PSS (MSS VUL)

Semi-Automatic Silenced Pistol

Soviet Union | 1983

"The PSS was a special purpose silenced pistol and initially issued to elements of Spetsnaz during the 1980s."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 09/27/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The cloak and dagger world that was the Cold War (1947-1991) required specialized weapons for special mission forces. One mission that could be undertaken with regularity was assassination and this led to the development of various silenced weapons for the sole purpose of quietly killing a sole target - be they an important figure or an unsuspecting sentry. Soviet engineers pieced together a compact weapon mimicking the form and function of a small, concealable sidearm known as the "PSS" (it also carried the name of MSS "VUL" ("Wool")). The PSS was known to be issued to elements of the famous Spetsnaz special forces group and service introduction came during 1983. It is believed that the design is still in service today (2015).

While many facets of the PSS's design were conventional, the one key quality of the gun that stood out was its cartridge which was given the formal designation of "7.62x42mm SP-4". It featured a "necked" case was housed the bullet, a small piston and the propellant charge. The end result of this engineering became a pistol that, when fired, could cover all of its tell-tale signs of it having been fired. Since the propellant gasses were sealed within the gun during the action, all produced smoke, ignition flash and noise were contained - reducing the chance that the operator would give up his position. The recoil-operated firing action was responsible for ejecting the spent cartridge and introducing a fresh unit into the firing chamber to ready the process all over again. The trigger was of a standard Double-Action (DA) design and feeding was handled through a six-round detachable box magazine inserted into the base of the grip in the usual fashion. Sighting was through a fixed blade arrangement.

Because of its unique design and cartridge, the weapon managed a limited effective range out to 25 meters. It could - with a reduction to accuracy, reach targets with some lethality as far as 50 meters away.

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Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the PSS (MSS VUL). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

82 ft
25.0 m | 27.3 yds
Max.Eff.Range

660 ft/sec
201 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Physical
The physical qualities of the PSS (MSS VUL). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

165 mm
6.50 in
O/A Length

35 mm
1.38 in
Barrel Length

1.87 lb
0.85 kg
Weight

Recoil-Operated
Action

7.62x42mm SP-4
Caliber(s)

Six-round detachable box magazine
Feed

Fixed Blade
Sights

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the PSS (MSS VUL) Semi-Automatic Silenced Pistol family line.

PSS - Base Series Designation

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the PSS (MSS VUL). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): TsNIITochMash - Soviet Union / Russia

[ Russia; Soviet Union ]

Going Further...
The PSS (MSS VUL) Semi-Automatic Silenced Pistol appears in the following collections:

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