PSM pistol

The PSM (Pistolet Samozaryadny Malogabaritny, Russian for "compact self-loading pistol") was designed by the Tula Design Bureau in 1969 as a self-defense firearm for law enforcement and military officers of the USSR. The pistol entered production at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant in 1973.

PSM
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1973–present
Used by	See Users
Production history
Designed	1969
Produced	1973–Present
Variants	IZh-75, Baikal-441
Specifications
Mass	460 g (16 oz)
Length	155 mm (6.1 in)
Barrel length	84.6 mm (3.3 in)
Height	117 mm (4.6 in)
Cartridge	5.45×18mm
Action	Blowback
Muzzle velocity	315 m/s (1,033 ft/s)
Effective firing range	Sights fixed for 25 m (27 yd)
Feed system	8-round detachable box magazine
Sights	Rear notch and front post

The PSM is a blowback-operated handgun with a double-action trigger and slide-mounted manual safety without a slide stop. The grip panels are made from thin aluminum and new model with hard plastic. The weapon is made from steel.

The PSM was designed around the newly developed 5.45×18mm cartridge, which was developed for the weapon by Precision Mechanical Engineering Central Research Institute. The cartridge is capable of penetrating 55 layers of kevlar at realistic engagement distances.^[1] However, this is purely a consequence of its hard metal core and the bullet wasn't designed to defeat body armor. ^[2] This cartridge has a bottlenecked case and a spitzer-pointed jacketed bullet. ^[2]

The pistol was primarily intended for army high command staff. However, owing to its insignificant dimensions, especially its small width (21 mm (0.83 in) across the safety catch), it soon became popular with security (KGB) and law enforcement (militsiya) personnel. The PSM was also appreciated by higher echelon Communist Party functionaries.^[1]

Other designations

• MPTs (Malokalibernyj Pistolet Tsentralnogo-boya; "Small-caliber Pistol, Center-fire")

Variants

• IZh-75 (ИЖ-75) - an export model in .25 ACP.^[3]
• IZh-78 (ИЖ-78) - 7.6mm gas pistol^[4]
• IZh-78-9T (ИЖ-78-9Т) - 9mm non-lethal pistol (9mm P.A.K.)

Users

•  Armenia^[5]
•  Azerbaijan^[5]
•  Belarus^[5] - custom service^[6]
•  Bulgaria^[5]
•  Georgia^[5]
•  Kazakhstan^[5] - police^[7]
•  Kyrgyzstan^[5]
•  Latvia^[5]
•  Moldova^[5]
•  Mongolia^[5]
•  Russia^[5]
•  Tajikistan^[5]
•  Turkmenistan^[5]
•  Ukraine^[5]
•  Uzbekistan^[5]

See also

• List of Russian weaponry

References

1. "PSM". Warfare.be. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015.
2. McCollum, Ian (30 June 2017). "Soviet PSM Pistol History: Really a KGB Assassination Gun?". Forgotten Weapons.
3. "PSM a Baikal IŽ-75". Střelecká revue (in Czech). No. 4. Prague: Magnet-Press. 2006. ISSN 0322-7650.
4. 2.1. Газовое оружие самообороны... Пистолет ИЖ-78-7,6 кал. 7,6 мм
   Перечень служебного и гражданского оружия и боеприпасов к нему, вносимых в Государственный кадастр служебного и гражданского оружия (утверждён распоряжением Правительства РФ № 1207-р от 3 августа 1996 года)
   [2.1. Self-defense gas weapon... Pistol IZH-78-7.6 cal. 7.6 mm
   The list of service and civilian weapons and ammunition for them entered into the state register of service and civilian weapons (approved by the order of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1207-r of August 3, 1996)]
5. Jones, Richard D., ed. (January 27, 2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010 (35th ed.). Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
6. Постановление Совета Министров Республики Беларусь № 202 от 19 февраля 2003 г. «Об утверждении перечня специальных средств, видов огнестрельного оружия, боеприпасов и взрывчатых веществ, используемых в таможенных органах Республики Беларусь»
   [Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus No. 202 of February 19, 2003 "On approval of the list of special means, types of firearms, ammunition and explosives used in the customs authorities of the Republic of Belarus"]
7. Постановление Правительства Республики Казахстан № 163 от 17 февраля 2003 г. "Об утверждении норм и перечня оружия и специальных средств, которые имеют право применять сотрудники органов финансовой полиции"
   [Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 163 of February 17, 2003 "On the approval of the norms and the list of weapons and special means that employees of the financial police have the right to use"]

External links

• Kokalis, Peter G. (1 July 2011). "Russia's enigmatic and mysterious PSM Pipsqueak? Clandestine affairs? Badge of rank? KGB Pistol? Most of us have seen it pictured, but very few have fired it. Kokalis is one of them, and clears up some misconceptions about this little pocket pistol". Shotgun News – via thefreelibrary.com.
• Zipper (20 July 2017). "5.45x18 compact pistol PSM". MilitaryImages.net.
• McCollum, Ian (30 June 2017). "Soviet PSM Pistol History: Really a KGB Assassination Gun?". Forgotten Weapons.