PSS Silent Pistol
Encyclopedia
The PSS silent pistol is the last completed weapon system resulting from the Soviet development of silent pistols operating on a sealed cartridge system. Two previous designs were considered unacceptable for use due to their limitation to two shots. Earlier systems included the MSP and SP-4M
double barreled pistols. Developed around 1980, the PSS was first issued to KGB Spetsnaz
in 1983. Intended for assassinations and reconnaissance, it was produced in the special weapons foundry at Tznitochmash. PSS pistols are still in use by elite special forces
units of many nations, as well as by some FSB
, MVD, and KGB
elite units.
and secret police
an almost completely silent option for covert operations such as reconnaissance
and assassination
s. The weapon uses a unique cartridge with an internal piston to achieve this end. Otherwise, it is a fairly simple double action pistol. Few details are known about the pistol's performance, as only a few have entered western hands.
contains an internal piston and a propelling charge, with the stem of the piston against the base of the bullet. On firing, the piston delivers enough impulse to project the bullet from the barrel to an effective range of 25 meters. The piston then seals the cartridge neck, preventing noise, smoke, or blast from escaping the barrel.
action.
S4M
The S4M was a Soviet insurgency weapon pistol, designed to be used expressly for the purpose of assassination.It was a simple break-open, two-shot derringer, but the unique features came from its specialized ammunition, designed around a cut-down version of the 7.62mmx39 rounds used in the Soviet...
double barreled pistols. Developed around 1980, the PSS was first issued to KGB Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...
in 1983. Intended for assassinations and reconnaissance, it was produced in the special weapons foundry at Tznitochmash. PSS pistols are still in use by elite special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
units of many nations, as well as by some FSB
FSB (Russia)
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is the main domestic security agency of the Russian Federation and the main successor agency of the Soviet Committee of State Security . Its main responsibilities are counter-intelligence, internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and...
, MVD, and KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
elite units.
Purpose
The PSS was developed to give Soviet special forcesSpetsnaz
Spetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...
and secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
an almost completely silent option for covert operations such as reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
s. The weapon uses a unique cartridge with an internal piston to achieve this end. Otherwise, it is a fairly simple double action pistol. Few details are known about the pistol's performance, as only a few have entered western hands.
Cartridge
The PSS uses a specially developed 7.62x42mm necked round. The cartridgeCartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
contains an internal piston and a propelling charge, with the stem of the piston against the base of the bullet. On firing, the piston delivers enough impulse to project the bullet from the barrel to an effective range of 25 meters. The piston then seals the cartridge neck, preventing noise, smoke, or blast from escaping the barrel.
Action
The action of the PSS can be described as "reaction", due to there being no blast indicative of a blowbackBlowback (arms)
Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gases created by the ignition of the propellant charge....
action.