The GSh-18 Pistol can fire a very hot (similar to 9mm +P+) 9mm Luger round loaded with an AP bullet called the 9mm PBP. It has the capability to punch holes through 8mm of steel or a Class III bulletproof vest at 20 meters. This video (from RIAN) shows off its capabilities:
Defense Review wrote about the pistol recently.
H/T: Reddit
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Good post.
James
Are these available on the civilian market? Not the ammo, I am simply interested in the pistol.
0:42
Yikes, what’s with the ear protection?!
The safety sweet on the trigger is quite smart! Oh, cool ammunition too, those were some big holes punched.
It’s like a Russian Glock had sex with an FNH Five-seveN and this horrible bastard was the result. Oh those crazy Russkies.
Next week Katie Couric will be saying these are sold at gun shows in Texas and used to kill Mexican Police by the Drug Cartels. We should enact some more legislation to outlaw these unavailable and already restricted rounds to keep the peace in the peace loving, God fearing, and economic bastion to the south that is Mexico. I’m writing my legislators today.
Link for some cool pics of other Russian weapons:
http://www.armyrecognition.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1139
screw it i’m interested in the ammo and the gun! that would make for some fun plinking and an awesome defense round. could probably even hunt with it!
That narrator was absolutely horrid.
Scary pistol though.
Yeah that’s impressive, got my ears perked up for sure.
In the video, the inflection of the narrator’s voice is like a roller coaster, I guess that’s just the European style.
Check out the SMG/PDW on the table next to the pistol. Now THAT has my attention…
This looks very interesting. Very low bore axis (lower than Glock even someone claimed), large magazine capacity, and very light weight.
I wonder what kind of pressure the AP rounds work with though, and if this could lead to the barrel and chamber wearing out fast.
Also, do you need to switch something (like springs) when shifting from normal 9×19 to AP rounds?
The rotating barrel lock up is interesting as well. I wonder if they will export this…
Here´s another video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHCT_telPpg
If it’s designed to go through body armor and steel plate, what happens if it’s fired at someone wearing a t-shirt?
Overload, it probably over penetrates. The bullet probably exits the body with no expansion. Not good. But the benefit of this gun is that it can also function fine with normal 9mm ammo. SO if the cops/spec ops are faced with a armored threat, or someone wearing thick winter clothing they can use the AP round, otherwise use normal FMJ or JHP (jacketed hollow point) ammo.
I bet that would be a great round for bear country–it could definitely handle a Grizzly’s skull if it can handle 8mm of metal like that. And in a 9mm package, you’d have at least a dozen rounds of protection available and relatively low recoil, unlike the .454 Casull or .500 S&W.
You’d just have to make sure you get its skull.
Steve,
The KBP Design Bureau produces a huge range of guns including some really fine sporting rifles and shotguns. I worked in Russia a long time ago and have seen some of their shotguns with hinged front triggers and fine engraving. Their website is also worth visiting: http://www.kbptula.ru/eng/sphu/hunt/hunt1.htm
I have a friend in Europe who has one of their semi auto rifles in 9.3×64 and loves it. I sometimes wish that some of their guns were sold here – they do know how to build a good gun.
Thanks for this very interesting post.
Isn’t this a no brainer??
How much of that is the pistol and how much of it is the Ammo? The barrel is not long enough to increase velocity so therefore isn’t it the pistol, it is the ammo, specifically the bullet AP…
Thoughts and comments?
V/R
C_S
Is anyone else amused by the dual wielding swat dude?
-g
mmathers, heh heh, yes. I got a good laugh out of that.
Concerned_Soldier: The ammo is supposedly higher pressure than +P+ 9×19, whatever that means. And the bullet is only 65 grains. But the pistol could be built tougher than normal 9mm guns. The unusual locking system perhaps indicates this. If you try to fire these rounds in a Glock you might get the slide in your face, or just wear it out in a short time.
I always wonder how they manage to reload when using two handguns at once… Or aim, for that matter.
Carl, +P is a super hot 9mm load, +P+ means it is loaded even hotter. Firing this round, which is hotter than some +P+ ammo, could destroy a normal 9mm pistol.
I think that two handed thing is reserved for promotional videos only (and ninjas)
btw that smg/pdw on the table is a P2000 dont know what company makes it though…