Legendary Pistol to Be Replaced

Legendary Pistol to Be Replaced

pistol

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A new pistol that has been tested in Russia could eventually serve as a full-on replacement for the old Makarov PM. The Makarov which was first been fielded in the early 1950s is still in use with a number of Russian military units.
A subsidiary of Rostec, the Russian weapon conglomerate, was tasked with the development of the Udav (Russian for boa) pistol.
The Udav will be “one of the most powerful pistols in the world,” Rostec said in a press release. The weapon will use 9 by 21 mm rounds, and will be able to pierce 1.4 mm of titanium or 4 mm of steel armour from a 100-metre distance. The pistol showed excellent performance in a whole complex of tests in the Arctic, the desert, and in highly humid environments, the company said.
The Udav looks nothing like the gun it’s meant to replace, and everything like the gun Russia wants as part of its massive multi-billion dollar modernization program, according to militarytimes.com.
While the Makarov could at most be fitted with a suppressor, the Udav aims to be far more customizable. Removable sights and an optional threaded barrel, to add a suppressor, are reportedly among the features of the new gun.
The gun appears to be built around a polymer frame with a standard grip, which also seems to lack the ability to clip on different backstraps as per the preference of the user. It also comes with a reshaped and larger trigger guard, as well as a safety lever on the rear left side of the steel slide.
The Udav is equipped with a rail forward of the trigger guard, allowing the user to clip on a flashlight an aiming laser with ease, as needed.
In the past, the Russian military has considered and implemented other alternatives to the Makarov, each with limited success and a number of failings. Currently, the MP-443 Grach, or PYa, serves as the Russian military’s standard sidearm.
The Makarov has been also included as a standard part of the cosmonauts’ survival kit in Russian Soyuz space capsules used for landing back on Earth from space, to ward off wild animals in the event of landing in a remote forest area, according to france24.com.