Probably every person interested in weapons has heard of the 9x39 cartridge. Initially, it was developed for special services, the main requirement of which was maximum noiselessness. Together with ease of manufacture and reliability, this made the cartridge really successful - many other states have created special weapons for it.
History of special ammunition
At all times, the main enemy of snipers was the roar of the shot. An experienced shooter chose a suitable position, carefully masked it, becoming completely invisible, waiting for several hours or even days to make a single shot. And right after him, he was forced to hastily evacuate - the noise of the shot immediately betrayed his position.
Therefore, in Soviet times, it was decided to create a new cartridge to provide the sniper with a high level of ste alth when working on targets. Moreover, such an order came from the KGB and the GRU - very influential and serious structures.
Initially, a series of tests were carried out with modified cartridges 7, 62x39. howit turned out that they provided good penetration power and even a fairly low noise level. Alas, low accuracy did not allow even very good shooters to make a more or less accurate shot at a distance of several hundred meters.
Tried to modify the cartridge 7, 62x25 mm - here the result was completely different. The noise level and accuracy were quite acceptable. But the lethal action let us down - the shape of the bullet, designed for supersonic speeds, affected.
Also, experts have developed a fundamentally new cartridge, in which the piston, pushing the bullet, locked the gases in the sleeve. But the work was suspended at the phase of ballistic calculations. As it turned out, the cartridge turned out to be too massive - about 50 grams in weight and 85 millimeters long. This did not suit customers who wanted to get ammunition for compact weapons at all.
As a result, only in the mid-80s, specialists managed to create 9x39 mm sniper cartridges that meet all the requirements. They were named SP-5 and SP-6.
What makes it quiet?
There are several sources of noise when shooting. First of all, this is overcoming the sound barrier by a bullet - an acoustic shock draws attention to the shooter. The second factor is a sharp discharge of pressure. The gases in the barrel are under enormous pressure, which not only accelerates the bullet, but also ensures the operation of the automation. But when exiting the barrel, a loud bang is emitted, unmasking the sniper. Finally, the clang of the shutter should also not be discounted. In silence, especially in the forestor fields, a sharp metallic sound travels tens of meters and can be easily detected by special equipment at a much greater distance.
The first problem was easily solved by the 9x39 cartridge. Specialists, taking ammunition 7, 62x39 as a basis, were forced to make the bullet heavier in order to reduce its speed. That is why the caliber was increased to 9 millimeters. The subsonic speed of the bullet ensured almost complete silence when firing.
The other two factors were solved only thanks to a special weapon. Most of the rifle units using this cartridge were equipped with silencers that allow you to direct the gas in different directions, dramatically reducing the noise level. Well, the most accurate fit of parts, the complete absence of unnecessary gaps and cracks played a role. Even at a distance of 10-20 meters, it was impossible to hear the firing of sniper weapons using a 9x39 cartridge. The customers were happy.
Cartridge SP-5
This cartridge was the first successful development. With a cartridge weight of 24 grams, the bullet weighed 16.2 grams. This provided a low bullet speed and, accordingly, the absence of noise. True, as a result of the fact that the amount of gunpowder in the cartridge was relatively small with a very serious caliber, the initial bullet power was relatively small - 673 joules. Therefore, the initial flight speed turned out to be low - 290 meters per second.
Therefore, although the official maximum effective range was designated as400 meters, in fact, this distance was much less - even good shooters found it difficult to fire at a distance of 200-250 meters. The low speed of the bullet seriously hampered firing at moving targets - huge corrections had to be taken. Yes, and small flatness made its own adjustments. Because of this, experienced specialists to this day try not to work on targets more than 200 meters away.
Ammunition SP-6
Alas, with all its advantages, the SP-5 could only work on lightly protected targets - maximum on the enemy in body armor of 1-2 protection levels.
Fortunately, experts found that the characteristics of the 9x39 cartridge were not fully disclosed - there was room for improvement. This is how SP-6 appeared.
Its main improvement was the core made of high carbon steel. The mass of the bullet was slightly reduced - up to 16 grams. But the initial energy increased to 706 joules, which made it possible to increase the initial speed to 315 meters per second. This is less than the speed of sound, so it was quite adequate.
It proved to be effective at firing at targets protected by level 3 body armor. At a distance of 100 meters, the bullet confidently pierces 2.5 mm of steel.
By the way, both cartridges were very good at shooting at Kevlar vests. Where ordinary bullets "got stuck" in the fibers, the slow subsonic did not pierce, but rather pressed through them, hitting the target.
A few words about PAB-9
Subsequently, a new cartridge was developed- PAB-9. Its main advantage over the SP-6 was its lower price. Bullet weight has been increased to 17 grams resulting in a less steep trajectory than the original cartridge.
But it never went into serial production. The fact is that he created a higher pressure in the barrel of the weapon. For an ordinary AK, this would not be a serious problem, but for a special sniper, it would. As tests showed, the resource of the weapon was reduced by about 3000 shots. Therefore, the army and special services issued a ban on their use.
Main weapon using this cartridge
The first weapon to use the 9x39mm cartridge was the VSS, or special sniper rifle, also known as the Vintorez. Lightweight, dismantling into several parts and quickly assembled, with excellent ergonomic properties, it became the weapon of choice for Alpha snipers, GRU special forces and other special forces, becoming an excellent weapon for urban combat.
When it was decided to turn the VSS into a machine gun by adding an automatic fire mode, a special "Val" machine gun appeared. Outwardly, it is very similar to the Vintorez, it is distinguished by the ability to shoot bursts - very important for close combat.
The VSK-94 rifle had much worse ergonomics, as it was developed not at the Tula Arms Plant, but at the instrument design bureau.
You can also add "Tiss", "Whirlwind" and "Thunderstorm" machines here.
Huntercartridge
The Silent Cartridge and weapons using it have been advertised in books, movies and computer games. It is not surprising that the 9x39 mm hunting cartridge soon appeared. The main weapon for which it was intended was a self-loading hunting carbine, created on the basis of the VSS. Of course, its cost turned out to be astronomical, so the 9x39 mm sports and hunting cartridge was not widely used - it can only be found in some stores.
However, he achieved some recognition. Still, when hunting, it is very important to be able to make a silent shot without attracting the attention of animals and birds. Therefore, today 9x39 cartridges are actively used for hunting wild boar, roe deer and other medium-sized animals.
Why didn't the ammunition go to the masses?
This raises a logical question: "If the cartridge and weapons designed for it are so good, why were they never put into service in the regular army?"
Actually, everything is simple here. According to the device, any weapon using a 9x39 mm cartridge is much more complicated than a regular AK-74 or even an Abakan. Therefore, it is more capricious, needs constant cleaning, maintenance and lubrication. Of course, a simple conscript who spends only a year in the army will not be able to fully master it.
Average sniper will also not be able to fire effectively from Vintorez or VSK-94. Due to the low speed of the bullet, it is necessary to take appropriate corrections when shooting both at a stationary and at a movinggoals. It would be necessary to carry out a general retraining. It is much easier to master a conventional SVD, and its effective firing range is much longer.
Conclusion
This article comes to an end. From it you learned about the history of the appearance and development of the silent cartridge 9x39. At the same time, we read about what weapons were developed for him - combat and hunting.
