China's newest electromagnetic gun: toy or weapon of the future?

A group of developers from the Naval Engineering University in Wuhan (PRC) managed to create a compact electromagnetic weapon of unprecedented power. The South China Morning Post reported this. Experts from Profile magazine assessed the capabilities of the new pistol and how realistic the imminent appearance of small electromagnetic weapons is.

The device is designed on the principle of a Gauss gun, has the form factor of a pistol with a barrel 12 cm long. Three electromagnetic coils are placed around the barrel, and the field generated by them is capable of ejecting a projectile with an initial energy of about 150 J. It is especially noted that such indicators were achieved through the use of artificial intelligence. No other details about the characteristics and capabilities of the Chinese “Gauss pistol” are reported.

The best breaking hunting rifles

Shotgun MP-27M

(cal. 12x76, walnut, 725 mm barrels, replaceable chokes) Our rating of the best guns for hunting opens with the work of the Izhevsk masters MP-27M.
A double-barreled shotgun is usually purchased for a long time, and here a choice arises: overpay for reliability or choose a model with easily accessible spare parts. Considering that now even Turkish breakthrough guns are slowly but surely approaching the border of the budget class, and guns like the Ata Arms SP have actually gone into the “middle class”, the Izhevsk sideflint does not lose popularity: back in the days of the Soviet Union, when it was called Izh- 27, he became the record holder for the number of models produced - more than one and a half million. There are many modifications of the gun available - from budget versions in plastic to one-piece guns with rich decorative trim, approaching in price the well-known abbreviation BBB. There is a choice in calibers, trigger options, and barrel lengths. Recently, you can inexpensively turn a gun into an “almost combined” one within the framework of a “smoothbore” license by purchasing an insert barrel for the caliber. 366 - although it is called “under-rifled”, it showed itself well during the hunt. Well, let’s finish the list of assets with a well-studied (no wonder - the model is exactly 45 years old) construction.

True, traditionally for Izhevsk, mass-produced guns require attention when purchasing: there is a risk of encountering pulled barrels and crooked slats, and the difference in muzzle thickness is officially recognized by the factory as not being included in the list of defects.
Wood has been the same for almost half a century and has already been habitually called a “stick” and a “paddle” - it doesn’t fit well on generic guns, but ergonomically... Okay, let’s not talk about the bad stuff, fortunately the amount of “meat” on the stock allows you to adjust the gun “to your needs.” " Main advantages
:

• One of the most affordable side flints with a good margin of safety and available spare parts
• A large number of execution options

Minuses
:

• Mediocre ergonomics for most shooters
• Average build quality (“refinement with a file” after purchase for Russian weapons, alas, the norm)

Shotgun CZ Mallard

(cal. 12x76, barrels 760 mm, replaceable chokes)
The CZ brand (Česká zbrojovka) has been well known in our country since Soviet times, but nostalgia in this case can result in disappointment: like most modern budget guns for hunting, CZ Mallard is produced in Turkey, and on the reverse side of the engraving “CZ-USA” you can find “Huglu, Made in Turkey”. Of course, recently the quality of Turkish weapons has increased significantly, but despising the Turks on weapons forums has become as obligatory as the Chinese on car forums.

In terms of build quality and fit, the gun is undoubtedly noticeably superior to Izhevsk gross guns. The fact is that the Turkish arms industry makes money on guns, and does not produce them as an “add-on” to the main profile, as has been our custom for a long time. Therefore, optimization of production, a modern machine park for Turkish gunsmiths are not empty words, and the CZ Mallard is pleasant to hold in your hands: the gun itself has a good weight distribution, the interchangeable chokes are installed conscientiously, and the mechanics work on most guns as expected without the obligatory purchase of a set of needle files. The “most” clause, alas, is inevitable – in the budget class, weapons should always be chosen with close attention.

I am pleased with the manufacturer’s attention to customer reviews: if initially the wood of the gun was covered with a soft and easily scratched varnish, now Mallard Gen.2 has already appeared in stores - their wood is impregnated with oil (which, in general, is typical for higher-class guns), and double-barreled shotguns got rid of the old problem radically.

Main advantages
:

• Decent build quality and fit of parts
• Good weight distribution even with long barrels
• Five interchangeable Mobilchoke chokes

Minuses
:

• Possible problems with repairs and finding spare parts

Will Chinese weapons be effective in modern warfare?

When Hou Minjun, commander of the 27th Army's armored unit, went on a nine-day training exercise in Inner Mongolia, he lost more than half of his equipment. /epochtimes.ru/

During the first 48 hours of the Northern Sword 2013 exercise, all 40 tanks of his battalion failed one after another. Only 15 vehicles were able to be repaired on site, according to the press service of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA). Although the battalion only participated in a simulated combat situation, Hou Minjun lost almost all of its equipment during the exercise. For a commander with 32 years of service experience, this was a real shame.

The fiasco during the exercise indicates major problems in the Chinese army. Despite the Chinese regime's recent efforts to renovate and reorganize, the military still has many challenges to overcome. Most of all, the PLA lacks high-quality weapons and highly qualified personnel, according to experts.

Obsolete tanks

The failure of the Northern Sword 2013 exercise was expected. Of the thousands of tanks currently in service with the PLA, the vast majority are variants of the Soviet T-55, which appeared shortly after World War II. Modernization has extended the service life of this previously successful technology, but it is now hopelessly outdated.

After the Gulf War in 1991, when advanced American weapons defeated a huge amount of obsolete equipment, China decided to begin updating its weapons. In particular, the ZTZ-99 tank was created, which combines Western and Soviet technologies.

But according to an article on the military website War on the Rocks, modernization of armored forces in China has been slow. New equipment enters the army in tiny portions. Under current conditions, the prospects for this type of troops against the backdrop of modern conflicts look bleak.

Engine problems

The air force, to which the Chinese regime has paid a lot of attention, also does not keep up with the potential enemy. Many of the PLA's aircraft are obsolete, as are the tanks. Although China established local production of the J-7 and J-8, they could only show their “class” at the end of the Cold War.

Take, for example, the Chinese J-11 interceptor. It is a copy of the Soviet Su-27SK fighter. The PLA Air Force ordered this aircraft in 1992, and then China began production of its J-11, but the engines still had to be purchased from Russia.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communist Party was ready to acquire modern Russian weapons. This partnership has only partially helped the Chinese military. Russia carefully guarded its secrets, wary of China's habit of stealing and copying foreign technology.

Hoping to eliminate its dependence on Russian aircraft engines, which are of great importance in aircraft manufacturing, China has been trying for decades to create its own equivalents.

A WS-10 jet engine was developed, but according to an article in Globalsecurity.org, the Chinese military was not satisfied with its performance in 2007. In 2009, a Chinese official said that they still had not solved all the problems with the engines.

In 2010, the Washington Post reported that Russian and Chinese experts admit that the WS-10A requires maintenance after only 30 hours of operation. Russian engines operate without maintenance for about 400 hours.

In 2013, China began assembling a small batch of J-15 carrier-based fighters, which also resemble the Su-27. Early J-15 models were equipped with Russian engines. In 2010, authorities announced that the new J-15 would be powered by the Chinese WS-10H engine. However, there are reports that it still remains a weak point in Chinese aircraft.

Although the quality of Chinese aircraft engines is still quite low, the military has begun creating the fifth-generation fighter J-20. It will supposedly be the Chinese answer to the American F-22 Raptor.

An article published on the War is Boring blog claims that the J-20 will not enter service until 2022 due to numerous unresolved issues.

Learning problems

Even now that China has acquired some new weapons, the military does not have enough training to use them properly. It takes a lot of time and effort to train competent personnel who will be experts in effective strategy and tactics. A recent report, China's Incomplete Military Transformation, published by the RAND Corporation, exposed many shortcomings in the training of military professionals.

According to the report, in the summer of 2012, China's Second Artillery Corps, which controls the country's nuclear weapons, conducted a 15-day exercise in an underground bunker. It turned out that many officers simply could not stand the load. After about a week, the military became so depressed that they had to invite a women's military ensemble to cheer up the soldiers. The generals made excuses that the young officers were not prepared for a long stay underground. But when repeated three-day exercises were carried out, the result was even worse. Many needed the help of a psychologist on the second day; many refused to eat.

China maintains a large fleet of submarines, including nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. But so far they have not been able to be sent on long-term patrols. In 2003, a Chinese diesel submarine sank with its entire crew, revealing the poor state of training in the PLA Navy.

Because of the Chinese Communist Party's "one-child policy," 80 percent of PLA officers and soldiers received increased attention from their parents or grandparents as children, a Chinese general told a New York Times reporter. As a result, it became difficult to unite soldiers into a cohesive team capable of surviving in combat conditions. Scott W. Harold, one of the authors of the RAND report, told the New York Times that soldiers come into the military pampered because they were an only child as children.

The quality and effectiveness of PLA exercises are often the subject of criticism. Commanders usually falsify training results to impress their superiors. Military publications point to excessive formalism in the training process. In general, the PLA often found itself in a difficult position when simulating realistic environments. This points to numerous "weak links" in Chinese military doctrine.

In addition to the fact that the military needs more money for fuel, ammunition and other materials needed for training, there are also problems in the system itself. It is known that the PLA is subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party and serves its political interests.

Under the leadership of the party

The Chinese Communist Party is constantly tightening its control over the PLA and imposing political training at the expense of military training. Communist ideology permeates all levels in the army. Employees spend more than a third of their time on “political work,” according to news site Sinodefense. All Chinese officers are required to be members of the Communist Party. All units, starting from the platoon, must have a commissar to follow the “party line” and maintain “party discipline”. At the top levels of the PLA, key decisions are made by party committee members.

The highly politicized nature of the PLA, as well as the Communist Party's keeping the army isolated from civilian agencies, contribute to serious corruption within the military. Theft and illegal business have become common among Chinese officers.

When China's current leader's anti-corruption campaign reached the military, thousands of military personnel found themselves behind bars. The most notorious was the arrest of Xu Caihou, the former vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and head of the General Political Administration.

Xu was the second in command of the army, although he never commanded a specific military unit. He rose through the ranks of the PLA General Political Directorate. Among other things, he was accused of selling military titles. Investigators found entire warehouses of money and jewelry in his possessions.

The best slug hunting rifles

Shotgun TK-598

Some difficulty arose even with the name of this category: since formally weapons chambered for .366TKM and 9.6/53 Lancaster cartridges are legally considered smoothbore in our country, these are undoubtedly guns, even if they are not such in essence.
Well, the definition of “undercut”, which has long been strengthened among the people, still sounds frivolous for definition - therefore, despite the presence of a factory shot cartridge in the “three hundred and sixty-sixth”, and in the 9.6/53 - a buckshot cartridge, this weapon is still unambiguous “sharpened” specifically for bullet shooting, and that is what we will call this category today, at the same time making a reference to the famous book of grandfather Buturlin. The “Tekhkrimovsky” carbine TK-598, produced with barrels 520 or 600 mm long and chambered for 9.6/53 Lancaster, is nothing more than the legendary “Mauser” K98, albeit with an intermediary in the person of the Serbian “Zastava” - namely the Serbian produced rifle chambered for. 30-06 is being re-barreled and modified for a new cartridge. And, even though the “original” has a military past (having gone through two world wars, however!), it is among hunters that the “Mauser” remains the most alive: this design remains one of the most popular in hunting rifles from different manufacturers. And the paradoxical feature of the “under-rifled” 9.6/53 cartridge is that it not only does not require five years of service due to its “smooth-bore” status, but it is also cheaper than comparable “purely rifled” cartridges in terms of power, while providing good accuracy at those distances where in most regions of Russia the carbine would be used for hunting. Therefore, more and more weapons chambered for this cartridge are chosen not by “waiters” who have not yet accumulated five years of experience in purchasing rifled weapons, but by serious hunters who get their hands on a very interesting version of a gun for hunting large animals.

Rework for the new cartridge limited the capacity of the integral magazine to 3 rounds, plus one in the chamber. The TK-598 barrel is suspended, forged, with a chrome-plated bore and machined with decent accuracy - add to this a trigger trigger and a comfortable walnut stock, and we actually get a rifle capable of accurately hitting an animal at distances of up to 250-300 meters.

The recoil of the 9.6/53 cartridge is decent - so the standard muzzle brake on the TK-598 is by no means superfluous. With it, the magazine doesn’t seem small: after just four shots without ear protection in the forest, you begin to understand that active headphones are a great invention: the carbine hits the sides with noticeable sound, so that the echo from the trees returns to the shooter even more quickly.

The TK-598 requires surprisingly little “piling”: you may have to tinker a little with the magazine insert and cut in the dowel (on early carbines there were cracks in the stock, which were solved by the manufacturer by replacing the stock under warranty - and the “warranty” one already had a dowel).

Main advantages
:

• Efficiency up to 300 meters comparable to classic rifle cartridges of 9.3-9.6 mm calibers, at a lower cartridge price
• Ergonomics
• Schneller trigger
• Overall high quality (“Mauser” is hard to spoil)

Minuses
:

• Some “dampness” of the first samples (which, however, is the “sin” of all weapon manufacturers)

Shotgun VPO-223

The base model for the VPO-223 (which, despite the name, was made, naturally, not chambered for the .223 cartridge, but for the same 9.5/53 Lancaster as the TK-598) was another carbine from Vyatskiye Polyany - VPO- 111.
Since it was developed for the 7.62x54R cartridge, on the basis of which the 9.6/53 cartridge was made, the scope of adaptation was minimal - only replacing the barrel with a new one with Lancaster drilling, obtained by rotational forging and with a length of 600 mm having a certified accuracy of 50 mm at 100 meters – that is, just under 2 MOA. The result is not sniper-quality, but taking into account the energy of the cartridge, it covers hunting needs. The ergonomics of the carbine are traditional for bolt guns: a bent bolt handle, a side two-position safety that does not interfere with the optics on low brackets. There is no third position, in which the bolt is unlocked but the trigger is not active - that is, the weapon will have to be unloaded with the safety removed. Fortunately, the magazine is detachable, and for this you do not have to run the bolt back and forth all four times: you just need to empty the chamber by disconnecting the magazine. The bolt, with its three lugs and plunger ejector, clearly refers to the Remington 700 (although the VPO-223 is not a complete structural copy): another design proven over decades. The trigger, by the way, is also similar to Remington’s in kinematics (the sear “off-the-cuff” between the firing pin and the trigger, goes down when the upper arm of the trigger moves forward), but it also has design differences. That didn’t stop the craftsmen from coming up with a clone of Remington’s Jewel, by the way.

True, you will have to tinker with the carbine: although the VPO-223 refers to Remington, it is far from being one; typical problems are already well described in the 60-page profile topic on guns.ru - first of all, it is a rather weak mainspring, which often changed to reinforced.
Main advantages
:

• Good combination of price and quality
• Good accuracy, especially when loading cartridges yourself
• Good ergonomics

Minuses
:

• Lack of third fuse position for safe discharge
• The trigger and shutter may require peeling - albeit moderate

Shotgun VPO-208L

The 9.6/53 cartridge with its four-plus kilojoules of muzzle energy is not always a good option for hunting: for the same yearling boar it is clearly excessive.
Well, then let’s look at the .366TKM cartridge, which is less powerful with a comparable caliber, created on the good old 7.62x39 cartridge case. Well, the first example of a weapon adapted for this cartridge was the no less good old SKS, which “changed from an army uniform into a hunting suit” back in the Soviet years. The VPO-208 with a Lancaster barrel still remains one of the most affordable weapon options for .366TKM, and, importantly, has classic hunting ergonomics, unlike the Kalashoids that dominate this caliber. The carbine is not a “remake”; the originals were taken by the factory from army warehouses and re-barreled for a new cartridge. Accordingly, for some this is “real Soviet quality” to the maximum, for others it is a reason in the store to carefully look for repair marks from art workshops dating back to Soviet times.

Be that as it may, the “output” turned out to be a quite convenient and effective hunting rifle, affordable.
Of course, a Simonov carbine “fenced” in a standard caliber (not to mention the price of a 7.62x39 cartridge) will be even cheaper - but with the notorious five years of experience and other features of owning a rifled weapon. So, while owners with “Kalashoids” under .366 pose in camouflage against the backdrop of hard-won targets with sub-minute accuracy (among owners, “sub-minute under-shooting” has long become a local meme), the VPO-208 has long been featured in photo reports from hunts. Main advantages
:

• Affordable price
• Quite a hunting ergonomics

Minuses
:

• When purchasing, it is advisable to select according to the condition of the “native” iron
• Inconvenience of installing sighting devices, inherited from the “donor”

New in blogs

In the previous article “Chinese counterfeits and weapons of China. Part I" we looked at how the Chinese arms industry became. Its formation was mainly ensured by the Soviet Union, and after relations between China and the USSR became complicated in the early 60s, the development of China's military industry was ensured by funds received from the export to other countries of the most successful models of weapons produced in the country under license, and sometimes and without her. It is not difficult to notice that the exported weapons were mainly made according to Soviet drawings and designs and, albeit slightly, were inferior in quality to what the Soviet Union produced. However, it was these weapons that were in greatest demand, while most models made without a license or developed by Chinese designers were not listed on the world arms market, remaining only within the country. This was the case until the end of the 70s, but in the early 80s China somewhat changed its policy regarding weapons produced in the country. Now, if a Western model was taken as the basis for the future Chinese pistol or rifle, they tried to improve and improve it, but this cannot be considered a rule, since this only applies to large arms companies in China, for example NORINCO. State-owned factories produced products of, let’s say, average quality, while at least until the early 90s the trend in production “even if there is a lot of rubbish and cheap” was still prevalent, and only in the late 80s and early 90s this trend managed to change, or rather, it changed by itself, without any outside effort. Well, you can verify this by looking at the weapon models presented below.

Type 80 pistol (Mauser C-96)

In 1980, China was searching for a solution to an important problem - the lack of a submachine gun in the country's arsenal. A solution was found fairly quickly, but judge for yourself how much of a solution it was. The first Chinese submachine gun was a slightly modernized Mauser pistol, or more precisely, the same model with a fire mode translator proposed by Karl Westinger and Josef Nickel. This model differed little from the original pistol. In particular, the changes affected the angle of the magazine in relation to the barrel, the shape of the pistol grip and minor changes in the shape of the frame, but otherwise it was almost identical to the model of the 30s. Like Mauser pistols, the Type 80 model has an effective firing range of up to 1000 meters, which cannot but make you smile. The weapon's magazines are removable, with a capacity of 10 and 20 rounds, but this is not needed anymore, and now I will explain why. The fact is that the barrel of even the original Mauser pistol was thin-walled and did not allow firing in long bursts. The Chinese model differs from the German one in steel, which, as you might guess, is of lower quality, thus, after four or five short bursts of 2-3 rounds each, the barrel of the weapon is heated to a temperature sufficient for self-ignition of the powder charge of the cartridge in the chamber, and then The Type 80 simply starts firing until it runs out of ammo. We must pay tribute to the Chinese designers, they were able to overcome this disease and create a weapon even more reliable in comparison with the German one, it received the name Type 80-1 and was produced in the amount of 5 dozen, since the funds spent on the production of such weapons were even higher than when purchasing submachine guns in other countries. As a result, the Type 80 entered service in the form in which it was originally made.

Type 81 automatic

This assault rifle is essentially a replacement for a licensed copy of the Kalashnikov assault rifle in service with the People's Liberation Army of China. The automatic operation of the weapon is no different from the AK, however, the barrel length has been changed and the external appearance of the weapon has become slightly different from its ancestor. In particular, there was a more convenient buttstock for gripping when working with a bayonet, a more comfortable pistol grip and many other less significant changes. The machine is powered from thirty-round magazines from a Kalashnikov assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39. This model of weapon is produced in two versions: with a butt folding to the side and a solid wooden or plastic one. Many consider this weapon to be a copy of the AKM, but this is far from the case, I would call this assault rifle just another branch of the development of the Kalashnikov assault rifle and it should be noted that it is not the worst, since this weapon is not only in service with the Chinese army, but is also supplied to other countries , where it is in certain demand due to its high reliability and ease of maintenance, although these concepts are relative. If we compare this weapon with the AKM, then the advantage still goes to the latter in almost all respects, despite the difference in “age”.

Type 81 light machine gun

This light machine gun was created as part of providing the People's Liberation Army of China with a unified firearms system. If we look at this machine gun more superficially, it becomes almost immediately clear that this is nothing more than a heavier version of the Type 81 assault rifle, or even, it would be more accurate to say that this is an enlarged model for the same ammunition. This machine gun is fed from box magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds or from a drum magazine with a capacity of up to 100 rounds. This model of machine gun is in service with the Chinese army and is not officially supplied to other countries, however, several units of such machine guns were found both in North Africa and in Latin America. If we draw an analogy back to Soviet models, then this machine gun is close to the RPK, but does not surpass it.

Pistol Type 84 (FN Baby Browning)

Based on the obsolete Type 64-1 pistol (read Walter RRK), a pistol was created for special operations on board aircraft. I don’t understand why many people associate it with the same Walter; it seems to me that it is made as an almost complete copy of the FN Baby Browning, but that’s just my opinion. Many believe that it was the same pistol as twenty years ago, and the difference was in the more compact dimensions, which were achieved due to the reduced barrel length and the reduced weapon handle, which held only 6 rounds. But no one argues that the ammunition for the weapon has undergone changes, it was still the same 7.65x17 cartridge, but under the name Type 84, with a plastic bullet, which ensured confident destruction of a living target at a distance of up to 15 meters, but could not penetrate the side civil aircraft from 2 two meters. The cartridge differed not only in its bullet, but also in its weaker powder charge. It’s not strange, but this time the manufacturers did not skimp on the quality of steel; I’ll say even more, the quality of materials for this model of weapon is even higher than for the Type 64-1, so the Type 84 pistol can also use old Type 64 cartridges. This model is distributed I did not receive a pistol outside of China, primarily due to the fact that the purpose of this pistol was quite specific, and it did not cope with its tasks very well, since for a plastic bullet even an ordinary leather jacket became an insurmountable obstacle, not to mention a bulletproof vest . Subsequently, China tried to present this pistol as a self-defense weapon, naturally using normal cartridges, and several batches were sent for sale to the USA, where naturally they did not cause a stir, since the weapon was inferior in all respects to other more sophisticated pistols.

Type 86S automatic rifle

This weapon model perfectly demonstrates how Chinese designers can assemble something new from a wide variety of models. In this case, it is an automatic rifle in a bullpup configuration, which includes at least three weapon models. The development of this weapon model is essentially an attempt to extend the life of the AK-47, which actually formed the basis of this rifle model.

The automatic operation of the weapon is almost completely identical to the Kalashnikov assault rifle, well, of course, as far as this can be with a completely different layout of the working components of an automatic rifle. In addition, the handle for holding the weapon immediately catches your eye, which accurately copies a similar element of the Steyr AUG, and the upper bracket is already an element of many modern rifles and carbines. This automatic rifle is powered by magazines from a Kalashnikov assault rifle chambered for 7.62x39 cartridges with a capacity of 30 rounds. Unfortunately, this weapon did not live up to the hopes placed on it, since the maximum firing rate for the barrel was only 500 shots, and malfunctions in the weapon’s automation began after the first thousand shots. Thus, this rifle did not enter service with the Chinese army and did not receive even slight distribution in other countries. True, a civilian version of this automatic rifle was supplied to the United States without the ability to conduct automatic fire, which was not in demand for the same reasons. Subsequently, they tried to bring this weapon to at least average parameters, as a result its reliability increased significantly, but the accuracy even when firing single shots was below about.

W87/QLZ-87 grenade launcher

Attempts to copy the Soviet AGS-17 grenade launcher from the Chinese people were not particularly successful due to the rather costly production, in addition, the People's Liberation Army of China needed a lighter weapon that would not be inferior in firepower to foreign models. That is why the decision was made to design our own automatic grenade launcher, which could be fired from a bipod, from a machine or from armored vehicles. It should be noted that the designers really tried and created, if not unique, then worthy weapons.

The W87 grenade launcher was the first option, which was almost immediately rejected, since it had a mass of more than 15 kilograms, and the recoil when firing made it almost uncontrollable when using a bipod. After modification, the weapon received the name QLZ-87, significantly lost weight (weight with bipod 12 kilograms) and became more convenient to use.

The automatic operation of the weapon works due to gas venting and rigid locking of the barrel. Such a system is almost completely similar to the American M16 automatic rifle and in this case has a positive effect on the weight and dimensions of the weapon, and also, due to the low weight of the moving parts, reduces recoil when firing in bursts. However, to fire a burst from a bipod, you need to have a sufficiently strong force so that the effectiveness of the fire is high. The grenade launcher is fed from drum magazines with a capacity of 6 or 15 35x32SR grenades, although the first version of the W87 grenade launcher could also be fed from a belt.

The QLZ-87 grenade launcher, with its rather small dimensions and weight, shows good performance when firing, both in bursts and with single shots, so the maximum distance over which this grenade launcher can throw a projectile is 1700 meters, but this parameter should not be confused with the target range, since it is much more modest and is only 600 meters, which is also a good indicator. The weapon control system is a little confusing; in particular, questions arise regarding the convenient location of the pistol grip, which also serves to reload the weapon, being movable. The handle, as well as all the controls of the grenade launcher, are located on the right side, which makes it quite difficult for a left-handed person to use the weapon, in addition, when firing in a burst at the moment when reloading occurs, the handle remains movable, which is also clearly not an advantage, since If the handle is moved, the automation may jam. It turns out that in addition to holding the grenade launcher itself when firing, you also have to make sure that the handle remains in the rearmost position.

Sniper rifle QBU-88 / Type-88

This sniper rifle replaces an outdated copy of the SVD and uses Chinese 5.8x42 ammunition. It obviously cannot be called high-precision, although this is not required of it, since it is designed for use in the lower echelons of military units at distances of up to 800 meters. The cartridge used in this weapon is somewhat different from that used in automatic rifles and machine guns, since the composition of the gunpowder is slightly different, and the bullet is heavier and longer, although outwardly both cartridges are identical in size - the bullet is seated deeper in the cartridge case. The gas piston of the weapon is located above the barrel with an offset to the left, which negatively affects shooting accuracy, but in this case this does not play a special role, all for the same reason that high accuracy is not required from the rifle, especially since this disadvantage is partly compensated by the layout bullpup. As standard, the weapon is equipped with both an open and a four-fold optical sight, which can be changed to a sight with built-in night vision devices or a higher magnification sight. This weapon is in service with the PLA, and is also supplied to the USA, where the rifle is assessed positively, but they complain about the lack of ammunition for it. Models adapted for cartridges other than 5.8x42 are not produced.

NORINCO PF-89 grenade launcher

This model of grenade launcher is a completely Chinese development and has, although not the best, quite satisfactory parameters. So the body of the grenade launcher is made of fiberglass, which, by the way, is not at all new for such weapons. The handle is hollow, folding and, in the stowed position, completely covers all fire control elements. An interesting feature is the presence of an optical sight, despite the fact that the weapon is disposable and designed for short distances. Such a parameter as armor-piercing naturally depends on the grenade located inside the launch tube, but since the variety is the whole of one cumulative grenade, we can talk about armor-piercing for the grenade launcher as a whole. So, when a projectile hits the target at an angle of 90 degrees, homogeneous armor 630 millimeters thick does not pose a serious obstacle for it, but if the angle of impact is 65 degrees, then the thickness of the armor burned through is 180 millimeters.

Hawk smoothbore self-loading shotgun

This model of weapon was created specifically for use by the police and has two versions: in the bullpup configuration and in the classic configuration with a folding butt. The caliber of the weapon is 12, which is equal to 18.5 millimeters. The automatic system operates using a gas piston, and eliminates the possibility of automatic fire, which would be very difficult to conduct due to recoil. This weapon has repeatedly proven its effectiveness in short-range combat indoors during police operations. The magazines of both weapon variants are detachable box-shaped and hold either 5 or 10 rounds. Due to the widespread use of impact-resistant plastics and lightweight aluminum alloys in the latest models, the weight of the guns has been reduced to 1.6 kilograms for a gun in a classic layout and 1.8 kilograms for a bullpup layout. Although the first versions weighed 3.2 kilograms. This reduction in weight has certain consequences: transporting guns has become more comfortable, but shooting at a fast pace is no different in accuracy, although what is the accuracy when using shot? As one character said, “Making a laser sight for a shotgun is very easy. We need a red flashlight and a colander." This weapon is exported to the USA and Latin American countries as civilian weapons, but the Chinese copy of the Remington 1100 shotgun, known as the Hawk SF28WB, is more in demand than these models. In fairness, it is worth noting that at their core these guns are a copy of the Remington 1100, but with detachable box magazines and minor improvements.

Pistol Type QSZ 92

I personally consider this pistol to be one of the best among weapons designed and manufactured in China, although some models of foreign and domestic pistols are superior to these weapons in many respects. This pistol is available in two versions, chambered for DAP-5.8 for the People's Liberation Army of China and chambered for DAP 92 (analogous to 9 mm Parabellum) for export. Of greatest interest, of course, is the pistol designed for 5.8 mm ammunition.

When designing the 5.8x21 cartridge and the pistol for this cartridge, the condition was set that a Chinese-made helmet should be reliably penetrated by a bullet of this ammunition from a distance of 50 meters. The goal was achieved, and subsequent refinement of the bullet made it possible to confidently hit targets protected by personal protective equipment at a distance of up to 100 meters. The cartridge itself has a bottle-shaped cartridge case and is strongly reminiscent of the Chinese 5.8x42 ammunition, adopted for service in 1987 to replace the analogue of the Soviet 7.62x39 cartridge. The bullet of the Chinese 5.8 cartridge has a mass of 2.99 grams, when fired, the initial speed is 480 meters per second and provides a muzzle energy of 344 J. Structurally, the bullet of the cartridge does not stand out in anything remarkable and is a shell made of tombac filled with lead.

Effective firing at distances of one hundred meters is ensured not only by the ammunition, but also by the weapon itself, in particular the Type QSZ 92 pistol. Initially, in 1992, production of a pistol for 9 mm caliber was launched for export to the USA; in 1994, the pistol was adapted under the Chinese cartridge and became widespread in the army and police. It should be noted that the Type QSZ 92 5.8 caliber is much more effective than the model chambered for 9x19 cartridges, so thanks to the pointed bullet of the 5.8x21 cartridge, a much greater penetrating effect is provided. And due to the fact that the bullet is longer than in the 9x19 cartridge, the damage it causes to the human body is much greater, since it loses its stability when hit. The automatic operation of the pistol operates due to recoil during a short stroke of the barrel, which is locked by turning. The trigger of the double-action pistol, the safety lever on the right side also serves to safely release the trigger. The pistol is powered by two-row twenty and fifteen-round magazines for 5.8 and 9 mm cartridges, respectively. The pistol itself is made with extensive use of polymers, which, however, did not affect the reliability of the weapon and its resistance to physical influences, but significantly lightened the pistol to 760 grams. Despite the fact that in the pistol, designed for 5.8x21 cartridges, the handle is slightly wider than usual in pistols, this drawback is easily eliminated due to interchangeable pads, which allow you to adapt the weapon to almost any size palm. This pistol is not without its quirks, which for some reason many consider unnecessary, for example, a flashlight or laser designator can be mounted under the gun barrel, and the mount that comes with the weapon allows you to attach additional sighting devices to it. However, it should be noted that such an addition can only be justified for a pistol chambered for 5.8x21 ammunition, since in weapons chambered for 9x19 ammunition, any additional sighting devices installed using a standard mount to the pistol are completely knocked down after two or three shots.

Pistol NORINCO М1911А1 (Colt М 1911А1)

In the early 90s, the Chinese company NORINCO received a license to produce an exact copy of the American M 1911A1 pistol in .45 caliber. It should be noted that here the Chinese showed themselves only on the good side, since this model of pistols produced in the Middle Kingdom is distinguished by a quality in no way inferior to the original weapons. There are no innovations in the operation of the pistol, which is also pleasing. In other words, this is the same Colt M 1911A1, only made at the factories of the Chinese company NORINCO.

But everything cannot be perfect and fair. So, in addition to the seven-shot copy of the M 1911A1, the Chinese industry has launched the production of several modified models, which are mainly intended for export, and then the quality of the products decreases. Model M 1911A1 P10 is not inferior in quality to the original pistol and is a ten-shot version of the pistol chambered for .45 caliber ammunition. This pistol is also known under the name NP 30. Model M 1911A1 P9 or NP 28 is a sports nine-round pistol model designed for 9x19 ammunition, it’s also not bad, but there are complaints about the location of the magazine eject button. So if the pistol is used with the left hand, the magazine often falls out of the weapon. Model M 1911A1 P15 is also a sports version of the pistol, but with a double-row magazine for 15 rounds of 9x19 Parabellum cartridges. And finally, the model of the M 1911A1C pistol is made as an exact copy of the Colt “Comander”, that is, a lightweight and shortened model of the pistol, designed for 7 rounds of .45 caliber.

Automatic QBZ-95/Type 95

This weapon is the result of the work of Chinese designers to reduce the caliber of weapons. The cartridge used in this model is also not quite standard - 5.8x42. According to Chinese developers, this ammunition is superior to the NATO 5.56 and our domestic 5.45 in all respects. This question is more than controversial, but personally I am still inclined to believe that the superiority of Chinese ammunition over 5.45x39 is obvious, but with 5.56 cartridges not everything is completely clear, well, at least for me. The layout of the weapon is bullpup, which in principle is not surprising, since almost all models, starting from the late 80s, have been produced in China in exactly this form.

Initially, the new weapon was created on the basis of the Type 81 assault rifle, but the results obtained were less than satisfactory, so the development of weapons under the 5.8 cartridge was started almost from scratch. Well, the result, I must say, was not amazing, but quite good. This machine gun widely uses plastics and light aluminum alloys, which, however, does not in any way affect the reliability of the weapon. I just want to say that it has finally dawned on manufacturers that saving on the quality of raw materials does not lead to anything good. The automatic weapons are driven by a gas piston and, in principle, do not stand out in any way, but the location of the weapon controls is somewhat strange and does not seem convenient. Thus, the fire mode translator is located on the left side at the very edge of the receiver, and it is a very small switch, so there is no need to talk about ease of use, although perhaps for some it is a matter of habit. But this machine wins in terms of ease of maintenance; in particular, for cleaning and lubrication, it can be disassembled into only 8 parts, among which there are no small parts that can be lost. These weapons are powered by box magazines with a capacity of 30 rounds or, in later models, by drum magazines containing up to 100 rounds. The effective range of the machine gun reaches 600 meters, while many note the high accuracy of the weapon in comparison with European models.

As you can see, during the period from 1980 to 1995, the Chinese arms industry began to pay more attention to the quality of the weapons produced, although it did not abandon partial copying of samples from abroad. However, there is obvious progress in the development of the military industry, new native Chinese weapon models are appearing, again designed for ammunition that is produced only in China, while the quality of export weapons is sharply increasing, but the price for them still remains low.

This phenomenon is quite easily explained. The Chinese military industry initially relied on mass production, while trying to save on almost everything, which until the 90s meant lower quality metal. With the development of the chemical industry, it became possible to widely use polymers, without compromising the reliability of weapons; in addition, metallurgy also did not stand still, which made it possible to obtain higher quality steel at a lower cost, and to generally replace some elements of weapons with light alloys, which Although it costs a little more, it reduces the weight of the weapon. In other words, during the period from 80 to 95, the emphasis in production is already placed not on quantity (although it still remains considerable), but on quality. This trend deserves only praise, but unfortunately, after 1995, there were changes in the Chinese military industry again, and which ones will be described in the third and final article, “Weapons from China.”

Author: Karasik Kirill.

The best breaking high-end hunting rifles

Beretta 486 Parallelo shotgun

(cal. 12x76, barrels 710 mm, English stock)
An excellent combination of absolutely classic style with modern technology involuntarily asks you to change your pouches to a leather bag, and your camouflage cap to a hat with a feather. While maintaining the traditional quality of finishing and maintaining style, Beretta simultaneously offers us a cold-forged block of barrels, soldered using Triblock technology, which ensures high joint rigidity, an easily removable trigger with upgraded V-shaped springs, and a special safety design eliminates shots during falls and in “non-standard” positions - for example, if you get caught on the trigger when carrying a gun while chasing over your shoulder. The chokes are replaceable, Optimachoke HP standard, capable of working with large-number steel shot without risk. For Russia, fortunately, lead is more relevant, but an extra margin of safety won’t hurt, right?

The Italians' hunting rifle turned out to be undoubtedly worthy, and at the same time not quite terrifying in price, like the top models from the same Beretta, which have already crossed the million-ruble mark.
So, adding a little to the rating from connoisseurs of the classic style, we will confidently give it first place. Main advantages
:

• Excellent build quality and finish
• Resource
• Design and ergonomics

Minuses
:

• Price

Shotgun Sauer Apollon

(cal. 12x76, barrels 760 mm)
Perhaps the Sauer brand in our country will be known longer and better than many, and captured Sauers, especially with “eagles” (stamps placed on guns from 1933 to 1945) are the dream of many collectors . The modern side flint perfectly continues the old traditions of the company - truly German solidity and reliability, which is worth only with the proprietary four-point locking system. The gun's steel weight is 3.45 kg, largely due to the solid box. At the same time, the balance of the gun is set at the correct point, although, of course, for running hunting it makes sense to look at an easier option. And there it is – Sauer Artemis, the “female” version of Apollon.

The USM is single-trigger, with the ability to select the order of shots.
It is possible to adjust the trigger force from 1.8 to 2.2 kg, the mechanism itself works flawlessly. Main advantages
:

• Adjustable trigger
• Rigid barrel locking system

Minuses
:

• Quite cheap wood on par with Turkish rifles

The best pump-action shotguns for hunting

Remington 870 WINGMASTER shotgun

(cal. 12x76, barrel 710 mm)
While in Russia pump-action shotguns are not particularly popular for hunting (their absence in Soviet times affects the first civilian “pump”, Izh-81, appeared in stores only in 1994), for USA is actually a classic. Well, the classic of the classics is, undoubtedly, the 870 Remington, produced in many modifications since 1951 (more than 11 million guns have already left the factory).

Among them were purely hunting rifles, including those equipped with “purely American” 12-gauge rifled barrels (“deer gun”), and police “shortened” rifles, familiar to everyone from militants. Well, since we are talking primarily about hunting use, we will focus on the Wingmaster version with a long shot barrel and a four-round magazine.

There is no point in describing the design of this gun - it is a simple and reliable mechanic that has been proven over 67 years, and even the recent reduction in the cost of production has not greatly affected the resource, and the tuning industry for Remington has worked to get rid of “childhood ailments.” In Russia, craftsmen produce a lot of “nice things” of quality that is not inferior to the American aftermarket, but at much more reasonable prices.

You should not expect an exquisite finish or filigree fit from the “rem” - it was, is and will be a real working gun, old-fashioned weighty thanks to the steel receiver, and this was in the days of light alloys.
That's why they love him, actually. Main advantages
:

• Simplicity and reliability, proven by everyone - from hunters to the Marine Corps
• Availability and variety of tuning

Minuses
:

• The quality of components and assembly has dropped noticeably recently
• Solid mass
• “Black” barrel (the channel is not chrome-plated)

Shotgun Bekas-12M (VPO-202-09)

(cal. 12x76, 3 barrels (bullet cylinder and paradox 535 mm), shotgun 750 mm)
A real all-rounder from Vyatskie Polyany has long earned a reputation as the best domestic pump-action shotgun, and the configuration with three barrels is also useful for self-defense (short “cylinder”), and for hunting large game (bullet “paradox”), and will not fail on the feather after installing a shot barrel. And for all this, according to the price list, they are asking only 31 thousand - even with markups from third-party stores, the price by today’s standards is very interesting.

The weight of the gun is quite tolerable, which, knowing that “Hammer” follows the main principle of Boris Razor, is even unexpected. The structure itself is durable and does not suffer from pronounced “sores” - everything that may need to be bent and filed has long been described on specialized forums. The barrels are cold forged, and the quality is noticeably superior to those from Izhevsk. The handguard is convenient for short-armed shooters; at this point, many “pumps” are punctured - their handguards are moved further forward, so here, too, “Bekas” gets its plus to the rating.

For fans of tactical tuning, this hunting rifle will not be the best choice - not only is there virtually no tuning for the Bekas, but even extending the magazine will require filing down the standard one with a hacksaw.
Main advantages
:

• Complete with barrels “for all occasions”
• Durability and reliability

Minuses
:

• The plant does not offer options with the classic “bullet cylinder + shot barrel” set - either a shot barrel and a “paradox”, or three barrels
• Average quality of fit - often, for example, it is necessary to modify the rubbing forend

Smoothbore shotgun NORINCO / Hawk Industries Type 97-1 (PRC)

HawkPF26W2 smoothbore shotgun (hunting version). photo © Hawk Group

Hawk Type 97 smoothbore shotgun (18.4mm Type 97 Anti-riot gun), police version with a folding stock. photo ©HawkGroup

Hawk Type 97 smoothbore shotgun (18.4mm Type 97 Anti-riot gun), police version with a fixed stock. photo ©Hawk Group

The Hawk Type 97-1 smoothbore shotgun has a classic layout with a detachable box magazine. photo ©Hawk Group

Hawk smoothbore shotgun with a bullpup layout and a detachable box magazine. photo ©Hawk Group

Chinese policeman with a Hawk 18.4mmType 97-1Anti-riot gun.

The Chinese company Hawk Industries produces a fairly wide range of smoothbore pump-action shotguns, the design of which is based on the popular American Remington 870 shotgun. These shotguns are intended both for export and for use in China; in particular, the “18.4mm Type 97 Riot Control Shotgun” is intended for police use (the nominal caliber of 18.4mm corresponds to 12 gauge smoothbore shotguns). In addition, based on the same design, modified "police-type" shotguns with detachable box magazines, Type 97-1, are produced, in a traditional layout or in a bullpup layout. It should be noted that Hawk guns are exported under a variety of designations, most often through the Chinese corporation NORINCO.

Hawk shotguns use manual reloading with a fore-end that slides longitudinally back and forth. The barrel is locked by a swinging combat cylinder located in the bolt and engaging with the barrel shank. In the basic version, cartridges are fed from an under-barrel tubular magazine, loaded through a window in the lower part of the receiver. Modified versions use special detachable box magazines with a capacity of 5 rounds. The stock of guns can be made of plastic or wood (civilian versions), the butt is folding sideways or fixed. In addition, based on this design, a gun is produced in a bullpup configuration, which has a plastic body with an integral handle for carrying the weapon, into which a sight is built-in. Reloading a gun in a bullpup configuration is carried out using a massive horizontal handle. sliding under the forend. A flashlight is built into its front part, and a laser target designator is located in the fore-end above it. Shooting a bullpup gun from the left shoulder is problematic, since the ejection window is only on the right side of the weapon.

The best hunting semi-automatics

Benelli Raffaello Сrio Сomfort shotgun

(cal. 12x76, barrel 760 mm)
When talking about inertial semi-automatics, it is impossible not to mention Benelli - although this reloading scheme itself appeared at the beginning of the 20th century at the Swedish Sjogren, it was Benelli, several decades later, who brought the idea of ​​​​an inertial mechanism to the modern “polished” state. And, although inertial reloading with an adjustable gas outlet is difficult to match in “omnivorousness”, Italian inertial reloaders show good versatility, “digesting” both heavy magnums on goose hunting and sporting charges on the stand.

“Crio” in the name refers to another proprietary technology of the Italians - cryogenic processing of the barrel blank and replaceable chokes. A curious feature of such barrels is the use not of a soldered sighting bar, but the installation of a replaceable carbon fiber one, which, among other things, allows reducing the weight of the gun and providing predictable vibrations of the barrel when fired, and therefore ensuring a good bullet fight without the need for replaceable “bullet” barrels.

To quickly control the availability of cartridges in the magazine, a Window System is provided - in other words, a longitudinal groove in the forend and magazine.
The design couldn’t be simpler and at the same time effective, but you shouldn’t test the reliability of the gun by swimming in the mud: there will be delays when shooting. Main advantages
:

• Comfortable recoil
• Good fight with shot and bullet
• Excellent “omnivorousness” for an inertial gun

Minuses
:

• A carbon fiber strip seems to many to be less reliable than a brazed steel one

Shotgun ATA Neo 12

(cal. 12x76, walnut, barrel 710 mm)
Considering that prices for “Italians” nowadays are already off the charts, “over a hundred”, and cheaper models turn out to be made in Turkey - why not look towards the “purebred Turks”, which, having started with competition to domestic factories in the budget segment, are now confidently registered in the average segment?

Neo 12 is an inertia semi-automatic from Ata Arms, a brand that has become known in Russia relatively recently, but has proven itself to be the best (and at the same time, hehe, produces guns for Marocchi).
The gun is one of the lightest in its class, but at the same time it has a comfortable recoil. Of course, there is already a feeling of intelligibility with cartridges - for example, the cheap “Record”, which the same gas-operated “Hatsan” with a similar barrel length digests without problems, can give a large number of delays on the Ata Neo 12. However, it is not necessary to spend more money on cartridges: it is enough to choose a “roller” that works reliably in a particular gun, since the barrel is good, and you can achieve a decent fight with either shot or a bullet. Main advantages
:

• Weight is only 3 kilograms, and at the same time comfortable recoil
• Well-tuned automation

Minuses
:

• Average wood quality

Shotgun Hatsan H112

A real anti-crisis offer (and at the same time a good kick from the Turkish manufacturer to Izhevsk residents): self-loading is cheaper than 20 thousand at retail (that is, a new one costs the same as the same Izhevsk MP-155 from hand), and at the same time does not give the impression of being cut down with an ax.
The basis of this model is the Escort, which is very familiar in our country in general and personally to the author in particular, or rather, even several - for example, the forend and chrome-plated steel magazine tube here are not from Escort PS (perhaps the most popular “hunting variant” in our country) family), but from the “tactical” Hatsan MP-A. There are several key differences from Escort PS. The first is in a gas engine: instead of a piston with “auto-adjustment”, in which the moment when gases begin to bleed from the gas chamber depends on the pressure, a simpler one is used here, with a stationary compression ring. This is a slight disadvantage to “omnivorousness,” but the gun “eats” hunting loads normally – you shouldn’t get carried away with a magnum on any gun. The second is in the trigger mechanism: to release the slide stop and unlock the tray, it is not the Fast load key on the tray itself that is used (which allows you to load the gun with either one hand, since the tray is released by pressing the cartridge against it), but a button is installed on the right side of the receiver boxes - you will have to forcefully hold it with your second hand in order to unlock the tray when equipping the magazine. Actually, this design, as it is, is taken from the Fabarm semi-automatic machines, on the basis of which the “Escorts” were designed, there is nothing new about it.

The third difference is the absence of a cartridge cutter in the H112, which will not allow you to quickly replace the cartridge in the chamber. Fourth, in the magazine tube, which in its “as is” state will not allow installing an extension (the end of the tube is rolled, while on the Escort PS it is enough to remove the spacer washer) - but is the extension really necessary for hunting?

In general, the author, having owned, among other things, an Escort PS, cannot help but note that the PS is still built better than the H112, but the difference is not so great - but the very “tasty” price has already secured the H112 many buyers , and reviews of this hunting rifle are generally good.
Main advantages
:

• The most affordable price on the market
• The design as a whole is well known, there are no new “bottlenecks” in it
• Standard rail for under-barrel flashlight on the fore-end

Minuses
:

• Peeling may still be required, which is not surprising for a cheap gun

Turkish and Chinese weapons flood the market

Photo by the author
And this is what all manufacturers focus on.

And we get crumbs.

But this is not surprising. After all, the main task of the current government is to lead us to the Chinese version of gun ownership.

Here is what the head of the National Guard Zolotov said about this at a meeting of the Federation Council in October 2022: “We are opponents of the proliferation of weapons, our society is not yet ready for this, either economically or psychologically.”

And citizen Zolotov sees his achievement as the removal of weapons from citizens.

Of course, if citizens do not have any LEGAL weapons in their hands, then they will have nothing to lose. One word - Chinese version.

There are no civilian weapons in China at all. It is prohibited. Citizens are prohibited from owning even air guns. And a kitchen knife may not be sold if the buyer cannot clearly explain why it is needed.

But civilian weapons are produced for export in China. And not just one company. One St. Petersburg store sells Chinese weapons.

We all know that China is overwhelmingly very good at making copies. And weapons are in the forefront. This is already a tradition. Of course, the citizens of the Middle Kingdom made creative changes to the copied weapons.

For example, they produced a copy of the Mauser S-96 in .45ASR caliber. And now the Chinese don’t really bother with designing weapons and make copies.

Here the Chinese company NORINCO presents a small-caliber rifle JW15A, which is a copy of the Czech rifle CZ 452.

Read the material “Intrusive advertising of Turkish weapons”

The weapon is of good quality (I held it in my hands). Locking occurs at two points, which allows you to use the entire range of 22LR cartridges of any power. The long barrel is 610 mm, which is longer than that of the TOZ-78. And the carbine itself is longer. But if you compare it with the same TOZ-78, it’s a little easier.

The set includes two metal magazines for 5 and 10 rounds. The stock is made of Manchurian walnut. Dovetail for optics. And the price is 21,000 rubles. Compared to current weapon prices, it’s inexpensive.

Who needs “small stuff” now? It is clear that there are few fishermen now. But the “small fish” is not very suitable for amateur hunting.

It’s suitable for recreational shooting, and even if you have a Czech bolt gun or some serious rifle gun in general, then you can train without spending a lot of money on a serious caliber. Although 22LR ammo is getting more and more expensive, it will soon match the price of the .30-06. But maybe the Chinese will help again...

I want to tell you about another interesting gun. This is a copy of a fairly famous pump-action shotgun from the late 19th century, designed by John Moses Browning himself. This weapon took part at the very end of the First World War as part of American troops in Europe.

“Trench Broom” M.1897, or more precisely, its Chinese version M1897 Pump Shotgun 12X70. In principle, this weapon could be a success among fans of reconstructions and shooters of historical weapons, but I see that there is another niche for this design.

This weapon has an external trigger, something that other pump-action guns have not had for a long time. What does this give? You can walk for a long time with a loaded weapon, with a cartridge in the chamber, but with the trigger pulled (the trigger is put on the safety cock). That is, the weapon is loaded, ready for use, but safe.

Read the material “Ay yes Turks!”

Of course, we can say that any pump with a safety lock is also safe.

Yes, but not so! There, the cocked hammer is put on safety and, theoretically, can break at any moment. A pulled hammer is safer and can be cocked in one quick motion. And the mainspring does not shrink! But who would need such a weapon?

Geologists, tourists and many others who need to move a lot in places where they may encounter dangerous animals and people. This is a traveler's weapon for survival.

If, like the prototype, this weapon is disassembled into two parts (barrel with magazine and receiver with butt), then it will be quite suitable. But the weight is a bit big (3.5 kg). For fans of “Terminator 2” there is NORINCO NR87, a copy of Winchester Model 1887.

The weapon was designed again by Browning, quite original. Suitable for shooting bottles and quite worthy to stand in a safe. It costs, like the previous model, 45,000 rubles.

A very interesting copy of the American M4A1 carbine in .223Rem CQ-A in the same caliber. A very nice thing. Total... 100,000 rubles!!!

I’m wondering why bring Chinese copies of the TT pistol to Russia? Or have we run out of our TTs in warehouses? If the Chinese one costs 35,000, then how much should the domestic one cost, from the warehouse?

It's a shame that these weapons are only sold to organizations. In my opinion, the time has come to allow citizens to own short-barreled weapons.

After the normalization of relations, the Turks are returning to our market. And here's what's interesting: although the Turks are also primarily focused on the US market and have a predominance of semi-automatic shotguns, classic shotguns are available in a large assortment.

Read the material “The Kalashnikov Concern stood up for hunters before the Russian Guard”

Look what we have. By and large, only three guns remain from the hunting classics: IZH-18, IZH-43 and IZH-27. What is now on sale is their weak modernization. This is where you remember the Soviet State Planning Committee with its directives for the introduction of new models.

But the Turks occupy all niches. They even have a single-barreled trigger! The Ottomanguns company, which we know from Bronco automatic shotguns, produces hammer-fired single-barrel guns, and in a large assortment: 12,20, .410 calibers and with all three barrels at once, in wood, plastic, carbon. In a complete set, such a gun costs $1000.

True, we won’t see this in our market yet. And in general we don’t have a single-barrel trigger. But when I was young, I used to fly with IZH-17. Lightweight, comfortable, safe, practical. Well, okay, that’s a thing of the past, but it would be possible to revive the IZH-17 for amateurs in .410 caliber.

HUGLU offers two models of single-barreled shotguns: 301A - hammer-operated and 301G - hammerless. The barrels are 710 mm long, the stock is walnut, the weight is 2.5 kg. The most interesting thing is that the guns are not collapsible: they fold in half. Convenient: take it out, charge it, close it. True, there are none on our market!

The Turks also have an assortment of hammer-fired double-barreled shotguns. The same company HUGLU offers a double-barreled hammer-fired (with external hammers) HRZ with barrels of 510 and 710 mm. Naturally, walnut, replaceable chokes and classic locks with flat springs. Weight with short barrels - 3.3 kg, with long ones - 3.5. Caliber - 12x76.

Classic triple locking: two underbarrel hooks and a Greener bolt. And a fuse! Why is it needed on a trigger gun?! But the gun is intended for the American market... But the price is not encouraging! More than 70,000.

Why? Because only TOZ-BM and its used modifications can compete with such weapons in our domestic market. Yes! I almost forgot! And the Chinese are not lagging behind in this regard!

Again, the Turks are ready to sell us hammerless double-barreled shotguns with horizontal and vertical barrels. But what they are ready to overwhelm us with is semi-automatic guns. There are classic gas-operated ones, inertial ones, and military-style ones.

Read the material “French extraordinary gun”

Let's talk about smooth-bore weapons. Double-barreled shotguns with vertical barrels are presented. Price from 30,000 to 40,000 rubles. Two models of semi-automatic machines. Gas-operated semi-automatic ZR EVO in various stocks: wood and plastic. I was pleased with the price: from 20,000 rubles. Compared to today's prices - very affordable.

But the ZR SYNERGY inertial shotgun already costs more than 33,000 rubles. It is not entirely clear why replace the gas exhaust mechanism with an inertial one if this does not reduce the size of the weapon? There are also military-style weapons. This is the MKA 1919 model in two modifications: “T” and “S”. Quite light models: 3 and 3.1 kg.

Knowing that our inflation has long outstripped all its compensation to the population, the Turkish manufacturer is reducing prices. Our market is still interesting to foreigners, and they are “stacking” the territory.

Therefore, whoever needs it can easily find a budget weapon from a foreign manufacturer of good quality.

Igor Suslov March 27, 2022 at 1:53 pm

Best Assault Shotguns for Hunting

Carbine Vepr-12

(version VPO-205-03, barrel 305 mm)
Perhaps, only in this market segment do Russian gunsmiths have no serious competition and are not expected to - having combined the proven and reliable “Kalashnikov” design with smooth-bore calibers, Izhevsk designers in their time, as they say, created a trend. Well, the Vyatka-Polyansky “Hammer”, taking as a base not an AK, like the Izhevsk people with their “Saiga”, but a RPK, created the “Vepr” - the most reliable and high-quality assembled domestic “Kalashoid”, loved by both “self-defense fighters” and IPSC shooters .

The “pig” (as it is popularly called) is produced in several configurations - from the “shortened” 205-03 with a barrel as much as 305 mm long, which when fired due to the roar and muzzle flash resembles a pocket howitzer, to a monstrous “anti-aircraft gun” with a barrel 680 mm, to which is also added the considerable length of the receiver. Especially for IPSC shooters, a sports version of the Vepr-12 SP is produced with “factory tuning” - a telescopic butt, an effective DTK and other modifications.

“Veprey” has both, and not a very pleasant one. We have already mentioned that the principles of Boris Razor at Hammer are honored and respected. That is why even the shortest-barreled “pig” weighs more than 4 kilograms with an empty magazine.

Main advantages
:

• Good in principle, and even excellent quality for Russia
• An abundance of varied tuning
• Durability and reliability

Minuses
:

• Solid weight
• There is no standard “Kalashnikov” side rail, instead there is a Picatinny rail on the loose receiver cover
• Problems with reloading on small loads for short-barreled models

Saiga-12K carbine

(cal. 12x76, version 030 with a plastic butt)
Created as an exclusively hunting weapon (hence the name - a carbine was created back in the 1970s for shooting saigas), "Saiga" is moving more and more confidently into the niche of "tactical weapons": a choice of semi-automatic weapons for hunters is now huge, and “Kalashoids”, whatever one may say, have very specific ergonomics, and the target audience of buyers has made the word “saiga breeder” almost a dirty word among hunters.

The current Saigas are even structurally superior to their progenitor, the AK, in some ways - for example, they have a bolt delay that speeds up the reloading of the weapon. However, alas, the traditional attitude of Izhevsk residents towards civilian products is taking its toll: any search engine for the request “saiga modification” will return a kilometer-long list of operations that cannot be performed on many guns, and even need to be done. In terms of quality, the Izhevsk “Kalashoids” are noticeably inferior to the Vyatka-Polyansky ones, and in favor of the “Saiga” is only a more affordable price and a number of design features that facilitate tuning - nevertheless, having an AK-like receiver at the base, the list of compatible body kit elements is larger, than the "Vepry" with a RPK barrel.

Main advantages
:

• A rich list of previously produced and current configurations in calibers from .410 to 12
• Affordable tuning, whether for IPSC needs or “for fun”
• “Chewed” instructions for “peeling” over many years

Minuses
:

• Assembly flaws that are traditional for Izhevsk, making “finishing with a file” almost a folk custom of “saiga breeders”
• To put it mildly, very controversial ergonomics of “hunting versions”

What to look for when choosing a gun?

There are a lot of instructions on how to choose a good gun for hunting on the Internet, and we won’t repeat all the nuances for the hundredth time.
The main thing is to remember that there is no fundamental difference between smooth barrels: with a correctly selected cartridge, your grandfather’s “bucket” will be no less productive than the latest Benelli. Therefore, first of all, pay attention to the convenience of the fast tab, leashes: it is how convenient the fast tab is that determines the effectiveness of shooting. The choice of design is a matter of personal preference, but it is worth considering the features. For example, if you plan to use a gun for both shot and bullet shooting, then the “vertical” will be preferable to the “horizontal” - bringing the barrels together in a vertical plane allows you to set only the vertical correction when shooting, while with the “horizontal”, where the trunks are “baptized” horizontally, it will inevitably be necessary to give different sideways corrections for both trunks. Well, a “pump” or a semi-automatic, where there is only one barrel (and many guns come with a special barrel for bullet shooting), are the most convenient and versatile in this regard.

At the same time, the prevailing opinion that a semi-automatic is less reliable than a double-barreled shotgun can be safely considered a prejudice: a good gun with proven cartridges will always work, be it a breaker or a gas-operated five-shot gun. However, keep in mind that with the same barrel length, break shotguns are shorter, quicker to turn, and the barrel is easy to check and, if necessary, clean - this is why double-barreled shotguns do not lose popularity when hunting, because it is rare when you have to fire more than two shots in a row, but you have accidentally scooped up snow with the barrel to many.

What are Gauss rifles capable of?

But “Gauss” has become a mega-popular topic among amateur designers - on the Internet you can find a huge number of videos where companies or individual enthusiasts demonstrate their versions of Gauss rifles and machine guns of different sizes and power. They are used to shoot aluminum cans, laptop screens, etc.

In the USA, such devices are produced under the general name e-gun, and according to American law they are not considered weapons. One of the variants of the Gauss assault rifle was tested by the famous weapons blogger Matt Carriker on his YouTube channel “Demolition Ranch”. The device fired steel discs and had a bullpup layout - a magazine with “cartridges” was inserted behind the fire control handle. The machine made it possible to regulate the rate of fire and the initial speed of projectiles. In max mode, when shooting at point-blank range, a steel disk pierced a plastic soda bottle.

Blogger Matt Carriker tests a Gaussian machine. screenshot/Youtube.com

In July 2022, the American company Arcflash Labs introduced the GR-1 (Gauss rifle) electromagnetic rifle, a bulky device weighing 9 kg and about a meter long. It accelerated metal blanks with a diameter of 11-12.6 mm to a speed of 75 m/s, imparting to them an energy of 100 J. At the time of its appearance, the GR-1 was positioned as the most powerful “Gauss rifle” available to the general consumer. It can be assumed that if you “play” with the characteristics of the projectile, say, reduce the caliber and weight, then this system will be able to produce power indicators approaching those of a real pistol.

In the summer of 2022, the Chinese military news portal js7tv.cn demonstrated prototypes of assault rifles and Gauss pistols, as well as robotic platforms with these weapons. During the two-minute video, the Chinese in military uniforms ran and took threatening poses with their electromagnetic devices. Then the shooter from the miracle weapon, almost point-blank, pierced several sheets resembling thick hardboard and a sheet of very thin tin. Crawler robots the size of a children's toy crawled between the trees and shot balloons from several meters...