The latest weapons for underwater shooting. Underwater machine aps. How underwater weapons work

10.05.2020

APS (Automatic Underwater Special) - a special underwater submachine gun, is an individual weapon of a scuba diver and serves to destroy both surface and underwater targets. This machine gun is in service with units of combat swimmers in Russia and Ukraine, and was also offered for export through Rosoboronexport.

History of creation

The special underwater assault rifle (APS) was developed in the late 1960s by the specialists of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise TSNIITOCHMASH under the guidance of the chief designer V.V. Simonov. By the beginning of the 1970s. special ammunition in the form of elongated metal needles was created and tested. Approximately in 1975, a complex of underwater weapons as part of the APS and ammunition for it was adopted by combat swimmers of the USSR Navy.
The APS submachine gun is produced in limited quantities at the Tula Arms Plant.

Description

For APS, a cartridge with a needle-type bullet was developed, this made it possible to solve two problems - stabilizing the bullet in water without imparting torque to it (since the barrel has no rifling) and saving the energy of the bullet at a sufficiently large distance. The principle of operation of APS automation allows you to overcome the inert resistance of the liquid inside the mechanisms of this weapon. The range of effective fire exceeds the range of direct visibility in the water. When firing in the air at a distance of 30 m, all hits fit into a circle with a diameter of 15 cm. The lethal force of a bullet in the air is maintained at a distance of up to 100 m. organic glass up to 5 mm thick.

The receiver is stamped from a steel sheet. USM allows you to fire both single and continuous bursts. The fuse-translator of modes is located on the left side of the receiver above the pistol grip. The wire butt in the stowed position slides into the receiver. Resource machine - 2000 shots under water or 180 shots in the air. In addition to the standard MPS ammunition, the ammunition also includes an MPST tracer cartridge for correcting fire.
It has no analogues in the world.

Purpose

The APS submachine gun is a personal weapon of a combat swimmer and is designed to destroy underwater (combat swimmers) and surface (inflatable motor boats, high-speed boats, underwater transporters) targets, as well as to protect against marine predators.

The defeat of combat swimmers is ensured at ranges that exclude serious opposition from them.
Automatic APS operates due to automation with a gas engine. The design of the gas duct ensures the use of APS in water and in air due to the gas regulator, which uses their different densities and automatically dumps part of the powder gases when firing in air. Unlike the vast majority of modern assault rifles, the APS fires with an open bolt that locks the barrel when turning. The trigger mechanism provides a single and continuous automatic fire and is actuated by a common return spring of the bolt group.

The loading handle is located on the right side of the bolt carrier, the fuse translator is located on the left side of the receiver above the pistol grip. The receiver is made of stamped sheet steel.
The barrel of the machine has no rifling. This is due to the fact that the stabilization of the bullets is carried out hydrodynamically and does not mechanically interact with the barrel. Sights are an unregulated open rear sight on the receiver and a front sight on the gas chamber.
The butt of steel wire is made telescopic, retractable inside the receiver.

The magazine with a capacity of 26 rounds has an unusual shape, which is explained by the shorter length of the feeder spring in comparison with the cartridges. To increase the reliability of the action, the machine shop is equipped with spring grips (in its front part) and a cartridge separator that prevents them from being skewed by bullets upwards.

The receiver, in order to prevent the simultaneous supply of several cartridges into the chamber, is equipped with a cutter. The pistol grip is made of plastic.
For firing from underwater transporters, there is a trunnion on the barrel of the machine gun for fixing it on a support.

Due to the use of the machine mainly under water and the actions of a swimmer in gloves, the APS does not have a forearm.
The MPS cartridge is a cartridge case of a traditional design (from the standard cartridge 7N6 5.45x39 mm) with a bullet in the form of a needle-shaped steel rod (120 mm) with a narrowing of the head in the form of a double truncated cone. In the cartridge case there is a propellant powder charge that ejects a bullet from the barrel and activates the automatic weapon that uses the energy of gases. When moving in the input, the bullet is stabilized due to the formation of a cavitation cavity around it, the formation and retention of which is ensured by the selection of the shape and size of the bullet in combination with its speed.

The bullet does not stabilize in air.
Cartridge length - 150 mm, weight - 27-28 g.
Later, MPST ammunition appeared with a tracer bullet.

At a depth of 5 m, the MPS cartridge provides an effective firing range for scuba divers up to 30 m, 20 m - up to 20 m and 40 m - up to 10 m.

At the indicated ranges, the machine ensures the defeat of live targets in hydro overalls with foam insulation and protective plexiglass up to 5 mm thick. Shooting from APS in the water is possible from all positions of the swimmer, as well as from under water at surface targets and from the air at underwater ones.

The machine allows you to fire in the air. However, due to the lack of dynamic stabilization of the bullet, the shooting accuracy is low, and the effective range is significantly less than 100 meters. In addition, when firing in the air, the resource of the machine gun is reduced by more than 10 times - up to 180 versus 2000 when firing under water.

To provide the possibility of correcting shooting, an MPST cartridge with a tracer bullet was developed and can be used.

Barr and Kreycher underwater pistol - cartridge-barrel design

The Heckler & Koch firm approached the development of weapons for combat swimmers in an original way. In her P11 pistol, she used an interchangeable block of five pre-equipped barrels, providing a shot without the formation of gas bubbles. Barrels are loaded at the factory, they can only be reloaded in a special workshop. The most unusual part of the P11 was the electronic trigger that initiates the barrels' electric caps. The electronic mechanism, well known from target sporting weapons, provides a low trigger force, adjustable over a wide range of operating times. But in such an aggressive environment as sea water, its reliability is a matter of concern.

Underwater pistol P11
Of particular burning interest are the Soviet APS submachine gun (special underwater submachine gun) and the non-automatic 4-barreled pistol SPP-1 (special underwater pistol), designed for underwater shooting. These samples were created more than 20 years ago, but only at the beginning of the 90s they were officially presented to the public. To say that this complex of underwater weapons and ammunition aroused great interest among Western experts is to say nothing. It was a shock. And it was from what. This is due to the fact that, for example, in the United States, the problem of creating an underwater machine was considered unsolvable in principle for a long time and, in terms of the real prospect of implementation, was on a par with the development of a perpetual motion machine and a transparent tank (!).

Special underwater pistol SPP-1

Automatic underwater special APS.

Ammunition 7.62x39; 4.5x39; 5.66x39 (USSR/Russia).
In the second half of the 1960s, units of combat swimmers appeared in our country: for example, in 1967, a detachment to combat underwater sabotage forces and means (PDSS) was formed in the Black Sea Fleet. The reason for this was the intensified work abroad on the creation of regular units of combat swimmers for reconnaissance and sabotage operations. Fresh was the memory of the death of the battleship Novorossiysk in the Sevastopol Bay on October 29, 1955. And although the assumption of sabotage looked (and still looks) the least likely, such a danger could not be discounted. The fighters, called upon to fight underwater saboteurs, needed a weapon capable of firing under water. Created for this purpose, the 5.66 mm APS assault rifle and the 4.5 mm SPP-1 pistol are of particular interest among underwater weapons due to unusual technical solutions. The spouses Elena and Vladimir Simonov were directly involved in the development of weapons (V.V. Simonov is the great-nephew of the famous Soviet gunsmith S.G. Simonov). In 1968 an assignment was issued to develop an underwater pistol, more precisely, a pistol complex. TsNIItochmash and TOZ created a 4.5-mm cartridge and a pistol, which was put into service in 1971. under the designation SPP-1 (special underwater pistol). It should be noted that in parallel with the active SPP, the development of a 7.62-mm underwater reactive pistol was carried out, which was preceded by the study of foreign reactive samples. The development of the SPS cartridge (4.5x39) for SPP-1 was carried out by P.F. Sazonov and O.P. Kravchenko. The underwater cartridge bullet looks somewhat unusual. This is a needle weighing 13.2 g of high elongation (about 25: 1 - the length of the needle is 115 mm), colloquially referred to as a nail. The bunch is inserted into the sleeve of a conventional intermediate cartridge with a charge of gunpowder. Of course, measures are taken to seal and increase the corrosion resistance of the cartridge. The nose of the bullet is double-conical and slightly blunted. A bullet of such a large elongation scheme at high speed in water forms a cavitation bubble (cavern) around itself, which is held under water throughout the entire journey and serves as a stabilizer for the bullet - a unique solution.

The principle of movement of a bullet in the aquatic environment - you can see the advantage of a large elongation and a special shape of the bullet head.

Thanks to this, the nail is able to maintain stable movement and lethality at a distance of 17 m at a depth of 5 m, 11 m at a depth of 11 m, 6 m at a depth of 40 m. effective shooting is actually carried out at a visibility range under water. The length of the 4.5-mm cartridge is 145 mm, the weight is 18 g. Actually, the large length of the cartridge forced us to resort to such a weapon scheme. In the air, the nail quickly loses its stability, and shooting with such cartridges is possible at short range. Therefore, for training on the shore, the block of smooth barrels can be replaced with 4 rifled barrels for the usual intermediate cartridge 5.45x39. We note, by the way, that on the same principle (movement in the developed cavitation mode) shooting is also based on the unique Russian Shkval torpedo missile, which has significant speed characteristics (100 m / s) and the German Barakuda (400 km / h or 111 m / s). And behind the secrets of Flurry hydrodynamics Western intelligence agencies they are still actively hunting, even with its samples in their hands ...
SPP-1 refers to the type of non-automatic multi-barreled pistols. A block of four smooth barrels is hinged on the frame and rotates around its trunnions. For loading, it leans down - as in the "turning point" hunting rifles, and is locked, again like a gun, on the lower hook and latch. Loading is carried out with a pack (clip) with four cartridges. When unlocking the block of barrels, the extractor moves the pack of spent cartridges back, making reloading easier and somewhat faster: under water, the reloading process takes about 5 seconds.
The self-cocking trigger mechanism provides consistent firing and operates from a single trigger. Each time you press it, the firing pin located behind the barrels rotates 90 degrees and, moving along the screw copier, breaks the primer of the next cartridge (in part, this resembles the scheme of multi-barreled pistols of the second half of the 19th century). The self-cocking trigger force is 3.5 kgf. The characteristic features of the SPP-1M, which appeared in 1979, are a special spring that loads the sear and facilitates the descent, and a trigger guard that is strongly curved forward. The enlarged shackle allows firing with insulated gloves, which are part of the swimmer's equipment, especially when operating in northern waters. The pistol grip is plastic, hollow. On the left side in the recess of the handle, behind the trigger guard, there is a safety lever. They can also be operated with gloves. The flag also controls the locking of the block of barrels and has three positions: "loading" (the block of barrels is open), "fuse" and "fire".
Sights - the simplest: an open front sight and a permanent open rear sight. The SPP is carried in a closed leatherette holster. The combat swimmer's ammunition load includes from 4 to 10 equipped clips of 4 rounds each. Curb weight SPP-1M - 0.95 kg, length - 244 mm, height - 138 mm, width - 25 mm, barrel length - 195 mm. The initial velocity of a bullet in air is 250 m/s, muzzle energy is 412 J. The effective firing range at a depth of 5 m is 17 m, at a depth of 20 m is 11 m, at a depth of 40 m is 6 m, i.e. corresponds to the range of visibility under water. The production of the SPP-1 pistol, together with the APS assault rifle, was supplied by TOZ.
Rumor has it that the Defense Inventions Division of the US Department of Defense at one time refused to accept any proposals for a "perpetual motion machine, an invisible tank, and an underwater machine" for consideration. However, the “underwater machine gun” was nevertheless created and has been in service in Russia for three decades, the APS machine gun (“special underwater machine gun”, not to be confused with the “Stechkin automatic pistol”) is designed to fire special 5.66-mm MPS and MPST cartridges (tracer) type 5.66x39. The cartridge (like the pistol cartridge) was developed at TsNIItochmash by Sazonov and Kravchenko on the basis of an intermediate cartridge case and is also equipped with a “nail”. The length of the “nail” is 120 mm, the weight is 20.3-20.8 g, the entire cartridge is 150 mm and 27-28 g, respectively.
The trunk is smooth. The operation of automation is based on the removal of powder gases through a hole in the wall of the bore, with a long stroke of the gas piston, there is a gas regulator. Locking the bore - by turning the bolt. A shot from the rear sear allows you to somewhat compensate for the recoil effect, which is important under water. Nevertheless, the accuracy of the underwater machine gun is small.
The trigger mechanism is assembled in a separate housing and allows single or continuous fire (short - 3-5 shots and long - up to 10 shots in bursts), equipped with a flag translator fuse. Food - from a detachable box magazine for 26 rounds. unusual shape magazine is associated with a large length of the cartridge and a relatively small width of the feeder spring. The long bullet gave rise to a number of problems in the supply of cartridges. The two rows of cartridges in the magazine are separated by a plate, the top bullets are held by a spring delay. A cartridge cutter is mounted inside the receiver.
Folding butt retractable, on two rods. When the buttstock is retracted, the shoulder rest covers the back of the pistol grip without interfering with shooting. Pins are made on the barrel of the machine gun for mounting on board the underwater vehicle - just like a conventional machine gun can fire through the onboard embrasures of the armored personnel carrier.
Until now, there have been no analogues in the world of the APS assault rifle and the SPP-1 pistol in terms of efficiency. However, in January 2010 flashed some information on the Chinese channelCCTV, from which it became clear about the next copying of domestic developments:

Top four-barreled SPP-1 (USSR/Russia), bottom three-barreled QSS-05 (China)

QSS-05 caliber 5.8mm (according to http://china-defense.blogspot.com)

Chinese underwater shooting machine (even outwardly you can find similarities with the APS)

Chinese 5.8 mm ammunition for underwater shooting.

Well, let's continue...
The length of the APS with an extended butt is 840 mm, with an attached magazine - 252 mm, width - 65 mm, the weight of the machine, fully equipped - 3.4 kg, rate of fire - 500 rounds / min. The initial speed of the "nail" under water (depending on the depth) is 240-350 m/s, in air - respectively 365 m/s. The effective firing range (at which the "nail" pierces the submariner's suit or the glass of his mask 5 mm thick): at a depth of 5 m - 30 m, at 20 m - 20 m, at 40 m - 11 m. Like the SPP-1, the automatic APS has a minimum of controls, since it is designed for the actions of a swimmer in a tight glove. The aiming range of fire in the air is set at 30 m, but in reality it does not exceed 15 m.
Experiments were carried out firing from the APS in two environments.
1. Experiment - shooting underwater. The shooter (expert) in a standard diving suit with scuba gear and weights in the pool fired at a target at a distance of up to 5 m. in the event of a ricochet, the bullets went to the bottom of the pool. Shooting was carried out both in bursts and single shots. All shots took place without delay. When a bullet moves in water, the formation of a trace in the form of gas bubbles is observed, which form clearly visible tracks and allow you to correct the aiming of a weapon during automatic firing without using aiming devices. When hitting a steel sheet, most of the bullets penetrated it to a depth of 10 mm, and some fell to the bottom. The ricochet is practically absent due to the “biting” of the metal of the armor plate by the flat cut of the bullet, by analogy with the hard-alloy tip made of an alloy with depleted uranium of sub-caliber armor-piercing shells. Removing bullets from steel is difficult and was carried out with the help of pliers. When a bullet hits a solid barrier, there is a loss of longitudinal stability of the bullet body and its folding into a spiral. Based on the results of the shooting, it can be concluded that the weapon can not only hit a person, but also marine animals, sharks, as well as disable various technical means.
No effects on the shooter's hearing were observed. Moreover, the impression is that the sound is much stronger when shooting in the air. Probably, a gas bubble softens the critical sound threshold for a person, dampens and lowers peak values.
Subjective impressions of the expert: - “an excellent weapon for underwater shooting! Now would be on a safari - shoot sharks along the coast of the USA or Australia! That would be fun, adrenaline!!!”
2. Experiment - shooting in the air. The shooter (expert) made aimed shooting at the targets in the shooting range from a standing position from a distance of 25 m. When shooting, there is a loss of stability of the bullet in flight almost immediately after leaving the bore and a significant expansion to the sides of the aiming line. Almost all the bullets did not reach the targets and hit the ground at a distance of 15-20 m. From the experiment, we can conclude that the range of aimed shooting with cartridges with a bullet for underwater shooting is insignificant, shooting is dangerous for others, hitting the target at a distance of 20-30 m is practically impossible.
Experiments with firing from the SPP-1 in the submerged and surface position and their results are almost identical to the experiments with firing from the APS assault rifle.
Noteworthy is the fact that the training of combat swimmers in shooting from an underwater pistol and machine gun can be carried out on land. To do this, smooth barrels are replaced with rifled ones, and ordinary standard 5.45 mm caliber cartridges are used for firing.
It should be noted that American specialists who officially tested samples of Russian weapons special purpose at the beginning of 1998, they considered it quite likely to purchase an SPP-1 pistol and an APS assault rifle for their special operations forces.
Further development of this still exotic underwater weapon is on the way to creating a single model of an amphibious assault rifle. After all, combat swimmers have to act both on land and under water and be in constant readiness to instantaneous opening of fire in case of sudden detection. Therefore, to perform a combat mission and ensure self-defense, swimmers must carry two types of weapons with them, which, of course, is very inconvenient.
As recent studies show, the creation of a single two-medium cartridge, the bullet of which could be equally effective when fired under water and on land, is very difficult. The laws of hydro- and aerodynamics are too different. Therefore, the solution was found in the creation of weapons with combined power, from different stores. That is, when firing on land, a store with ordinary cartridges, for example, with automatic 5.45 mm 7N6, joins it, and when firing under water, a store with special cartridges of 5.66 mm MPS. It should be noted that the cartridge cases for the MPS cartridge and the 7N6 cartridge are the same.
However, it should immediately be noted. When creating (improving) an APS for a combat swimmer, the developers proceeded primarily from the fact that this weapon is used in specific conditions of unsupported space, which is the aquatic environment. Therefore, the weapon must have a sufficiently high degree of stability, provide a quick preparation for firing (including the transfer from traveling to combat position), allow the swimmer, occupying any position for firing, to adjust his position (body) in space.
Feature of modern naval special forces is multifunctional. After all, it is based on universal-purpose combat swimmers capable of solving any tasks: to carry out sabotage under water in enemy ports, to protect their waters from enemy saboteurs and at the same time act on land as ordinary reconnaissance saboteurs. Russian and world experience in the use of such units confirms that in 80 - 90 percent of cases they perform "ground" tasks. Therefore, it became necessary to have in service with these units a special multi-purpose (underwater-surface) weapon, such as a universal two-medium machine gun. Moreover, in terms of firing efficiency (accuracy, accuracy, armor penetration), on land it would not be inferior to the 5.45 mm AK-74, AK-105 assault rifles, and under water - to the 5.66 mm APS assault rifle.

At the same time, one of the important drawbacks of the APS-5 assault rifle is its low survivability. In accordance with specifications 2000 shots underwater and only 180 shots on land. The fact is that the shape of the 5.66 mm cartridge, the powder charge, the ballistics of the bullet's flight, the operation of the automation are designed for normal functioning only under water. When the shooter goes to land, water flows out of the receiver of the machine gun. When firing in "unaccustomed" conditions, the bolt carrier moves much faster, and the receiver simply cannot withstand the increased loads. Approximately it is just enough for 180 shots.
When we started to work, it turned out that this problem can be solved only in combination with the others. After all, the machine is haunted by other troubles. For example, two or even three cartridges are often fed into the chamber at the same time. As a result, there is a delay in firing, and it is very laborious to eliminate. Other disadvantages are the inability to attach any sights and muzzle devices. It is extremely difficult to transport weapons while the swimmer is moving in the water (in the hands, behind the back), hence the inability to quickly prepare for shooting.
A number of teams are currently working on the creation of a single (universal) two-medium automaton not only in Russia, but also abroad. How difficult this problem is can be judged by the statement of American experts: "The creation of a universal underwater-surface machine is tantamount to the creation of a" transparent "tank."
The design of a two-medium assault rifle is determined primarily by the cartridge. If you manage to create a universal two-medium cartridge, there will be no problems with weapons. So far, there is no such ammunition, and the prototypes that have appeared do not meet the requirements that apply to them.

It should be noted that SPP-1 and APS had a significant number of improvements (like the same AK), but this is rather a topic for a separate article.

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UNDERWATER APS

The APS machine perfectly demonstrates the veil of secrecy that surrounded Soviet Union and to a certain extent still surrounding Russia. The machine gun was in service for more than twenty years, but until the moment when its manufacturer, TsNIITochmash, began to advertise it in 1993, it remained completely unknown in the West - there was not even evidence of its existence. His partner, the SPP-1 underwater pistol (see chapter 2) was also unknown until it appeared on the arms market along with the APS. Both models are unique. The German company "Heckler and Koch" produces a special underwater pistol P11, similar to the SPP-1 only in basic concept. There is no record of any Western manufacturer producing anything resembling a submersible.

The APS assault rifle was developed by a design bureau led by Vladimir Simonov, nephew of Sergei Simonov, creator of the famous SKS carbine. The Bureau of Simonov Jr. also developed the SPP-1 pistol, which will be described below. The work was started in the 70s by order Soviet army, who wished to receive an underwater weapon that could be used to fight enemy scuba divers. APS is smoothbore weapons. Bullets are very long and thin rods with a length to diameter ratio of approximately 21 to 1. They are stabilized not by rotation, but by the flow of water flowing around these long bullet rods. Details on APS cartridges are described in the chapter on ammunition.

Folding APS submachine gun.

The designers took the Kalashnikov assault rifle as a basis, but it immediately became clear that although the AK mechanism works under water, the effective firing range is very small, and the accuracy leaves much to be desired. The result of intense research was the APS assault rifle, which was tested in the mid-70s. The action of automation is based on the principle of removal of powder gases from the hole in the bore, it is possible to select fire modes. Ammunition is supplied from a removable box magazine. The unusual shape of the magazine is explained by the need to accommodate long MPS cartridges. At the time of the shot, the bolt is open - this is necessary in order for the barrel to fill with water, which is essential for reliable action with long bullets.

The firing range depends on the depth at which the shooting is carried out: the deeper, the shorter the range. Nevertheless, the firing range and damaging effect of APS bullets significantly exceed the corresponding indicators of any underwater guns, regardless of depth. In the air, the stabilization of the APS bullet is very low, so the range of destruction does not exceed 100 meters. The accuracy of shooting even at this distance remains a big question, since a long bullet begins to tumble as soon as it leaves the muzzle of the machine gun.

The Russian government reported only one case of the use of an APS machine. In November 1989, US President George W. Bush met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Malta. The ships on which the meeting of the two heads of state took place were guarded by a detachment of 16 scuba divers armed with APS submachine guns and SPP-1 underwater pistols. Scuba divers worked underwater in shifts, providing round-the-clock surveillance of the ships. They were ordered to open fire to kill anyone who approached the ships at a distance of 200 meters.

It is not known how many APS machines have currently been sold to Western users, or if they have been sold at all. However, the machine gun has been in service with the Soviet and Russian special forces for many years, and it really has no analogues in the world. TsNIITochmash is conducting an aggressive advertising campaign, promoting this machine gun to the international arms market, so it can be assumed that it is also used outside of Russia. However, users of such special weapons systems are reluctant to reveal what they have in their arsenals, so it cannot be hoped that if Western intelligence agencies adopt APS, they will openly admit this fact.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE APS UNDERWATER

Caliber 5.66x39 mm

The principle of operation of automatic gas removal, the choice of fire modes

with folded butt 823 mm

with stock folded 614 mm

Barrel length 508 mm

Sighting range 10-30 m underwater,

depending on the depth; 100m in the air

Rate of fire 350 rounds per minute

Magazine capacity 20 rounds

sighting device front sight; mane with a slot

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In the late 1960s, the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TsNIITOCHMASH) began developing effective weapons for combat swimmers of the USSR Navy.

By the early 1970s, special ammunition for underwater firearms was developed using elongated non-rotating bullets with hydrodynamic stabilization using a cavitation cavity generated by the movement of a bullet in water. At the same time, the designers of TsNIITOCHMASH - husband and wife V.V. Simonov and E.M. Simonova, a 4-barrel non-self-loading pistol SPP-1 was developed and adopted by the Soviet Navy for a 4.5-mm special SPS cartridge, created by designers V. and E. Samoilov, O. Kravchenko, I. Kasyanov.

aps butt complex

And in 1975, a weapon complex was adopted by the Soviet Navy, consisting of an Automatic Underwater Special APS, also developed by husband and wife V.V. Simonov and E.M. Simonova, and 5.66 mm MPS special ammunition.

The APS submachine gun is designed to equip combat swimmers and is used to destroy enemy combat swimmers, their underwater transporters, watercraft under water and on land.

The APS machine is built on the basis of automation with a gas engine and locking by turning the shutter. The design of the gas outlet path provides for an automatic gas regulator that ensures the operation of automation, both under water and in air. The operation of the gas regulator uses differences in the density of the media (water or air) to automatically release part of the powder gases when firing in air. With it, you can change the amount of exhaust gases and, accordingly, the speed of movement of moving parts.

The barrel of the assault rifle is smooth, without rifling, and the bullet does not mechanically interact with the barrel, since the stabilization of the bullets is carried out hydrodynamically.

The receiver is made by stamping from sheet steel.

The trigger mechanism is of a striker type, which provides firing both single shots and automatic fire, is driven by a single reciprocating action spring of the bolt group. The fuse-translator of fire modes is located on the receiver on the left, above the pistol grip.

aps butt complex

The loading handle is located on the right side of the bolt carrier.

Sights - the simplest design, include an unregulated open rear sight on the receiver and a front sight on the gas chamber.

The machine has a telescopic buttstock made of round wire, which is retracted inside the receiver in the stowed position.

APS is fed with ammunition from attached carob (box-shaped) magazines with a capacity of 26 rounds, which have a special design that excludes the cartridges from being skewed by the bullet upwards when feeding or double feeding of cartridges into the barrel. The unusual shape of the magazine is explained by the fact that the feeder spring is shorter in comparison with the cartridges.

A cut-off is placed in the receiver, which prevents the simultaneous filing of several cartridges into the chamber.

APS with used ammunition

The MPS cartridge used in the APS assault rifle was created on the basis of the cartridge case of the Soviet regular cartridge 7N6 5.45x39 mm. The unusual caliber - 5.66 mm - has a fairly simple explanation. The ammunition of the machine gun was created using a standard steel sleeve of a 5.45-mm Soviet machine gun cartridge. 5.45 mm - caliber of rifled barrels in the fields. The diameter of 5.45 mm barrels along the rifling is 5.66 mm, the nominal diameter of the leading part of the bullets of 5.45 mm automatic cartridges is the same. The diameter of the steel bullet of the APS assault rifle corresponds to the outer diameter of the cartridge bullet of 5.45x39 mm. But since the MPS bullet does not cut into the rifling, the APS barrel caliber corresponds to the outer diameter of the bullet and has the corresponding designation - 5.66 mm.

Cartridge 5.66x39 mm MPS

Caliber, mm 5.66x39
Length, mm
- stock unfolded 823
- stock folded 615
Weight without magazine, kg 2.46
Shop, kol. rounds 26
Rate of fire, rds / min 500 - 600

The bullet of the MPS cartridge is a steel rod with a narrowing of the head part in the form of a double truncated cone. Bullet length - 120 mm, weight - 20.3-20.8 g. Initial bullet speed in air - 365 m / s. The initial speed of a bullet at a depth of 5 m is 240-250 m / s. Chuck length - 150 mm. Cartridge weight - 27-28 g. MPS cartridges have a relatively high accuracy of fire, are protected from corrosion in sea water and penetration of water into the powder charge and primer-igniter. The cartridge case is of a traditional design, it contains a propellant powder charge that ejects a bullet from the barrel and activates the weapon's automation, based on the use of the energy of gases discharged from a hole in the barrel wall. Bullet stabilization in water is carried out due to the formation of a cavitation cavity around the bullet during movement. The formation and retention of the cavitation cavity is ensured by the appropriate selection of the shape and size of the bullet and its speed. The barrel of the APS assault rifle is smooth, without rifling, and the bullet does not mechanically interact with the barrel. The bullet does not stabilize in air.

The striking ability of the MPS cartridge bullet depends on the depth of immersion. At depths up to 5 m, the lethal range is 30 m. At a depth of 40 m, it drops to 10 m. In all cases, the lethal range under water exceeds the target’s visibility range - that is, if the enemy is visible, he can be hit. At a distance of more than 15 m, accuracy when firing from the APS is noticeably reduced. And, probably, this circumstance, combined with the often poor visibility under water, led to the need to include an MPST cartridge with a tracer bullet in the ammunition load, which allows you to adjust the shooting along the tracks.

The lethal force of the APS at extreme distances under water strikes the enemy dressed in a “dry” wetsuit with foam padding, and also breaks through plexiglass up to 5 mm thick.

APS when used underwater

On land, the flight of a bullet - needles do not stabilize, but at a distance of 30 meters all hits fit into a circle with a diameter of 15 centimeters, the lethal force of a bullet - needles on land is maintained at a distance of up to 100 meters, but the dispersion of hits is already such that there can be no aimed shooting and speech. In addition, even taking into account the use of a gas regulator, the life of the machine when firing in the air is reduced by more than 10 times - from 2000 shots under water to only 180 shots in the air.

The underwater shooting machine APS is a unique development, which laid the foundation for the development of a new (aquatic) environment for the use of self-cocking and automatic firearms in it.

The production of APS in limited quantities was established at the Tula Arms Plant, and was even offered for export through RosOboronExport.

In ancient times, divers used a knife as their main weapon. In the 1950s, with the advent of the first scuba gear, it became clear that a swimmer had a better chance of surviving an underwater battle if he kept his opponent at a distance. As a result, the knife was replaced by harpoon spearguns, which only proved effective for hunting or protecting against sharks. This weapon had low rates of speed, range, rate of fire and weak lethal force. It was very difficult to resist a specially trained enemy using only a harpoon gun. In this regard, in many countries, design work has begun on the creation of underwater multiply charged firearms. One of them was the APS underwater shooting machine developed by Soviet gunsmiths.

The article contains information about this underwater weapon and some similar models used by combat swimmers of other states.

Story

In October 1955, a terrible disaster occurred in Novorossiysk, during which the battleship sank. For some time, there was an opinion among specialists that the cause of misfortune was sabotage. Despite the fact that in this case there were no signs of external interference, the events of 1955 forced the military to think about the question: how to more effectively resist underwater sabotage groups? In the 1960s, several units of combat swimmers were formed in the USSR, for which Soviet gunsmiths made an APS submachine gun (a photo of the weapon is presented in the article).

Developers

Research and development work was carried out at the TsNIITochmash enterprise in Podolsk under the direction of V.V. Simonov. The first version of the APS was assembled by designer P. A. Tkanev. Since 1975, APS have been mass-produced at the arms factory in Tula. Traditionally, soldiers of the Soviet special forces of the Navy were armed with these underwater assault rifles. Today, this underwater weapon is used by combat swimmers in Russia and Ukraine.

What difficulties did the designers face?

In the process of designing underwater small arms, the developers faced a problem, which was the presence of high water resistance. As a result of its entry into the barrels of automatic and semi-automatic models, steam accumulated, which rendered the weapon unusable. When creating an underwater special APS machine, these two factors were taken into account.

Solution

APS is used as an individual weapon by scuba divers for shooting at surface and underwater targets. Specially for this weapon, the designers developed a MPS cartridge (special marine cartridge) of 5.6 mm caliber, which contains a needle-shaped (arrow-shaped) bullet, the mass of which does not exceed 15 g. The bullet size is 12 cm. The head part has a narrowing. Outwardly, the bullet resembles a double truncated cone. Its head part contains a cavitation cavity, which is designed to provide the pool with:

Stable movement in the water.
Conservation of energy over long distances.

Due to the absence of barrel rifling in the APS underwater machine during the movement of the bullet, the creation of a torque is excluded. When firing on the surface, the bullet does not stabilize and hits the target at a distance of up to one hundred meters, which limits the combat capability of scuba divers on the shore.

To perform combat missions, swimmers use APS submachine guns and SPP-1 pistols (special underwater), which, like the machine gun, is adapted for firing MPS and MPST cartridges (special tracer marine cartridge used by combat swimmers to adjust shooting).

Due to the action of automation in the APS, the inert resistance of water inside the system is overcome. As a result, the APS submachine gun can be effectively used for shooting underwater at line-of-sight distances. The lethal force of such a bullet and initial speed(365 m / s) is enough to break through 0.5 cm organic glass and hit an enemy wearing a wetsuit.

Device

In the manufacture of the receiver for the APS underwater assault rifle, stamped steel sheet is used. Despite the fact that this small arms is intended for operation under water, it differs little from a land-based assault rifle. The APS is equipped with an automatic reloading mechanism, which operates due to the energy of powder gases escaping from the barrel channel when fired.

The weapon is equipped with a trigger mechanism that allows the fighter to shoot both single and continuous bursts. To adjust the firing mode, the machine is equipped with a special translator. The place for its location was the left side of the receiver.

Thanks to the retractable metal wire stock, the machine is easy to use. In field conditions, this butt is easy to slide into the receiver, and the machine guns themselves can be attached to the sides of underwater vehicles. APS is designed for 2000 shots under water. Its resource in the air is 180 shots.

How does an underwater weapon work?

During the shot, the APS shutter, moving backward, opens the barrel channel, removes the cartridge case from the chamber and extracts it. The return spring under the influence of the bolt frame is compressed, moves the cutter and sets the trigger mechanism on the cocking. After the trigger is pressed, the return mechanism begins to act on the spring. In the course of its reverse movement forward, with the help of the shutter, the next ammunition is sent from the magazine into the chamber and the barrel channel is closed. The receiver is equipped with special lugs that are designed to lock the bolt. Locking is considered complete if the bolt with its lugs has gone beyond these stops. The bolt frame, moving forward, interacts with the drummer, which, with the help of a striker, breaks the ammunition primer, due to which the shot occurs.

ammunition supply

A box-shaped two-row magazine with a capacity of up to 26 ammunition became a place for keeping cartridges. Separation of cartridges in the store is carried out using a special plate. The magazines contain spring grips that secure the upper ammunition in the APS submachine gun. According to experts, there are no analogues of this underwater weapon in the world. However, it is known that in parallel with the development of Soviet weapons designers in other countries, attempts were also made to create perfect underwater weapons.

QBS-06

This automatic individual small arms since 2006, combat swimmers of the People's Republic of China have been equipped. QBS-6 is an underwater assault rifle with which a diver can hit enemy underwater and surface targets.

The barrel of this weapon is locked with a rotary bolt, the handle of which is located on the right side of the machine. In the production of the receiver, stamped steel sheet is used. Unlike the Soviet APS, the Chinese model has a plastic handguard. Especially in order to make it convenient for a fighter in gloves to use the QBS-6, the trigger guards are made wide enough. The stems are uncut. Machines are equipped with shoulder wire stops. They can be folded if necessary. Ammunition is contained in a box-shaped plastic magazine designed for 25 rounds of 5.8 mm caliber. For underwater submachine guns QBS-6, non-adjustable fixed sights have been developed.

Characteristics of the Chinese model

The effective range of the QBS-6 depends on the diving depth. When using automatic weapons at a depth of 5 m, the range of the weapon is 30 m, and at a depth of 20 m, the cartridges are effective at a distance of 20 m. on the surface, however, this entails a decrease in the accuracy of hits and the resource of the machine. The QBS-6 uses the same concept and design as the Soviet submachine gun APS.

NATO analogues: BUW-2

In 1971, the BUW-2 multi-shot semi-automatic underwater pistol was developed in Germany. Ammunition for him was active-reactive bullets, which are characterized by hydrodynamic stabilization. The cartridges are contained in a disposable block of four barrels. The firing range under water does not exceed 10 meters, in air - 250. Ammunition is equipped with steel needles of 4.5 mm caliber. Their length is from 3 to 6 cm. In addition, ampoules containing poisonous substances are attached to the needles. Ammunition is supplied from a magazine with a capacity of 15 to 20 needles.

R11

The German company Heckler Koch developed the P11 underwater pistol specifically for combat swimmers. This weapon is equipped with a replaceable block, in which the barrels are located, which are pre-equipped at the factory, and reloading can only be done in special workshops. After all the charges have been fired, the blocks are removed from the pistol. P11 is characterized by the presence of electric ignition of charges and is equipped with an electronic trigger mechanism that initiates each barrel electric primer. 9-volt batteries (two pieces) are used as a power source. Their location was a sealed compartment in the handle.

Due to the presence of an electronic mechanism, an easy descent is ensured. Shoots an underwater pistol with special 7.62 mm ammunition, which is equipped with needle-shaped bullets. Standard ammunition contains a bullet that has a lead core. Armor-piercing ammunition is equipped with a black-painted bullet, for which a steel core is provided. The pistol has an effective range of up to 15 meters underwater and 30 meters in the air.