SPP-1 underwater pistol

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The SPP-1 underwater pistol was made in the Soviet Union for use by Soviet frogmen as an underwater firearm.<ref name="spp">Popenker, Max R. "SPP-1 underwater pistol Template:Webarchive", world.guns.ru, Retrieved 2010-04-05</ref> It was developed in the late 1960s and accepted for use in 1975.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Under water, standard bullets are inaccurate and have very short range. This pistol instead fires a round-based Template:Convert caliber steel dart about Template:Convert long, weighing Template:Convert, which has longer range and more penetrating power than a speargun. The complete cartridge is Template:Convert long and weighs Template:Convert.<ref name="cart">“4.5-mm SPS underwater fire cartridge Template:Webarchive”, Tsniitochmash, Retrieved 2010-04-05</ref>

DesignEdit

The SPP-1 has four barrels, each containing one cartridge. Its ammunition comes as a magazine of four cartridges which is inserted into the pistol's breech.<ref name="spp1m"/>

Its barrel is not rifled; the fired projectile is kept in line by hydrodynamic effects. As a result, it is somewhat inaccurate when fired out of water.<ref name="cruffler">”Firearms Technical Trivia ”, cruffler.com, November 2001, Retrieved 2010-04-05</ref>

A double-action firing mechanism fires one cartridge sequentially for each pull of the trigger. When all four cartridges are spent, the gun can be reloaded above or below water.<ref name="spp"/>

The SPP-1M pistol is essentially the same as the SPP-1, with the following differences:<ref name="spp1m">“SPP-1 and SPP-1M underwater pistol 4.5mm ”, www.securityarms.com, Retrieved 2010-04-05</ref>

It has an extra spring above the sear to improve the trigger pull.
Its trigger guard is larger to accommodate diving gloves.

The weapon was designed by Vladimir Simonov, the cartridge by Pyotr Sazonov and Oleg Kravchenko.<ref name="cruffler"/> Simonov also designed the APS amphibious rifle.<ref name="aps_rifle">Popenker, Max R. "APS underwater assault rifle (5.6x39 mm MPS) Template:Webarchive", world.guns.ru, Retrieved 2010-04-05</ref>

PerformanceEdit

Depth reduces range because the higher pressure closes the cavity sooner. Once the projectile is no longer supercavitating, hydrodynamic drag increases greatly, and the projectile becomes unstable.

Lethal range is defined as the range from which it can easily penetrate a padded underwater suit or a Template:Convert thick glass faceplate.<ref name="manu">“4.5-mm SPP-1M Underwater Pistol Template:Webarchive”, TsNIITochMash, Retrieved 2010-04-05</ref>

It is manufactured by TOZ (Tulsky Oruzheiny Zavod/ Тульский Оружейный Завод) Tula Arms Plant,<ref name="toz">“Special Submarine Pistol SPP-1M Template:Webarchive”, Tulsky Oruzheiny Zavod(TOZ), Tula Arms Plant, Retrieved 2010-04-05</ref> and exported by Rosoboronexport,<ref name="spp"/> the state agency for Russia's export and import of defense-related products.

UsersEdit

Template:Flag - In limited use with special operations forces.Template:Fact
Template:Flag<ref name ='SAS 2012 4'>Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Flag<ref>«В ходе учебного боя было проведено практическое метание ручных противодиверсионных гранат, отработаны приемы подводного боя с применением специальных подводных пистолетов СПП-1, подводных автоматов АПС»
На Балтийском флоте прошло учение по противодействию подводным диверсантам условного противника // официальный интернет-сайт министерства обороны РФ от 31 марта 2025</ref>
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VariantsEdit

The SPP-1M has been copied by Iran.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

ReferencesEdit

Notes

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Sources

Cutshaw, Charlie, “The New World of Russian Small Arms & Ammo”, 1998, (Paladin Press, Boulder, Colorado) Template:ISBN

External linksEdit

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Template:Multiple Barrel Firearms Template:Underwater diving