VAG-73 - Gerasimenko pistol. Device. Weight. Dimensions
VAG-73 is an experimental automatic pistol chambered for an experimental caseless cartridge of 7.62 mm caliber, developed by Soviet engineer V. A. Gerasimenko in the early 70s of the 20th century. The design of the weapon allows firing by self-cocking and with pre-cocking. You can fire not only with single shots, but also with bursts.
To increase the efficiency and accuracy of shooting in automatic mode, a special pneumatic retarder was introduced into the design of the pistol, which brakes the bolt when it moves to the rearmost position. In addition to the unusual ammunition, a feature of this system is also the huge capacity of the “tandem” magazine (48 rounds).
Over the entire history of small arms, a huge number of different systems have been developed. Caseless weapons are quite interesting, but if you ask interested people about it, many will only cite the German G11 assault rifle as an example. Someone will probably remember that the Germans developed a light machine gun and a PDW-class submachine gun for the same cartridge. A person who studies the history of weapons in depth will cite as an example the competitors of this system - and those who took part in the same competition. For this weapon, ammunition was used, which was a bullet pressed into a parallelepiped made of explosive. For the American pistol "MBA Gyrojet", also classified as a caseless weapon, so-called rocket bullets were used.
In addition, another version of the ammunition was used - it consists of a head part (metal) and a hollow thin-walled rear part, made in the shape of a cylinder. The rear part serves as a sleeve, inside which a propellant powder charge and a burning primer (a charge of flammable substance) are placed. Cartridges of this type are used in the Benelli CB-M2 submachine gun (Italy) and in the experimental submachine gun designed by Zhetesov PPZh-005 (Kazakhstan). We can summarize: when talking about caseless weapons, experts remember many countries, and not the USSR or Russia. But this is unfair - similar systems were developed in the Soviet Union.
The cartridge from the “rear” magazine is touched by the bolt cylinder feeder (indicated by the arrow)
At the end of the 1980s, the Kiev State Security Committee transferred the pistol to the Weapons Funds of the St. Petersburg Artillery Museum without any accompanying documents. This weapon was developed by Vladimir Alekseevich Gerasimenko (1910-1987) and had a highly unusual design. The bodies of the transferred pistols bore the emblem of Arsenal, a plant that produced optical aircraft systems for space and aviation.
Vladimir Alekseevich worked at this plant since 1942 as a design engineer. Gerasimenko proactively developed and designed combat and sports pistols, while his work was carried out under the supervision of the KGB. Over the years of work, he developed about 20 experimental types of weapons and received 7 certificates of invention. It is interesting that Gerasimenko did not have any weapons training. In the early 1970s, Gerasimenko developed and manufactured automatic pistols VAG-72 and VAG-73 chambered for a 7.62 mm caseless cartridge. In addition to VAG pistols, after the death of the designer, a 9-mm pistol chambered for 9×18 PM and a 7.62-mm Gerasimenko pistol chambered for TT cartridges were transferred to the museum’s funds. True, these pistols have a completely ordinary design.
The pneumatic retarder is quite simple in design. The valve hole in the front of the cylinder is clearly visible
Design features of Gerasimenko caseless pistols:
The pistol itself has quite impressive dimensions and weight - with dimensions of 235x135x28 mm, its weight is 1.2 kg. The trigger mechanism makes it possible to fire a shot by self-cocking or with pre-cocking of the hammer. The pistol does not have an external safety, but has a two-way fire mode translator. Both single shots and burst shots can be fired.
The barrel block is connected to the pistol frame by a vertical pin fixed by the transverse axis. VAG-73 has a rather interesting power system. The “tandem” magazine holds 48 rounds (the VAG-72 magazine holds 24 rounds). Essentially, these are two magazines placed one behind the other in a single housing with separate feed springs. Magazines of this type are also used in the Russian OTs-53 submachine gun.
The cartridge was loaded into the chamber according to the following scheme: with the magazine attached and fully loaded, when the bolt is retracted to the rearmost position, the bolt cylinder goes behind the ammunition located in the front compartment of the magazine, and the cylinder feeder goes behind the ammunition in the rear part. As the bolt moves to the forward position, the front cartridge is fed into the chamber by the cylinder, and the cartridge from the rear compartment of the magazine takes its place.
The trigger part with the trigger, sear and mainspring is easily removed from the pistol frame. When firing a shot with the hammer not cocked, the rod connecting the trigger to the hammer, located inside the pistol frame, is activated.
Thus, during shooting, the cartridges from the rear of the magazine were consumed first. Each cartridge was first fed into the upper cartridge position of the front of the magazine, and then, during the next reloading cycle, into the chamber. The ammunition from the rear compartment of the store was touched by the bolt feeder. The larvae feeder, after 24 shots (using up all the ammunition in the rear of the magazine), did not encounter a cartridge on its way, and went blank. In this case, the front part of the larva fed a cartridge from the front part of the magazine into the chamber during each cycle.
To ensure effective aimed shooting in automatic mode, the VAG-73 design is supplemented with a pneumatic retarder (it is absent in the VAG-72). The retarder slowed down the bolt during the roll-up, which made it possible for the pistol to return to the aiming line when firing in bursts. The design of a pneumatic retarder is quite simple. There is a valve hole at the front of the cylinder.
As the bolt moves backward, its lower part interacts with the retarder lever, which moves the aluminum piston forward. In this case, the air in the cylinder exits through the valve located in the front part - a vacuum is formed. During the roll of the bolt, it meets the other arm of the retarder lever on its way and, overcoming the resistance of the cylinder, held due to the vacuum in the cylinder, continues to move. As a result, the shutter moves a moment later to its forward position. This is quite enough to return the pistol to the aiming line before the trigger is pulled off again during automatic firing.
The barrel block is connected to the pistol frame by a vertical pin fixed by a transverse axis
The fire mode translator mechanism works as follows. Depending on the position of the fire mode selector, the trigger pusher either moves freely up and down or is rigidly fixed. A double-armed lever connects the pusher and the sear. When the hammer is cocked and the trigger is pressed, it presses the front part of the double-armed lever on the left side of the bolt cylinder. Pressing occurs through a movable pusher. At the same time, the rear part of the lever lowers, presses the sear, the trigger is released from the cocking position - a shot occurs. If the translator is set to single-fire mode, after the shot the trigger pusher moves downwards with the front arm of the lever when the bolt returns forward.
When the trigger is pressed in automatic mode, the pusher, pressing the lever, is fixed in the upper position. As the bolt moves forward, the lever hits the pusher and its front part rises - the sear drops, and a shot occurs. Part of the trigger mechanism with the mainspring, sear and trigger is easily removed from the frame. When firing with the hammer uncocked, the rod located inside the frame of the pistol is activated, which connects the trigger and hammer.
Two caseless Gerasimenko cartridges, one has a primer sleeve unscrewed
Ammunition for the Gerasimenko VAG-73 pistol
Several types of ammunition are used for caseless systems. This can be a bullet pressed into a parallelepiped made of explosive (German G11 assault rifle) or so-called rocket cartridges (American pistol "MBA Gyrojet"). Bullets for VAG pistols belong to the third type. This ammunition is also called a cartridge with a “flying away” cartridge case. The ammunition consists of a metal head part and a rear hollow thin-walled part made in the shape of a cylinder (cup). Inside the rear part of the cartridge, there is a propellant powder charge and a burning capsule (there is a thread for screwing it in) - a charge of igniting substance, that is, it serves as a cartridge case.
Cartridges of a similar design are also used for the Benelli CB-M2 submachine gun (Italy) and the experimental submachine gun designed by Zhetyosov PPZh-005 (Kazakhstan). At first glance, cartridges for VAG pistols raise natural questions. Made of steel, they should “eat” the barrel after a few dozen shots, but a brass plug screwed into the bottom of the bullet prevents this. The function of the leading element is performed by a protruding belt. A similar driving device is found in an artillery shell and a bullet for PPS. In some sources, VAG ammunition, referring to the classification features, even despite its small caliber, is classified as projectiles. The use of a thick steel shell in the design is explained by the need to prevent its swelling by powder gases, which means friction against the walls of the barrel during a shot.
Gerasimenko cartridge options
Cartridge (ammunition) "VAG"
Weapons that fire caseless cartridges are not unique or amazing today. Several types of such systems can be distinguished. For example, this is a parallelepiped-shaped bullet, which consists of a compressed explosive for the German G11 assault rifle or jet cartridges in the American MBA Gyrojet pistols.
However, with the cartridges of the Gerasimenko “VAG” pistol, everything is somewhat different. They can be classified as projectiles that are often called "flying case" bullets. Their design consists of a main (head) part and a rear cylindrical cup, which plays the role of a sleeve. It also contains a charge of gunpowder and flammable substance.
And although the cartridges were made of steel, they did not “eat” the barrel. But this drawback was successfully eliminated thanks to the brass ring at the bottom of the bullet, which slightly protrudes beyond the diameter of the main projectile. During a shot, this ring-belt is the leading one and prevents the cartridge from randomly crashing into the walls of the barrel. By the way, the shells in PPS pistols and artillery guns have a similar design.
Alas, for all its advantages and unique technology, the VAG pistol never entered mass production, remaining only a museum exhibit. Presumably, one of the reasons was that it weighed too much for this type of weapon - 1.2 kg. However, one can only guess what actually prevented Gerasimenko’s VAG pistol from going into production.
Photo of the VAG-73 pistol
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