S4M

S4M
TypeTwo-shot pistol
Service history
WarsCold War
Production history
ManufacturerTula KBP [1]
Produced1965–present[citation needed]
Specifications
Length147 mm (5.8 in) [2]
Barrel length80mm [1]
Height105 mm (4.1 in)
Cartridge7.62×63mm PZ / PZA / PZAM
Barrels2
ActionSingle-action, manually operated
Effective firing rangenear-point blank
Feed systemManual, break open
SightsFixed front blade, adjustable rear notch

The S4M (Russian: С4М) was a silent derringer used by the Soviet secret services.

History

The S4M was kept highly secret. Information on the pistol was not known by Western governments until well after the end of the Cold War.

Design

The S4M 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 7.62×39mm rounds used in the Soviet AK-47.

The casings of the round contained a piston-like plunger between the bullet and the powder that would move forward inside the casing when fired. The piston would push the round down the barrel and plug the end of the casing, completely sealing off any explosive gases in the casing. This, combined with the inherently low-velocity round resulted in a truly silent pistol.

The nature of the gun and ammunition led to it being wildly inaccurate outside of point-blank range.

To add further confusion and throw possible suspicion away from the assassin, the barrel rifling was designed to affect the bullet in such a way that ballistics experts would not only conclude that the round was fired from an AK-47, but that the round was fired from several hundred metres away.

Successor

The S4M was succeeded by a less powerful, but otherwise fairly similar, MSP using the newer SP-3 ammunition in 7.62×39mm, which also used in the NRS knife.[3]

Users

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Gander, Terry J. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2002–2003. Jane's Information Group. 2002
  2. ^ Popenker, Maxim (May 29, 2013). "Pistols Firing Internally Silenced Ammunition". Forgotten Weapons. Archived from the original on June 18, 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Maxim Popenker (2008), Special purpose small arms ammunition of USSR and Russia Archived 2012-10-09 at the Wayback Machine; updated version of an article first appeared in the March 2005 issue of The Cartridge Researcher, the Journal of ECRA (the European Cartridge Research Association)


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