Self-loading pistol "Boa": new for the army or a project without a future?

Photo: Anton Tushin

At the Army 2019 forum, a pistol chambered for the 9× 19 mm cartridge was presented for the first time in two versions: tactical and sporting, developed on the basis of the 9 mm SP self-loading pistol, better known as the Boa Constrictor pistol. Despite the smaller caliber of the cartridge, the civilian “Boa Constrictor” is in no way inferior to its military counterpart in terms of ergonomic and operational characteristics.

About the new Russian pistol, which should take its rightful place alongside the self-loading pistols already adopted by the Russian army, its promising future not only in the army, but also in civilian life - in our material.

New pistol in five years

The fifth anniversary “Army” forum is breaking records for the number of presentations of new models. One of the main new products among small arms is the “Boa Constrictor” pistol complex. The new Russian pistol was demonstrated in action by its chief developer, Ivan Kozlov, leading design engineer at TsNIItochmash of the Rostec State Corporation. “Boa Constrictor” can be called the first independent work of the designer, who is not yet thirty years old. By the way, at about the same age, Mikhail Kalashnikov transferred his AK into service.

In total, the work on creating the Boa Constrictor pistol complex took almost five years. TsNIITochmash began developing the pistol in 2014, and the new product was first announced in October 2015 at the “Innovation Day of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation” exhibition. In March 2016, the pistol complex passed preliminary tests.

After fine-tuning, state weapons tests took place from August to December 2022. The pistol showed stable operation and high ballistic qualities in various conditions, including extreme temperatures: from minus 50 degrees to 70 degrees hot.

In April of this year, the Interdepartmental Commission completed an inspection of the design documentation of the pistol complex. The 9 mm self-loading pistol has been approved for mass production. As previously reported, the pistol complex in general and special configurations was transferred to the Russian army for trial military operation.

History of creation

In March 2014, development work began on the “Boa Constrictor” project, another attempt to “displace” the Makarov pistol from the arsenal of the army and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The requirements for the future weapon were quite complex - the designers were asked to combine light weight, the use of a powerful cartridge, and a simple and easy-to-maintain design in the pistol.

The young but already experienced designer Ivan Kozlov from the Central Research Institute TochMash managed to combine all the declared characteristics in a pistol, which received the GRAU 6P27 index and the name “Boa Constrictor”, assigned as a result of winning the competition.

Development work on the Boa Constrictor project took place over two years - the shooter’s anatomy was taken into account, 3D modeling of the body of the future weapon was used - everything was aimed at durability and increasing the combat characteristics of the Boa Constrictor.

Order of the Ministry of Defense

In 2022, the finally finished model, which had undergone final “finishing”, passed severe state tests organized by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The test results resulted in a few meager lines: “Tests of the weapon confirmed the compliance of the tactical and technical characteristics in difficult climatic and operational conditions, in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Defense.”

Testing a new pistol

The “Boa Constrictor” underwent truly severe tests - the pistol was rolled out in liquid mud, buried in sand, lay for a long time in dirty water, was subjected to shock loads and fired without the use of lubricants. Having fired more than a thousand shots with honor, the pistol continued to demonstrate excellent performance characteristics. This is what allowed the testing commission to recommend the “Boa Constrictor” pistol complex for adoption.

The test program also included checking the operation of the mechanism at extremely high and extremely low temperatures - from -50 to +75 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the pistol demonstrated a confident hit in three series of 10 shots into a circle with a diameter of 3 cm from a distance of 25 meters. In total, during testing, the weapon mechanisms endured about ten thousand shots, although the resource was limited to two thousand.

What’s interesting about the new “Boa Constrictor” pistol for the army?

The Boa constrictor's automatic system is based on the classic Browning system - the recoil energy is on a short barrel stroke, the bolt is locked by the barrel being skewed. True, the entire system was adjusted for a more powerful 9x21 mm cartridge - otherwise the weapon’s service life would drop catastrophically.

Double-action trigger mechanism, a uniquely designed safety cock that holds the hammer in a semi-firing position. The magazine is double-row, designed for 18 rounds. The magazine release button is located, similar to the PM, at the bottom of the handle.

One of the important features is that when replacing an empty magazine with a loaded one, the first cartridge is automatically inserted into the breech and the pistol is immediately ready for use.

Reviews of a GRU veteran about the pistol

In general, reviews from Dmitry Pavlov, a veteran of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, characterize the new weapon as an accurate, powerful and reliable weapon that cannot let the shooter down.

“One of the minuses (PM. - Author’s note) is the small magazine capacity compared to the APS. I think this is ineffective: you need to carry extra magazines on yourself. Yes, they don’t take up much space, but it’s time... Time and the amount of ammunition play an important role in military clashes.” D. Pavlov, GRU veteran, participant in the Tskhinvali operation.

Of course, two cartridges do not provide a huge advantage in combat operations, but as a result of the actions of a special forces soldier, this is at least one hit target. After all, in special forces during shooting training there is an unspoken rule - each cartridge must cause maximum damage.

Testing new army weapons

Preliminary tests of the pistol took place in 2016. After correcting the design “cons” and fine-tuning, from August to December 2022, state tests of a new type of weapon were held at the TsNIITochmash training ground and in the army units of the Western and Central military districts of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The weapon was demonstrated to media representatives by its creator, designer Ivan Kozlov. From a distance of 50 m, it easily pierced a 4 mm thick steel plate. Comparative firing of the PM against a similar target ended in vain.

Design Features

In addition to the non-standard automation for Russian pistols, the Boa constrictor pistol has several more unique solutions:

• The frame of the pistol is made of glass-filled polymer Armamid, which was not so common in Russian pistols before;
• A unique system of movement of weapon components, where the center of mass of the weapon is as low as possible to reduce recoil;
• Enlarged trigger guard for using the pistol with gloves;
• The “Boa constrictor” body is made of materials that provide maximum grip of a wet hand on the bolt and handle;
• The Boa Constrictor does not have a bolt stop mechanism in the usual way - there are no mechanical switches controlled by the shooter.
• The delay is turned on automatically when the ammunition is used up and turns off when a loaded magazine is inserted.

Tula Tokarev TT

When remembering all the pistols in Russia 2022, we must not forget about the legendary TT, which absolutely everyone knows. The model was launched into production by Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev in the 1930s, and over the entire period it was possible to create at least 1.8 million units. Thus, this weapon is already more than 90 years old and not so far from being a hundred years old. The channel locking design is exactly the same as the Browning. The most powerful self-loading pistol in Russia , it is very convenient. The design itself is simple, which is why it is so easy to maintain. The muzzle energy of the TT reaches 500 Joules, it is very penetrating. In terms of security, it cannot be called the best.

• Year of creation: 1930
• Caliber: 7.62 mm.
• Length: 195 mm.
• Bullet speed: 420 m/s
• Effective range: 50m
• Magazine: 8 rounds
• Weight: 854 g

Tactical and technical characteristics (TTX) of the Boa constrictor pistol

Dimensions and ergonomics

The ergonomics of the pistol are designed for constant carrying, convenience and speed of use in any situation - there are practically no protruding parts on the pistol, there is even a winter option - the polyamide frame does not cool down in the cold, without causing discomfort for the shooter when gripping the handle.

BOA - a new army pistol

For convenient grabbing, there are also smoothed shapes of the sights and safety catch and a small-sized trigger.

Ammo

To meet the requirements of the Ministry of Defense, the weapon was developed for an initially powerful armor-piercing cartridge - 9x21 mm SP-10. The ammunition differs from the standard, but hopelessly outdated 9x18 mm PM in all respects: The pointed bullet provides reliable penetration of light wearable protection (body armor and helmets) up to class three inclusive at a distance of up to 50 meters; The ballistic qualities of the ammunition make it possible to avoid excessive rotation of the bullet in flight at a distance of up to 150 meters.

The cartridge itself began to be developed in 1992, for the promising Vector and Veresk weapon systems. The final version of the cartridge, called SP-10, was introduced in 1995. Also, as ammunition, the “Boa Constrictor” can use ammunition such as SP-11 (low-ricocheting armor-piercing), SP-12 (cartridge with an expansive bullet), SP-13 (projected, not yet put into service), as well as training SP-10U and SP-10UZ with an increased charge of gunpowder (although the latter is not recommended for constant use).

In addition to all of the above, special subsonic ammunition has been put into service, designed for firing from weapons with an attached PBS.

Standard breaker

The ammunition used for the Boa Constrictor is extremely powerful. In order to regulate the production of protective equipment, back in September 1998 it was necessary to make changes to GOST 50744-95 “Armored clothing. Classification and general technical requirements." A new class of protective clothing against being hit by 9x21 mm cartridges has appeared - Br2.

The lead destructive element weighing 7.93 g, located inside the cartridge, is capable of penetrating through any armor of this class. Br2 is higher than the American class NIJ 2a-3a (domestic analogue - Br1), to neutralize which the Serdyukov SR-1 pistol was previously developed. While working on the weapon, Ivan Kozlov also managed to adapt it to a subsonic cartridge. The presence of a muzzle thread made it possible to effectively use the Boa Constrictor for shooting with a silencer.

Reliability and safety

The 6P27 is equipped with a double-action trigger, which eliminates the need for the shooter to cock the hammer to fire, as well as a reliable safety cocking system, activated by levers located on both sides of the bolt casing.

The streamlined safety cocking levers, when the pistol is put on safety, set the trigger in the middle position, between the “combat” and “safety” cockings. In this mode, the weapon is loaded, but neither manually cocking the bolt nor releasing the hammer is possible. When the safety is removed, the “Boa Constrictor” is ready to fire instantly (of course, if there is a cartridge in the chamber).

Modifications of the Boa Constrictor

The standard 6P27 has two modifications - with a standard (military) and an extended barrel for attaching a silencer (special). Otherwise, the standard models do not differ from each other in any way.

But for export, a modification was developed for the 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge, which is also called the “civilian” version - the Boa Constrictor pistol chambered for 9 mm caliber. Visually, they can be distinguished by the corrugation of the bolt casing - the version chambered for the SP-10 cartridge has vertical corrugation, while the version chambered for the Parabellum cartridge has a 45-degree beveled corrugation.

Both modifications are equipped with a Picatinny rail located under the barrel and used to mount a laser designator or an under-barrel flashlight.

There was a project for the external design of weapons, created at the Central Research Institute to misinform possible competitors - accordingly, it had nothing to do with the product being developed. Subsequently, after demonstrating samples at an arms exhibition, the Central Research Institute TochMash confirmed the fact of deliberate misinformation of future operators.

Why is the gun named this way?

According to one of the widespread legends, the weapon is named so precisely because when fired with a subsonic cartridge with an attached PBS, the shot becomes similar in sound to the hissing of a boa constrictor.

The silencer, also known as PBS, was designed specifically for use with the Boa constrictor pistol and differs from other PBS primarily in the materials from which it is made - the body of the silent and flameless shooting device itself is made entirely of carbon. The detailed design of both the silencer and the pistol is not shown to the public - not all parts of the design have been declassified. We only note that when fired from a 6P27 with an attached PBS, the shot, even indoors, does not have a strong sound effect on the eardrums, significantly reducing the sound of the shot.

Meet Tula resident Ivan Kozlov

TsNIITochmash is a famous weapons design bureau in Podolsk near Moscow. One of his employees is a thirty-year-old young man about whom the whole world has recently started talking. His name is Ivan Kozlov, a graduate of the Department of Calculation and Design of Automatic Machines at the Tula Polytechnic Institute. During his internship, Kozlov, as part of Pyotr Serdyukov’s group, successfully adapted the VSS “Vintroez” for the equipment of “polite people”, the “Warrior” complex.

Kozlov’s first independent work at a new workplace after graduating from university became a sensation. He considers himself more a designer than a constructor. Not least because you have to work a lot on the computer. Although he developed and assembled a new pistol, as they say, “by cog.” Kozlov is convinced that his brainchild is only a good pistol for army officers, and not a “Makarov killer.” Time will tell whether he is right.

The further fate of the pistol

Despite the fact that the 6P27 is recommended for use as the main combat pistol, the process of changing weapons occurs with great difficulty. The PM, which has “grown” into the army, although hopelessly outdated, is loved by officers of the army and special forces. Moreover, previously the Gyurza models and pistols designed by Lebedev and Yarygin were delivered in small batches, making some competition to the weapons of the Kozlov system.

It is obvious that the replacement of the PM will not happen in the near future, this is a long-term issue - firstly, this is influenced by the price of the weapon, secondly, there are no adequate reserves of 9 mm SP cartridges, and thirdly, a huge number of Makarovs.

There's something else in the bins

So, “Boa Constrictor” has been approved for mass production. A large project that took several years has been completed. Is there anything else in the bins? Ivan answered this question categorically: “Yes, of course, but you will see everything at the Army 2019 forum.” There are also a lot of ideas for the future. But Ivan is also in no hurry to talk about them. But we managed to find out something about the engineering path of the 29-year-old developer.

“My pistol story has been going on for quite a long time. To be fair, I am an expert in this matter. I studied at a specialized department where they teach how to create just such things. And already during my graduation project I had such a modest small pistol. And when I first came to work, I ended up just at the Ratnik tests. That's where I understood what reliability is and what testing is. And then I was assigned to support serial production – specifically pistols.”

It so happened that weapons are both a hobby and Ivan’s job. But when they call him a super-successful developer who created a unique weapon at only 29 years old, he immediately pulls back.

“Let’s still be honest as it is. You see, there are people who take it and say: this and that are necessary. But, as a rule, it doesn’t come to fruition. But in my understanding, you have to take it and do it. Here, do, do, do. Gain experience and understanding. And implement it. That's all. And everything else is just trifles. This is what success is.”

Photo: globallookpress.com