Alternative to Saiga-9/TR9. Pistol-carbine "Vepr-9"

Description

The Vepr 221 model, as this carbine was presented on the market, was developed on the basis of the VPO-213 hunting carbine, which traditionally has common roots with assault rifles and machine guns of the AK family. This design solution ensures extreme reliability of the weapon, as well as a long service life. But such a design, when transferred to the field of hunting weapons, demonstrates a significant drop in accuracy in comparison with its military counterparts. This is due to the smooth barrel, as well as the significant spacing of the receiver elements, which ensures increased reliability of the overall mechanism of the carbine. At the same time, at distances of about 100-150 meters, the weapon shows satisfactory accuracy when shooting at a large animal.

The carbine, in fact, was not designed for accurate sniper shooting, its main purpose is to bring down a large animal with one or two shots, at distances from fifty to one hundred meters, and the Vepr 221 hunting rifle copes with this very well.

The VPO 221 weapon is available in two versions - with a butt made of walnut wood or a plastic butt. In both cases, the butt received an anatomical design with a pistol grip and a cutout for the thumb. The butt plate is rubber with a shock-absorbing design; the butt itself is equipped with a cheek rest, which is necessary for aimed shooting. By default, the stock is oriented for right-handed people, but upon request you can also get a stock for left-handed people.

Basic technical data and completeness

Domestic designers were forced to expand the bolt group of the gun inside the receiver, minimizing the friction area and creating a large bolt. This decision had both its pros and cons. Among the advantages it is worth highlighting:

• increased service life, which is important for many hunters who are looking to purchase a budget carbine and are not ready to invest heavily in maintaining its performance characteristics (of course, with the exception of regular cleaning and basic preventative maintenance of smooth-bore weapons);
• wear resistance, which is especially important in the harsh Russian climate, when winter is unusually cold and autumn is rainy and damp (the carbine is resistant to both factors, which gives the shooter confidence in the shot).

Technical data of the VPO-221 shotgun
Unfortunately, the improvement of some indicators led to the deterioration of others. Indeed, the accuracy of the VPO-221 shotgun has decreased significantly compared to other examples of the well-known series, but in general this does not bother the owners. With good shooting skills, the VPO-221 carbine allows you to hunt even large animals at a distance of less than 100 meters.

Ease of use is largely due to the automatic nature of the gun. The reloading principle is based on the removal of powder gases from the barrel channel. The gas piston is characterized by a long working stroke, and the channel itself is locked with three stops by turning the shutter clockwise. The longitudinal axis is used as the center - a standard solution for a shooting mechanism of this type.

To fix the lugs, there are characteristic cutouts on the receiver. As for the rotation of the bolt, this is affected by the protrusions with a figured groove located on the rear surface of the bolt frame. Because of this, the shutter rotates in the longitudinal direction.

The forend and butt deserve special mention, since they are made of:

• whole and well processed nut;
• army plastic.

VPO-221 with plastic butt

The VPO-221 carbine is available for sale in both wooden and polymer versions. In general, this is reflected in the design and tactile sensations (some prefer smooth wood, while others prefer a rough plastic surface). This does not in any way affect the shooting performance of the gun.

A huge advantage is the shape of the butt, which has an anatomical notch for the thumb. The standard pistol grip simplifies handling of the carbine, allowing for targeted shooting. Other elements contribute to this:

• shock absorber butt plate;
• rubber cheek.

Vepr Lancaster stock with shock absorber.
A well-designed balance of the carbine also plays an important role. In general, all of the listed design features help to hold the weapon while aiming and to raise it. An inexpensive and quick conversion of weapons specifically for left-handers can be a pleasant bonus.

The recoil when firing the 9.6/53 Lancaster cartridge is quite noticeable. To minimize it, the designers equipped the butt with a rotating cheekpiece and a shock absorber butt plate.

Now we suggest taking a look at the standard equipment of the VPO-221 carbine, which includes:

• documents for smooth-bore weapons and passport;
• standard detachable magazine holding 5 rounds of 9.6/53 Lancaster caliber;
• warranty certificate (a good bonus for domestic consumers);
• shooting protocol, which contains all the necessary information;
• Spare parts kit, thanks to which maintenance and care do not present any difficulties.

Self-loading carbine in a box with a magazine
In addition, the Molot-Oruzhie enterprise actively produces a lot of additional devices that ensure the safety of the Vepr series carbines. For example, you can purchase a case that will protect the gun from bad weather when transporting or carrying it.

Carbine Vepr 9 mm design

Automation Vepr 221 9 6 mm works through the use of powder gases removed from the barrel bore through a gas release mechanism when fired. The gas piston acting on the bolt frame has a fairly long stroke. The barrel bore is locked in the same way as in Kalashnikov assault rifles and machine guns - by turning the bolt protrusions in the figured grooves of the receiver. The fuse control bar has been redesigned, unlike its ancestors - the AK, made smaller in size and more convenient for switching with the movement of the “shooting” hand.

To reduce the risk of an accidental shot when falling, the striker received its own spring suspension. A striker-type trigger allows firing only single shots.

In this case, the rate of fire is regulated only by the speed of pressing the trigger.

The Vepr 9.6 mm smoothbore carbine is equipped with a cold-forged barrel with Lancaster drilling. To reduce friction, as well as to increase the wear resistance of the barrel, its internal part, as well as the internal part of the gas block, along its entire length, was chrome-plated. In this way, the manufacturer provided the necessary torque to the bullet, and also ensured ease of cleaning and durability of the internal surfaces of the gun.

The carbine is equipped with a removable muzzle brake with a fire extinguishing function. If desired, the muzzle brake can be replaced with suitable devices.

On the left side of the receiver there is a dovetail rail for mounting various optical sights of a suitable type. A sector rear sight with a division scale adjustable from one hundred to three hundred meters is attached to the upper part of the receiver, and a stand with a ring-type front sight is attached to the end of the gas chamber.

The cartridges are fed from removable magazines that can hold five 9.6x53 mm cartridges. The standard configuration of the gun includes one magazine.

Design and principle of operation

The principle of operation of the gun is simple and well known to most experienced shooters. Equipped with a safety lever, the trigger mechanism allows you to fire one shot, after which the carbine is automatically reloaded.

For greater resistance to corrosion, the manufacturer chrome-plated the metal parts. This also provides additional resistance to chemical reagents that are inevitably released at the time of the shot. The following were subjected to the alloying procedure:

• gas chamber;
• stock;
• barrel channel;
• chamber.

Design of the bolt mechanism Vepr-221

The barrel itself was made using the well-known technology of cold rotational forging. The channel has a characteristic oval-helical drilling, the parameters of which do not exceed the norms permissible under Russian legislation.

Vepr 221 Lancaster hunting reviews

According to reviews from hunters, the carbine’s characteristics are as close as possible to rifled models of small arms. Thus, the Boar Hammer Lancaster is ideal for both hunting and recreational hunting. The popularity of Molot guns was ensured by three factors:

• Comfortable handling of a large-caliber gun;
• Ease of transportation - if necessary, the carbine can be easily disassembled into its component parts;
• Adequately selected dimensions and weight of the gun.

The main and decisive factor that makes the Vepr the best choice even for a beginner is the possibility of purchasing a carbine under a license for a smoothbore weapon. You don’t need to be in the community of hunters for several years to have the opportunity to acquire a truly powerful and effective weapon against large animals.

Disassembly of a weapon is permitted only with the magazine removed, the ammunition removed from the chamber, and with the firing pin released from the cocked position!

General information

The VPO-221 carbine is suitable for both commercial and amateur hunting. A wide range of applications would have been impossible if the designers from Molot-Weapon had not managed to achieve an ideal balance of the following characteristics:

• ease of use - shooting from this carbine is simple, pleasant, comfortable;
• ease of transportation - disassembling the gun does not take much time, it is done quickly and without any particular difficulties;
• optimal physical indicators - we are talking about the weight of the gun and its dimensions, which will be discussed later.

A huge advantage is that you can purchase the VPO-221 Lancaster carbine with a smoothbore license. There is no need to wait 5 years for handling smooth-bore weapons, but the Vepr has many advantages of rifled weapons.

If we talk about the two most striking indicators of the VPO-221 carbine, then these are:

• accuracy;
• range.

Zeroing the Vepr carbine
This could not have been achieved without a well-functioning trigger mechanism. The designers relied heavily on the experience gained after the release of previous models of the Vepr series, and specifically the VPO-221 is produced on the basis of another smooth-bore self-loading gun - the VPO-213-19. The difference between these two carbines, among other things, is the caliber - 366 TKM.

Reliability in handling is one of the main advantages of a carbine. This is also reflected in the fact that in many respects the principle of operation was borrowed from the famous RPK-74 light machine gun. Thanks to this, the carbine practically does not fail or misfire, and also demonstrates amazing resistance to external negative factors.

It was noted above that the VPO-221 gun has good accuracy indicators, but an important explanation is required here. We are talking about shooting at medium distance. When hunting at a distance of over 100 meters, there is a significant loss of efficiency, and this can be explained by the design features of the carbine.

Technical characteristics Vepr 9 53 mm

Safety and preparation for shooting

For the necessary safety, the design of the VPO-221 carbine provides a safety lever. It is located next to the trigger mechanism and has an additional protrusion that allows, if necessary, to quickly and conveniently put the weapon on safety, thereby preventing an arbitrary shot.

An additional safety measure is the hammer, equipped with a spring inside the barrel channel. This eliminates the possibility of an accidental shot due to the inertial heating of the primer.

To put the weapon into firing position, simply insert a loaded magazine and remove the carbine from the safety catch.

Story

The first sample of the Vepr carbine was created in 1995 at the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant. In the nineties, the Vyatsko-Polyansky plant, like the entire military-industrial industry, was going through difficult times. The plant was actually left without government military orders and, for its own survival, was forced to rebuild its production to produce civilian products.

The Vepr carbine was created on the basis of the Kalashnikov light machine gun (RPK), which was also produced at the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant. The development of the carbine was carried out by a team of designers from the Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant consisting of P. M. Mokrushin, V. I. Lyamin, A. I. Kabatchikov, and others. The design of the carbine makes maximum use of parts and components of the Kalashnikov light machine gun. From its predecessor, the Vepr carbine inherited a high degree of reliability and reliability when operating in the most difficult operating conditions.

Over the many years of production, the Vepr carbine was produced for a variety of cartridges: 7.62×39 mm, 5.45×39 mm, 7.62×51 mm (.308 Winchester), 5.56×45 mm (.223 Remington), 7.62×54 mm R, 7.62×63 mm (.30-06 Springfield), 9.6/53 Lancaster, .366 TKM, 12 smoothbore, in many modifications and versions.

Maintenance

Cleaning the VPO-221 is simple, and its principle itself will not cause difficulties for shooters who have experience in handling smooth-bore weapons. If necessary, you can look at the instructions and familiarize yourself in detail with the rules for disassembling the carbine.

Disassembly and cleaning of VPO-221

VPO-221 is an excellent carbine, suitable for hunting small and medium-sized animals. Another advantage is the moderate cost - about 41-51 thousand rubles. If you have good shooting skills, then you can safely take it for hunting or recreational shooting at the range.

Advantages

Vepr carbines have a number of undoubted advantages for which they are so valued by their owners:

• Vepr carbines are created on the basis of the Kalashnikov light machine gun, from which they inherited high reliability and trouble-free operation in a wide variety of climatic conditions.
• Thanks to the fairly large weight, the self-loading principle of operation and the rubber butt plate-shock absorber on the butt, Vepr carbines have relatively low recoil.
• Vepr carbines, thanks to their successful layout, allow the use of open sights even with an optical sight installed.
• Vepr carbines have a chrome-plated bore and chamber, as well as good quality metal from which the automatic parts are made, thanks to which the carbine has a fairly high resource of 10 thousand shots.
• Vepr carbines show good accuracy and shooting accuracy for a self-loading weapon. At a shooting distance of 100 meters, the spread of hits does not exceed 10 cm.
• Vepr carbines are presented in a wide range of modifications and calibers, which allows the buyer to choose a weapon that suits his requirements.
• Vepr carbines have a low cost compared to foreign analogues with similar technical characteristics.