Ukrainian soldier captures rare Russian rifle from special forces

A Ukrainian soldier from an airborne unit seized a WSS-M Vintorez marksman rifle with a thermal sight from Russian forces. This is the latest modernization of the distinctive WSS Vintorez weapon, familiar to all Stalker enthusiasts and known for its intriguing ammunition.

9x39 mm — unique ammunition for special tasks

The concept of using specialized suppressed weapons capable of piercing bulletproof vests was realized in Russia in the 1990s. Previously, in the USSR, AK rifles with silencers and ammunition with heavier bullets were employed.

This proved insufficient, prompting the development of a weapon capable of piercing bulletproof vests while maintaining a muzzle velocity limit of less than 1,115 ft/s. Only then is the weapon quiet, as a subsonic bullet doesn't produce a sonic boom.

However, this significantly limits the projectile's kinetic energy, and with such a strict velocity limit, the only option is to maximize the bullet's mass. For this reason, the Russians developed the 9x39 mm cartridge by placing a 9 mm diameter bullet weighing 250 grains into a 7.62x39 mm cartridge case. In comparison, a regular 7.62 mm bullet weighs 122 grains.

The Russians created two versions of the 9x39 mm ammunition, designated SP-5 and SP-6. The first type features full metal jacket bullets with a steel penetrator that accounts for 25% of the mass, while SP-6 includes a bullet with an exposed 7 mm steel penetrator made of hardened tool steel. This is designed to pierce 0.31 inches of steel at a distance of 328 ft but is inadequate against modern ballistic plates of the fourth class of the American NIJ ballistic standard.

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

The AS Val and WSS Vintorez rifles share 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). Additionally, a distinctive feature is the use of barrels measuring 7.87 inches in length, comprising only 1/3 of the integrated silencer.

The AS Val weighs 6.5 lbs, while the WSS Vintorez is 7.5 lbs with a PSO-1 optical sight or the newer 1P86 with adjustable magnification from 1x to 4x. The weapon is fed from 10 or 20-round magazines. Given the ballistics of the 9x39 mm, the effective range does not exceed 437 yards, often requiring users to carry additional weapons for longer-range engagements.

In contrast, the modernization to the WSS-M standard included replacing the wooden stock and barrel covers with polymer ones featuring rail sections. It's also evident that the stock has adjustable length and cheek pad height, and a section of the mounting rail is visible on top of the receiver, accommodating modern thermal sights.