Russian piston silencer

[wacki]

An alternative approach to silencer design which dispenses entirely with the muzzle-mounted silencer has appeared from Russia. Instead it uses a special cartridge in which the bullet is pushed out by a propellant-driven piston. The piston is stopped by the neck of the cartridge, trapping the hot, noisy gas entirely within the chamber of the firearm.

http://www.newscientist.com/blog/technology/2006/12/penguins-and-their-remarkable-feet.html

Anyone have more information on this Russian 'silencer'?

 

[mdao]

Max Popenker's site has a fair amount of information on this.

Silenced cartridges.

 

[Arkie]

Here is a few sites that explain how the bullet works...

Click here.

And here.

It's a pretty neat design I think.

It would be a pain to reload tho.

And I also type toooooooo slow. LOL...

 

[max popenker]

Some guns that use such cartridges:

MSP pistol
S4M pistol
PSS pistol
and
Ots-38 revolver

 

[SDC]

The US also had (has?) a similar system based on an N-frame S&W and a 12-gauge; these were used in Vietnam as the QSPR ("Quiet Special Purpose Revolver") and QSPS ("Quiet Special Purpose Shotgun"); both of these had pistons or membranes inside the case that captured the expanding gasses, but still propelled the projectiles at a lethal velocity. Here's a couple of shots of the shotgun ammo:

 

[Gifted]

I was going to say, I thought this tech was decades old.

 

[max popenker]

Yes, basic tech is rather old. It was also applied to small Commando-type mortars and anti-tang grenade launchers such as Armbrust

 

[Novus Collectus]

It would be a pain to reload tho.

I remember reading in Small Arms Review an article abouth the US version (QSPR). They said if it was to be used in the US, then each cartridge would probably be considered a silencer and each shot would require a $200 tax stamp.
For that price, I'd suffer the pain to reload

By the way and as a side note, the article also said that one of the Vietnam revolvers made it back to the US somehow and was used in a murder in Los Angles.

 

[wacki]

Anyone know why the tech was abandoned?

 

[SDC]

I wouldn't assume that it HAS been abandoned

 

[max popenker]

Anyone know why the tech was abandoned?

it is NOt abandoned, but has a very limited use - mostly because ammo is very, very expensive.
In Russia, such ammo (and special guns - see my post above) is used only by elite anti-terrorist and Spetsnaz / recon units.
The rest is confined to use of more typical silenced guns with more or less conventional ammo

 

[tellner]

How do we know it's been abandoned? Simple. Nobody has ever heard one of these go off

 

[Keith Wheeler]

I can remember reading some articles on these back in the early or mid 80s. Some had shown up in the Central American Political Debates on the Economic Foundations of Nations or some such. If I remember correctly (at least the ones found down there) were simple pistols firing the captive piston cartridge, which used a standard AK bullet. The cartridges were insanely hot after firing. I think Peter G. Kokalis wrote up a bit on them. Yeah, I know the gun world's love/hate for that fellow...

 

[ndh87]

Wacki,

Silencers are more properly called sound moderators or suppressors and are widely used by hunters to reduce noise levels from the discharge of firearms

that was off of the site you had a link to,

i'd sure like to know where that guy does his hunting.

 

[Henry Bowman]

i'd sure like to know where that guy does his hunting.

Europe, probably.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

each cartridge would probably be considered a silencer and each shot would require a $200 tax stamp.
For that price, I'd suffer the pain to reload

I'd guess reloading doesn't get you around the $200 tax stamp. If each cartridge is considered a silencer, then you're building a silencer each time you pull the handle on the reloading press. $200 cha-ching.

For that money, I'll just reload and shoot noisy old ammo.

Regards.

 

[Onmilo]

The Russians really don't need super silent firearms for assassinations, I mean that is the real use for something such as this,,,,right?
Anyway if they want somebody dead, they just sprinkle radioactive material on the guys sushi.

 

[Novus Collectus]

I'd guess reloading doesn't get you around the $200 tax stamp. If each cartridge is considered a silencer, then you're building a silencer each time you pull the handle on the reloading press. $200 cha-ching.

For that money, I'll just reload and shoot noisy old ammo.

Regards.

Not sure about that. If someone replaces used internal components of their registered silencer, then is that considered manufacturing?
I assume the part of silcencers are considered silkencers somehow, but if the serial number is on the outside of the case, then how is it different than a regular silencer with the serial number on the outside of the tube?

Also, I am not knowledgable about tax stamps and such, but if they were sent off to an SOT for remaking, then there is no manufacturing tax anyway, am I right?