Arsenal Shipka
Encyclopedia
The Shipka is a 9 mm Bulgaria
n submachine gun
produced in 1996 by the Bulgarian company Arsenal
. The name is a reference to the famous Shipka Pass
, near Arsenal's Kazanlak
headquarters, in the Balkans where Bulgaria
n volunteers and Russian troops defeated the Ottoman Empire
during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, thereby liberating Bulgaria. The Shipka was developed for the Bulgarian police and military and is widely exported.
The Shipka is a compact weapon originally intended for use by armored vehicle crews, pilots, and other shooters who might require either a close-quarter weapon or aimed shots at longer ranges.
The proto-type and pre-production versions of the Shipka were chambered in 9 mm Mauser
and used a 30-round box magazine
. Production versions were produced in 9x18mm Makarov.
The design is a straightforward blowback operation firing from open bolt. The lower receiver along with pistol grip and triggerguard is made from polymer, the upper receiver is made from steel. The simple buttstock is made from steel wire and folds to the left side of gun.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
produced in 1996 by the Bulgarian company Arsenal
Arsenal AD
Arsenal AD is a Bulgarian joint-stock company based in Kazanlak, engaged primarily in the manufacture of firearms and military equipment. It is Bulgaria's oldest arms supplier.- History :...
. The name is a reference to the famous Shipka Pass
Shipka Pass
Shipka Pass is a scenic mountain pass through the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It marks the border between Stara Zagora province and Gabrovo province. The pass connects Gabrovo and Kazanlak. The pass is part of the Bulgarka Nature Park.The pass is 13 km by road north of the small town of...
, near Arsenal's Kazanlak
Kazanlak
Kazanlak, formerly Kazanlık is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range, at the eastern end of the Rose Valley...
headquarters, in the Balkans where Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n volunteers and Russian troops defeated the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, thereby liberating Bulgaria. The Shipka was developed for the Bulgarian police and military and is widely exported.
The Shipka is a compact weapon originally intended for use by armored vehicle crews, pilots, and other shooters who might require either a close-quarter weapon or aimed shots at longer ranges.
The proto-type and pre-production versions of the Shipka were chambered in 9 mm Mauser
Mauser
Mauser was a German arms manufacturer of a line of bolt-action rifles and pistols from the 1870s to 1995. Mauser designs were built for the German armed forces...
and used a 30-round box magazine
Magazine (firearm)
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines may be integral to the firearm or removable . The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action...
. Production versions were produced in 9x18mm Makarov.
The design is a straightforward blowback operation firing from open bolt. The lower receiver along with pistol grip and triggerguard is made from polymer, the upper receiver is made from steel. The simple buttstock is made from steel wire and folds to the left side of gun.