock, and then a flintlock. However, they were all single-shot, quite heavy and required a lot of time to recharge. Therefore, in the second half of the 19th century, pistols were very quickly replaced by revolvers.
At the end of the same century, repeating pistols appeared that surpassed revolvers both in rate of fire and in accuracy. After the end of the First World War, the era of repeating pistols begins, which continues to this day.
Since the invention of the first repeating pistol, a huge number of models of this firearm have been produced. Military, sports, hunting, pistols for self-defense - they were (and are) engaged in their development and production in dozens of countries around the world, the most famous weapons designers had a hand in creating new models of pistols.
On the Internet, they often argue about which of the pistols is the best. This is a very debatable and controversial issue, because there are more than enough successful designs of these weapons in the world. We made a small selection, which includes the best pistols different countries and periods. The selection criterion in this list was not only the technical characteristics of the pistol, but also the revolutionary nature of its design, as well as popularity among professionals and gun enthusiasts. In our rating, we will not consider pneumatic and sports pistols, only military samples or weapons for self-defense will participate in the review.
So, the top 10 best pistols in the world.
Our top 10 opens with a pistol made in the Soviet Union in the late 40s. APS uses a cartridge 9 × 18 mm PM, its automation works on the principle of free shutter. This pistol is very popular in Russia and other former Soviet republics, but abroad it is usually criticized. A feature of the Stechkin pistol is the ability to fire from it automatically, which is somewhat unusual for this type of weapon. The pistol holster can be used as a stock. The standard magazine capacity of the pistol is 20 rounds.
The APS was designed for officers, drivers, pilots, but it was quickly removed from service. The disadvantage of the pistol was its excessive weight and bulkiness - it was not very suitable for covert and constant wear, and as a military weapon, the APS was not powerful enough. Despite this, it was used in dozens of conflicts during the Cold War and in hot spots in the territory former Union and beyond.
In ninth place is the Desert Eagle pistol (“Desert Eagle”), which is considered one of the most powerful pistols in the world. It was developed in the early 80s by a joint Israeli-American team chambered for a large caliber cartridge (up to 12.7 mm). The developers positioned their offspring as a hunting weapon and a pistol for self-defense.
Desert Eagle is not in service with any army in the world, it is not used in special services, but he is very fond of Hollywood directors. This is one of the most recognizable pistols in the world. The military and security forces do not use the Desert Eagle because of its excessive weight and bulkiness, in addition, the pistol has a monstrous recoil and a deafening sound of a shot (it is forbidden to use it in indoor shooting ranges). It should also be noted that this weapon is not very reliable, uses very expensive ammo and is sensitive to contamination.
In Russia, this pistol is practically not found.
One of the most famous and successful pistols, as evidenced by the large number of copies and clones of this weapon. Walther PP was one of the first mass devices, on which a double-acting trigger was used. It was developed in 1929 as a police pistol, but later the Walther PP was widely used as a personal weapon for tankers, pilots and sailors.
In the 60s of the last century mass production of this pistol was renewed and continues to this day. In addition, the pistol is produced under license in the United States. In total, more than a million copies of this weapon were produced. The Soviet PM is, in fact, a replica of this German pistol.
In seventh place on our list is a pistol created by the Belgian gunsmiths of Fabrique Nationale in the late 90s as an addition to the P90 submachine gun. This largely determines the characteristics of this weapon. The main thing is that it uses the same unique 5.7×28mm cartridge with a pointed bullet that can handle most body armor in existence today. Specific ammunition somewhat limits the popularity of this model as a means of self-defense or sports shooting.
The FN Five-seveN pistol is very popular among special forces soldiers, it is in great demand in the USA. It has been used in several wars and conflicts.
This is a legendary weapon, the first Soviet pistol developed by weapons designer Tokarev in the early 1930s. The TT pistol went along with the Red Army throughout the Great Patriotic war, was used in all conflicts of the post-war period, it is popular in Russia today. This is a simple and reliable weapon that uses a powerful 7.62×25mm TT cartridge. Not every bulletproof vest is able to resist him.
The TT has a relatively small size, suitable for concealed carrying, although there are complaints about the ergonomics of the pistol.
One of the most successful creations of Czech gunsmiths, which deservedly takes fifth place in our ranking. The pistol was created back in the 80s of the last century chambered for 9x19 mm. Convenience, reliability and simplicity of design provided this weapon with great popularity in the west.
The CZ-75/85 has an excellent aiming range, the pistol bullet has good penetrating power and sufficient stopping power. In terms of the number of copies sold, the CZ-75/85 is not much inferior to the Colts. This weapon is not very common in Russia.
This pistol was made by the famous German company Heckler & Koch in the early 90s. In 1993, he was adopted by the Bundeswehr. Has a large number of modifications.
The Heckler & Koch USP pistol is considered one of the most successful developments for special and police units. It is very reliable, unpretentious, and has good shooting accuracy. The gun can be used in any conditions - it is not afraid of either heat or cold, it is insensitive to dirt and falls. Heckler&Koch USP use special units Germany, USA, Italy, France, Ukraine, Poland and Japan.
Of the design features, it should be noted a polymer frame and a proprietary buffer system to reduce friction. A quick caliber change is possible.
One of the best pistols in the world, created by the oldest European arms company. The pistol was adopted in 1980 and uses the popular 9×19mm cartridge. The quality of this weapon is evidenced by the fact that in 1985 a modification of the Beretta 92F pistol was adopted as a standard weapon (instead of the Colt M1911) in the US armed forces. The Beretta 92 is also in service with the IDF. About 100 thousand of these pistols are produced every year in various modifications.
There are a large number of modifications of this pistol, it is very recognizable and popular in the civilian market.
The advantages of the Beretta 92 pistol include its excellent ergonomics, good balance, which ensures high accuracy and accuracy of fire. The location of the fuse allows you to shoot both right and left handed. The bullet has sufficient penetration and stopping power.
Among the shortcomings, one can note the rather large weight of the gun and its sensitivity to contamination. A too thick handle is not very convenient for people with short fingers.
In second place in our top 10 is the legendary pistol, created by the brilliant gunsmith John Browning before the start of World War I and remaining in service with the US Army today. This pistol survived only one notable upgrade in 1926, a large number of models and modifications were created based on the Colt M1911.
This model was supplied to Russia during the First World War, and then under Lend-Lease during the Great Patriotic War. With the American army, he went through both world wars, Korea, Vietnam and all other conflicts of the period. cold war.
Most powerful pistol in the world, which took first place in our top 10, became a real milestone in the development of short-barreled firearms. The Glock 17 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and uses a short recoil mechanism.
The history of the creation of the pistol is very interesting. In 1980, a competition was announced for the creation of a self-loading pistol for the needs of the Austrian army and police. Among others, the little-known company Glock GmbH, which had previously been supplying the army with bayonet-knives, sapper shovels and other ammunition, but did not produce firearms, took part in it. Nevertheless, according to the results of the tests, it was the Glock 17 pistol that was recognized as the best and put into service. Since then, four generations of the pistol have been created and put into mass production.
In addition to the Austrian army, the Glock 17 is in service with the armed forces and law enforcement more than thirty countries of the world.
The design of the pistol actively uses impact-resistant and heat-resistant plastic (polyamide), which makes the Glock 17 very durable and lightweight. Also, thanks to this, the gun is very resistant to corrosion, however, with prolonged and intensive use, plastic inevitably gives microcracks.
The gun has excellent accuracy and accuracy, it is very convenient, easy to disassemble. A characteristic feature of this pistol is that it does not have a fuse at all. Therefore, the time to bring it into combat position is minimal.
The Glock 17 can even be fired underwater and the barrel won't rupture or swell. True, for this you need to use a special drummer.
If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.
Today, no one, including representatives of government agencies, is safe from attacks by bandits and hooligans. So you have to carry a gun with you all the time. Therefore, the main requirements for weapons for civilian use and the performance of special tasks by units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are the minimum dimensions and weight.
Initially, this problem was solved by creating small copies of large pistols, and they tried to reduce anything, but not the caliber. For if your life depends on one shot, then you need to shoot for sure, using multiply charged weapons, since one shot is often not enough. Very popular among the population of different countries are small double-barreled pistols, called "derringers" by the name of a famous American inventor. These were simple and reliable mechanisms.
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But since two shots is also not much, a type of "derringer" was developed, known as the Sharps pistol - with a fixed block of four barrels. Further development of pocket weapons followed the path of improving small revolvers. For a short trunk, giving them a peculiar look, they received the name "bulldog".
At one time, models were developed that did not have a barrel at all - the so-called "piper-boxes" with an elongated drum. But the weapon was still too big and heavy. The heyday of portable self-defense came after the ingenious invention of the famous American gunsmith Browning: his self-loading pistol of the 1906 model can be considered a breakthrough in this area. A small flat weapon had very good characteristics: length 114 mm, height 76 mm, width 23.5 mm with a barrel length of 54 mm and a weight of only 0.386 g with a full six-round magazine, caliber 6.35x16.
Reloading was carried out automatically, so the rate of fire was very high. However, it should be noted that, nevertheless, a large caliber of pocket weapons was not always an end in itself, and many pistols were developed for low-power cartridges, since for such weapons the main criterion is the speed of drawing, flat, with "licked" forms. Therefore, the Browning had practically no sights that could catch on clothing. Small flat "Brownings", called "ladies' pistols", became popular in tsarist Russia, where they quite actively replaced pocket revolvers.
In Russia, small-sized weapons were practically not produced, they managed with foreign models. A new achievement in the design of personal weapons was created in 1971-1972. creative team consisting of T.I.Lashnev, A.A.Simarin and L.L.Kulikov PSM pistol (small-sized self-loading pistol).
The PSM pistol was developed at TsKIB SOO (Tula, USSR) on the basis of the decision of the Military Industrial Complex under the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 277 of November 10, 1970 in accordance with the approved tactical and technical requirements No. 02968 of May 14, 1971, the main requirement of which) was “flat, without protruding parts on the side surfaces; as thick as a matchbox (17 mm), light, weighing no more than 0.5 kgf with an equipped magazine; with "pocket" overall dimensions - length 155 mm, height 106 mm, thickness 17 mm.
The collective thought of the designers made it possible to carry out a thorough engineering and analytical testing of the design and technical documentation of the PSM pistol at a higher level, as evidenced by the fact that the first samples of the PSM pistol with excellent results passed the State tests from the first presentation, which is not often the case, and that surprise the experts. According to the MVK acceptance act of December 29, 1972 and order No. 0588 of December 21, 1972, the PSM pistol was adopted by the services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB of the USSR and the highest command staff of the Soviet army.
Introduced into production in early 1974 at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. It should be noted once again that the analytical development of technical documentation was so high that the introduction into production was painless and fast.
It is important to note that the model from the former Soviet Union compares favorably with well-known pistols of a similar purpose. The positive qualities of the PSM pistol design include:
- elimination of protruding parts from the side surfaces of the pistol;
- the small thickness of the pistol is -17 mm (from a matchbox), and the Makarov pistol is 30 mm, the RRK pistol is 25 mm. pistol TRN - 23 mm;
- the speed of opening fire from a combat platoon with a pistol on the fuse;
- the rear sight does not interfere with the shooter when removing the pistol from storage areas and does not injure the shooter when carried hidden and provides a clear aiming process;
- the possibility of concealed carrying a pistol due to its small dimensions, especially in thickness;
- the reliability of the automation is not inferior to the best known samples of a similar purpose;
- the safety of the pistol due to the mandatory separation of the magazine during disassembly and assembly;
- the design of the pistol made it possible to create documentation for the manufacture and acceptance, suitable for serial and mass production.
A distinctive feature of the PSM pistol is the location of the head of the safety flag above the back of the bolt near the top of the trigger, which makes it possible to simultaneously turn off the safety and cock the hammer (this is achieved by simultaneously pressing the thumb of the hand holding the pistol, or the palm of the other hand).
It is also important to ensure the safe removal of the cocked hammer from the cocking and locking the bolt and trigger when the fuse is turned on and to exclude a shot if the pistol accidentally falls due to the safety lug of the trigger, as well as blocking the firing pin from the trigger with the fuse turned on. The PSM pistol is useful in situations of rapid reaction in close combat and is always ready for instantaneous opening of fire, which is of no small importance when performing special tasks, as well as in self-defense.
For the PSM pistol, designer A.D. Denisova developed a special cone-bottle-shaped 5.45-mm cartridge MPTs (5.45x18), the mass of which is 4.8 g, a bullet with a steel core weighing 2.5 g. The muzzle velocity of the bullet reaches 300 ...315 m/s. 
The result is a handy high-end small-sized weapon.
Due to the small caliber of this weapon, there has been much speculation about its stopping power. But it has been verified that his bullet is able to penetrate 20 layers of Kevlar fabric and most bulletproof vests.
This is possible, except perhaps for the venerable TT pistol. In addition, it has been established that the bullet, having entered the human body, begins to unfold and the exit hole takes the form of a lacerated large wound, which leads to instant shock of the affected person.
The 5.45 mm PSM pistol is a personal attack and defense weapon designed to engage the enemy at short distances.
Fire from a pistol is most effective at distances up to 50 m. The pistol is a self-loading weapon in which the cartridge is fed and sent into the chamber, the bore is locked and unlocked, the cartridge case is removed from the chamber and the cartridge case is deflected automatically.
The principle of operation of the automatic pistol is based on the principle of using the recoil of a free shutter. The trigger mechanism is self-cocking, hammer type, double action - allows firing both after the external cocking (the trigger is cocked) and without cocking (the trigger is on the rebound - self-cocking). Trigger mechanism allows only single fire.
The handle, which is flat and fits harmoniously into the overall composition of the pistol, covers the side windows and the back of the frame, closes and fixes all axes from falling out during operation. The handle allows you to comfortably and securely hold the gun in your hand. Attaching it to the gun with a stopper ensures the convenience and speed of disassembling and assembling the gun without the use of a special tool. A flat spring-loaded trigger guard is attached to the bottom front of the frame with an axis, which limits the bolt in the rear position with its protrusion from spontaneous separation from the frame and perceives shock loads when firing.
The pistol is fed with cartridges from a detachable single-row magazine (with a capacity of eight rounds), which is inserted and fixed with a magazine latch from the bottom of the pistol grip. The magazine latch is squeezed out while gripping the magazine with the other hand.
The pistol magazine has wide windows on the side walls of the body to accommodate notched feeder protrusions designed to facilitate loading the magazine with cartridges and determining the number of cartridges in the magazine.
When all the cartridges from the magazine are used up, the shutter becomes on the shutter delay and remains in the rear position, signaling that the cartridges have run out. Sighting range of 50 m. The sight provides a clear image and quick target finding. Front sight and rear sight oval. Combat rate of fire 30 rounds per minute.
The force on the trigger when descending from a combat platoon is 3 kg, from a self-cocking - 7.5 kg. In order to avoid rupture of the sleeve, if the shutter does not reach the extreme forward position over 3.5 mm and the trigger is pressed, the shot does not occur.
The PSM pistol cannot be confused with any other pistol in appearance, the layout of which compares favorably with other pistols of a similar purpose. Experts highly appreciated the combat and operational qualities of the PSM pistol - excellent accuracy of fire, high probability of hitting a target, good balance and ease of control, ease of assembly and disassembly, ease of handling.
During operation, the PSM pistol was characterized only with positive side: “The small-sized PSM self-loading pistol of 5.45 mm caliber developed by your company corresponds in terms of parameters and characteristics to the tactical and technical requirements No. 02968 of 05/14/71. / I V-8062 MOP USSR. The design of the pistol compares favorably with well-known pistols of a similar purpose, such as the regular Makarov pistol, the RRK and THREE pistols of the Walter company, etc.
Conducted state tests, trial operation, as well as repeated factory tests in 1975 showed good reliability and ballistic qualities of the pistol ”(letter No. 13/1828 dated 12.09.75, Deputy Head of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs V.P. Kurmachev).
“The self-loading small-sized PSM 5.45 mm pistol fully meets our requirements and is so necessary for work in our conditions. From our side, as a customer-consumer, there are no comments on the operation of the PSM pistol in our conditions, moreover, it is more successful and reliable, satisfying everyone modern requirements We believe that now there is no pistol design either in the USSR or abroad ”(Deputy Minister of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs V.T. Shumilin, commander of military unit 68240 M. Ermakov. 1975).
The significance of the achieved level of the created 5.45-mm pistol complex (PSM pistol - MPTs cartridge) is evidenced by:
- serial production of PSM for 28 years without any upgrades and improvements;
- large batches of orders for the manufacture of PSM pistols for a special gift fund.
Despite the excellent combat qualities of the PSM pistol, the Tula TsKIB SOO continued to work on small-sized models of pistols. For our law enforcement agencies, another model of small-sized weapons was developed. Pistol OTs-21 "Kid" with a magazine capacity of five rounds (9x18 PM) and dimensions 126x87x20 mm, weighing 0.6 kg.
This is a small-sized self-loading pistol with a self-cocking type trigger mechanism only. This design makes it possible not only to reduce the dimensions of the weapon, but also to greatly simplify its operation, since it does not have a fuse, and to start shooting, you just need to pull the trigger. Which is very important in a stressful situation.
The future will show the effectiveness of the operation of this type of weapon, whether they are acceptable for the Russian special services.
A powerful military-style pistol with a semi-free breech, self-cocking trigger mechanism and a removable magazine with a double-row arrangement of 15 rounds in it. Caliber 9 mm Par. 
Fuse box on the left side. Store latch button. located at the bottom of the handle. The cheeks of the handle are wooden. Pistols Beretta, M-92 are also available in the following modifications: M-92S - with a safety catch on the bolt.
M-92SB - with a double-sided safety lock on the gate; M-92SB-K (compact) - a shortened version with a 14-round magazine (in the original designation M-92SB -C, the Latin letter C is an abbreviation for the word Compact); M-92F - a version with a thickened trigger, a trigger guard with a finger rest, with a matte finish and plastic handle cheeks; M-92F-K - a shortened version of the previous model; M-92SB-K, type M - with a single-row magazine for 8 rounds. In addition, there are modifications of the same pistols, but in caliber 7.65 mm Par.
They are designated M-98 (corresponding to the M-92 model), M-98F (corresponding to the M-92F model) and M-99 (corresponding to the M-92SB-K model). Models, the designation of which includes the letter F, are adopted in the United States, under the name M9, provided for by American standards. Since January 1985, the US Department of Defense has purchased more than 440 thousand pistols and continues to order new ones.
Most shooters believe that the Beretta is the best modern combat pistol, primarily in terms of reliability. Another advantage of the Beretta is its excellent accuracy for a mass-produced pistol. Indeed, when shooting at 25 m from the stop, all 15 hits fit into a circle with a diameter of 50 - 60 mm, and with a special especially accurate barrel. this value is halved.
Country of origin ITALY
Caliber, mm 9
Overall length, mm217
Barrel length, mm 125
Weight, g 980
Magazine capacity, cartridges15
The principle of operation of automation short stroke of the barrel
Great popularity since the beginning of the 20th century. acquired automatic pistols of the system of John Moses Browning, an American by birth, the author of a number of samples of small arms. 
The first widely used Browning pistol is known as the 1900 model, although it was designed even earlier. The caliber of this pistol is 7.65 mm. It has a massive free shutter. with a drummer placed in it. and a reciprocating mainspring and a removable box magazine located in the handle.
The use of such a design scheme allowed Browning to achieve an exceptionally compact weapon. When comparing the Browning pistol with other types of weapons of approximately the same power, it turned out that none of the automatic weapons that existed then could compete with it in many respects. pistols, and even more so none of the revolvers.
Then there were no samples of pocket weapons of this power, as convenient - light, flat, with the same "applied" handle and also a well-located center of gravity. These design qualities, as well as good performance, contributed to the rapid and very wide distribution of Browning pistols in the global arms market. Suffice it to say that the number of pistols of the 1900 model produced by 1912 amounted to a million, that copies of one of the subsequent models - 1906 - were made in total more than four million, and that the 1903 model was produced for 37 years.
Browning pistols served as a prototype for most self-loading pistols that appeared later, and their name became a household name - often automatic pistols of other systems and firms were also called brownings. Browning designed pistols not only for Belgium, but also for the United States, and the models produced in each of these countries were different.
Pistols manufactured in the USA by Colt were called Colt-Browning pistols or simply Colts, and Belgian issues were often called ("Fabric Nacional") by the monogram, which is the brand of the company and is made up of the initial letters of the first two words included in the name of the company - "National factory of military weapons in Erstal". Erstal or Herstal is a city in the province of Liege.
The Browning pistols of 1900 initially came in two sizes, but normal models, rather than elongated ones, became widespread. Distinctive features these pistols - a barrel tightly fastened to the body; a twisted spring located above the barrel, which is both returnable and combat (with the help of a special lever, it acts both on the bolt and on the drummer; fuse on the body on the left; part (part of the lever mentioned above), blocking the aiming line when the drummer is lowered and thus indicating the state of the hidden percussion mechanism.
Producing countryBelgium
Tactical and technical characteristics:
Caliber, mm 7.65
Overall length, mm 164
Barrel length, mm 102
Weight, g 625
Magazine capacity, rounds 7
The principle of operation of automation free shutter
This pistol was designed as a sporting model, but its high fighting qualities aroused interest in the Israeli army. 
It has an unusual design, in which the energy of powder gases removed from the bore is used for reloading. Locking is carried out by turning the shutter. The barrel is fixedly mounted on the frame and has a gas outlet directly in front of the chamber.
It is connected to a channel in the frame, which goes forward to the muzzle of the barrel and there turns down into the gas chamber with the gas piston. During firing, part of the gases, having passed through the hole and channel, presses on the gas piston, moving it back. The piston retracts the casing, which rotates the bolt and disengages it from the barrel, and then retracts it, while the spent cartridge case is removed. The return spring, located under the barrel, returns the casing to the front position, while the bolt sends the next cartridge into the chamber and, turning, locks the barrel.
The pistol has a non-automatic fuse blocking the striker and disengaging the trigger with a percussion mechanism. It also has two flags located on both sides of the shutter.
The pistol is usually equipped with non-adjustable open-type sights, but an adjustable rear sight can also be installed. The bolt housing plate has slots for mounting optical sight. Another design feature of the pistol is the ability to use a powerful .357 Magnum revolver cartridge.
Available in .44 Magnum, .41 Action Express, .40 Smith & Wesson and 9 x 19 calibers.
Country of manufactureIsrael
Tactical and technical characteristics:
Caliber, mm 9
Weight without magazine, kg 1.76 (steel frame)
1.466 (aluminum frame)
Length, mm269
Barrel length, mm 152, 355
Muzzle velocity, m/s 395
Rate of fire, in / m 20-30
Magazine capacity, rounds 7-9
Sighting range, m up to 200
The impetus for the development of automatic pistols. in America, as well as in Europe, the appearance of Browning pistols served here. 
Browning pistols in the United States were produced at the Colt Arms Factory in Hartford, first called Colt-Browning pistols, and eventually simply Colts. Since 1900, Colt pistols of various modifications have been chambered for the powerful cartridge of caliber 38, and then caliber 45. The bolt is interlocked.
The splitting of the bolt and barrel occurs after a short stroke of the barrel with its simultaneous lowering. Colt pistols improved rapidly. Almost every year, more and more of their models appeared, and, finally, the 1911 model (M1911) was adopted for service in the US army and navy. As a "Government" model ("Government model"), it is produced not only in Hartford, but also at other US arms factories. Therefore, military Colts can be marked by various manufacturers, for example, "Remington Rand inc", "S." MFG-CO, US&S.CO, Itaca Gun CO, inc and others.
After modernization in 1921, the pistol received the designation M1911A1 and is still in service without significant changes. Caliber pistols M1911 and M1911A1 45 AKP. The last of these modifications is also produced under the cartridge of caliber 38 APC. Starting with the Model 1909 Colts with interlocked bolts, the barrels have only one earring. Colt pistols are common in many countries of the world and in more than twenty of them are officially in service.
In the United States, in addition to being in service as the main model, they serve as the basis for creating all kinds of commercial and sporting options. Various firms, including the Colt firm, on the basis of the 1911 model, create more and more new samples, sometimes even significantly different from their prototype.
Country of origin USA
Tactical and technical characteristics:
Caliber, mm 11.43 (.45)
Overall length, mm 216
Barrel length, mm128
Weight, g 1106
Magazine capacity, rounds 7
Typical representatives of modern 9 mm pistols are pistols of the Spanish company "Star" models 31P and 31PK. 
They embody all the characteristic features of the latest generation of handguns: the active use of new materials and high-precision computer technologies in the production, perfect design in terms of ergonomics, simple device, reliability and safety in handling.
Between themselves, "Star" 31P and 31PK differ only in weight - the 31PK body is made of light alloys, so the pistol weighs 265 g less than its counterpart. The motto of both models, the Star company announced "reliability, compactness and high firepower", but the word "safety" could well be added to it: in addition to the usual flag, each pistol is equipped with three more independently functioning automatic fuses.
As for reliability, it is primarily due to the design itself. The short-stroke recoil pistols are built in a modular design, so no tools are required to completely disassemble them. In combination with a capacious two-row magazine and very small linear dimensions weapons, all this makes the "Star" 31P and 31PK convenient for constant wear.
Country of origin SPAIN
Tactical and technical characteristics:
Caliber, mm 9
Overall length, mm 193
Barrel length, mm 98
Weight, g 1125 (860)
Magazine capacity, rounds 15
The principle of operation of automation short stroke of the barrel
Of the military-style pistols of Austro-Hungarian origin, the Steyer (Steyr) pistol was very famous. It was used during the 1st and 2nd World Wars not only in the manufacturing country, but also in other countries. 
Steyer pistols were of several varieties - the 1910, 1911 and 1912 models. The differences between them were the smallest.
For example, for models 1910 and 1911. the front sight was motionless, monolithic with a shutter casing, and for the 1912 model it was in the form of a separate part fixed in the transverse groove of its base; the notch on the slide for the slide delay tooth on the 1912 model was deeper; the bolt check on different models had an unequal shape.
In addition to the mentioned Steyer self-loading pistols, there was also the M12 / P16 variant with a translator, which allowed firing both single shots and bursts. The Steyer pistol worked on the principle of using recoil energy with a short withdrawal of the barrel, locking. and unlocking occurred during the turns of the barrel around its longitudinal axis. The store is fixed, permanent, with a single-row arrangement of cartridges. It was filled from above with the help of a clip with eight strong cartridges of 9 mm caliber.
A small number of M12 / P16 pistols had an elongated, but with ordinary cheeks, handle that could hold 16 rounds (on eight-shot pistols, the translator's pointer also had the designation "16"). A wooden butt could be attached to the pistol - its holster. Steyer pistols, which were in service in the armies foreign countries, usually had distinctive hallmarks on the left side of the casing-bolt. So, on the Romanian pistols there was a large image of the crown and under it - Md. 1912, in Polish - a large single-headed eagle (coat of arms of Poland), in Chilean - the coat of arms of Chile or the inscription EJERCITO DE CHILE, in German - R-08 (that is, cartridge 08. Steyer pistols used in Germany during the 1st in 2 th world wars, were adapted for firing cartridges of the German pistol 08).
Country of originAUSTRIA-HUNGARY
Tactical and technical characteristics:
Caliber, mm 9
Overall length, mm 215
Barrel length, mm127
Weight, g 980
Magazine capacity, rounds 8
The principle of operation of automation short stroke of the barrel
In 1946, the victorious path of the famous Smith & Wesson revolver on the medium K-frame began, called the Masterpiece (Masterpiece), which translates as "masterpiece". In the early 90s, the company's designers returned to this model again. She received a slightly different look, reminiscent of her long underbarrel case for the rod ejector model 586 and 686 on the L-frame. As a result of this change, the new Masterpeace revolvers chambered for .22 L.R., .22 Winchester Magnum, .32 Harrington and Richardson Magnum, and .38 Special became heavier and more nosey.
The .22 L.R. cartridge is usually associated with the Model 17. Until 1993, the Smith & Wesson catalog contained a modification of the 17th model with a long underbarrel case chambered for cartridge .22 L.R. However, a year later, only its stainless steel version, Model 617, remained in the same place in the catalog. .
At the beginning of 1996, the Model 17 reappears, but now with a ten-round drum. With this, the well-known company continues the trend of increasing the capacity of revolvers. Previously, it manifested itself in the appearance of the seven-shot model 686 of the same company, as well as in the seven and eight-shot models 607 and 608 of the Brazilian company Taurus. Everything is chambered for .357 Magnum. Contributed to this trend and US legislation, which limits the capacity of the drum to ten rounds.
young offspring family "masterpieces" has a matte bluing finish, and only the trigger and trigger are covered with colored kalk. Other hallmark are the cheeks of the handle, made of hard rubber with hollows for the fingers. At the same time, the presence of a large number of chambers in the drum is striking, compared to the usual six in model 17. The brake drum device also received a different design.
Its delay is now located at the top rear. The currently sold 10-ton Masterpeace charger is made only with a 6-inch barrel (152 mm). All other details correspond to the six-shot version. On trials new model worked flawlessly. With a trigger pull of 1.5 kg in a single-action trigger (4.45 kg in a double-action mechanism), it was quite suitable for target shooting.
When firing from a sitting position at a distance of 25 m, the dispersion of bullets did not go beyond the circle from 42 to 53 mm. In this case, the Winchester Expert .22 L.R. cartridges were used. with pointed bullets. Excellent results were also obtained when firing the cartridges of the Mexican company Agila, which have recently appeared in Germany.
Ten-shot "Masterpeace" - in the highest degree good sport revolver. Small-caliber revolvers with high-capacity drums had previously been available (for example, the nine-shot revolver from Harrington & Richardson, which is quite up to the highest standard), but they were more suitable for entertainment than for serious sporting events.
Country of origin USA
Tactical and technical characteristics:
Caliber and cartridge type.22 "long rifle"
Barrel length, mm 152
Overall length, mm283
Height, mm148
Width, mm 36.8
Weight (unloaded), kg 1.155
Drum capacity, cartridges 10
GSh-18 is built according to the scheme with a short barrel stroke. Locking - by turning the barrel by 10 lugs, the angle of rotation when locking is only 18 degrees. The pistol frame is made of plastic, with steel inserts.
The bolt is stamped from a steel sheet, with a rigidly reinforced insert at the point of engagement with the barrel and a bolt block that can be removed during disassembly, in which the drummer and ejector are mounted. USM striker, with preliminary partial cocking of the drummer when the shutter moves and additional cocking when the trigger is pressed.
The gun is equipped only with automatic safety locks. including - and on the trigger. The sights are unregulated, the rear sight is mounted not on the bolt, but on the bolt block, which critics of the pistol consider to be a disadvantage, since over time the bolt block can loosen in the bolt and the accuracy of aiming and shooting will fall. The magazine is double-row, box-shaped, with the exit of cartridges in two rows to increase the reliability of the supply.
Magazine latch - behind the trigger guard, can be easily moved to either side of the weapon. Shutter delay - on the left. One of characteristic features pistol GSh-18 - a front-open shutter, also a favorite topic for criticizing this pistol, as there are fears that dirt can easily penetrate inside the shutter. Nevertheless, the authors of the gun believe that there is no such threat, and only the experience of real operation can show who is right.
GSh-18 can use any commercial 9x19mm cartridges, 9mm NATO military cartridges, as well as special domestically developed armor-piercing cartridges, 7N21 and 9x19mm PBP. This feature, however, is not exclusive to the GSh-18, as the PYa ("Rook") pistol can also use these cartridges. Moreover, the developers of domestic ammunition claim that their developments can be used in any fairly durable 9x19mm pistols.
In general, the reviews about the GSh-18 pistol are very different - from enthusiastic advertising to skeptical, with the words "it would be better if they (Gryazev and Shipunov) did air guns, they do it better." In any case, the advantages of the GSh-18 include a very low weight for its class, a large magazine capacity, a low position of the barrel relative to the shooter's hand, and good accuracy of fire.
Purpose and combat properties of the SR1 pistol (Vector)
Characteristics of the SR1 pistol (Vector)
Caliber, mm.: 9
Number of grooves, pcs.: 6
Barrel length, mm: 120
Length, mm: 200
Height, mm: 146
Width, mm: 34
Weight with empty magazine, kg: 0.92
Sighting range, m: 100
Magazine capacity, pcs. ammo: 18
Practical rate of fire, rds / min.: 36
Cartridge type: SP10, SP11
The device of the gun, handling it
The VECTOR 9-mm pistol system is designed to destroy live targets, including those protected by bulletproof vests of the Zh-81, Zh-86-2 types, as well as unarmored vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.) and live targets located in it at ranges up to 100 meters, and consists of a 9-mm self-loading pistol SR1 and cartridges SP10 (bullet with a steel core), SP11 (bullet with a lead core).
Partial disassembly procedure
Disassembly of the gun can be incomplete and complete: incomplete - for cleaning, lubricating and inspecting the gun; full - for cleaning when the gun is heavily soiled, after being exposed to rain or snow, as well as during repairs.
1. Detach the magazine.
Holding the pistol by the handle, press the magazine latch away from you with your thumb and forefinger, with the other hand, holding the magazine by the cover, remove it from the handle. Check if there is a cartridge in the magazine.
Set the shutter to shutter delay. Insert the magazine into the pistol grip.
Holding the pistol by the handle, move the bolt to the rear position. Check if there is a cartridge in the chamber. Detach store.
2. Separate the barrel delay. Rotate the delay flag 90 degrees counterclockwise, then remove it from the frame.
3. Separate the shutter. Remove the shutter from the shutter delay, pulling it back, separate it from the frame.
4. Disconnect the barrel from the bolt.
Holding the shutter with one hand, with the thumb of the other hand, drown the protruding part of the wedge and, moving the barrel slightly forward, remove it from the shutter. Remove the return spring with stop from the barrel. Separate the lock from the barrel.
7.62 mm PSS (“special self-loading pistol”, product index 6P24, in the prototype version was called “Vul”) was created at TsNIITochmash by designers V. Levchenko and Yu. Krylov chambered for SP-4 developed by V. Petrov. This complex was put into service in 1983 and is an example of an original scheme for reducing the sound level of a shot - "cutting off" the powder gases and leaving them in the sleeve.
Bottle sleeve SP-4 completely hides the bullet. The powder charge is covered in front by a small movable part in the form of a cap. It slows down at the mouth of the sleeve and does not protrude beyond its limits. The SP-4 cartridge is loaded with a cylindrical bullet weighing 9.3 g, made of steel, with a brass leading belt in front and a small recess in the back. This shape of the bullet somewhat worsens the ballistics and reduces penetration, but increases the stopping effect at short ranges. However, a heavy bullet, according to the developers, from 20 m pierces a steel helmet, bulletproof vest of the second protection class or equivalent bulletproof glass, and from 30 m - a steel sheet 5 mm thick.
The sound level of a PSS shot is somewhere between a 4.5mm air rifle shot and a handclap. The self-loading mode of operation was no small achievement, given that the automatic extraction of the cartridge case from the chamber is hindered by high pressure inside it. Therefore, in addition to the special arrangement of the cartridge, the PSS also features original solution barrel devices - the rifled part of the barrel is separated from the chamber and slightly shifted forward under the action of a moving bullet.
Characteristics
Cartridge - 7.62 mm SP-4.
Food - box magazine with a capacity of 6 rounds.
Weight with equipped magazine - 0.85 kg.
The length of the weapon is 170 mm.
Height - 140 mm.
Width - 26 mm.
Combat rate of fire - 6-8 v / min.
Sighting range - 25 m.
Pernach - percussion weapon, a kind of mace; also served as a sign of the power of military leaders. The appearance of armor gave rise to the need to increase the permeability of impact. That is why from the XIV century. pernaches are beginning to spread more and more widely, which, with the same weight and dimensions of a weapon as a mace, inflict a more concentrated blow. (Encyclopedic Dictionary "Cold Weapons").
Automatic pistols (from which firing both single fire and bursts is possible) are a rather rare type of small arms - relatively few of them have been developed and even fewer have been put into service. Nevertheless, interest in automatic pistols is quite stable. They were produced and continue to be produced, in particular, the German Heckler & Koch VP-70M, the Italian Beretta 93R, the Czech CZ-75FA, the Austrian Glock-18 and some others.
Basically, automatic pistols (sometimes also called assault pistols) are in service with special forces, which is explained by the versatility of the weapon and its specific parameters. Such a pistol can be discreetly worn under clothing and, after being removed, almost instantly open fire, creating a high density of fire at short distances, comparable in power to the fire of a submachine gun. In addition, most automatic pistols have a lightweight buttstock or holster-butt, which allows you to increase the effective range by two to three times compared to a conventional pistol.
In 1951, an automatic pistol designed by Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin (APS) was adopted by the Soviet Army. For its time, APS was a completely modern model with good performance characteristics. The pistol was intended to arm officers directly involved in hostilities, as well as sergeants and soldiers of some units (scouts, tank crews, signalmen, artillery battery crews, etc.). However, after about seven years, the APS was discontinued for reasons that are not entirely clear. The main claims put forward to this pistol were its excessive weight (although it was acceptable for this type of weapon), as well as the high cost of production associated with design features.
After the withdrawal of the APS from the army, he found application in the special services. APS is very popular among military personnel operating in areas of armed conflict, as well as among special forces. Moreover, on the basis of the APS, the designer A.S. Neugodov created an automatic pistol for silent firing (APB), which was put into service in 1972.
The fact that the APS hastened to withdraw from production is obvious. But at the same time, an automatic pistol developed over 40 years ago can hardly meet today's requirements.
In 1993, by order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, an attempt was made to modernize the APS. It was planned to replace the 5.45-mm and 7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifles, which are dangerous in urban conditions, with the modified pistol. But, for a number of reasons, this work stopped at the very beginning. At the end of the same year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs entered into an agreement with the Tula TsKIBSOO for the development of a new automatic pistol chambered for 5.45 MPC. The theme entrusted to the team under the leadership of Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin, and then the pistol, was called Dart. The low power and weak stopping effect of the 5.45-mm cartridge bullet significantly limited the scope of the new weapon.
As early as July 11004, the Drotik pistol is planned to be modified for the 9x19 Par cartridge. The new development interested the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and by the end of the same year, TsKIBSOO received an order to develop a 9-mm automatic pistol, but chambered for the domestic 9x18 mm PM cartridge in standard and enhanced versions. In April 1996, the first sample of a 9-mm automatic pistol was made, called OTs-ZZ Pernach, and in July 1996 it was presented at an international exhibition in Moscow.
Outwardly, the OTs-33 "Pernach" vaguely resembles some early models of the self-loading "Colt". However, as an automation system, it was not the recoil of the barrel with a short stroke that was used, but the recoil of the free shutter.
The return spring is located under the barrel. The trigger mechanism OTs-33, like most modern pistols, is of a double-action trigger type, which makes it possible to fire the first shot without cocking the trigger (of course, if there is a cartridge in the chamber).
The trigger guard is quite large and allows you to fire with gloves. The only non-metallic parts of the "Pernach" are the grip pads, made of polyamide, and a traditional anti-corrosion coating is used to protect against rust.
Pernach inherited from Drotik the original scheme of automatic operation: to reduce the effect of recoil on the accuracy of automatic shooting (with a free-bolt scheme), both pistols have a movable barrel. In the OTs-ZZ, after a shot, the bolt rolls back 70 mm and hits a massive spring-loaded barrel, with which it continues to move another 5 mm. Due to the shock attachment of the mass of the barrel to the mass of the shutter, the speed of the latter is significantly reduced. Upon reaching the rearmost position, the barrel and bolt, under the influence of their springs, begin to move forward. After 5 mm, the barrel stops, and the shutter continues to move and sends the next cartridge from the double-row magazine into the chamber.
Both pistols have a double action trigger mechanism. The included fuse securely blocks the firing pin, bolt, hammer and trigger, ensuring complete safety when handling a loaded pistol, and the fuse can be turned on both when the hammer is cocked or released. In addition, the "Pernach" used a "safe descent" system, when the striker is blocked and the cocked hammer descends without a shot. For shooting with both hands, the fuse boxes and the magazine latch are symmetrical.
The fuse flag is at the same time a translator of the type of fire and is fixed in three positions. In the upper position - "fuse" - the striker, trigger, trigger and bolt are blocked, in the middle - fire is provided in self-loading mode, in the lower - in automatic mode.
Another one interesting feature new pistol - the presence of a cartridge in the chamber can be determined visually or by touch, which is very important when using weapons in the dark. This helps to make a special rod that protrudes 2.5 mm above the bolt when the cartridge is in the chamber. The rear sight and front sight are equipped with inserts to facilitate aiming at dusk.
To reduce the toss when firing, Pernach has a gas compensator. When a bullet passes through the bore, the powder gases enter the cavity of the shutter - casing and are reflected upwards. However, this simple and effective device has drawbacks: not only does it increase the length of the pistol, but it also makes it difficult to shoot from positions where the weapon is close to the shooter, for example, when firing from the hip. In addition, when an object, say, a spent cartridge case, enters the cavity of the compensator, a delay occurs.
Pernach is qualitatively different from Dart. The 9 mm caliber cartridge with a higher stopping power of the bullet made it possible to abandon the concept of damage accumulation due to a quick three-time hit on the target. The OTs-ZZ does not have a three-shot burst cut-off mechanism, and the rate of fire has been reduced from 1800 to 850 rounds per minute. Usually, the presence of such a mechanism leads to unjustified complication of the entire structure. For example, a complete disassembly of the Beretta 93R pistol should only be done by a specialist gunsmith.
The designers took into account the experience of using the APS, whose rather bulky holster-butt was inconvenient for "statutory" wearing and completely unsuitable for hidden, and developed a folding metal shoulder rest for the "Pernach". It weighs 270 g and consists of two parts made by stamping. To attach the buttstock, grooves are made in the back of the handle. The butt folds down and forward and in the folded position does not interfere with the shooter holding the weapon. True, due to its short length, such a butt is suitable, perhaps, only for dwarfs.
Despite some shortcomings, easily explained by the youth of the design, the gun is very convenient and easy to use, buttist. Disassembly and assembly are carried out without special devices.
Special inserts help facilitate aiming at dusk white color on the front sight and the whole. The design of the pistol provides for the installation of a laser designator, which, according to some reports, not only helps to increase the accuracy of fire, but also has a strong psychological effect on the enemy.
According to the opinions of employees of the Research Institute of Special Equipment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, who tested the OTs-33, the new pistol surpasses the domestic small-sized OTs-2 "Kiparis" submachine gun in automatic mode in terms of accuracy of fire. Using the buttstock at a range of 25 meters, all bullets fired from the Pernach fit into a circle with a diameter of 64 cm, and the best half of the hits lie within 28 cm, which is considered a fairly high result.
Compared to the APS, the fire efficiency of the "Pernach" when firing in automatic mode is 25-30% higher. Moreover, the OTs-33 can fire automatic fire with one hand, however, it is effective only on close range. Nevertheless, firing bursts from the Pernach is much more effective than from the APS. A single fire from the Pernach is also much more effective in comparison with service pistols.
Two types of ammunition can be used in the new pistol - standard Makarov pistol cartridges PM (57-N-181S) and high-pulse PMM cartridges (57-N-181SM). When using the latter, dispersion when firing bursts increases by 5-6%.
"Pernach" has two types of two-row stores: standard 15 and 18 rounds magazine and 27 rounds magazine, which extends significantly beyond the handle. The third option is quite justified, given that the rate of fire of the "Pernach" is approximately 800, and the combat rate of fire is 90 rounds per minute. The Pernach ammunition is carried in pouches, and the pistol itself is in a holster.
Considering that the "Pernach" was developed mainly for special forces, it should undoubtedly be equipped with a silencer. However, in the terms of reference of the customer - the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia - it was not provided for.
The cost of "Pernach" is not higher than the cost of modern pistols of a similar purpose.
Unfortunately, due to the demise of the Central Design and Research Bureau of Sports and hunting weapons(TsKIBSOO), the further fate of this outstanding pistol, as well as many other interesting types of weapons, is very vague. Most likely, the OTs-ZZ Pernach will remain in a few copies, although its popularity in the world could surpass its predecessor APS.
Characteristics
Caliber, mm 9
Weight without cartridges, kg 1.15 / 1.42 (with removable stock)
Length, mm 223/533 (with removable stock)
Width, mm 36
Height, mm 141
Muzzle velocity, m/s 330/420 (for reinforced)
Rate of fire, rds / min 141
Magazine capacity, rounds 18 (the kit includes a magazine for 27 rounds, protruding beyond the handle)
Pistol DROTIK OTs-23 or AP SBZ (Automatic pistol. Stechkin, Balzer, Zinchenko). Caliber 5.45mm. It is a personal weapon of attack and defense. Automatic pistol works by recoil free shutter. The percussion mechanism is trigger, with its open location. The trigger mechanism allows self-cocking and pre-cocking fire. The return spring is located under the barrel. The trigger guard has a finger rest, providing the convenience of shooting with two hands.
The "Drotik" used a 5.45 mm caliber cartridge from a PSM pistol. "Dart" is an automatic weapon. It can fire both single shots and short bursts, it has a 3-shot burst cut-off mechanism. Automatic fire can be conducted at a high rate. The non-automatic fuse has two flags located on the left and right sides of the shutter. This allows you to use the gun with both right and left hand. With the help of external signaling devices, you can by touch, without removing the magazine, determine the number of remaining cartridges and the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.
The muzzle brake-compensator of the pistol is made in the form of a hole in the barrel and casing-bolt. Part of the powder gases emitted through it reduce the "jump" of the weapon. This ensures high accuracy of fire.
The pistol has a permanent open sight in the form of rear sight and front sight. It can be equipped with a laser pointer. The butt can be attached to the handle, and the magazine capacity is probably a record for pistols - 24 rounds.
The pistol can be successfully used for self-defense at short distances, and in special operations it can replace the PSM. "Drotik" OTs-23 significantly outperforms it in terms of efficiency due to the higher muzzle velocity, higher accuracy of fire, and firing a series of cartridges increases the damaging effect on the target to the level of pistols of a larger caliber.
Caliber, mm 5.45
Weight, kg 0.86
Length, mm 195
Muzzle velocity, m/s 320
Rate of fire, v / m 1700
Rate of fire, in / m 30-50
Magazine capacity, rounds 24
Sighting range, m 50
The gun is built according to the scheme with a blowback. The design used USM from a Makarov pistol with a fuse that also works as a safe trigger lever.
PSS pistol is individual weapons covert attack and defense, designed for silent and flameless firing at targets at a distance of up to 50 meters, is in service with special forces of the internal affairs bodies and units of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. For firing from a pistol, special cartridges SP-4 are used. The pistol does not need a silencer - the sound of a shot from a pistol is no louder than a shot from an air rifle. Silence and flamelessness of firing are achieved through the use of SP-4 cartridges with gas cut-off. Produced in limited quantities for special services.
During the development period, the pistol had the index RG021, the cartridge - RG020.
In 1984, the complex was put into service. The pistol was assigned the index 6P28 with the name "Special Self-Loading Pistol" - PSS. The cartridge received the index SP-4. It has an unofficial name - "Vul".
Silence and lack of flash when fired make the PSS an almost ideal weapon when operating in confined spaces or in confined spaces.
A bullet at a distance of 25 m freely pierces a bulletproof vest of the 2nd degree of protection, as well as a standard steel helmet. There is no need to talk about effective shooting at a distance of 50 m - the SP-4 bullet, cylindrical in shape, does not have sufficient ballistic characteristics.
The automation of the pistol works due to the recoil energy of the free shutter. A double-acting trigger trigger allows the first shot to be fired by self-cocking. Fuses prevent shots from being accidentally pulled on the trigger.
Partial disassembly
Produced for cleaning, lubrication, troubleshooting.
1. separate store
2. check the weapon for unloaded
3. separate shutter
assembly after partial disassembly is carried out in the reverse order.
Main characteristics:
Caliber, mm | 7,62 |
Applicable cartridge | 7.62x42 SP-4 |
Muzzle velocity, m/s | |
Weight of equipped weapon, kg | 0,85 |
Mass of unloaded weapons, kg | |
Length, mm | |
Barrel length, mm | |
Height, mm | |
Width, mm | |
Rate of fire, in / m | |
Magazine capacity, cartridge | |
Sighting range, m | |
Effective firing range, m | |
Number of grooves, pcs. |
The world is distinguished by a variety of models. Each country takes into service its power structures with weapons that best meet its needs. In the world there is a constant struggle for markets for small arms. Work on its improvement does not stop either. Reliable, convenient small arms for close combat are in constant demand both as weapons for government and security agencies, and in terms of personal defense for the civilian population.
The very first samples were made in the fifteenth century. A matchlock with a short barrel was mounted on a wooden deck. (wound up with a key) for the pistol was invented by Leonardo da Vinci.
After a couple of centuries, he was forced out. Although he misfired, he was easier when loading weapons, was not afraid of dirt and was much cheaper than a wheeled one. In the first half of the nineteenth century, a capsule (piston) lock appeared.
This made it possible to abandon single-shot pistols. At the end of the nineteenth century they were completely replaced by revolvers. But a multi-shot automatic weapon was required. Pistols brand Roth-Krnka M.7 (Austria) were the first adopted by the state troops. It was used by the Austrian cavalry on the fronts of the First World War.
Until the 40s of the twentieth century, it completely replaced revolvers in the armament of law enforcement agencies in almost all countries of the world. Revolvers remain in the use of the civilian population (where permitted by law) for personal self-defense.
Almost all modern pistols worlds are self-loading. From them you can conduct automatic fire or shoot bursts with a constant length. In practice, this is rarely fired, since the small mass of the weapon leads to a wide dispersion of bullets. Models of pistols with increased weight and dimensions are classified as submachine guns.
A distinctive feature of this weapon is that it shoots underwater. Another important indicator is the low weight of the weapon (620 grams). The specialists of the Austrian company Glock managed to develop and apply parts from polymer material. Brief description of the Glock 17:
The model was created in 1980 and replaced the obsolete Walther P38 at that time. The popularity of the Glock 17 is confirmed by the fact that it is used by the military, intelligence agencies, security agencies, and the police in almost 60 countries around the world.
The model is even lighter - only 595 grams. Its characteristics:
The reliability of the pistol is ensured by the simplicity of design: all types of Glock pistols consist of only 34 parts.
It is used in the gendarmerie of France, in Israel for the general security service, in the police of Hong Kong, New Zealand.
It is impossible to describe the pistols of the world without mentioning the legendary American Colts. Their history began in the nineteenth century. Countless westerns filmed and books written about the conquest of America made the Colt famous throughout the world.
The Colt M-1911 automatic model - it was called the Colt Browning (the design findings of John Browning were used in the development of the model) - was adopted by the army and was used for more than 80 years.
Features Colt M191:
Reliability, lethal force, convenience and ease of maintenance still attract connoisseurs to the weapons legend. For Americans, the Colt remains a cult weapon.
To provide military personnel who are not directly involved in combat operations, a light, reliable and powerful pistol was required. In 1996, the Belgian company FN offered the FN Five-seveN IOM (personal officer's model) to the market, a little later a model specifically for the United States appeared with the designation USG (United States Government).
Feature Five-seveN USG:
Adopted in the special forces of Poland, France, USA.
German gunsmiths have always been famous for the quality of their products. At the beginning of the 2000s, Heckler & Koch became the supplier of the Universal Selbstlade Pistole (USP) - a universal self-loading pistol.
Its distinctive feature is a store made of translucent plastic. This makes it easier to control the consumption of ammunition. The USP (P8) was originally intended to be chambered in .40 S&W. Therefore, the adopted USP (P8) with 9 gauge proved to be very reliable pistols. USP specifications (P8):
The company hoped to enter the American market. At this time, another problem arose with the Beretta 92S pistol, and there was a question about replacing it. But the US military limited itself to switching to a more advanced model. USP (P8) is in service only in Germany. Army modification received the marking "P8".
The Israeli company Israel Military Industries developed a powerful and inexpensive weapon for the security forces in the late twentieth century. They needed a small melee weapon with a large enough magazine.
Israeli law prohibits the use of submachine guns. The UZI model has the following features:
In addition to Israel, the list of countries that have purchased UZI includes Haiti, Guatemala, Germany, Estonia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras.
When the US military decided to abandon the 45-caliber Colt M1911, which had been in service for more than 80 years, a competition was announced among weapons manufacturers for the supply. The reason was the introduction of a single standard in all armies of the NATO bloc. The main cartridge was recognized as 9x19 mm Parabellum. It was on the basis of these parameters that the pistol was chosen.
The competition was won by the Italians, offering their weapons. Pistols of the Beretta 92S model in fierce competition define the Swiss-German company.
Characteristics of the Beretta 92S:
US military units are supplied with weapons made in America and marked "M9". During recent years, despite some problems with weapons (reliability failed), the Americans did not change the Beretta brand, but switched to modernized versions.
Today, these weapons are in service with the United States, Spain, Italy, South Africa, France, Algeria, Peru.
We continue the review of pistols with the brand of Chinese weapons QSZ-92-9. Norinco Corporation produces two types of this pistol. One chambered for 9 x 19 mm Parabellum, the second - 5.8 x 21 mm. It was developed at the end of the last century specifically for arming the Chinese army.
The frame is made of impact-resistant plastic. The double-shot magazine provides firing of 15 cartridges. On the frame under the barrel there is a guide for attaching a laser sight or flashlight. It is possible to equip the pistol with equipment for silent-flameless shooting.
From weapons it is convenient to shoot both left and right hand as well as both hands. The small size is designed for a small, by European standards, average hand of a Chinese soldier.
Characteristics of QSZ-92-9:
Adopted in service in China for police units.
Perhaps the most famous Russian model of small arms personal weapons is this pistol. Makarov developed a combat self-loading pistol in 1948. He replaced the TT, which was in service with the Soviet army.
Over the years of production, several modifications of the PM have been created. The reliability of the design and the excellent ratio "price - quality" to this day ensure the demand for the lineup Makarov.
It is popular not only in the countries of the post-Soviet space, but throughout the world. High reliability, simplicity of design and the ability to choose the appropriate model allow the PM to compete with more modern and powerful weapons.
The performance, weight and linear characteristics of the Makarov pistol:
With a magazine without cartridges - 730 grams;
With eight rounds of 9 mm - 810 grams;
To date, the production of PM has been established not only in Russia, but also in Bulgaria and Germany. Weapons produced before 1990 by the Izhevsk plant are considered collectible.
One of the latest developments of Ukrainian specialists - the Fort-17 model - was created on the basis of the Fort-12 design. Its main advantages are light weight, power, ease of maintenance, shooting accuracy, safe handling.
Characteristics of "Fort-17":
It is used in the security departments of Ukraine, the SBU, the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
All pistols in the world, no matter how perfect they are, eventually become obsolete. The constant struggle (forced) between the manufacturers of small arms and the developers of means of protection against the same weapons does not stop. More and more perfect and unified types of pistols are being created that meet the requirements of the time.
Progress does not stand still, and in the development of modern small arms for close combat, they use the latest technology. This applies to both the pistols themselves and their ammunition.
In the 20th century, revolvers, as a type of personal firearm, reached their greatest prosperity and popularity in the 50-70s in the United States of America. Revolvers in this country have always been in great demand, since the days of the "Wild West" and capsule Colts. The rapid development and widespread distribution of this type of weapon in the United States began with the early capsule Colt 1851 Navy and Colt 1860 Army, as well as Smith & Wesson No. 1 under a unitary cartridge. Later came the famous Colt 1873 Peacemaker in .45 and the Smith & Wesson No. 3 in .44. The use of unitary cartridges gave a great advantage in terms of loading speed and ease of storage of ammunition compared to primer systems.
Starting with the Adams Model 1851 in England and the Starr 1858 Army in the United States, revolvers were made with a double-action trigger mechanism that allowed the weapon to be self-cocked by simply pulling the trigger without cocking the hammer first. The combination of the use of a unitary cartridge and a self-cocking trigger mechanism made the revolver a convenient, practical weapon with very high fighting qualities for its time. Instead of sequential extraction of spent cartridges, as in the Colt 1873, drums reclining to the side began to be used, which again significantly increased the rate of fire.
In comparison with the systems loaded with an opening case, used in Smith & Wesson No. 3 and English Webley revolvers, the design with a folding drum and a monolithic frame provided both a longer service life and higher accuracy of firing revolvers with a large shot. These innovations greatly improved the fighting qualities of revolvers and continue to be used today with minimal changes. By the beginning of the 20th century, the following models became the most famous and popular models: Colt New Service 45th, 44th and 38th calibers, later adopted by the US Army under the name Model 1909; Smith & Wesson New Century revolver in .45 and .44 calibers, with a reinforced Triple Lock cylinder locking design; revolver Smith & Wesson Military & Police 1905 .38 caliber, which became the most massive army revolver in the United States in the first half of the 20th century.
Particularly popular was the Military & Police, which had small dimensions and weight, low recoil force and a very reasonable cost. In total, over 6 million M&P revolvers were produced. During the First and Second World Wars, the US and British armies used Colt Model 1917 and .45 ACP pistol cartridges with a wafer sleeve. It was these revolvers of the beginning of the century that became the basis for the design of those revolvers that arms manufacturers currently offer. Changes in modern models compared to their predecessors relate mainly to the materials used and production technology.
Smith & Wesson Military & Police 1905 .38 with blue blued finish and walnut grip cheeks
Since the end of World War II, modern-type revolvers have been in service with the US police and army. It should be noted that revolvers have always been popular in America, and did not give up their positions in the civilian and police weapons markets even after the appearance of well-proven self-loading pistols, such as Colt M1911 or FN Browning High Power. Powerful full-size revolvers were very popular with highway patrols, where they are currently armed with police officers. These were classic revolvers produced by the largest arms manufacturers - the famous American companies Smith & Wesson, Colt and Ruger. Full-size models used a powerful .357 Magnum cartridge, which has a high stopping and penetrating effect of a bullet.
Compact, used, as a rule, by FBI agents or plainclothes police officers, as well as citizens for self-defense, used the .38 Special cartridge, which was significantly inferior in its combat qualities. It is paradoxical, but true - in the presence of revolvers that have proven their high efficiency in real combat operations and in police practice, revolvers chambered for 9 mm cartridges .357 Magnum, 11.5 mm cartridges .45 LC and .45 ACP, millions of revolvers were sold under weak 9 mm cartridges .38 Special. The Smith & Wesson Military & Police was especially in high demand, becoming perhaps the most popular revolver in its class. Its advantages, as well as other .38 revolvers, were the low cost of weapons and ammunition, as well as soft recoil without strong jump when fired, which are the main reasons for its success.
Colt Detective Special .38 caliber, 1950. The drum holds 6 cartridges.
Smith & Wesson Model 36 Chief's Special subcartridge .38 Special with a drum capacity of 5 rounds
The most famous compact revolvers of the 20th century, which achieved immense popularity in the United States, were the Smith-Wesson models S & W Model 36 Chief's Special (in production since 1950), S & W Model 40 (produced since 1952), S & W Model 49 Bodyguard ( in production since 1957) and the S&W Model 60 (in production since 1965), as well as the Colt Detective Special (in production from 1927 to 1995). various options frame sizes, barrel lengths, materials and coatings, which were consistently purchased by various law enforcement agencies and, of course, sold well in the civilian arms market.
The most popular of the full-size Smith-Wesson models were S&W Model 27 (produced from 1935 to 1994), S&W Model 19 (in production since 1957), S&W Model 66 (produced from 1970 to 2005), S&W Model 686 with a stainless steel frame (introduced in 1980 and still in production) and the S&W Model 586 with an alloy steel frame and burnished finish (in production from 1982 to 1998). Since 1955, Colt has launched the production of the famous Colt Python revolver. Less well-known, but still popular, were the Colt Trooper MKIII, Colt MKV (in production from 1953 to 1985) and Colt King Kobra (produced from 1986 to 1998). The period from the end of World War II to the second half of the 1980s. is the "golden age" of American revolvers.
What is the famous Colt Python using .357 Magnum cartridges, which has become a star among weapons in Hollywood and Elvis Presley's favorite revolver. This weapon is distinguished not only by exquisite design, but also by excellent workmanship and surface finish, excellent shooting accuracy and reliability. Python is still being produced by Colt today. The most charismatic of the large-caliber revolvers was introduced by the manufacturer in 1955 and discontinued by the end of the 1990s, a revolver using the most powerful cartridge at that time. 44 Magnum. This weapon in the United States is most associated with the police officer nicknamed "Dirty Harry" from the famous 1971 film with Clint Eastwood in leading role, besides the model 29 of course. It is especially worth highlighting the highest quality of execution of revolvers produced before the mid-1980s, which today can only be obtained in more expensive weapons.
The build quality of this blued Colt Python is evident at a glance.
The S&W Model 29 became the epitome of power thanks to the .44 Magnum cartridge and ... Hollywood
The high popularity and widest distribution of revolvers is explained not only by their ease of use, reliability in operation, high accuracy of shooting, efficiency, when using, for example, cartridges.357 Magnum or even less powerful.38 Special, equipped with expansive bullets with high stopping power, but also of course the prevailing habits. It is noteworthy that George Luger's excellent pistol, which later became known as the Parabellum, with advanced combat and operational qualities for its time, which still remains the standard for ease of holding, shooting accuracy and weapon aesthetics, was not adopted by the US Army, mainly because for the well-established stereotypes of the American military, who preferred revolvers, and not new weapons that were not yet familiar to them.
Of course, at first, a good reason for the Americans to refuse the Luger pistol was weak compared to the revolver .45 Long Colt, cartridge 7.65 × 22, but soon the designer introduced a model chambered for 9 × 19, and then a variant for the new American pistol cartridge . 45ACP. However, in this case, too, prejudices prevailed. Although it should be noted here that the Luger pistol was much more expensive than any American revolver, the production of which had long been established and the army had vast experience in handling these weapons. In Europe, on the contrary, self-loading pistols are widely used. These were mainly the designs of John Browning, produced by the Belgian FN and copied in huge quantities by Spanish manufacturers, Georg Luger pistols, manufactured by the German DWM, and the equally famous Mauser carbine pistols.
Self-loading pistol Colt M1911A1
But soon even the US military realized the benefits automatic weapons, having adopted, which later became one of the most popular self-loaders, a Browning design pistol - the famous Colt M1911 45 caliber. Moreover, this pistol at the beginning of its career was not as popular among ordinary citizens as it was in the 70-90s. and at present. The M1911 fully demonstrated its advantages in high fire efficiency on the battlefields of the First World War. For example, the feat of US Army Corporal Alvin York, who destroyed six German soldiers attacking him, armed with Mauser rifles, from his M1911 is widely known. Also, its modernized version, which received the designation M1911A1, showed itself well during the Second World War.
However, from the moment the self-loading Colt was put into service until the second half of the 20th century, it was popular in the civilian arms market mainly among those who served in the army and navy, while revolvers were popular with ordinary citizens and police officers. A version of the M1911 for the civilian arms market, called the Colt Government Model (Government Model), which differed from army weapons only more high quality coverings and hallmarks, not everyone liked it because of its size and weight. It is difficult to carry such a massive pistol with you constantly and discreetly. Compact revolvers, on the other hand, are very comfortable, lightweight and much easier to handle than the Government Model. Only in the 1950s, thanks to articles about the advantages of the M1911, one of the most famous "pistols", a journalist and the founder of modern practical shooting, Jeff Cooper, did the M1911A1 gradually begin to be purchased by some police departments and gain popularity among citizens.
Thus, from the first quarter of the 20th century until the 80s, two branches of personal short-barreled weapons dominated in the USA - these are compact and full-size revolvers, as well as Colt self-loading pistols. The fighting qualities of full-size revolvers, especially the efficiency of firing .357 Magnum cartridges, suited everyone, but time does not stand still and the world's largest arms market soon began to receive a large number of self-loading 9 mm pistols with a large magazine capacity. They quickly began to gain popularity in the country of revolvers and soon began to displace the weapons familiar to Americans.
In addition, these pistols were equipped with a double-action trigger mechanism, which made it possible to safely carry a loaded weapon, which is in full combat readiness, without the need to turn off the safety lever. But nevertheless, in terms of ease of use and reliability of work, such pistols were inferior to revolvers, since in the event of a misfire from a revolver, you can always fire the next shot by simply pulling the trigger, while the owner of a self-loading pistol to reliably eliminate the delay in shooting it is necessary to remove the misfired cartridge by sending the next one from the magazine into the barrel chamber. Examples of 9 mm pistols with a large magazine capacity, double action trigger mechanism and reliable safety systems are the American Smith & Wesson Model 59 (in production from 1970 to 1988), the German Sig Sauer P226 (manufactured since 1981) and the Italian pistols Beretta series 92 (manufactured since 1976).
The S&W Model 59 9mm pistol with 14-round magazine is considered the first of the "wonder nines"
The Glock 17 remains one of the most popular and best-selling semi-automatic pistols in the world.
Such pistols became known in the USA as “wonder nines”, that is, “amazing nines”. The fact of the re-equipment of the US Army in 1985 from the familiar Colt M1911A1 to the Beretta M9 is significant - the popular Italian pistol Beretta M 92FS produced in America. However, in the early 1980s. revolvers were still the favorite weapon of ordinary citizens and police officers. The stopping effect of the bullets of the 9mm Parabellum cartridge, including expansive ones, could not be compared with that of the .357 Magnum revolver bullets. Out of habit, they still trusted revolvers more than, for example, the same Smith-Wesson self-loading pistols. Among small-sized personal weapons for concealed carry, compact revolvers chambered for .38 Special also remained out of competition.
Since 1980, following the 9-mm repeating pistols, the design fundamentals of which are rooted in the first quarter of the 20th century, the most serious competitor for all previously produced short-barreled weapons, the Austrian Glock 17 self-loading pistol, which has only automatic fuses and a trigger striker-type mechanism, with preliminary, partial cocking of the striker when the shutter-casing moves back and additional cocking when the trigger is pressed. This meant that from this weapon you can instantly open fire and constantly carry it without the risk of an accidental shot with maximum simplicity and ease of use. The design of the Glock is extremely simple and based on the proven and improved Browning locking system, the metal parts have a very durable Tenifer coating that is extremely resistant to corrosion and wear.
Thanks to all these qualities, the weapon has a phenomenal reliability in difficult operating conditions and a huge service life. In addition, the Glock frame is made of polymer, due to which it is very light in comparison with revolvers and self-loading pistols made of steel or light alloy frames. In terms of firepower, the Glock 17 pistol is generally not comparable to revolvers, since its two-row magazine holds 17 rounds, against a maximum of 7 or 8 for revolver drums. The Colt M1911 pistol, equipped with a single-action trigger mechanism with the ability to safely carry in full combat readiness only with the hammer cocked and the fuse turned on, as well as its copies, could no longer dominate the US among self-loading pistols.
Having taken a leading position in the arms market, multiply charged modern 9-mm pistols began to displace revolvers that were not able to compete with them in terms of a combination of combat and operational qualities. Despite habits and stereotypes, under the influence of new technologies and the advantages of self-loading pistols, revolvers are practically a thing of the past. In most police departments, they were replaced with pistols, and citizens for self-defense and recreational shooting began to acquire Glocks, Zig-Sauers, Berettas, ChZs, Heckler-Kohs, Rugers, Smith-Wessons, Walthers and other "self-loaders". From the mid-1980s to the present, the main type of short-barreled personal weapon is a self-loading pistol. However, the revolver did not lose its undeniable advantages, thanks to which these weapons continue to be willingly used.
Eight-shot Taurus 627 Tracker
Smith & Wesson Model 327 M&P R8 full-size revolver chambered in .357 Magnum with aluminium-scandium frame and 8-round drum capacity
In the late 1990s, new materials began to be used in the manufacture of revolvers, such as alloys based on aluminum and titanium, light and strong aluminum-scandium alloys. Drums are made either from stainless steel with an additional anti-corrosion, usually black matte finish, or from titanium. As a result, the revolvers got rid of one of their main shortcomings - a lot of weight, while maintaining the necessary margin of safety, a sufficiently high operational resource and excellent protection against corrosion. Now it has become convenient and easy to constantly carry with you not only compact, but also medium-sized revolvers. Full-size models are still very rarely used for wearing because of their size.
Particularly successful in the use of new technologies and materials, Smith-Wesson and the Brazilian Torus. Their lineup includes a variety of lightweight and durable modern revolvers for a variety of cartridges. Although the recoil force when firing from such a revolver, if it uses a powerful .357 Magnum cartridge, has increased significantly, the new weapon has become very popular and has a stable demand, both in the civilian market and among the police. In addition, for training, in revolvers under .357 Magnum, the much less powerful .38 Special is most often used, when firing which the recoil force is much less. The capacity of the drum has also increased. Many modern revolvers have a cylinder for seven and eight rounds, which is more than enough for self-defense. Of course, in the army and police of the United States, as well as other countries of the world, self-loading pistols are in service today. In the United States Police, revolvers are a rare exception, and are only used in low crime areas where a police officer does not need high firepower or highway patrols. Revolvers are the most popular among ordinary citizens.
The American revolver Smith & Wesson Model 686 is a real classic among modern full-size "six-shooters"
The Smith & Wesson Model 625 JM revolver uses .45 ACP cartridges
Full-size models chambered in .357 Magnum, with a 102 mm / 4 inch barrel and 6, 7 or 8-round drums are rarely used as the main short-barreled weapon, because, surpassing modern pistols in reliability, stopping the bullet of the cartridge used, accuracy firing in single-action mode and ease of handling, they are significantly inferior to multi-shot pistols in rate of fire, firepower (the capacity of the drum is more than half that of a double-row magazine of a medium-sized pistol) and have significantly larger dimensions, especially in width.
Such weapons are stored at home or in a car for self-defense. They are also often used in various types of sports shooting and even for hunting, as well as for self-defense against predators during hiking trips. Medium-sized ones such as the Smith & Wesson 625, with 102 mm/4" or 127 mm/5" barrels, chambered in .45 ACP, are most popular with revolver sports shooters due to fast reloading with lamellar clips, low recoil force and toss when firing, and as a result, a greater rate of fire and accuracy of high-speed fire. In addition to these benefits, this weapon has a high effectiveness of combat shooting, due to the high stopping effect of the bullet cartridge .45 ACP. Therefore, such weapons are universal in areas of application and are also bought for self-defense.
With an ultra-light scandium frame, the Smith & Wesson Model M&P 340 is very comfortable and easy to carry. This copy is equipped with rubber cheeks of the handle with a built-in laser designator.
Compact five-shot, 51 mm / 2" barrels, chambered in .357 Magnum are ideal for concealed carry for self-defense or as a backup weapon due to the combination of small size and weight with the high stopping power of the cartridge used. This class Revolvers are most in demand at the present time and are likely to be the most popular in the future. In addition to the qualities of the revolvers themselves, many useful accessories are currently offered on the weapon market, such as fiber optic front sights and rubber grip cheeks with an integrated laser designator. Practice has shown the advantages of flies with fiber-optic, light-collecting inserts in the form of green or red rods, which reduce the time the weapon is aimed at the target, since the axis of the rod is a guide for the flow of light, as a result of which the shooter's attention is instantly concentrated on the front sight, and then it is already very easy and quickly aligns with the rear sight slot.
One of the best representatives of modern compact revolvers is the American Smith & Wesson M&P 340 with an aluminum-scandium frame, a hidden trigger and only a self-cocking trigger mechanism, which has a very smooth ride and low trigger force, low weight and compactness. This five-shot revolver chambered for the powerful .357 Magnum cartridge is very convenient for constant concealed carry, is not burdensome and easy to handle for its owner. Of course, such a light revolver, weighing only 414 g, has a strong recoil, but it is not intended for sports shooting, since it is primarily a self-defense weapon. According to the vast amount of information on the use of personal short-barreled weapons and statistics maintained by the US police, shooting to kill using compact concealed weapons is carried out at ultra-small distances - from point-blank shooting to 4-6 meters. In this case, the first shots are decisive, and the capacity of the revolving drum, designed for 5 rounds, is quite enough for such a use of weapons.
It should be clarified that for a police weapon worn openly as the main one, on the contrary, a large ammunition is needed, as evidenced by the practice of using service weapon police. For close combat, in any case, the stopping effect of the bullet is of great importance, since it is necessary to neutralize the enemy as quickly as possible. The revolver cartridge .357 Magnum does an excellent job with this task, which is confirmed by decades of its practical application in the police and citizens in self-defense. The reliability of the weapon is also of great importance, and the revolver has always been orders of magnitude superior, and will surpass any self-loading pistol in this quality. All of the above features of revolvers and the ammunition used in them, combined with new technologies and materials, paved the way for this type of personal weapon in the 19th century and provided it, although not very high, but nevertheless very stable popularity, which is confirmed by the constant emergence of new models. in the arms market.
The book outlines the history, design and operational features of the most interesting and outstanding examples of automatic pistols and revolvers - from the very beginning of this class of weapons to the present day. The book is not intended for shooting professionals, but for those men who want to enter the "weapons world" already armed with knowledge - about weapons, their history, ease of use and purpose.
In addition, the book will help determine those who are in this moment chooses for himself civilian weapons self-defense, and make choices that may one day save your life.
Revolver vs pistol: advantages and disadvantages
In order for the further text of the book to make sense for the reader, it is worth dotting the “i”: why are revolvers still produced and in demand? What are the advantages and disadvantages of their design? Under what circumstances is a revolver better than a pistol?
The indisputable advantage of the revolver is the simplicity of its design and the resulting reliability in operation. A good revolver - serviceable, normally lubricated - is almost trouble-free when shooting. According to modern weapons companies, revolvers have no more than one delay for every thousand shots, which occurs mainly due to a misfire (i.e., a defect in the ammunition). At the same time, the design of the revolver allows you to immediately repeat the release of the trigger by pressing the trigger again. It is unlikely that the next cartridge will misfire, so for a revolver such a delay as a misfire is not at all serious.
The revolver is quite safe in inexperienced hands - this applies primarily to random shots. You can judge the presence of cartridges in the drum already with an external examination of the weapon, and the cocked trigger is perfectly visible at the first glance thrown at the weapon. A shot from a serviceable revolver can only be fired if the hand is holding the weapon and the finger is pressing the trigger, i.e. the handle and the trigger seem to be attracted to each other. Such conditions can only be created by hand, so no accidental pressure is not dangerous.
The principal advantage is the constant readiness of the revolver to fire. In order to start shooting from a revolver, you do not need to perform any preliminary operations. This quality - the ability to fire almost instantly from a revolver just taken in hand - meets one of the first requirements for a weapon of personal self-defense and arising from its purpose. Any automatic pistol cannot be stored indefinitely cocked - even at the very best weapon there is a "settlement" of the mainspring. The revolver is never threatened.
The disadvantages of revolvers include:
Relatively fewer charges compared to pistols.
A lower rate of fire as a result of the need for the shooter to spend more muscle power on the production of each shot.
Less compact form with a protruding drum and a rear-protruding handle.
Reload duration.
Automatic pistols, in which all processes associated with the preparation for each subsequent shot are automated, compare favorably with revolvers by a number of advantages. First of all, they have more power (when compared with revolvers of about the same mass) - more initial speed bullets, a higher rate of fire and, in addition, a large number of charges, a lower expenditure of the shooter's strength for each shot, and most importantly, they can be reloaded much faster. Due to the ability to quickly replace an empty magazine with a filled one, the issue of multiple charges does not have the sharpness for pistols that it has for revolvers.
The disadvantages of automatic pistols include primarily their somewhat lower reliability. Since the pistol mechanism works under the influence of the energy of powder gases, the reliability of its operation largely depends on the quality of the cartridges. In case of a misfire, for example, due to the lack of recoil, the pistol mechanism does not work - there is a delay in firing. Such a delay, however, is easily eliminated - just pull back the bolt and release it, after which the gun will again be ready to fire.
But misfires are not the only delays in the operation of pistol mechanisms. Cartridge sticking or misalignment, cartridge case not ejected, or moving parts not retracting due to clogging, thick or frozen grease, or poor cartridge quality can occur. In some cases, delays can be very complex, requiring considerable time to eliminate them. However, with a serviceable weapon, the percentage of delays is small, and these delays as a disadvantage of pistols can practically be neglected, since this disadvantage is more than compensated by the other indisputable advantages mentioned above.
It must be said that in modern systems pistols, the reliability of work has been increased so much that these pistols are very close in their reliability to revolvers. In general, it should be noted that the pistols of the new systems have such constructive qualities that deprive the revolvers of many of their former advantages.
Nevertheless, revolvers still have a huge number of fans, are designed, produced and adopted.
Shooting Expert Impressions
As a child, having seen enough American westerns, where dexterous cowboys fired Smith-Wesson revolvers and hit targets from any position with virtually no misses, I practically fell in love with this weapon with a childish naive love.
Later, already at a much more mature age, I happened to visit the USA and other countries, in institutions where a huge amount of weapons are stored, there are shooting galleries, and there was an opportunity to shoot from these weapons.
As a result of this practice, many types of weapons that I had only read or heard about before were subjected to a significant "markdown". Including Smith & Wesson revolvers. In real life, Smith-Wesson revolvers proved to be uncomfortable and poorly balanced, with poor handle ergonomics - unlike Colt revolvers, which were just a pleasure to shoot.
Of all the revolvers described in this part of the book for my own “arsenal”, I would choose a very limited number of models: Colt Officer "s 1904, Colt Detective Spl. 1927 (only for close combat), Colt Trooper 1953, Colt mk. III 1969, Colt Python 1955 (although a little heavy even for me), Colt King Cobra Mk.V Series 1982 (very comfortable and well balanced!), FN Barracuda (comfortable and well balanced), Manurhin MR-73 (comfortable), Korth Combat 1985 ( comfortable, well balanced, in terms of quality of finish - just a Rolls-Royce among revolvers!).
