Ukraine captures rare Russian VSS‑M rifle from special forces

A Ukrainian soldier from the airborne unit captured a VSS-M Vintorez marksman rifle with a thermal sight from the Russians. It is the latest modernisation of the distinctive VSS Vintorez weapon, well-known to all Stalker fans, and uses some particularly interesting ammunition.

9x39 mm — unique ammunition for special tasks

The concept of using specialised suppressed weapons capable of penetrating bulletproof vests was realised in Russia in the 1990s. Previously, in the USSR, they would simply use AK rifles with silencers and ammunition with heavier bullets.

This proved inadequate, so a weapon was developed capable of piercing bulletproof vests while maintaining a muzzle velocity of less than 340 metres per second (m/s). Only then is the weapon quiet, as a subsonic bullet doesn't generate a sonic boom.

However, this significantly limits the projectile's kinetic energy, and with such a stringent velocity limit, the only option is to maximise the bullet's mass. For this reason, the Russians developed the 9x39 mm cartridge by placing a 9 mm diameter bullet weighing 16 grams into a 7.62x39 mm cartridge case. In comparison, a standard 7.62 mm bullet typically weighs 8 grams.

The Russians developed two versions of the new 9x39 mm ammunition, designated SP-5 and SP-6. The first type includes full metal jacket bullets with a steel penetrator constituting 25% of the mass, while SP-6 is a version featuring a bullet with an exposed 7 mm steel penetrator made of hardened tool steel. This is intended to pierce 8 millimetres of steel at a distance of 100 metres but is inadequate against modern ballistic plates of the fourth class of the American NIJ ballistic standard.

AS Val and VSS Vintorez rifles — unusual weapons differing from the AK system construction

The AS Val and VSS Vintorez rifles have a milled receiver and a gas system with a long-stroke piston, similar to AK rifles, but that's where the similarities end. Locking occurs through the bolt rotation, secured by six lugs (the AK has two). Furthermore, a distinctive feature is using barrels measuring 20 centimetres in length, comprising only one-third of the integrated silencer.

The weight of the AS Val is 3 kilograms, and the VSS Vintorez is approximately 3.4 kilograms with a PSO-1 optical sight or the newer 1P86, which offers adjustable magnification from 1x to 4x. The weapon can be fed from either 10 or 20-round magazines. Due to the ballistics of the 9x39 mm, the effective range does not exceed 400 metres, often necessitating additional weapons for engagements at longer distances.

Conversely, the modernisation to the VSS-M standard includes, for instance, replacing the wooden stock or barrel covers with polymer ones equipped with rail sections. Additionally, the stock has an adjustable length and cheek pad height, and a section of the mounting rail can be seen on top of the receiver, allowing for the attachment of modern thermal sights.