Comments on: KGB ultra-silent pistols still in active use

By: Sven Ortmann

Sven Ortmann — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:47:40 +0000

“tarkan, not possible. If there is a gap, between the cylinder and the barrel, it will take a lot of noise, even if a suppressor is at the end of the barrel.”

PSDR 3, a S&W 625 in .45ACP – custom-made by Joe Peters in 1993 for German SEK’s (SWAT teams).
This (huge) revolver included a shell around the cylinder.
Noise reduction from 136 down to 90 dB, comparable to a CO2 gun.

Source: Visier Special 6, 1997
(special edition of one of the three big German gun journals)

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:36:49 +0000

tarkan, not possible. If there is a gap, between the cylinder and the barrel, it will take a lot of noise, even if a suppressor is at the end of the barrel.

By: tarkan

tarkan — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:29:22 +0000

Silencing medusa model 47 is it possible?Are they still in use by SEALs?

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:11:53 +0000

tarkan, the problem with silencing revolvers is that a lot of gas escapes from the gap between the cylinder and the barrel making a lot of noise. You certainly can add a suppressors onto the end of a revolver but it will not be very effective.

The Nagant M1895 is one type of revolver that can be suppressed effectively:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagant_M1895

By: tarkan

tarkan — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:06:25 +0000

Thanks for feed-back Daniel,what amazes me is to silence 44 magnum,357 magnum in revolver(MR-73)anybody saw them shooting or they are just sweet small bipod added revolvers with scopes with leveled noise?LSW-low signature weapons could be a topic to be discussed.Daniel your ’silent’ means they are not so planned as silent?

By: Daniel E. Watters

Daniel E. Watters — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:25:51 +0000

FWIW: The US played with similar ’silent’ captured piston cartridges back in the early ’60s under the “Whisper” program. The Army developed the .30 caliber XM76 cartridge for the M1 rifle, and a .38 caliber cartridge for conventional revolvers. This led to work on the “Silent Weapon System – Alpha” for Special Forces use. I believe that the .38 caliber XM202 cartridge was developed for this weapon.

Later, AAI developed captured piston cartridges for the “Quiet, Special Purpose Revolver” for use by Tunnel Rats, and an underwater defense weapon used by SEAL divers. AAI used a similar concept with an expanding diaphragm replacing the piston to create ’silent’ 12 gauge shotshells and 40×46mm grenades.

By: jdun1911

jdun1911 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:58:49 +0000

After thinking for a while, I’m interested at the location of those shots.

BTW the only revolver that I know off that can be suppressed is the Mosin. There might be others but those are custom made. With that said the MR-73 cannot be suppressed.

Remember folks unless its a subsonic suppress .22lr it best to keep your hearing protection on.

By: jdun1911

jdun1911 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:07:06 +0000

I doubt at those speed it will penetrate the human skull.

By: tarkan

tarkan — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:52:20 +0000

Close 3shot to the head,seems like they were professionals,else they would shoot more,mobs target different areas to give a ”message”.GRU did similar activities in Qatar and were caught,given death sentence.3×7.62 mm cartridges were found on scene.Some elite teams also use silenced revolvers for more jam proof results.Like GIGN;MR-73 revolver (either the .44 magnum w/ 8in or .357 magnum w/ 10in barrel)it is said they can hit 4cm disk in 100 meters.I agree it is nonsense to take multiple risks.But this is their way,remember Litvinenko?

By: jdun1911

jdun1911 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:07:01 +0000

Thinking about. Who would do assassinations in front of witness? The Russian or the Mob?

In the JamesTown.org article, it is the reporter opinions more then anything else.

By: jdun1911

jdun1911 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:49:38 +0000

Three shots and he died instantly. I would expect with that kind of ballistic that he would bleed to death. I guess that’s possible if the assassin know where to aim or just plain lucky.

Why couldn’t they use a suppress subsonic .22lr. It would be a better choice.

By: existingthing

existingthing — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:49:25 +0000

I keep seeing these underpowered “assassination guns,” and can’t help but wonder if a tack hammer would be a more reliable means of dispatch.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:54:21 +0000

Sven , I stand corrected, thanks. Considering the short distance the piston travels and that it has to lock in the gas and itself not be blown out the barrel, it must be a very small charge of very fast burning powder.

By: Sven Ortmann

Sven Ortmann — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:52:15 +0000

“The gas from the primer propels a piston (I doubt they contain any powder) which in turn propels a 123 grain bullet at 490 fps generating 66 lbs of muzzle energy.”

Jane’s Infantry Weapons 2004/2005 has a cross-section drawing of this cartridge that shows a separate propellant in the case, not just a primer.
(SP-4)