The PSM-R traumatic pistol is the brainchild of Ukrainian gunsmiths. It is designed on the basis of the well-known Russian military analogue - the PSM pistol (small-sized self-loading pistol). And since this pistol is an external copy of its combat “brother,” we can conclude from this that the PSM-R pistol is a small-sized pistol.
For pistol shooting, a 5.45x18 cartridge is used.
A little about history and psychology
Combat PSM was once created for a specific consumer. According to the designers, the highest officials of the army, the KGB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Prosecutor's Office were to be armed with such a pistol. And they were armed with this pistol. Moreover, the pistol was supplied abroad (mainly to arm the highest ranks of law enforcement agencies from the countries of the socialist camp). In addition, at all times of its existence, the pistol (of course, its combat version) was used as a reward weapon. So combat PSM has a long and successful history. Apparently, this is what the creators of the traumatic analogue were counting on. Being armed with an exact external copy of a “general’s” pistol is impressive.
However, the consumer’s attitude towards small-sized models of traumatic weapons has always been ambiguous. On the one hand, this pistol is good. It is light, compact, and easy to hide from prying eyes. But on the other hand, the pistol probably does not have very impressive tactical and technical abilities: the destructive power of the charge, the range of the bullet, the ease of firing, ergonomics, etc. In addition, small-sized weapons usually do not make a terrifying impression on an attacker who may seem that this is not an injury at all, but some kind of lighter made in the shape of a pistol.
For this reason, most manufacturers of trauma weapons try to design their brainchild with a long barrel, an oversized body and a massive handle - that is, to make the weapon look solid and intimidating. However, another problem may await the user here. A massive weapon is not easy to carry, you can’t just hide it in a holster or pocket...
So what should we do? The truth, as we know, lies somewhere in the middle. It is from this point of view that we will consider what the PSM traumatic pistol is.
Modernity
Now this pistol is still popular. On its basis, several successful models were developed, for example, IZH-75, which was simply widened to 20 mm and given a new sight, and was also equipped with an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber. Initially it was planned to sell it abroad. But since the MPC cartridge is not common in the West, the pistol had to be remade for other cartridges. This is how the MP-441 “Baikal” variant was created, which uses 6.35 mm Browning cartridges. It is much thicker (37 mm), due to the use of cheeks of a different design. The gunsmiths fulfilled all the requirements put forward by the US government. But in America, as well as in many foreign countries, it was banned due to its exceptional lethality; it is widely known under the nickname “assassination pistol.” Now it is actively used as a sporting weapon, although the combat qualities of the PSM are still at a high level.
General information about the pistol
The first thing we will notice when looking at the pistol is its dimensions. And if we immediately feel skepticism, it is in vain, because this pistol is not so bad when you start to get acquainted with its technical characteristics.
However, first let's talk about the inconveniences. The main inconvenience when handling the PSM pistol is that it is uncomfortable to hold in your hands - especially when firing from it. The reason for this is the thin handle. In terms of its length, it does not cause any particular inconvenience, but as for the thickness, you will have to get used to it or get used to it after conducting several training shootings.
Another inconvenience is the large recoil of the weapon, which is also caused by its low weight. However, there is a way out here too. You can get used to such recoil or try to extinguish it during the same familiarization shooting.
Well, then let’s talk about the advantages. One of the undoubted advantages of the weapon is its almost complete similarity with its combat counterpart. In addition, the pistol has good technical properties, which will be discussed in more detail below. Further: in addition to external similarity, the traumatist also has internal similarity with his combat double. The rifle is made of the same materials as a combat pistol. Only the barrel is different, which is quite understandable and understandable.
The peculiarity of this type of traumatic weapon is that, in comparison with models of traumatic weapons of other models, it is somewhat easier to convert it for firing with live charges. And this despite the fact that the designers tried their best to prevent anything like this from happening. But... Crime statistics of Ukraine tell us that it is PSM-R that are most often subjected to criminal constructive alterations by all sorts of “traditional craftsmen”. In all likelihood, there are many such “craftsmen” in Russia. Here we must remember that any such “improvement” of a pistol can lead to serious problems with the law.
Read more about how PSM-R is designed
The mechanics of the pistol are traditional, just like those of its combat prototype. Its operation is based on the free shutter principle. For ease of use, some compact firearms do not have a safety lock on the body - so that the weapon, when removed from a pocket or holster, cannot get caught in the safety box. This pistol has a safety catch on the body - and, by all accounts, it is located very well and does not interfere with removing the weapon. In addition, it is very convenient to move the flag to its working position by literally moving your finger.
The pistol does not have any new or unexpected features of the trigger mechanism. The trigger here is traditional, double-action, and has a trigger type. The location of the trigger on the pistol is also traditional, and therefore familiar - on the rear edge of the frame. The pistol can only fire single shots. You can shoot by first cocking the hammer, or you can shoot without cocking the hammer.
The barrel of the pistol is attached to the frame. The barrel bore is locked due to the inertial force of the bolt, as well as due to the force of the return spring. In principle, pistols are made at the factory quite well and of high quality, however, according to the advice of people in the know, after purchasing a weapon it would not hurt to additionally sand the barrel. They say that as a result the barrel, and the weapon itself, will last longer.
The fundamental difference between the pistol and other compact pistols is the absence of a slide stop flag on the body of the weapon. Some people believe that there is no such mechanism in the pistol at all, but this is not so. The pistol has a slide stop, but its mechanism is designed in a rather unusual way. Without a lever on the body, the pistol is placed on the slide stop and removed from it in a different way. In order to do this, you need to remove the magazine from the handle, then move the bolt to the rear position, and then move it forward. That is, in essence, you need to jerk the shutter. In this case, the cartridge will not fall into the chamber, since, as was said, before the bolt is pulled, the magazine, along with the charges, is removed from the pistol.
Difficult? Yes, probably. This is especially difficult for ladies who love this type of injury for its compactness and light weight. Moreover, it is completely unclear why the inventors designed their brainchild in such a sophisticated way. However, numerous opinions suggest that this was done in order to differ from other similar examples of trauma. Many experts and users consider this complexity to be one of the main disadvantages of this type of weapon.
Tuning lovers will also find something to do here. Many owners of a pistol change the linings on its handle, that is, instead of the factory ones, they adapt real ones from the combat PSM-R. Thus, the injury becomes practically indistinguishable from its combat counterpart. Some tuning enthusiasts go even further and chrome-plate the body of their traumatic PSM-R. In this case, the appearance of the pistol becomes truly “general”.
List of technical data of weapons
The performance characteristics of a self-loading small-sized pistol have the following characteristics:
- The caliber of charges for firing from a pistol is 9 mm RA;
- Weapon length (total) – 155 mm;
- Weapon height – 120 mm;
- Weapon width – 2 cm;
- The weight of the weapon without cartridges is 440 g;
- Weight of weapon with cartridges – 500 g;
- The most effective shooting is at a distance of up to 7 m;
- The magazine holds 6 charges.
According to reviews from experts and weapon owners, the given characteristics of the pistol differ significantly for the better from its competitors, that is, from other models of compact trauma weapons.
Some of the practice of using weapons
When firing, the pistol behaves quite reliably, does not break, the cartridges enter the chamber regularly and without problems, the cartridges do not swell or burst when firing. That is, this example of injury is a generally reliable weapon, and in this regard you can feel confident with it.
Another thing is the destructive power of the charges. Even in a combat model, it is very average (this is exactly how the pistol is designed), and even in a traumatic analogue, the power of the muzzle energy is only 50 J. It is clear that it is difficult to hit an attacker with such charges - especially in winter, when he is wearing a lot of different clothes .
Many inquisitive minds are trying to get out of the situation by using other, more powerful charges for shooting. Such charges are not at all intended for firing from the PSM-R, however, this type of weapon is designed in such an amazing way that it can often be used to fire even more powerful, foreign cartridges. Of course, such actions are prosecuted by law, but, as they say, cases do happen. In addition, when shooting non-original cartridges with a pistol, various incidents can occur in the form of a breakdown or other malfunction of one or another part. In particular, the ejector may become lost or damaged.
Features of the combat analogue
The 5.45x18 combat cartridge, used when firing from an analogue of a traumatic weapon, had an extremely low muzzle energy, which in different versions of the pistol was 125 and 140 J. Initially, this weapon was designed for medium load.
Of course, you can make a gun work at its maximum capabilities, but the use of charges not specified in the gun’s documentation is punishable by law on the territory of Ukraine. And anyway, why break a good pistol if it has enough energy for effective shooting?
The engineers designing this pistol tried to do everything to save “enthusiasts” from the possibility of converting the traumatic weapon back into a combat weapon. But there are cases where law enforcement agencies confiscated copies of traumatic PSM that worked according to the combat system. Every person should understand that after such alterations you can get into serious problems with the law.
Some conclusions
In general, the pistol, based on its characteristics, as well as from owner reviews and expert comments, is a completely reliable weapon in the family of small-sized traumatic guns. It is clear that it is risky to use such a pistol as the main weapon for self-defense, but as an additional weapon to some more impressive traumatic weapon, the PSM-R traumatic one is very suitable.
The undoubted advantage of this type of weapon is that it is sold in what is called “ready-made”. That is, you can buy it and immediately use it: shoot at targets, carry it with you for self-defense, and so on. The weapon does not need any fine-tuning, except perhaps to additionally polish the inside of the barrel.
In conclusion, it is necessary to remind once again that there is no need to tempt fate and try to convert a weapon into a combat weapon or shoot from it with traumatic charges of an unintended power. After all, much more powerful weapons can be purchased to fire powerful rounds. And then everything will be according to the law.
general characteristics
It is perhaps impossible to find a pistol like the PSM, the characteristics and design of which have remained unchanged since its release in 1974. This weapon is well known all over the world, and it is no coincidence that respect for it came. This is the flattest pistol in the world - its width is only 18 mm, in addition to this it is very accurate and practically trouble-free. And he had to take part in various military conflicts a lot.
