VSS Vintorez

Infobox Weapon
name=VSS


caption=The VSS rifle.
origin=flag|Soviet Union
type=Sniper rifle
is_ranged=yes
service=1987–present
used_by=Spetsnaz, MVD, OSNAZ
wars=Afghanistan, Chechnya, 2008 South Ossetia war
designer=Petr Serdjukov
design_date=
manufacturer=Tula Arms Plant
production_date=
number=
variants=
weight=kg to lb|2.6|sp=us|abbr=on|precision=2|wiki=yes
length=mm to in|894|abbr=on|precision=1|wiki=yes
part_length=convert|200|mm|abbr=on|1
cartridge=9x39mm
action=Gas-operated, rotating bolt
rate=800–900 rounds/min
velocity=convert|290|m/s|0|lk=on|sp=us|abbr=on
range=400 m
max_range=
feed=10 or 20-round detachable box magazine
sights=PSO-1-1 telescopic sight and iron sights

The VSS ( _ru. "Винтовка Снайперская Специальная", "Vintovka Snayperskaya Spetsialnaya" or "special sniper rifle"), also called the Vintorez ("thread cutter"), is a suppressed sniper rifle developed in the late 1980s by TsNIITochMash and manufactured by the Tula Arsenal. It is issued primarily to Spetsnaz units for undercover or clandestine operations, a role made evident by its ability to be stripped down for transport in a specially fitted briefcase.

Design details

The overall operating principle and sound suppression system used on the VSS are derived from the AS assault rifle. The VSS is a gas-operated select-fire rifle. It has a long-stroke gas piston operating rod in a gas cylinder above the barrel. The weapon is locked with a rotating bolt that has 6 locking lugs which engage appropriate sockets machined into the receiver. The VSS is striker fired. It features a cross-bolt type fire selector switch located behind the trigger, inside the trigger guard; the safety lever and the charging handle resemble those used in AK-pattern weapons.

The weapon has an integral suppressor which wraps around the barrel. The barrel itself has a series of small ports drilled in the rifling grooves, leading into the silencer which slows and cools the exhaust gases. The suppressor can be easily removed for storage or maintenance, but the VSS should not be fired without the suppresor.

A side rail is provided, installed on the receiver and used to mount the PSO-1-1 (1P43) telescopic sight. The weapon can also be deployed for night-time use with the 3.46x NSPU-3 (1PN75) night sight using an appropriate mount. Back-up iron sights consist of a rear notch on a sliding tangent and forward blade. The rear sight has range graduations up to 400 meters, with 100 m adjustments.

The VSS is normally fed from a 10-round magazine and fired semi-automatically. Should the operational need arise, the weapon can be used in fully automatic mode using 20-round magazines from the AS rifle.

The skeletonized wooden stock is a more rounded version of that provided on the SVD rifle; it has a rubber shoulder pad and can be removed when the rifle is dismantled for compact storage. The forward handguard is made from a high-impact polymer. For carriage and concealment the rifle is dismantled into three main components carried in a special briefcase measuring 450 x 370 x 140 mm (17.7 x 14.5 x 5.5 in). The briefcase also has space for a PSO-1-1 scope, a NSPU-3 night sight and two magazines.

It uses a heavy subsonic 9x39mm SP-5 cartridge. The bullet is very effective at penetrating body armor. For this purpose it is equipped with a hardened steel or tungsten tip to penetrate a convert|6|mm|abbr=on|1 high-density steel plate at 100 m; a convert|2|mm|abbr=on|1 steel plate or a standard army helmet can be fully penetrated at 500 m. The cartridge is effective out to 400 m. The VSS forms part of the VSK silenced sniper system. With the system, the rifle can be coupled to the PKS-07 collimated telescopic sight or the PKN-03 night sight. When the rifle forms part of the VSK system the range of ammunition can be extended to include the SP-6 and PAB-9 cartridges.

References

ee also

*OTs-14 Groza
*VSK-94

External links

* [http://www.enemyforces.com/firearms/vss.htm EnemyForces.com]
* [http://world.guns.ru/sniper/sn20-e.htm Modern Firearms]