The time of huge conscription armies is gradually becoming a thing of the past; today, the result of any conflict is increasingly being resolved by relatively few but perfectly trained professionals. However, these soldiers need better equipment and special weapons. Often, Special Forces soldiers need to use silent weapons to successfully perform a number of specific tasks.
Up to the 70s of the last century, the Soviet special forces used standard small arms, which were modified a little. Silencers were installed on it and special ammunition was used.
This practice had a negative impact on the effectiveness of weapons and reduced the combat capability of these units, therefore, already in the mid-70s, the Soviet military-industrial complex began the development of rifle systems designed to perform highly specialized tasks.
In the second half of the 1980s, the silent Val AS automatic submachine gun developed by TsNIIochtomash (Klimov) by Krasnykov and Serdyukov’s gunsmiths appeared in service with the Soviet special forces. The AS "Val" was created on the basis of the Vintorez silent air-assisted sniper rifle and has a high level of unification with it. Both the machine gun and the sniper rifle use the same ammunition (9 × 39 mm), which is also used for a special self-loading pistol. Therefore, it is worth talking about a single complex of silent weapons, created for the needs of special forces. It also includes a scout knife shooting.
History of creation
Creating a silent rifle complex (AS "Val" and VSS "Vintorez") took a lot of time, but the reason for this was not the work of designers, but the conflicting demands that were put forward by the military. Only by 1983, customers from various law enforcement agencies were able to formulate a technical task for a silent sniper rifle.
TTZ on the machine appeared only two years later, which led to a complete alteration of the entire complex. Initially, the developers were required to create a weapon capable of piercing a standard army helmet at a distance of 400 meters, but then the wishes of the customers were supplemented. The military demanded a machine that could pierce a 6V2 body armor at a distance of 400 meters.
So, like a rifle, and a machine gun were created under one munition, the work had to be completely started anew. The basis was taken ammunition 9 × 39 mm, which had a subsonic speed and good penetration characteristics.
The AS Val and the Vintorez sniper rifle were put into service by the Armed Forces and the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs in the late 80s, together with the SP-6 9 × 39 mm subsonic cartridge developed for them. This ammunition provided a reliable defeat of the enemy in a bulletproof vest and helmet at distances up to 400 meters. At the same time, the weapon had a very low level of features that could unmask the shooter (shot noise, flame).
This rifle complex can be called unique, since most types of modern silent weapons are created by upgrading standard army models.
Automaton AS "Val" is used by Russian special forces at the present time. This weapon was used in several armed conflicts and showed high efficiency and excellent fighting qualities. Serial production of the AS "Val" and VSS "Vintorez" machine guns is organized at the Tula Arms Plant. On the basis of AS "Val" was later created a small-sized automatic SR-3 "Whirlwind".
Description of the weapon
Automation AS "Val" works by removing part of the powder gases from the barrel. The stroke of the gas piston is long; the barrel is locked by turning the bolt, which has six lugs. They run into the cut-outs of the receiver. Automatic weapons work almost silently.
The gas piston is located above the barrel, it is hollow inside, a reciprocating spring comes into it. The piston is rigidly fixed on the bolt carrier.
Shock-trigger mechanism - shock type, with a return spring behind the bolt. The design of the weapon’s guard resembles a Kalashnikov machine gun; the translator of the firing mode is located inside the trigger guard and allows both single and automatic fire. The reload handle and weapon safety is on the right.
The receiver box AS "Val" - milled. This method of manufacturing leads to a rise in price and weighting of the weapon, but makes its design harder. For protection against corrosion is used bluing.
The barrel of the machine has several holes made along the bottom of the rifling, it is through them that the powder gases escape. An integrated silencer covers the short barrel in the front, it is precisely into it that the powder gases are discharged from the holes in the barrel. There they are scattered, they pass through several expansion chambers, a separator, are divided into mutually suppressing flows, and are cooled with the help of a grid-radiator. The silencer has no replaceable or moving parts, for this reason it is very durable. It can be easily removed from the weapon and cleaned, but it is impossible to fire without it.
The silencer on this weapon performs the functions of a flame arrester.
The sound of the AU "Val" shot is approximately at the level of a small-caliber rifle.
The machine is equipped with a tubular butt, which can be folded to the right. He is very convenient, it can even be used in close combat, shooting can be carried out with the butt folded. Handle - pistol type, with a special rough coating that allows you to firmly hold it. The material of the handle, forearm and shop - a special plastic.
The ergonomics of the AS "Val" are significantly better than those of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, but it still remains one-sided. To distort the bolt or remove the weapon from the fuse, the arrow needs to remove the hand from the pistol grip. A box magazine, with a capacity of twenty rounds.
The sights of the machine gun consist of a fly and a sector sight, which is marked from 25 to 400 meters. It is installed on the casing of the muffler. On the receiver on the left side there is a special bracket on which you can install day and night sights.
The machine is disassembled into several nodes and transported in a special case. It takes less than a minute to assemble a weapon.
Ammunition for the Val machine
The most important part of the rifle complex, which, in addition to the Val machine, also includes the Vintorez BSS rifle and the MSS pistol, are special subsonic SP-5 and SP-6 munitions. They were developed at the Central Research Institute of Metrology on the basis of an intermediate cartridge cartridge (sample 1943).
The SP-5 sniper cartridge has excellent accuracy and low recoil, and its bullet with a steel core is able to pierce a second-class body armor or a steel plate 6 mm thick at a distance of 100 meters. SP-6 is an armor-piercing cartridge having an enlarged hardened steel core. The bullet of this ammunition pierces 8 mm of steel at a distance of one hundred meters and is capable of disabling even enemy armored vehicles. Throughout the course of aimed shooting, the SP-6 can pierce body armor of the third protection class and a steel sheet with a thickness of 5 mm.
The bullets of both ammunition have low speed, but due to the large caliber they have good penetrability and stability on the trajectory.
The advantages and disadvantages of AS "Val"
The advantages of this unique weapon include:
- small weight and dimensions, simplicity of design, ease of disassembly;
- the bullet has a good muzzle energy, which provides it with acceptable speed and good armor penetration;
- good accuracy and accuracy at a distance of aimed shooting;
- the possibility of using optical and night sights;
- the weapon is folded in a convenient transport case;
- silencer copes with unmasking factors;
- convenient translator of fire, which can be used without removing the hand from the handle.
Disadvantages:
- small effective range;
- clack of the shutter, which can give the arrow.
