In early September, Andrey Raisky, an employee of the patrol service, died at the Kurskaya metro station in Moscow: a policeman was killed by a bullet from his own Makarov pistol. Behind Lately this is not the first time that service weapons not only do not help the police, but even turn against them. And this despite the fact that attackers every year increasingly attack law enforcement officers. The conclusion is disappointing: the Russian police have big problems with fire training. In the difficult relationship between law enforcement officers and their service weapon understood.

Victims in uniform

In the past two months, several high-profile attacks on police officers have been committed in Russia at once, during which law enforcement officers have shown surprising defenselessness. On July 27, at the Embassy of Slovakia in Moscow, a 17-year-old boy with a knife on a 30-year-old police captain, platoon commander special regiment police for the protection of diplomatic missions. The captain received several stab wounds, including penetrating the chest, and was hospitalized. He did not use a service weapon. The man who attacked the policeman fled; he was arrested two days later.

On August 23, 31-year-old native of Kabardino-Balkaria Renat Kunashev in Sivtsev Vrazhek lane, not far from the main building, fired at two policemen with a Stechkin traumatic pistol, converted to a live cartridge. Law enforcement officers returned fire from service weapons. The footage shows that the shootout in a narrow alley lasts half a minute, while Kunashev does not even try to hide from bullets, while the police hide behind cars. The attacker, according to various sources, managed to fire from 10 to 20 shots, wounding one policeman in the leg. In the end, Kunashev received a bullet in the head, the wound was fatal.

Youtube / Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation

On the evening of August 21, a 23-year-old resident of the Moscow region, armed with a knife, attacked two policemen in Klin. To stop the attacker, they fired into the air, which had no effect. As a result, the raider was still tied up, but he managed to injure both law enforcement officers.

Finally, on the night of September 3, an employee of the patrol service (PPS) Andrei Raisky was dead in the office at the Kurskaya metro station; the cause of his death was a gunshot wound to the head. Nurlan Muratov, a 42-year-old visitor from Orenburg, was detained on suspicion of committing a crime. According to the investigation, Raisky stopped Muratov for a check and took him to Staff only. There Muratov snatched a service pistol from a policeman and shot him dead. According to another version, which, however, raises doubts, the accused hit Raisky on the head several times with a blunt object, but he managed to get a pistol and shoot, but the bullet ricocheted in a cramped room and hit him in the eye.

In all cases, service weapons did not help the police in any way. During the attack at the Slovak embassy, ​​the policeman did not even use it; in Klin, for some reason, patrolmen fired into the air; in the case at Kurskaya, the law enforcement officer, apparently, died from his own pistol. True, during a shootout near the Foreign Ministry building, the police still shot the attacker, but before that, the two of them tried for half a minute to hit the enemy, who was standing not far from them like a living target, without even trying to hide! It's scary to think what would happen if some militant with serious weapons were in the place of this shooter.

Weapon mess

According to Vladimir Vorontsov, the founder of the Police Ombudsman community, today the Center for Special Combat Training (CSBP) operates in the capital - it is located in the west of Moscow. The police speak well of his instructors and methods. But there is one problem: the Center is not able to cover the entire metropolitan police garrison.

For employees working "on the ground", firing takes place once or twice a month, says Vorontsov. - What are these classes? Pull the pistol out of the holster and hit the target with three bullets in ten seconds (exercise #2). That's all. But management cannot send employees to such classes without violating their labor rights. For example, an employee of the teaching staff works day and night. In theory, he should be ordered to fire on a day off and give him a day off for this, but there is a catastrophic shortage in the units, so there can be no time off. As they can, they get out.

The Metropolitan Police departments periodically test employees for suitability in situations related to the use of firearms. True, for some reason, the test tasks included the assembly and disassembly of pistols and theoretical questions about how much the weapon weighs and how fast the bullet flies. Of course, this is useful knowledge, but it is rather distantly related to the development of practical skills in the use of weapons.

The main place where ordinary policemen in the capital receive their semi-annual initial training is the Center vocational training of the main department for the city of Moscow on Klyazminskaya Street, in the common people "Klyazma", - continues the interlocutor of "Lenta.ru". - There is still an old shooting range. They shoot there, but not as thoughtfully as in the TsSBP. But on the Klyazma great attention is given to all kinds of chores, cleaning the territory, combat and guard duty. It turns out that an employee must regularly visit shooting complexes at his own expense, but how can this be done with a salary of 43 thousand rubles? The most amazing thing is that some policemen somehow manage to do it.

Today, for the security forces of various departments, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a lot of all kinds of new products in the field of weapons and equipment are being developed. Meanwhile, the material and technical equipment of the police, Vorontsov notes, leaves much to be desired. These are old uncomfortable holsters and pistols - sometimes from the 60s and battered bulletproof vests. They weigh eight kilograms each, and if they are worn for 12 hours in a row for two years, health problems cannot be avoided.

A separate story is the legal assessment of the use of weapons, says Vorontsov. - The police are simply afraid to use it. On the one hand, the law says that each armed officer is an authorized representative of the authorities and interprets the requirements of the law in a particular situation. On the other hand, this interpretation of it has no meaning and authority for superiors and employees (TFR). They will then judge in their own way and accuse the policeman of abuse of authority. In the end, the policeman with the gun is faced with the choice of "either six will be carried, or three will be judged."

Scarce ammo

Meanwhile, back in the 70s of the XX century in the United States appeared the new kind sport - practical shooting. It was created precisely as an applied discipline for American police officers: it turned out that the standard exercises with weapons in the shooting gallery were not enough for law enforcement officers. Practical shooting fills these gaps: it reinforces the ability to quickly and correctly draw and hold weapons, aim and pull the trigger. In addition, this sport involves the creation of new and more complex scenarios for the use of weapons. Exercises in it are carried out for a while, while using special distracting and annoying elements for the shooter.

Today, practical shooting is actively developing in Russia, and against this background low level fire training of employees Russian police especially noticeable. However, this is not surprising: since the days of the USSR in standard buildings Police departments did not provide for shooting ranges - they began to be included in projects only recently, in new buildings. This means that most police officers cannot regularly train in shooting by dropping into the shooting range before or after the shift. Of course, there are places like TsSBP, but it is unlikely that an overburdened law enforcement officer will be able to visit them regularly, especially if he lives on the other side of the city or in the region.

Yes, in some police units there are premises equipped for shooting - as, for example, at the famous Petrovka, 38. However, according to a Lenta.ru source in law enforcement agencies, classes there are very rare, and when they do happen, ammunition openly save. If in private shooting complexes a typical training session can include a hundred shots, then the opportunity to shoot two magazines of eight rounds at police shooting classes is considered a great success. And there are no instructors around.

As a result, by exercising once or twice a month, the police tend to reinforce not shooting skills, but characteristic shooting mistakes. This affects even the performance of the elementary and most important exercise No. 2 for assessing the “combat capability” of an employee. The source of "Lenta.ru" notes: in the fall of 2008, even in the legendary Moscow Criminal Investigation Department (MUR), many operatives could not complete exercise No. 2 for a satisfactory assessment. As for the police officers, whose positions are not directly related to the law enforcement service on the streets, there are many of them who are simply afraid to pick up service weapons. It is not surprising that when such a need does arise, the most elementary safety requirements are violated.

overseas parallels

The only ones who shoot well and a lot with us are the fighters of the special forces, but not the ordinary employees of the teaching staff, - says in an interview with Lenta.ru, the chairman of the Right to Arms movement. - If we take the police in the USA for comparison, then there, like ours, law enforcement officers report for each shot - with this strictly. But every American police officer is a priori determined that the enemy can be armed, because there are a lot of weapons in the country. And across the ocean, law enforcement officers are immediately set up to the fact that they have the right to use weapons, because their the main task- to return from the shift alive and healthy.

According to Shmelev, despite the fact that crime in Russia has changed a lot and has become more armed, the police are still being trained according to Soviet methods of the 60s of the last century. For example, the standard for removing weapons and the first aimed shot is approximately 3.5-4 seconds. For comparison: for people who are passionate about defensive shooting (by no means top shooters), this standard is 1.2-1.3 seconds. Judging by the regulations, the police clearly have nowhere to rush.

But even for this, law enforcement officers are trained in a traditional shooting range, while in preparation Russian special forces Today, elements of practical shooting athletes' training are being used more and more actively, and competitions among special forces are conducted by certified practical shooting judges. In the United States, police departments (analogous to our MIA) take advantage of the opportunity to invite instructors from the National Rifle Association and pay them for training personnel.

For the American police, shooting training is one of the main disciplines, tests are regularly passed on it, - continues the interlocutor of Lenta.ru. - Did not pass - you lose bonuses, part of the salary, up to and including dismissal. In our country, shooting training in the police is taught by the same police officers. At the same time, there are practically no shooting galleries in the local police departments, they get out of the situation as best they can. On the other hand, what choice do they have?

Rare trunks

An important difference between American police officers and their Russian counterparts is that they carry weapons all the time, 24 hours a day. Even without being in the service, the law enforcement officer in the United States, if necessary, is obliged to take measures to suppress illegal actions. Russian police officers, on the other hand, carry weapons only at work, turning them in at the end of their shift. And then in uniform, but unarmed go home.

Finally, important nuance- this is the weapon itself, - Igor Shmelev notes. - American law enforcement officers can choose from several options for service weapons or purchase their own and wear it on duty. The only caveat: if the caliber is non-standard, the policeman will provide himself with ammunition. Plus, law enforcement officers both overseas and in Europe have very ergonomic service equipment that allows you to quickly remove weapons. Only special forces can boast of this in our country.

The Makarov pistol - the main service weapon of the Russian police - was adopted in 1951 and became obsolete by the end of the 20th century, like the 9x18 cartridge for which it was developed. Supporters of the pistol refer to a number of its advantages, in particular - a special stopping power. But in modern world this is far from important. But the inability of "Makar" to fleeting skirmishes makes it useful only at the firing line.

For comparison: in the USA and many European countries, revolvers and pistols of a larger caliber than the 9x18 cartridge are considered service weapons of the police. Such ammunition is more powerful and deadly, but more expensive. Yes, and the weapon itself, which is in service with law enforcement forces abroad, is much newer: the same Glock 17 (adopted in 1980) today has several special straps for attaching target designators, sights and lights, it always comes with a couple of pads on the handle, taking into account the individual characteristics of the owner. A Glock-19, SIG Sauer 266, Colt, Heckler und Koch- even younger. What can I say - both in the USSR and in Russia, the pistols that are in service with the police and the police were developed for army officers. In other words, for completely different tasks. Any foreign company, even a Chinese one, clearly distinguishes between army and police pistols.

***

When asked about the shooting training of police officers in the press center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Lente.ru explained that citizens recruited for service in the internal affairs bodies undergo vocational training to carry out official duties, including in conditions associated with the use of firearms. This training is carried out in the universities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, as well as in the centers of professional training of the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

"At the end vocational training fire training classes are held at the place of service of employees at least once every two weeks. The control of professional readiness, including the skills of owning firearms, is carried out in the classroom for professional service and physical training at the place of service of employees," the ministry said.

As noted in the press service, a set of exercises is provided to confirm the skillful possession of service weapons. According to the representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, each of them is designed in such a way that during training, the employee acquires the skills of firing in a variety of situations. The use of firearms by employees is regulated by the requirements of Article 23 federal law"About the Police".

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Despite the time-tested characteristics of the Makarov pistol, it is already outdated. The need to replace the regular weapons of the security forces was ripe in the early 90s of the last century. Life figured out that in the near future it could be in the holster of the police and military.

In 2008, the Russian Interior Ministry announced the need to re-equip its employees. The good old Makarov pistol (PM) served flawlessly not only to our law enforcement agencies, but also armed forces over half a century. However, new challenges require new capabilities from regular pistols, which the PM will never be able to give. Nevertheless, the arsenals are still littered with the old Soviet weapons. A similar problem is observed in the army.

Several domestic pistols claim the place of the PM at once, and there is a serious struggle between them. At the same time, some experts suggest adopting the experience of European countries and purchase Western weapons. For example, the Austrian Glock. Life figured out what kind of weapon could be in the holsters of Russian police and military in the near future.

From versatility to special tasks

Makarov pistol, of course, unique weapon And he got his fame for a reason. It was developed after the Great Patriotic War, and the main requirement that was then put before the developers was the reliability of the weapon.

Sometimes this was at the expense of accuracy and range or rate of fire. But customers in the face of the Soviet law enforcement and the armies used the experience of the war, which showed that in combat conditions the pistol was used infrequently, rather as a weapon last resort when it was not possible to use other weapons. It is important to clarify that we are talking about combat use, and for law enforcement and intelligence agencies, the pistol remained an indispensable and often the only weapon.

In addition, the experience of the war showed that pistols were used only at short distances - no more than 50 meters. But most often literally at close range - up to 10-15 meters.

Given these facts, the opinion of the military and security forces of that time regarding the main requirement for a pistol was as follows: let better gun will not be as accurate, but it will definitely shoot under any conditions, if the need arises.

Also added another condition - a strong stopping effect. The Tokarev pistol used during the war, also known as the legendary TT, had a powerful cartridge of 7.62 caliber. It was repeatedly observed that due to the high penetrating ability, the enemy received a through wound and remained combat-ready. A new cartridge was needed, which would be guaranteed to incapacitate the enemy even with a non-fatal wound. The 9x18 mm PM ammunition became such a cartridge.

Taking into account all these requirements, the Makarov pistol was created in 1948. It was lighter than the TT, smaller in size, quickly brought into combat position and, of course, was incredibly reliable, becoming the main standard pistol three years later. Soviet army and law enforcement agencies.

But at present, the requirements for pistols have changed dramatically. From modern weapons high accuracy of fire, a more capacious magazine are required (there are only eight rounds in a standard PM. - Note. ed.), the ability to install accessories (tactical flashlight, laser pointer) and so on.

And most importantly, one pistol can no longer cover the needs of the army, police, special forces, since the specifics of their work has become more and more different. In particular, for operational carrying and use (this applies primarily to police officers) a small and light pistol is needed, while the military needs a weapon that is as easy to use, reliable and with a large ammunition capacity, which in turn will increase the weight of the pistol. For employees of special forces, perhaps the most important criterion is the accuracy of shooting.

The requirements for pistols have also been influenced by modern threats, which have also changed. For example, modern criminals, especially terrorists, have begun to use protective equipment - bulletproof vests.

And if we are talking about soldiers potential adversary, then in addition to body armor, they also have unloading systems with various equipment. The power of the nine-millimeter cartridge of the Makarov pistol is clearly not enough to stop the enemy, not to mention breaking through his defenses.

There were many attempts to create a replacement for the PM. Moreover, part of the weapons created turned out to be excellent pistols and was put into service. Russian army, law enforcement and intelligence agencies. However, none of them has so far been able to shake the glory of the PM.

Faster, more dangerous, more accurate

change" to the Makarov pistol, it is worth stopping at this point: where do you get new weapons from?

There is an opinion that it is necessary to turn to the experience of some European countries and purchase proven samples of pistols. For example, the police in Estonia, Holland, Poland, Finland are armed German pistols Walther P99. And the Austrian Glock 17 is one of the most popular pistols in the world - and rightfully so.

However, one must understand, given the political instability in the world: today they are ready to sell weapons to you, but tomorrow they will not. And then what?

In addition, the purchase foreign weapons on the scale of the rearmament of the Russian army and law enforcement agencies - not such an economically profitable thing compared to organizing our own production of weapons.

Because, for example, the Americans acted more cunningly. Even having their own weapons companies, they, in cooperation with the Italian arms company Beretta, created their own weapon, the Beretta M9, ​​based on their Beretta 92F pistol. As a result, this pistol became the standard weapon of the soldiers and officers of the US Army.

Bicycles "and the main replacement for the PM was and is still considered the Yarygin pistol, more common names are Grach and MP-443. It began to be developed in the early 90s of the last century, when the USSR Ministry of Defense announced a competition to replace the pistol in the army Makarova Yaryginsky "Rook" has good accuracy, sits comfortably in the hand, he has a magazine for 18 rounds.

The developers left the PEAM cartridge in favor of the unified 9x19 mm parabellum. It is one of the most widely used ammunition in the world and is used by most pistols and submachine guns. The Russian version of this cartridge, 9x19 7N21, was also developed especially for the Grach, which makes it possible to more effectively hit even protected targets.

Rook "was adopted by our army in 2003, mass production started at all in 2011. Such a significant period between stages is associated with main problem pistol - he is not as reliable as the old man PM. It took all this time to eliminate all the shortcomings. But whether he can completely replace the Makarov pistol is not yet clear.

Another contender for the place of the Makarov pistol is the GSh-18. Weapons developed by engineers Gryazev and Shipunov. Its main advantages are small dimensions, light weight (PM, for example, is heavier, although slightly smaller in size) and lethal force. The GSh-18 uses a 9x19 mm cartridge with an armor-piercing bullet 7N31. The enemy will not be saved from defeat even by plates of a typical body armor of the third class of protection.

It would seem that this is a good application. But design features GSh-18 make it not very convenient for the shooter, primarily due to the heavy descent. The low weight of the weapon and a powerful cartridge are the cause of strong recoil. Accordingly, the accuracy also decreases. In addition, the pistol was conceived as mass-produced, but mass production has not yet begun, which is why the cost of the pistol turned out to be significantly higher than that of the same Rook.

But in production self-loading pistol Serdyukov (other names: SPS, SR-1, "Gyurza"), there was no talk of any mass character initially. Because in fact this is a "weapon - cartridge" complex, and it was created for special forces. Its main advantages were increased effective range firing - up to 100 meters and cartridges of increased efficiency 9 × 21 mm, which ensured not only the possibility of hitting the enemy in body armor, but also the hitting of unarmored vehicles.

Kalashnikov" and was originally conceived as a replacement for the PM for Russian law enforcement agencies. Despite the fact that the pistol itself turned out to be oversized, the creators provided for its compact version for everyday operational wear.

The concept of this weapon was developed jointly with the instructors of the FSB Special Forces Training Center and leading sports shooters. Therefore, perhaps, the main advantages of the weapon were its ergonomics and balance. The low location of the barrel axis reduced its rise when fired, which ensures good accuracy and rate of fire. In addition, it is equally convenient for both right-handers and left-handers.

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We did a short historical digression to find out how law enforcement officers of different countries used to arm themselves. Let's now look at modern police weapons. Let's start, perhaps, with the shirt that is closer to the body - with our native Russian police (although to be honest: for me, the word "police" in our realities is associated not with a policeman, but with a policeman). Of course, listing all conceivable models is a disastrous business. We will try to limit ourselves to the most common or popular.

The previously mentioned tendency to combine Russian army and police weapons continues to operate today. All the "trunks", which will be discussed later, are used not only by various law enforcement agencies, but also by the military.

Until now, the 9mm Makarov pistol remains the most massive pistol used by the police / police. Developed in 1948 and put into service in 1951, it replaced the famous revolver.

In the early 90s, it was modernized (the main changes were a higher muzzle velocity and an increased magazine capacity) and received the designation PMM. The second "M", as you understand, means "modernized".

The obsolete PM began to be replaced by the Yarygin pistol, designed for the use of 9-mm Parabellum cartridges. Created at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, the model turned out to be quite heavy (950 g without cartridges) and bulky, with a high center of gravity, threatening to “blockage” the weapon. Almost the main drawback, many experts consider the lack of a function of safe descent of the cocked trigger.

Of course, he also has advantages: less recoil and toss when fired compared to the PM, a more capacious magazine (for 18 rounds), high penetrating and stopping action. In addition, a Weaver bar and a tactical flashlight with a laser designator can be installed on the PYa. But in general, the design of the pistol is considered obsolete by the time it was created.

Not just pistols...

The police also have machine guns. The most massive, of course, is the AK-74U, which uses a cartridge of caliber 5.45x39 mm. The thing is certainly formidable, but somewhat outdated. It is not surprising that gunsmiths were asked to develop a new, more modern machine gun for use as a police weapon.

At the Kovrov Mechanical Plant in the late 90s, the AEK-919K "Chestnut" was created, using the common PM cartridge.

True, police patrols are not equipped with them, this is a special forces weapon, which will need a small-sized machine gun in a limited space.

Since 2006, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia has been equipped with 9-mm PP-2000. A very interesting unit with a plastic case and a magazine for 20 or 44 rounds of 9x19 Parabellum.

Light weight (a little over one and a half kg without cartridges), the ability to shoot with thick gloves, as well as the installed Picatinny rail for a bunch of "bells and whistles" (silencer, optical or IR laser, tactical flashlight, collimator or optical sight) will allow him to become a worthy replacement for the old good "kalash".

Izhmash made it even easier: here they developed the PP-19-01 Vityaz submachine gun, which is based on the AK-74U design (unification of parts is 70%). The main difference is the cartridge.

The Vityaz uses the 9x19 cartridge, both domestic and foreign firms. Well, the "trifle" in the form of a Picatinny rail is a thing that goes without saying for modern weapons.

Describing the police weapons of Russia, one cannot fail to mention another well-known development - PP-91 KEDR. It is KEDR, and not "Kedr", as they often mistakenly write. After all, this is an abbreviation for "Evgeny Dragunov's design." This submachine gun has a long history. It began to be developed back in the 70s of the last century for the army, but due to the small effective firing range, it was not accepted into service. Yes, it is understandable, because the cartridge used here was a pistol 9x18 PM.

"Reanimated" KEDR in the 90s, when the police needed funds to suppress the surge in crime. It can be equipped with a silencer and a laser designator. It is currently the second most common submachine gun as a Russian police weapon in law enforcement.

In the work of law enforcement agencies, military weapons are not the main tool. Nevertheless, in the past few decades, police and security forces have become heavily armed. In different countries, one can see the formation and increase in the number of armed response groups (Great Britain) and special weapons and tactics (SWAT, USA), mobile special forces, special rapid reaction units (Russia). This craze is a reaction to the growth of armed crime and the spread of terrorism. The modern police arsenal is extremely diverse. In addition to pistols of various modifications, it can include automatic and smooth-bore weapons and even grenade launchers.

Faithful companion - pistol

It is difficult to imagine a police officer on duty without a personal weapon, although in real life police officers do not carry weapons with them as often as in the cinema. In the police small arms system, a revolver or pistol is not an auxiliary weapon, as in the army, but one of the main and most widely used types of weapons that most services and units have. It is interesting that combat pistols were divided into police use and military (army) almost from the very appearance of self-loading pistols.

Since then, the police services have received a large number of samples, varying in system, caliber and size. These are such compact models as the German "Walter" PP and PPK (old models, to this day copied in the world), and "full-size" American "Smith and Wesson" models 539 or 5946, "Ruger" series R-89 - R -94, the German-Swiss "SIG-Sauer" of the R-220 family, and the Austrian "Glocks", and such powerful models used in special forces as the Russian SR-1 "Vector" (P.I. Serdyukov's systems, in the army version - SPS) or the American "Springfield Armory Operator".

In a number of countries, including Russia, police services are armed mainly with the same models as the army. At the same time, the requirements of the police for a pistol in terms of reliability and unification are somewhat lower - the city police, for example, are of little interest in the ability of a weapon to shoot after it has been wet for a day in a swamp. Requirements such as safety of handling and the speed of firing the first shot become very significant, because skirmishes often occur suddenly and at a distance of less than 25 m. Weight and dimensions are important - the pistol should not burden the owner too much. Looking, say, at the belt of a police officer on guard duty, in addition to a holster for a pistol and a pocket for a spare magazine, we will see on it a loop for a baton, holders for a flashlight and a gas cartridge, covers for handcuffs and a working folding knife. In addition, the ratio of cost and required functionality is essential. This, for example, the ability to shoot with both hands, the presence of mounts for devices such as laser designators or illuminators of visible and infrared light. It is not surprising, therefore, that Austrian Glock pistols are especially popular in the world of police models.

The first pistol of the Glock-17 family, which appeared in the early 1980s, did not make a bright military career, but in various calibers and modifications it came into service with the security forces and police in about 60 countries, including countries with their own developed arms industry. For example, agents of the US FBI were armed with Glocks. Russia also entered this list - 9-mm Glock pistols of modifications 17 (17T), 19 (19T) and 26 are included in the number of foreign weapons that the internal affairs bodies adopted in 2007 in addition to domestically developed weapons. The Glock owes its success not only to the relatively moderate weight and size characteristics with a large-capacity magazine and the ergonomics of the weapon, but also to its relative cheapness - plastics are widely used in its design. Simply put, the Glocks have a good balance between price and quality, so many companies took up the production of pistols with plastic parts in different versions, which primarily counted on the police weapons market: armies are armed with such pistols more carefully.

The variety of tasks solved by the police requires a wide selection of bullets and cartridges. These are bullets of increased penetration (since criminals use different personal protective equipment, and sometimes you have to shoot at cars), and bullets of increased stopping power, which quickly lose their damaging effect and therefore are necessary when shooting in crowded places. In addition, the police arsenal contains non-lethal cartridges - gas, traumatic.

From "exotic"

Among the systems of police weapons are the most unexpected. Automatic pistols "Mauser" models 711 or 712, it would seem, have long found a place in museum collections. Meanwhile, on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, not so long ago, one could meet military police soldiers with a slightly modernized Mauser automatic - the old pistol was equipped with a stock with an additional holding handle and a shoulder rest. The Brazilian police used other unusual designs. Its special forces used a Danish-made Madsen light machine gun in a version with a shortened barrel. Once upon a time, the Brazilian army handed over these long-obsolete machine guns to the police, where they peacefully coexisted with much more modern models. Police officers often have to carry, in addition to the main one, a spare pistol, usually a small one, designed for concealed carry. The stock of cartridges and high rate of fire for such weapons is a secondary issue, the main thing is small dimensions, ease of carrying, speed of extraction and the first shot. It is not surprising that such an old type of personal weapon as the "derringer" - non-automatic pocket pistols with one, two or even four barrels - finds use for itself. True, they remain popular mainly in their historical homeland - in the United States.

submachine gun

Submachine guns played a huge role in World War II. But with the advent of cartridges of intermediate power, the scope of automatic weapons for a pistol cartridge began to narrow sharply. In armies, submachine guns gradually replaced submachine guns, assault rifles and carbines. The main consumers of submachine guns were various police services and special forces.

Whatever tasks the fighters of law enforcement structures solve - whether they patrol roads and settlements, guard an object or free hostages - they, as a rule, have to conduct a short-range firefight at short distances. Factors such as the compactness of the weapon, the speed of opening and transferring fire, which stops the action of the bullet, become decisive. The relatively low power of the pistol cartridge makes it possible to make the weapon small and light without sacrificing reliability and controllability during automatic firing. Weapons and ammunition occupy a smaller share in the total calculation of a fighter. The low initial velocity of the bullet reduces the range of its lethal action (for comparison, it reaches 350 m for a 9 mm pistol cartridge, and 1350 m for a 5.45 mm submachine gun), and the likelihood of ricochets is reduced. Finally, the parameters of the pistol cartridge make it possible to create “silent” weapon modifications.

One of the most popular police models of automatic weapons is the German MP5 submachine gun, or rather, a whole family created by the German company Heckler und Koch based on it. After the police, border guards and customs service of Germany adopted this weapon in 1966, it quickly gained popularity and has been holding it for more than 40 years. The excellent qualities of the MP5 have been confirmed in many police and counter-terrorism operations. MP5 submachine guns of various modifications - with a fixed and retractable stock, "silent", small-sized - in native or licensed versions, in 9 or 10 mm caliber - are used in more than 30 countries, from the USA and Great Britain to Sudan and Zambia. Submachine guns "Heckler und Koch" MP5, MP5K and MP5SD caliber 9 mm were included in the list of weapons and Russian law enforcement agencies. Although in Russia, of course, their own samples have been created. It is characteristic that the revival of submachine guns in our country occurred in the early 1990s. The weapons design bureaus offered the Ministry of the Interior a number of developments, both new and based on previously created prototypes. Among the latter was, for example, the 9-mm Kedr submachine gun (designed by Evgeny Dragunov), developed by E.F. Dragunov and modified by M.E. Dragunov. In 1994, this small-sized submachine gun was adopted by the authorities under the designation PP-91 "Kedr" and has since been purchased in fairly large quantities. On the other hand, at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant V.M. Kalashnikov and A.E. The Dragunov developed a larger Bizon-2 submachine gun with a large-capacity auger magazine, which was put into service under the designation PP-19, under the same 9 × 18 PM cartridge. Over time, the samples were modernized, say, after the appearance of the domestic pistol cartridge 7N21 type 9 × 19, modifications were created for this cartridge.

The experience of using submachine guns by the formations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs helped to formulate in 2003 the tactical and technical assignment for a new 9-mm sample, which received the designation "Vityaz" (officers of the special forces detachment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs "Vityaz" participated in the formation of requirements for a new weapon). This is how the PP-19-01 Vityaz submachine gun appeared, chambered for 9 × 19, which also entered service with police forces.

Submachine gun in a holster

Of considerable interest to law enforcement agencies are small-sized submachine guns, adapted to be carried in a holster and for firing both with two hands and with one. An example of a Russian-designed weapon is the 9-mm PP-2000, chambered for the 9×19 cartridge by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau and entered service with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The magazine of this weapon is located in the handle, plastic is used in the manufacture of body parts. The features of the weapon include the inclination of the pistol grip, the trigger guard, which forms an additional holding handle, a detachable folding stock, a reloading handle that allows right or left hand operation, and a mount for a collimator sight - this type of sight can become the main one in close combat.

Armament and equipment

Compactness is not the last issue for police weapons. They have to be controlled in cramped conditions, sometimes it is also necessary to carry various devices: tools for opening doors (a sledgehammer, a manual ram, a safe detonation charge), assault ladders, surveillance devices. The equipment itself should facilitate the action with weapons, providing the ability to quickly use them.

Automatic for the police

Police and counter-terrorist formations also have in their arsenals such typical army weapons as machine guns and assault rifles. And yet the specific requirements of police weapons require specific solutions. An example of such a solution is domestic small-sized assault rifles designed for special cartridges of the 9 × 39 type - SP5 and SP6 and their counterparts 7N9 and 7N12. The SP5 and SP6 cartridges were developed for use in "silent" weapons systems and combine the low (less than sonic) muzzle velocity of heavy bullets with their stability on the trajectory at distances up to 400 m, high penetration and stopping power. In addition, such cartridges have a low recoil momentum, bullets are less prone to ricochets and therefore allow you to create a compact weapon that is convenient to use in populated areas, tight spaces. Armor-piercing cartridges allow you to hit the enemy in a bulletproof vest of the 3rd protection class at distances up to 200 m.

The 9-mm small-sized 9A-91 assault rifle, created by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau, is very popular in the system of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Moreover, the developers tried to make it as simple and cheap as possible to manufacture. It is worth mentioning the Klimov assault rifles SR3 and SR3M "Whirlwind" and the Izhevsk AK-9. These "noisy" samples have undergone their own evolution and formed the basis of new "silent" machine guns and sniper rifles. So, on the basis of 9A-91, a “silent” sniper rifle VSK-94 was created, a set of accessories for SR3M allows you to get both a “silent” machine gun and a sniper rifle. True, the same special cartridges make the ammunition load of machine guns more expensive than that of submachine guns.

Smooth trunk brings order

One of the original features of police weapons is a rather wide niche reserved for smooth-bore models, which are sometimes called shotguns for simplicity. Many experts believe that for short-range combat, hand-held smoothbore weapons of the 20th and 12th "hunting" calibers are preferable to rifled ones. It is capable of firing various types of charges, from shotguns to bullets, with the necessary damaging characteristics depending on the task. At the same time, the rapid loss of the damaging effect of shot and bullets flying out of a smooth barrel significantly reduces the risk of injuring random people.

Traditionally, to create combat smooth-bore samples, commercial samples of the magazine scheme worked out in production were used - just recall the popular American "pump-action" (rechargeable by the movement of the forearm) models "Remington-870" or "Mossberg-500" and "Mossberg-590". Over time, self-loading models began to attract more and more attention: a large number of such samples appeared in the last 25-30 years. When conducting police and counter-terrorist operations, they are armed not only with fighters, but also with remote-controlled vehicles - to destroy explosive devices or open locked rooms.

In our country, in the 1990s, smooth-bore guns began to be widely used by security agencies, at the same time, weapons enterprises launched the production of the corresponding guns and "smooth-bore carbines." They also aroused the interest of law enforcement agencies. In 2006, a whole range of SSK-18.5 smooth-bore weapons entered service with the internal affairs bodies, including self-loading "special carbines" 18.5 KS-K and 18.5 KS-P and a number of 12-gauge ammunition. The number 18.5 in the designation of the weapon corresponds to the diameter of the bore of the 12-gauge (about 18.5 mm), the indices "K" and "P" - to the box and underbarrel magazines. The 18.5 KS-K carbine with a detachable box magazine was made by the designers of the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant based on the Kalashnikov assault rifle system, or rather, the Saiga carbine. It is curious that the muzzle device of the KS-K carbine is designed for firing with the barrel resting against an obstacle, for example, when door locks are destroyed by a shot. The carbine 18.5 KS-P with a permanent underbarrel magazine was created at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant on the basis of the MP-153 self-loading smoothbore gun.

From "small things" to DShK

The range of calibers and power of cartridges for which sniper rifles can be fired is demonstrated by two Russian samples. At one extreme is the SV-99 rifle, created by Izhevsk designers on the basis of a biathlon rifle chambered for a 5.6-mm rimfire cartridge - a well-known "small thing". The use of a low-power cartridge gives a reduction in the size, mass of the weapon, a small recoil momentum, a low level of muzzle pressure and an insignificant shot flame. A non-jacketed bullet has a sufficient stopping effect at short ranges, but requires hitting unprotected areas of the body. It turns out a special weapon designed to work at short ranges, for example, in settlements, where aimed shooting is often carried out to the width of the street. Since the requirements implied the possibility of working in a cramped room, the stock was made removable, instead of it you can put a pistol grip. The other pole is sniper rifles chambered for powerful large-caliber cartridges for hitting long-range targets in personal armor protection equipment, vehicles, and counter-sniper combat. This type of weapon is popular in special forces, but with the growth of the role of police special forces, it also got into service. The internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB, for example, use a self-loading 12.7-mm OSV-96 rifle, created by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau chambered for 12.7 × 108. The characteristic features of this rifle include a folding design that allows you to reduce the size of the weapon.

For police sniper

The growth of terrorism and armed crime around the world has forced special attention to snipers in the police and counter-terrorism units. The variety of tasks that a sniper may face, and, accordingly, the variety of tools for solving them, can be judged from the samples received by Russian law enforcement agencies.

First of all, these are, of course, sniper rifles of normal caliber and increased accuracy. It is worth noting the differences in requirements for military and police rifles. The military must constantly be with its owner when on foot, in a transport-combat vehicle, withstand the ingress of dust, snow, and moisture. The police force is usually operated in less severe conditions. At the same time, if a miss by an army sniper may not have fatal consequences, then the cost of a miss by a policeman may be the death of a hostage or the injury of a random person.

Repeating rifles have long come to the fore here. Izhevsk gunsmiths proposed a 7.62-mm SV-98 rifle, supplementing the “cartridge - weapon - optical sight” complex with a number of devices: this is a low-noise shooting device, an anti-miracle tape pulled over the barrel to protect the field of view of the sight from distortion by heated air. At the same time, Russian law enforcement snipers are armed with 7.62-mm AW and AWP rifles, created by the British company Accuracy International. The list of samples adopted by the Russian Federation also includes the Austrian SSG Steyr rifle and the Finnish TRG-22. Also, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs received such an original type of sniper weapon as the SVU-AS (short, automatic sniper rifle, with a bipod). Made by TsKIB SOO specialists on the basis of the Dragunov self-loading sniper rifle, it differs from it in a shortened barrel, the ability to fire in bursts, the installation of a low-noise firing device and a folding bipod, and a number of other changes.

combat and special

Already in the “dashing nineties”, the Tula Instrument Design Bureau created a magazine-type 43-mm grenade launcher GM-94 - a multi-purpose weapon for firing special (non-lethal action) and live ammunition. The design of the grenade launcher is based on the scheme of a pump-action shotgun with the location of the magazine above the barrel and reloading by the longitudinal movement of the barrel back and forth. Several types of VGM-93 rounds are used for firing - gas, equipped with an irritating action formula, shock-shock with an elastic striking element, thermobaric. A thermobaric grenade is capable of hitting manpower within a radius of 3 m from the point of detonation, equipment with an armor thickness of up to 8 mm.

Shotguns-revolvers

The original application in the weapons of the police and special purposes was found by the revolving scheme. An example of this is the South African 12 gauge Stryker and Protect shotguns. In addition to the revolving scheme, they also differ in the way the drum rotates. In the Stryker, this was done by a spring wound up with a special key; in the Protect, the shooter turns the drum before firing, shaking the front grip of the weapon. Note that the Russian 6G30 hand grenade launcher also has a revolving scheme, but in it the spring that rotates the block of 40-mm rifled barrels starts when the shooter turns the block, loading the weapon.

Grenade launchers for the police

Police sometimes have to use special and even live grenades. Hand grenades are not widely used, but law enforcement agencies have hand grenade launchers. They can have different schemes and principles of grenade stabilization (rifled or smooth-bore with grenade stabilization with plumage), have a single-shot and magazine type. Throwing is usually done in an active pattern, since you have to shoot in conditions where rocket weapons would be too dangerous. As a rule, grenade launchers are designed for non-lethal ammunition, which are used in the fight against riots, in operations to capture armed criminals, and free hostages.

An example is the evolution of a domestic special 50-mm grenade launcher system, created in the late 1980s and including a single-shot breech-loading smooth-bore hand-held special grenade launcher RGS-50 and non-lethal shots - with grenades GS-50 annoying, GSZ-50 light-sound, EG-50 and EG-50M shock-shock action. In the future, not only the grenade launcher itself was modernized (RGS-50M, manufactured by the V.A. Degtyarev Plant), but the ammunition load was replenished with shots for knocking out GV-50 locks, breaking window glass BK-50, smoke GD-50, and also combat - with a fragmentation grenade GO-50, cumulative GK-50.

Illustrations by Rostom Chichyants, Oksana Alekseevskaya