ADS - a unique assault rifle for shooting underwater and on land (5 photos). Underwater assault rifle APS: photo, description, analogues Underwater Kalashnikov assault rifle
In the late 1960s, the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TsNIITOCHMASH) began developing effective weapons for combat swimmers of the USSR Navy.
By the early 1970s, special ammunition for underwater firearms was developed using elongated non-rotating bullets with hydrodynamic stabilization using a cavitation cavity generated by the movement of a bullet in water. At the same time, the designers of TsNIITOCHMASH - husband and wife V.V. Simonov and E.M. Simonova, a 4-barrel non-self-loading pistol SPP-1 was developed and adopted by the Soviet Navy for a 4.5-mm special SPS cartridge, created by designers V. and E. Samoilov, O. Kravchenko, I. Kasyanov.
aps butt complex
And in 1975, a weapon complex was adopted by the Soviet Navy, consisting of an Automatic Underwater Special APS, also developed by husband and wife V.V. Simonov and E.M. Simonova, and 5.66 mm MPS special ammunition.
The APS submachine gun is designed to equip combat swimmers and is used to destroy enemy combat swimmers, their underwater transporters, watercraft under water and on land.
The APS machine is built on the basis of automation with a gas engine and locking by turning the shutter. The design of the gas outlet path provides for an automatic gas regulator that ensures the operation of automation, both under water and in air. The operation of the gas regulator uses differences in the density of the media (water or air) to automatically release part of the powder gases when firing in air. With it, you can change the amount of exhaust gases and, accordingly, the speed of movement of moving parts.
The barrel of the assault rifle is smooth, without rifling, and the bullet does not mechanically interact with the barrel, since the stabilization of the bullets is carried out hydrodynamically.
The receiver is made by stamping from sheet steel.
The trigger mechanism is of a striker type, which provides firing both single shots and automatic fire, is driven by a single reciprocating action spring of the bolt group. The fuse-translator of fire modes is located on the receiver on the left, above the pistol grip.
aps butt complex
The loading handle is located on the right side of the bolt carrier.
Sights - the simplest design, include an unregulated open rear sight on the receiver and a front sight on the gas chamber.
The machine has a telescopic buttstock made of round wire, which is retracted inside the receiver in the stowed position.
APS is fed with ammunition from attached carob (box-shaped) magazines with a capacity of 26 rounds, which have a special design that excludes the cartridges from being skewed by the bullet upwards when feeding or double feeding of cartridges into the barrel. The unusual shape of the magazine is explained by the fact that the feeder spring is shorter in comparison with the cartridges.
A cut-off is placed in the receiver, which prevents the simultaneous filing of several cartridges into the chamber.
APS with used ammunition
The MPS cartridge used in the APS assault rifle was created on the basis of the cartridge case of the Soviet regular cartridge 7N6 5.45x39 mm. The unusual caliber - 5.66 mm - has a fairly simple explanation. The ammunition of the machine gun was created using a standard steel sleeve of a 5.45-mm Soviet machine gun cartridge. 5.45 mm - caliber of rifled barrels in the fields. The diameter of 5.45 mm barrels along the rifling is 5.66 mm, the nominal diameter of the leading part of the bullets of 5.45 mm automatic cartridges is the same. The diameter of the steel bullet of the APS assault rifle corresponds to the outer diameter of the cartridge bullet of 5.45x39 mm. But since the MPS bullet does not cut into the rifling, the APS barrel caliber corresponds to the outer diameter of the bullet and has the corresponding designation - 5.66 mm.
Cartridge 5.66x39 mm MPS
Caliber, mm 5.66x39
Length, mm
- stock unfolded 823
- stock folded 615
Weight without magazine, kg 2.46
Shop, kol. rounds 26
Rate of fire, rds / min 500 - 600
The bullet of the MPS cartridge is a steel rod with a narrowing of the head part in the form of a double truncated cone. Bullet length - 120 mm, weight - 20.3-20.8 g. Initial bullet speed in air - 365 m / s. The initial speed of a bullet at a depth of 5 m is 240-250 m / s. Chuck length - 150 mm. Cartridge weight - 27-28 g. MPS cartridges have a relatively high accuracy of fire, are protected from corrosion in sea water and water penetration into the powder charge and igniter primer. The cartridge case is of a traditional design, it contains a propellant powder charge that ejects a bullet from the barrel and activates the weapon's automation, based on the use of the energy of gases discharged from a hole in the barrel wall. Bullet stabilization in water is carried out due to the formation of a cavitation cavity around the bullet during movement. The formation and retention of the cavitation cavity is ensured by the appropriate selection of the shape and size of the bullet and its speed. The barrel of the APS assault rifle is smooth, without rifling, and the bullet does not mechanically interact with the barrel. The bullet does not stabilize in air.
The striking ability of the MPS cartridge bullet depends on the depth of immersion. At depths up to 5 m, the lethal range is 30 m. At a depth of 40 m, it drops to 10 m. In all cases, the lethal range under water exceeds the target’s visibility range - that is, if the enemy is visible, he can be hit. At a distance of more than 15 m, accuracy when firing from the APS is noticeably reduced. And, probably, this circumstance, combined with the often poor visibility under water, led to the need to include an MPST cartridge with a tracer bullet in the ammunition load, which allows you to adjust the shooting along the tracks.
The lethal force of the APS at extreme distances under water strikes the enemy dressed in a “dry” wetsuit with foam padding, and also breaks through plexiglass up to 5 mm thick.
APS when used underwater
On land, the flight of a bullet - needles do not stabilize, but at a distance of 30 meters all hits fit into a circle with a diameter of 15 centimeters, the lethal force of a bullet - needles on land is maintained at a distance of up to 100 meters, but the dispersion of hits is already such that there can be no aimed shooting and speech. In addition, even taking into account the use of a gas regulator, the life of the machine when firing in the air is reduced by more than 10 times - from 2000 shots under water to only 180 shots in the air.
The underwater shooting machine APS is a unique development, which laid the foundation for the development of a new (aquatic) environment for the use of self-cocking and automatic firearms in it.
The production of APS in limited quantities was established at the Tula Arms Plant, and was even offered for export through RosOboronExport.
Back in the 1970s, the combat swimmers of the Soviet Navy adopted unique samples of underwater weapons - the SPP-1 pistol and the APS assault rifle. They were developed by the designers of the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TsNIItochmash), today part of Rostec.
Since ordinary bullets cannot “float” and the range of a shot in water can reach only a few meters, specialists from TsNIItochmash created special needle cartridges for underwater pistols and machine guns. This weapon is still successfully used by Russian combat swimmers in a modernized form.
Cartridge for the water element
As you know, ordinary bullets lose their speed very quickly in water. This happens in accordance with the known laws of physics: the density of water is higher than the density of air. That is why, after a couple of meters in the water, an ordinary bullet is absolutely “unarmed”.
To make an underwater weapon effective, it is necessary to use sufficiently long bullets. It was precisely such a needle-shaped bullet up to 115 mm long that was first proposed by the designers of TsNIITochmash. A special streamlined spear-shaped shape, when moving in water, created a cavity (air cavity) around the bullet, reducing resistance. The telescopic pallet, which is equipped with a cartridge case, does not allow the release of powder gases after the shot is fired and the bullet is ejected.
The development of a new ammunition made it possible to create the first underwater pistol, and in 1970 the designers presented the four-barreled SPP-1 to the State Commission. A little later, in 1975, the APS underwater assault rifle was also adopted. In 1982, the creators of underwater cartridges, TsNIItochmash engineers P.F. Sazonov and O.P. Kravchenko, received the USSR State Prize.
Ammunition intended for firing from a 4.5-mm SPP-1 pistol and a 5.66-mm APS assault rifle is still produced at TsNIItochmash. Recently, the company has put into operation a line for automatic assembly of such cartridges. The new production will allow to produce more than 10 thousand cartridges per day.
SPP-1: Special Pistol Underwater
SPP-1 (Special Underwater Pistol) was put into service in 1971 and since then has been the personal weapon of a combat swimmer-scuba diver, used to destroy underwater targets, both marine predators and enemy divers. It was developed by the designers of TsNIItochmash, and is produced at the Tula Arms Plant, also part of Rostec.
SPP-1 has a block of four smooth barrels and shoots from them alternately long needle-shaped bullets of 4.5 mm caliber - their length is almost equal to the length of the barrels. In air, the lethal range is 20 meters, in water at a depth of up to 5 meters - 17 meters, and when immersed in 20 meters - 11 meters.
It takes only 5 seconds to reload underwater. All barrels are reloaded at once: the sleeves of four cartridges are combined into one block using a flat steel clip. If the barrels were equipped with separate cartridges, it would take much more time.
Today, the Russian military continues to use a slightly modernized SPP-1M underwater pistol. The differences between the old and updated models are not significant, the main differences relate to the firing mechanism. Outwardly, the pistols are distinguished by an enlarged safety guard and a trigger.
Characteristics of SPP-1
Weight 0.95 kg
Dimensions 203×25×138 mm
Cartridge 4.5 × 40 mm R (SPS)
Caliber 4.5 mm
Target range:
at a depth of 5 meters - up to 17 meters
at a depth of 20 meters - up to 11 meters
in the air - up to 20 meters
Type of ammunition 4 cartridges loaded into separate barrels
APS-5: Automatic Underwater Special
In 1970, TsNIItochmash began work on the creation of an underwater machine. APS-5 entered service in 1975. Its serial production was mastered at the Tula Arms Plant. At the same time, the unique machine gun was declassified only in 1993 and was first presented at the IDEX arms exhibition in Abu Dhabi.
Under water, a long bullet of 5.66 mm caliber hits a target at a distance of 30 meters with an immersion depth of 5 meters. The range of fire decreases with depth: 20 meters at a depth of 20 meters and only 10 meters at a depth of 40 meters.
The machine can fire both single shots and bursts. If necessary, it can also be used on land, but practically only for self-defense. Firstly, the range in the air is small - no more than 100 meters. Secondly, the resource of the machine is designed for the aquatic environment and is consumed too quickly on land - without water, instead of 2000 calculated shots, the strength of the parts is only enough for 180.
Characteristics of APS-5
Weight 2.46 kg (without magazine); 3.7 kg (with loaded magazine)
Length 832/615 mm with stock unfolded/folded
Cartridge 5.66 × 39 mm MPS, MPST
Caliber 5.66 mm
Rate of fire 500 rounds / min (in the aquatic environment)
Maximum range:
30 m (at a depth of 5 m)
20 m (at a depth of 20 m)
10 m (at a depth of 40 m)
100 m (in air)
Type of ammunition box magazine for 26 rounds
ADS: Automatic Double Medium Special
The low combat characteristics of the SPP-1 and APS when firing in the air, as well as an insignificant resource on land, forced combat swimmers to take two pistols and machine guns with them: both underwater and conventional AK and PM. To solve this problem, the designers of the Tula Instrument Design Bureau developed a two-medium ADS machine. Perhaps for the first time in the world, it was possible to achieve equally effective firing of a machine gun under water and on land.
The idea and general design of the ADS assault rifle belongs to the outstanding small arms designer Vasily Gryazev. The weapon was embodied in metal after his death by colleagues and students who worked at the Central Design Research Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons (TsKIB SOO), which is part of the Instrument Design Bureau.
A unique underwater cartridge was also created at TsKIB SOO. Under water, fire is carried out with 5.45x39-mm cartridges. In the air - with classic cartridges of the same caliber. A magazine loaded with underwater shooting cartridges can be easily replaced with a magazine with ordinary cartridges for a standard Kalashnikov.
The rate of fire of the amphibious assault rifle varies from 600 to 800 rounds per minute when firing on land. Sighting range is up to 600 meters. Under water, you can hit a target at a distance of up to 25 meters.
In addition, the amphibious assault rifle has an underbarrel grenade launcher for 40-mm VOG-25 and VOG-25P rounds. The kit may include a tactical silencer and various sights.
The ADS machine has implemented many new products for domestic weapons. For example, for the first time, spent cartridges were ejected not to the side, but forward with the box closed, which reduced the gas content in the shooter's face. It also made it possible to shoot from the right and left shoulders without reinstalling parts, that is, the machine is equally convenient for both right-handers and left-handers. Composite materials made it possible to reduce the weight of the machine and at the same time increase corrosion resistance.
Characteristics of ADS
Weight 4.6 kg (with grenade launcher)
Length 660 mm
Cartridge 5.45 × 39 mm (PSP and PSP-U for underwater shooting, 7N6, 7N10 and 7N22 for air firing)
Caliber 5.45 mm
Rate of fire 600-800 rounds / min
Target range:
600 m (land)
25 m (in water)
400 m (grenade launcher)
Type of ammunition sector magazine for 30 rounds
Caliber: 5.6x39 mm
Automation type: gas outlet, locking by turning the bolt
Length: 823/ 615 mm (stock unfolded / folded)
barrel length: no data
Weight: 2.4kg without magazine, 3.4kg with loaded magazine
rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute (in air)
Shop: 26 rounds
Since the late 1960s, developments have been carried out in the USSR aimed at creating effective weapons for combat swimmers of the Navy. The work was carried out at the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TsNIITOCHMASH) by O. P. Kravchenko and P. F. Sazonov. By the early 1970s, special ammunition for underwater firearms was theoretically and practically worked out, using elongated non-rotating bullets with hydrodynamic stabilization using a cavitation cavity generated by the movement of a bullet in water. The bullets had the form of elongated needles about 20 calibers long, with a head in the form of a truncated cone. The flat area at the head of the bullet was just responsible for creating a cavitation cavity that stabilizes the bullet while moving in the water. Initially, the 4.5mm cartridge SPS and the 4-barrel non-self-loading pistol SPP-1 for these cartridges were developed and adopted by the Soviet Navy. Approximately in 1975, a set of weapons was adopted by the Soviet Navy, consisting of an Underwater Special APS submachine gun, developed by designer V.V. Simonov, and 5.66mm MPS special ammunition. The MPS cartridge was created on the basis of the standard cartridge case 7N6 5.45x39mm, equipped with a needle-shaped bullet 120 mm long and specially sealed. Later, MPST ammunition appeared with a tracer bullet. In a submerged position at a depth of 5 meters, the MPS cartridge provides an effective firing range for scuba divers up to 30 meters, at a depth of 20 meters the effective range is reduced to 20 meters, and at 40 meters - already up to 10 meters. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that the line-of-sight range at the indicated depths without the use of special equipment does not exceed the effective firing range of the APS - that is, if the enemy is visible, he can be hit. The machine also allows shooting in the air, however, due to the fact that the bullets do not have dynamic stabilization sufficient for a significantly less dense air environment, the accuracy of shooting is low, and the effective range in the air is significantly less than 100 meters. In addition, even taking into account the use of a gas regulator, the life of the machine when firing in the air is reduced by more than 10 times - from 2,000 shots under water to only 180 shots in the air.
Currently, the APS submachine gun is in service with special units of the Russian Navy and is produced in limited quantities at the Tula Arms Plant. APS is offered for export through RosOboronExport, but there is no data on its deliveries abroad.
The APS machine is built on the basis of automation with a gas engine and locking by turning the shutter. The design of the gas outlet path provides for an automatic gas regulator, which ensures the operation of automation in such different environments as water and air. The operation of the gas regulator uses differences in the density of the media (water or air) to automatically release part of the powder gases when firing in air.
Unlike the vast majority of modern assault rifles, the APS fires from an open bolt. The trigger mechanism is striker, provides fire with both single shots and automatic fire, is driven by a single reciprocating action spring of the bolt group. The fuse translator is located on the receiver on the left, above the pistol grip. The loading handle is located on the right side of the bolt carrier. The receiver is made by stamping from sheet steel. A design feature of the APS is that it has a smooth (without rifling) barrel, since the bullets are stabilized hydrodynamically.
Sights - the simplest design, include an unregulated open rear sight on the receiver and a front sight on the gas chamber. Butt - telescopic, retractable, steel wire.
APS cartridges are fed from attached carob (box-shaped) magazines with a capacity of 26 cartridges, which have a special design that excludes the cartridges from being skewed by the bullet upwards when feeding or double feeding of cartridges into the barrel.
It just so happens that few types of firearms designed for underwater use were developed. In addition, not all of them were able to reach mass production. The main problem that gunsmiths had to deal with was the density of water. It's no joke, almost 800 times denser than air and interacts with the bullet accordingly.
Water resistance simply does not allow the bullets of the available cartridges to accelerate to more or less decent speeds and fly (or swim) at least any acceptable distance. So the combat swimmers had to be content with what they had - to use "ordinary" weapons in the air, and to get knives under water.
But in 1971, the SPP-1M pistol and the SPS cartridge entered service with the Soviet special forces. Their main feature, which, in fact, made it possible to obtain the required characteristics of fire, is a bullet. For more stable behavior in the water, it was made long and similar to a nail.
A little later, in the mid-70s, Klimovsky TsNIITochmash developed its own version of the "needle" cartridge. Designer V. Simonov created the MPS cartridge on the basis of a standard 5.45x39 mm cartridge case. Like the SPS the bullet of the Klimovsky cartridge had a length of about 120 mm. Also, a characteristic feature of the bullet is the blunt head part - when moving in water, it creates a cavitation cavity, which dramatically reduces water resistance. In this way, at the same time, the problem of stabilizing the bullet when moving in water was solved.
After a series of studies, it was decided to change the caliber of the bullet from 5.45 to 5.66 mm. In fact, nothing had to be changed. The barrel of the machine gun designed for the MPS cartridge had to be smooth, and the real caliber of the 5.45x39 mm cartridge bullet is exactly 5.66 mm. This also made it possible to improve the sealing of the “bullet-sleeve” joint. A little later, an MPST cartridge was created, which differs from the original in the presence of a tracer.
Simultaneously with the MPS cartridge, the underwater special machine (APS). This machine was built on the basis of a gas exhaust scheme. Locking at the APS is done by turning the shutter. At first glance, nothing unusual, but the designers under the leadership of V. Simonov had to think about some details:
- firstly, over the supply of a much longer cartridge;
- secondly, ensuring the operability of the APS both under water and in the air.
The first problem was solved with the help of a magazine of a specific shape for 26 rounds and a long shutter stroke.. Because of this, the fuse-translator of fire had to be placed not on the right side of the receiver, as with Kalashnikov assault rifles, but on the left.
To enable the weapon to function in two environments, the designers introduced an automatic gas regulator into the gas exhaust system. When fired in air, it releases part of the powder gases. In water, respectively, the full amount of gases accelerates the bullet. The gas regulator was needed for the reason that when shooting underwater, the bullet needs more energy to fly out of the barrel - the bullet must push water out of the latter.
The trigger mechanism has one reciprocating mainspring and allows you to make both single shots and bursts. All the mechanics of the machine is adapted to work in a "viscous" aquatic environment.
APS sights are the simplest: an open unregulated rear sight on the receiver and a front sight on the gas outlet tube. APS also has a retractable stock. Interestingly, in the fully retracted position, the shoulder rest frame completely fits into special cutouts on the fire control handle. The trigger guard and hook were made relatively large so that the fighter could shoot without removing his gloves.
What did all these nail bullets, gas regulators, etc. give? Under water, at a depth of about 5 meters, the effective range of fire is 30 m. Deeper, at 20 meters, you can only shoot at 20 m. In both cases, the energy of the “nail” is enough to break through a wetsuit with a foam lining or plexiglass glasses (up to 5-7 mm) and to subsequently defeat the enemy’s body. Interestingly, usually underwater visibility does not exceed the firing range of the APS.
In the air, the lethal force of a bullet is maintained at a distance of up to one hundred meters. However, a bullet, unsuitable for the air environment, at such distances gives just an indecent deviation. So the real combat range for the APS in the air is not much different from that in the water, which is not enough for most skirmishes. Another argument against the use of APS not in water is the resource. An assault rifle capable of firing 2,000 shots under water can only fire 180 shots in air.- a tribute to the optimization for work under water.
Almost immediately, the APS was adopted. Production was established at the Tula Arms Plant, and it is carried out in small batches. At the moment, officially the machine gun is in service only in Russia. Foreign countries have the opportunity to order APS through Rosoboronexport, but so far they have only expressed the possibility of purchases.
Despite its uniqueness, APS also has disadvantages.. In particular, the disadvantage is tactical: the combat swimmers armed with it, if they have to conduct a “land” battle, are forced to carry extra weight in the form of another machine gun. At first glance, the decision was obvious - to make an amphibious assault rifle, but in reality everything was more complicated. It took a lot of time to create such a two-media system, and its first copy was presented only at the end of the 90s of the last century.
Experiments on "crossing" APS and AK-74 were carried out at the Tula Design Technological Institute of Mechanical Engineering (TPKTIMash) under the guidance of designer Yu. Danilov. From an underwater predecessor new assault rifle, named ASM-DT "Sea Lion", received most of the structural elements, and from the Kalashnikov assault rifle a 5.45x39 mm cartridge and a magazine.
The shutter, gas exhaust system and USM migrated from APS to ASM-DT without changes, but the cartridge was finalized. In the same case from which the MPS was made, a new bullet was placed, also similar to a nail, also with a blunt end, but of a smaller caliber. From 5.66 mm it was reduced to 5.45 mm. And that's why. Since the machine was originally designed as a two-medium one, the designers took into account its capabilities for air combat. The 5.45x39 mm cartridge required a rifled barrel for normal performance, so it was decided to “squeeze” the nail bullet to such a size that it could simply not crash into the rifling of the barrel.
Ammunition ASM-DT under water is carried out from the magazines of the APS machine gun (26 rounds). In the air, respectively, stores from Kalashnikov assault rifles of the 74th series (30 rounds) are used. Since these magazines, like cartridges, have different dimensions, the magazine receiver received a very interesting design. If you need to dock an "underwater" magazine, a special spring-loaded cover (fixed at the bottom of the receiver on the left side) is moved to the side, the magazine is inserted into the seat and secured with a latch.
If the fighter is going to shoot with 5.45x36 mm cartridges, then the magazine latch is moved all the way forward, and the spring-loaded cover closes the “extra” part of the magazine receiver window. In addition to protecting the mechanics of the machine from dirt, the cover prevents the magazine latch from moving back. Another nuance of two-mean is the following: when fired in air, part of the powder gases is redirected into the barrel in front of the bullet in order to blow it out of the water that may have remained there.
The sights of the "Sea Lion" are generally similar to the APS, but it is possible to install an optical, night or collimator sight. Also, the designer provided seats for an underbarrel grenade launcher, a tactical flashlight or laser pointer and a bayonet-knife.
Nevertheless, the “nee” ASM-DT amphibious assault rifle never went into production. The main claims concerned the need to operate with two types of cartridges and magazines. Based on the Sea Lion, TPKTIMash began developing of the new ADS assault rifle - its main difference from the ASM-DT was the bullpup layout.
In 2005, the Tula Instrument Design Bureau presented new universal cartridge under the designation PSP. He, like previous underwater ammunition, was made on the basis of the sleeve of the "land" cartridge 5.45x39 mm. KBP employees were able to fit a new bullet into it. A steel bullet weighing 16 grams has a length of 53 mm. At the same time, the designers managed to maintain the combat characteristics of the bullet due to the large elongation and flat nose of the bullet.
Like the “nail” of ATP and MPS, a new bullet in water creates a cavitation cavity around itself. At the same time, in the air, a PSP bullet behaves in the same way as a standard one. In addition, the PSP has the same dimensions as the standard 5.45x39 mm cartridge, which allows it to be used not only in the new underwater assault rifle. A PSP-U cartridge was also created with a bronze bullet weighing 8 grams intended for educational purposes.
After the appearance of the PSP cartridge, the team of Yu. Danilov decided to finally abandon two different ammunition for different environments and make the machine again under a single cartridge. At the same time, a new prototype was chosen for the new version of the ADS - the A-91 assault rifle, developed by the Tula KBP in the early 90s. The amphibious assault rifle received from the A-91 the general layout of the bullpup circuit and a large number of plastic parts. Also, the designer left a tube that removes spent cartridges, which allows both right-handed and left-handed people to use the machine gun.
The shutter and USM also did not undergo major changes, in addition to refinement for operation in the water. But the gas exhaust system was redesigned: a water-air mode switch appeared on the receiver. Like ASM-DT, ADS in the “air” mode dumps the volumes of powder gases that are excessive for surface firing and blows them through the barrel in front of the bullet.
Due to the dimensions of the PSP cartridge, magazines from AK-74 for 30 rounds are used on the ADS machine. Thanks to this, the ADS can use not only PSP, but also 7N6, 7N10 cartridges, etc., with the difference that the latter cannot be used under water. The underwater characteristics of the ADS with PSP cartridges remained at the APS level - a range of 28-30 meters at a depth of 5 m and 18-20 m at a depth of 20 meters. "Land" figures, in turn, have grown and are slightly inferior to the characteristics of Kalashnikov assault rifles of the 74th series. For example, the aiming range of the ADS in the air is not 30 meters, like the APS, but all 600 meters.
Due to the bullpup layout, there is a carrying handle on the A-91 and, as a result, on the ADF. An open rear sight is also installed on it. The fly is located on the trunk. It is possible to install an optical, collimator or any other compatible sight on the handle itself.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the ADS machine
- weight, kg: 4.6 (with a grenade launcher)
— length, mm: 660
- barrel length, mm: 415
- cartridge: 5.45 × 39 mm (PSP and PSP-U for underwater shooting, 7N6, 7N10 and 7N22 for firing in the air); VOG-25 (grenade launcher)
- caliber, mm: 5.45, 40 (grenade launcher)
– principles of operation: removal of powder gases, butterfly valve
- rate of fire, shots / min: 600-800
- muzzle velocity, m/s: 900 (7N6), 333 (PSP), 430 (PSP-U)
- effective range, m: 600 (on land), 25 (in water), 400 (grenade launcher)
- maximum range, m: 25 (at a depth of 5 m), 18 (at a depth of 20 m)
- type of ammunition supply: sector magazine for 30 rounds
- sight: diopter, reclining grenade launcher, there is a mount for mounting various sights
Another detail that the ADS inherited from the A-91 is an integrated 40 mm grenade launcher. The grenade launcher can use all modifications of VOG-25 grenades. The grenade launcher trigger is located under the same bracket with the machine gun trigger. If a fighter does not need a grenade launcher, you can dismantle his barrel with a sight located on it. With the grenade launcher barrel removed, a silent firing device or a blank firing attachment can be installed on the machine gun barrel.
Thus, TPKTIMash engineers have created a whole complex, which in the future can replace several types of special forces weapons at once: APS and AK-74M assault rifles, as well as GP-25 and GP-30 underbarrel grenade launchers. At the same time, a single ADF complex, with characteristics similar to other types, has advantages in terms of weight and size: it is more convenient and easier to transport and use one machine gun with several “body kit” parts than several different weapons at once.
And it seems that the Tula people really managed to please the special forces: in 2009, the two-medium special ADS assault rifle entered the Russian naval special forces units for testing, and it is known that the complex has earned a lot of positive feedback.
The APS submachine gun ("special underwater submachine gun") entered service with the Soviet Navy in the mid-1970s. V. V. Simonov was the lead designer for this machine at TsNII TOCHMASH. APS is made for special cartridges MPS and MPST type 5.66x39 with high elongation bullets (developed by P.F. Sazonov and O.P. Kravchenko). In MPS cartridges (with an ordinary bullet), a cartridge case from a standard 5.45x39 automatic cartridge was used.
The bullet is a "needle" with a narrowing of the head part in the form of a double truncated cone, it moves with a gap along the bore. This design of the bullet is associated with the features of movement in water, which differ significantly from the conditions of movement in the air. When a bullet (or other projectile) moves in water at high speed, not only a change in the shape of the oncoming flow lines is observed, but also a violation of its continuity with the formation of a cavity. The bullet of the standard cartridge of the 5.45-mm AK 74 assault rifle has an ogive warhead and a small relative length under such conditions forms a cavity of large transverse dimensions and soon capsizes. If, however, the bullet is given a greater elongation (about 20 calibers) and a flat cut in the head part, when moving in water in the developed cavitation mode, only the flat cut of the bullet is washed by water, which significantly reduces the drag force and contributes to the formation of a smaller diameter cavity. The stability of the movement of the bullet in the cavitation mode is ensured due to its oscillatory movements relative to the flat section of the head part as a result of the interaction of the tail part with the boundaries of the cavitation cavity. That is, the cavity serves as a stabilizer for the bullet. When the bullet slows down, the cavern decreases in size, and as soon as its back part “captures” the bullet shank, the bullet loses speed sharply, and the cavern completely “collapses” - the bullet is in “full washout mode”.
The striking ability of a bullet depends on the depth of immersion. At depths up to 5 m, the lethal range is 30 m, at a depth of 40 m it is reduced to 10 m. But the use of an MPST cartridge with a tracer bullet allows you to adjust the shooting along the tracks.
Automatic weapon has a gas engine with the removal of powder gases through a hole in the barrel wall and a long stroke of the gas piston, there is a gas regulator. The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt.
Automatic APS in incomplete disassembly: 1 - receiver cover; 2 - gas outlet tube; 3 - reciprocating mainspring with a guide rod; 4 - bolt carrier; 5 - shutter; 6 - barrel with receiver, pistol grip, butt; 7 - contactor; 8 - shop
The trigger mechanism of the machine is a striker type. The shot is fired from the rear sear due to the energy of the reciprocating mainspring. The trigger mechanism is assembled in a separate housing and allows single or automatic fire, equipped with a flag non-automatic fuse-translator.
Food is from a detachable box magazine. Features of the cartridge required a number of devices to ensure reliable operation of the power system. The two rows of cartridges in the magazine are separated by a plate, the upper bullets are held by spring grips from tipping the bullets up. A cartridge cutter is mounted inside the receiver to prevent sticking or double feeding of cartridges.
The example is retractable. The machine is adapted for the day of attachment to the board of the underwater vehicle.
The production of APS assault rifles was supplied by the Tula Arms Plant. The automatic rifle is equipped with two magazines and accessories. There are no analogues of APS among serial foreign weapons.
Although firing MPS and MPST cartridges “in the air” is possible, bullets of high elongation that are not stabilized by rotation in the air turn out to be unstable. For aimed shooting in the air, other ammunition is required.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the APS machine
Caliber: 5.66 mmCartridge: MPS, MPST (5.66 x 39)
Weight without magazine: 2.46 kg
Weapon length:
with butt extended: 840 mm
with stock retracted: 620 mm
Muzzle velocity underwater: 340-360 m/s
Muzzle velocity in air: 365 m/s
Rate of fire: 600 rds / min
Sighting range underwater: 10-30 m
Sighting range in air: 100 m
Magazine capacity: 26 rounds