The choice of weapon for hunting is one of the key criteria for preparing for this hunt. A hunting rifle must be functional and reliable, because when hunting game, only a few seconds may be allotted to fire the decisive shot. The new VPO 212 smoothbore carbine perfectly meets these criteria.
In today's article we will take a detailed look at the design features and technical characteristics of this carbine so that you can familiarize yourself with this type of weapon before purchasing.
VPO 212
The VPO 212 smoothbore carbine was developed for the .366 TKM cartridge, and the basis for this weapon was the Vepr-Pioneer model, which has already earned numerous positive reviews from hunters.
Figure 1. External features of the model
Unlike hunting carbines with a rifled barrel, you can buy a smoothbore VPO 212 under a standard license for this type of smoothbore weapon, without the need for a 5-year wait. This, as well as a well-thought-out design and functional technical characteristics, explain why carbines of the VPO 212 model are in such great demand (Figure 1).
In general, we can say that such a self-loading smoothbore gun was originally created as an alternative to traditional rifled types of weapons. It can be used for hunting various game, as well as for training and shooting competitions.
Design Features
The advantages of the VPO 212 carbine can only be fully assessed by considering the main features of its design (Figure 2).
Among them are the following:
- Mechanism:
in the new model the size of the bolt and the shape of the bolt frame have been changed. This made it possible to reduce the length and, accordingly, the weight of the receiver. Powder gases are removed from the barrel using a side-mounted gas engine, and a rotary bolt with 2 stops is used for locking. - Stock:
this model is equipped with a practical and beautiful walnut stock. Additionally, it is coated with a special impregnation that protects the wood from adverse environmental factors and emphasizes the beautiful matte color of natural wood. - Barrel:
made by cold rotational forging. The inside of the barrel is chrome plated to increase service life and protect against corrosion.
Figure 2. Design features of the weapon
In general, at first glance at the VPO 212 hunting carbine, it becomes clear that this is not only a convenient, reliable and functional weapon, but also a rather beautiful model that fully meets the requirements of hunting aesthetics.
Hunting carbine VPO-212
The VPO-212 carbine for the new popular caliber 366 TKM was developed on the basis of the SOK-97R “Vepr-Pioneer” rifled carbine, which entered the market in 1999 and is, perhaps, one of the most elegant rifled carbines of the “Vepr” family from the point of view of hunting aesthetics. .
This is a weapon developed by a group of designers including P.M. Mokrushina, S.V. Urzhumtseva, V.I. Lyamina and T.A. Soldatkina, uses layout solutions, a number of components and mechanisms, as well as manufacturing technologies for the Kalashnikov light machine gun (RPK-74) , in the production of which the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant specialized.
SOK-97R “Vepr-Pioneer” is one of the first Russian hunting carbines chambered for the 223 Remington (5.56×45 mm), which has become a worthy competitor to popular carbines of the same caliber in Europe and North America.
However, in recent years, due to sanctions restrictions on the arms market, Russian manufacturers, including Molot-Oruzhie LLC, have begun to pay more attention to the domestic consumer. It is no secret that there is a significant demand for rifled hunting weapons in the country, but their acquisition is possible only after 5 years of owning a smooth-bore weapon.
Specialists and Tekhkrim CJSC decided to develop a fundamentally new cartridge of caliber 366 TKM (metric designation 9.5 × 38 mm , uses a re-compressed cartridge case of the 1943 model 7.62 × 39 mm) for firing from a smooth barrel with a partially rifled part of 140 mm , since the “Weapons Law” does not prohibit this.
From a legal point of view, this ammunition is a cartridge for smooth-bore weapons, however, due to its design features, its ballistic properties are close to ammunition for rifled weapons of a similar caliber. Thus, the buyer of a weapon of caliber 366 TKM gets the opportunity to become the owner of an actual rifled carbine within a two-week period, without 5 years of experience in owning a smoothbore.
Molot-Weapons LLC decided to test the new ammunition first on re-barrel models of army weapons. The first-born here was the Simonov carbine model 1945 (SKS) caliber 366 TKM , called VPO-208 . In terms of accuracy at distances up to 100-150 m, the difference between the VPO-208 and a weapon with a fully rifled barrel turns out to be insignificant, while the new carbine is completely identical in appearance and handling to the original “demilitarized” SKS (without a folding bayonet). The same applies to the VPO-209, a self-loading civilian version of the Kalashnikov AKM assault rifle chambered for 366 TKM.
The VPO-212 "Vepr-Pioneer" carbine is designed for hunting at distances up to 150 m for catching small, medium and large game weighing up to 200 kg . It can also be used for sport shooting and training. The automation and locking unit were borrowed from its prototype, but changes were made to the design of the bolt and receiver due to the use of a different type of cartridge. The standard magazine is a detachable box magazine for 5 rounds , adapted for 336 TKM caliber ammunition, however, it is possible to use standard AKM and RPK magazines chambered for 7.62x39 mm caliber ammunition.
You can read about the pros and cons of a two-row magazine in the article “Magazine in hunting weapons”.
The developer considers the interchangeability of magazines a big plus, since there is a significant selection of such magazines on the market, but warns that the supply from them may be unstable due to some differences in the geometric dimensions of 366 TKM and 7.62x39 mm cartridges. The barrel is 520 mm long with 6 right-hand rifling (pitch 500 mm, depth 0.25 mm), like all barrels of Molot-Oruzhie LLC, thick-walled, made by cold rotational forging. The bore and chamber, as well as the gas chamber and piston rod are chrome plated. The trigger mechanism is trigger-type and can be separated from the weapon for cleaning and lubrication.
The safety is a push-button, located in the front of the trigger guard. The main sight is mechanical, with a reversible rear sight for distances of 100 and 300 m and a front sight adjustable in two planes (located on the front of the gas outlet tube), but it is possible to mount optics. To do this, guides are installed on the side of the receiver for installing a bracket with a Weaver rail.
The muzzle of the barrel has an M14x1 thread for installing muzzle devices, DTK or a flash suppressor . When not in use, it is closed with a protective sleeve. The stock of the carbine, as on the prototype, is made of walnut, with a comfortable long fore-end, cheek piece and rubber butt pad. The VPO-212 carbine kit includes one magazine for 5 rounds, a cleaning rod and a product data sheet.
Material prepared by Arkady Bobrovsky
More on the topic:
Cartridge caliber 366TKM
Cartridge 9.6x53 Lancaster
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Technical characteristics of the VPO 212 carbine
Many hunters, when choosing a weapon for hunting, pay attention not to the appearance of the model, but to its technical characteristics. From this point of view, the VPO 212 carbine can also be called quite successful. It is a .366TKM caliber weapon and is suitable for a wide variety of large and medium game hunting. The total length of the weapon is 1040 or 1140 mm depending on the barrel length (550 or 650 mm). The width of the carbine is 75 mm with a height of 200 mm. The magazine of the VPO 212 carbine holds 10 rounds, and when unloaded the weight of the weapon is 3.9 kg (Figure 3).
Among other technical characteristics of the model it is worth highlighting:
- The bolt striker is spring-loaded, which completely eliminates the possibility of inertial heating of the primer.
- The hammer-type trigger mechanism is located on a separate base. This greatly simplifies the process of cleaning weapons after use. In addition, it is designed in such a way that it allows only single shots.
- The carbine is equipped with a manual push-button safety.
- A distinctive feature of the model is that the magazine latch is located in front of the trigger mechanism. If you're not used to it, this can cause some inconvenience, but after shooting, this function will prove to be very useful, as it completely eliminates the possibility of losing the magazine.
- The trigger has a smooth and short stroke, which has a positive effect on the quality of shooting.
Figure 3. The technical characteristics of the weapon are thought out in detail.
Separately, we should dwell on the aiming capabilities of the carbine. All devices for aimed shooting are open and equipped with an adjustment function. For example, in the front part of the gas outlet tube there is a front sight that can be adjusted in two planes. The rear sight of the model is reversible and has two positions: for a mark of 100 and 300 meters. Additionally, there is a side base for mounting a collimator or optical sight.
Smoothbore carbine VPO-212. The whole truth about Vepr-Pioneer in .366 caliber
Video review of the VPO-212 smoothbore self-loading carbine. The review touched on the history of creation, examined the design and principle of operation, and also fired the weapon. The VPO-212 smoothbore carbine chambered for .366 TKM was developed by Molot-Oruzhie LLC on the basis of the Vepr-Pioneer (SOK-97R) carbine of .223 Remington caliber (5.56×45 mm), which, in turn, was created on the basis Kalashnikov RPK-74 light machine gun. The VPO-212 self-loading shotgun with a smooth barrel is positioned as an alternative to rifled weapons and is intended for hunting and harvesting small, medium and large game weighing up to 200 kg, as well as for sports shooting and training. The .336 TKM cartridge used in this weapon is intended for hunting animals weighing up to 200 kg. at distances up to 150 meters. From a legal point of view, this ammunition is a cartridge for smooth-bore weapons, however, due to its design features, its ballistic properties are close to ammunition for rifled weapons of a similar caliber. During the preparation of the VPO-212 for the 366TKM cartridge, the gun underwent a number of changes. So the size of the bolt and the shape of the bolt frame changed, the length and, thanks to all this, the weight of the receiver decreased. Automation works by removing powder gases from the barrel (side-mounted gas engine), locking is carried out by a rotating bolt with 2 lugs. The bolt striker is spring-loaded to prevent inertial heating of the primer. The trigger mechanism is trigger-type and can be separated from the weapon for cleaning and lubrication. The trigger has a smooth and short stroke. The safety is a push-button, located in the front of the trigger guard. In front of the trigger base there is a magazine latch. The standard magazine is a detachable box magazine for 5 rounds, adapted for .336 TKM ammunition, however, it is possible to use standard magazines from AKM and RPK chambered for 7.62×39 mm caliber ammunition. The main sight is mechanical, with a reversible rear sight for distances of 100 and 300 m and a front sight adjustable in two planes (located on the front of the gas outlet tube). There is a side base for brackets for mounting optical sights or collimators, as well as other devices. On the side surfaces of the rear sight base and the rear part of the receiver there are elements for attaching the upper bracket with a Weaver rail for attaching optical sights. The barrel is thick-walled, made by cold rotational forging. The barrel bore has 6 Paradox rotational rifling, no more than 140 mm long, rifling pitch - 500 mm, rifling diameter - 9.5 mm, rifling diameter along the margins: 9 mm. The bore and chamber, as well as the gas chamber and piston rod are chrome plated. The muzzle of the barrel has a left-hand thread M14 x 1 for installing muzzle devices, such as a flame arrester. The stock is single, made of walnut wood, with a comfortable long fore-end, cheek piece and rubber butt pad. The handle and fore-end are serrated for better control. Characteristics: • Caliber: .366 • Cartridge, mm: 9x37 (.366 TKM) • Weight, kg: 4.3 • Overall dimensions, mm: 1010x75x200 • Barrel length, mm: 520 (optional 550 and 650) • Magazine capacity, pcs.: 5 • Sighting range, m: ~ 300 • Dispersion radius, mm: no more than 50
Cartridges for VPO 212
To load the carbine of this model, .366 TKM caliber cartridges are used. From the point of view of official laws, this ammunition belongs to the category of cartridges for smooth-bore weapons, although its ballistic properties, due to its special design, are more reminiscent of ammunition of a similar caliber for rifled guns (Figure 4).
Cartridges of this caliber are excellent for hunting, as they allow you to shoot almost any game weighing up to 200 kg from a distance of 150 meters, however, targeted shooting in some cases can be carried out from a shorter distance without fear of damaging the trophy.
Figure 4. Carbine cartridges have a fairly large caliber
Thanks to these features, cartridges for VPO 212 are valued for their high destructive power. At the same time, the buyer of such a smooth-bore carbine actually gets at his disposal a gun with the properties and functions of a rifled weapon, but in a much shorter time.
Smoothbore carbine VPO 209
The VPO-209 smoothbore carbine is made by Molot-Weapon based on the AKM and has identical:
- view;
- mass;
- dimensions.
The VPO-209 is adapted for effective shooting with hunting cartridges of 366 TKM caliber, developed for the VPO-208 carbine, which is based on the Simonov self-loading carbine. The self-loading AKM caliber 366 TKM is purchased under a smoothbore license, so its buyers will not have to wait until the end of the five-year period to obtain the necessary permission to own it.
The 336 TKM cartridge is ideal for effective hunting of animals weighing over 200 kg at a distance of up to 150 meters. Produced by Tekhkrim, Izhevsk (TK) and OJSC Molot, Vyatskie Polyany. The current cartridge is a modification of the 7.62 caliber cartridge produced in 1943. It is produced complete with a “Dary” lead bullet, weighing 13.5 g, with a “Gexa” semi-jacketed bullet, weighing 15.5 g, and in 2016, production and sales of cartridges with a “Konus” semi-jacket bullet, weighing 15 g, resumed. The vpo 209 carbine is easy to use, does not have harsh recoil, and is ideal for use by beginners who want to gain the necessary experience in handling weapons. Caliber 366 tkm - modernized for shooting with smoothbore weapons. The barrel has the appropriate threading.
Specifications
- Caliber: .366 TCM.
- Weapon length: 883 mm.
- Barrel length: 515 mm.
- Weapon width: 72 mm.
- Weapon height: 195 mm.
- Carabiner weight: 4 kg.
- Magazine capacity: 10 rounds.
