New civilian weapon VPO-289 - is this carbine worth buying?

Nowadays, in hunting and weapons stores you can see a large number of smooth-bore weapons, one of which is the VPO-208 smooth-bore self-loading carbine. Created on the basis of the well-known and time-tested Simonov carbine (SKS), the VPO-208 is essentially its civilian smoothbore version. Due to its properties and technical characteristics, the carbine is of interest to many hunters and shooters. Let's tell you more about it.

Review of VPO-208

The VPO-208 smoothbore carbine was developed and produced at the Molot OJSC enterprise in Vyatskie Polyany on the basis of the SKS carbine and has many characteristics similar to it.

The VPO-208 carbine was first presented to the general public at the “Weapons and Hunting 2015” exhibition in October 2015.

VPO-208 is produced in smoothbore caliber 366 TKM, a cartridge of this caliber was developed from the very beginning by the Tekhkrim enterprise specifically for the VPO-208 carbine, other samples, such as the VPO-209 carbine and many others, were developed and put into production much later.

The main advantage of the VPO-208 carbine is the fact that, due to its caliber, it is purchased under a regular smoothbore license, so buyers who want to purchase it do not need to wait for a five-year ownership experience to obtain a license for a rifled weapon.

According to the manufacturer, the 366 TKM cartridge is intended for hunting animals weighing up to 200 kg, at a shooting distance of up to 150 meters.

The abbreviation TKM in the name of the cartridge indicates the developers of both the city of Izhevsk and OJSC “Molot”, Vyatskie Polyany. Thus, the manufacturer of the VPO-208 carbine itself participated in the development of the 366 TKM cartridge.

The cartridge was developed based on the 7.62×39 mm cartridge case. 1943. The caliber of the 366 cartridge is indicated in fractions of an inch, which in the metric system corresponds to the designation 9.5 × 37.5 mm.

366 TKM cartridges are produced equipped with different types of bullets of different weights, from the “Dary” bullet weighing 13.5 grams to the “Gexa” bullet weighing 15 grams; the plant also produces shot cartridges of caliber 366 TKM.

The VPO-208 carbine, due to both its appearance and the characteristics included in it by the manufacturer, undoubtedly attracted the attention of hunters and shooting enthusiasts.

Tuning VPO-209

Smoothbore carbine vpo 209 - its classic look can be completely changed with the help of a modernized one:

• butt;
• forend;
• orthopedic box;
• weapon racks;
• telescopic cane support.

VPO 209 smoothbore shotgun is an excellent option for the price. After all, cartridges for it are available to most buyers of rifled weapons who want to get a carbine that is ideal in terms of cost and quality!

Advantages of VPO-208

• Opportunity to purchase a carbine under a regular smooth-bore license, without waiting for the completion of the five-year experience required to obtain a license for a rifled weapon
• Reliable and well-thought-out carbine design, time-tested
• The owner of the carbine can tune it to his individual needs
• Good range and accuracy of the carbine
• Relatively low price of a carbine
• Low price of 366 TKM cartridges, making them available not only for hunting, but also simply for recreational shooting

Review #2

On one of the Russian hunting forums we found a review from the owner of this carbine. This is what the user “Slushkov” writes:

— I am the owner of the desired device. I first heard about the presentation (June 2015) and was looking forward to the start of sales. I bought it just to be able to shoot at 100-150 m. I didn’t have time to try it on a real hunt, because... Receiving the ROC for this device just coincided with the end of the season, and there was simply nowhere to test it.

In general, below I will describe the negative and positive aspects of its use. And draw your own conclusions - whether to buy or not.

Next, user “Slushkov” describes the pros and cons of this carbine.

Purpose of the VPO-208 carbine

The VPO-208 carbine is intended both for hunting and for recreational target shooting and for self-defense purposes. The 366 TKM caliber cartridge has a muzzle energy of more than 2000 J; at a firing distance of 200 meters, the kinetic energy of a bullet fired from the VPO-208 is about 1000 J. This energy is quite enough to kill an animal weighing up to 100 kg. Based on this, with the VPO-208 carbine you can hunt two-year-old wild boar, young-of-the-year elk, roe deer, and deer.

Technical characteristics of VPO-208

• Caliber: .366 TCM
• Manufacturer: Hammer (Vyatskie Polyany)
• Operating principle: gas outlet self-charging
• Barrel: smooth-bore, cold forged, with Paradox-type rifling in the muzzle
• Barrel length: 520 mm
• Magazine type: permanent
• Magazine capacity: 10 rounds
• Sighting range: 300 meters
• Weapon length: 1025 mm
• Weapon weight: 3.65 kg

X characteristics and engineering parameters

Automation is based on the recoil force of a short-stroke barrel. The VPO 214 shotgun is absolutely “omnivorous” and is distinguished by the highest reliability, therefore it has confidently supplanted other self-loading shotguns, including other Molot products.” In particular, a dress rehearsal was held at Arms&Hunting and the final configuration of the malware was determined.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the weapon:

• total length - 1270 millimeters;
• barrel length – 750 mm;
• total weight (including ammunition) - 3400 grams;
• caliber – 12x76;
• Magazine capacity – 5 rounds.

The magazine is made in the form of an under-barrel magazine, which significantly “saves” on the final dimensions of the product. The endurance of the model is impressive: this smooth-bore weapon can withstand temperature changes ranging from -20 to +45 ° C, while the operation of the gun is stable and does not depend on weather conditions. Even snow, dampness and dust are not an obstacle to the VPO 214. The “equipping” of the gun with a fixed barrel with a length of only 42 centimeters makes the model as mobile as possible, which is especially important when hunting in the forest. The weapon is indispensable both for Siberian winters and tropical summers.

Design

As already mentioned, the VPO-208 carbine is designed on the basis of the SKS carbine, therefore it inherited from it the main design elements and principle of operation.

VPO-208 barrel

The main difference between the VPO-208 carbine and the SKS carbine is its barrel. Unlike the SKS carbine, the VPO-208 carbine is equipped with a newly-made smooth barrel, which has six right-hand rifling in the muzzle of the bore, the length of the rifled part is 110 mm, and the rifling pitch is 500 mm. The rifling is formed in the bore during the barrel manufacturing process using cold rotary forging. This type of trunk is called Paradox. According to the current legislation of the Russian Federation, such a barrel is considered smooth-bore, and for those who want to purchase such a carbine, there is no need to wait for 5 years of experience in owning a smooth-bore weapon, as when purchasing a rifled weapon. To purchase a VPO-208 carbine, a regular smoothbore license is required.

It should be noted that in terms of bullet accuracy, the VPO-208 is superior to any smooth-bore hunting rifle available on the market, and the heavy 366 TKM caliber bullet has great stopping power.

The passport for the VPO-208 carbine indicates a barrel accuracy of 140 mm at 100 meters. It should be recalled that the rejection parameter for the SKS carbine is four hits per 150 mm circle at 100 meters. Thus, the accuracy of the smooth-bore VPO-208 is at least no worse than the accuracy of the SKS combat carbine.

The VPO-208 carbine is equipped with a mechanical sight, consisting of a front sight placed at the muzzle end of the barrel, which can be adjusted in two planes and an aiming bar, with firing distances of up to 1000 meters marked on it. The mechanical sight inherited by the VPO-208 from the SKS carbine is poorly suited for accurate shooting; when installing an optical sight or a collimator sight on the carbine, the shooting accuracy increases significantly.

Operating principle

The operating principle of the automatic operation of the VPO-208 carbine is based on the use of the energy of powder gases, which are discharged through a hole in the side wall of the barrel. The barrel is locked by tilting the bolt downward behind the lug in the receiver. The bolt handle is located on the right side of the bolt frame.

Trigger mechanism VPO-208

The trigger mechanism of the VPO-208 carbine is of the hammer type, allowing for single shots. A flag-type fuse is located in the trigger guard of the firing mechanism housing.

Shop

The carbine has an integral magazine for 10 rounds. The magazine can be equipped either with the help of special clips, which, when the bolt is open, are inserted into the guides in the bolt frame, or one at a time. The carbine has a bolt stop that locks the bolt in the rear position when the last cartridge is fired from the magazine. The magazine has a bottom cover that folds down for unloading.

Butt

The wooden stock of the VPO-208 carbine has a semi-pistol neck butt. On the butt plate side there is a case with accessories for cleaning and servicing the carbine. There are modernized versions of the VPO-208 with an improved buttstock design.

Minuses

— Carbines are made from SKS, which come from warehouses. They change the barrel, and that's it. You may get an unused “new” one that has been in storage, or maybe a donor with two repair marks. I consider this a minus.

— It follows from the previous one: upon purchase, a new carbine must be completely disassembled, soak everything in kerosene and wd40. Mine got paint off the springs and also washed off some dirt (from the Vietnam War?). Be sure to check all springs, etc. Agree, getting acquainted with a new gun begins with the purchase of a complete repair kit (at SKS) and a thorough troubleshooting of the weapon, for which you paid 41,000 rubles. (I bought it when it had just appeared, and at an extortionate price tag), somehow it’s not entirely great.

— Apart from the barrel, nothing was changed in the carbine, while the magazine remained chambered for the 7.62x39 cartridge, and at first there were cases of the bullet nose sticking when fed. By the way, this also happens with SCS, and it is treated in exactly the same way. 20 minutes of work with pliers, and everything starts to flow great.

- Ammo. This is a huge temporary disadvantage. More precisely two minuses. First, Tekhkrim currently does not have time to produce cartridges in the required quantity. Severe shortage. They promise to launch a rotary line any moment now and fill the Motherland with cheap (up to 20 rubles) cartridges, but so far only words. With a carbine, the store gives 100-200 pieces and that’s it. Thanks to acquaintances in a couple of ormags, I managed to grab, in addition to the standard 200 (I got the sp15 semi-shell), excess cartridges (used in shoot-outs), but in general the people have a fierce grudge against “Techkreem.” And secondly, the quality of these same cartridges. The caliber is new, it was not fully tested, and there were technical problems. First there were issues with gunpowder (it burned poorly at minus, the bullet speed jumped), then with the primer. It misfired in the cold. Plus, by the end of the year, the bullets were poorly crimped, and periodically (about 1%) a bullet, after firing the primer, flew into the barrel, passed through its smooth part and hung on the rifling. The gunpowder did not ignite and fouled all the insides of the carbine. The bullet was knocked out with a ramrod. There was a case when a certain shooter, after spitting into the barrel like that, did not check the bore and fired with a second cartridge. As a result, the barrel ruptured (to Tekhkrim’s credit, they replaced the barrel on that carbine at their own expense). Although there was a terrible mistake with TB on the shooter’s part, in my opinion.

- Mortar. I thought for a long time and noted that this fact needs to be described. The bullet is quite heavy, and, despite its good speed, it sags quite strongly. That is, vertical corrections when shooting AFTER 100 m must be made. The situation is somewhat reminiscent of hunting pneumatics. The bullet still has good energy to hit the target, but the trajectory forces corrections. There is no need to enter corrections up to 100 m. With my optics height (70 mm above the barrel level) from 50 to 100 m, vertical deviations are up to 3 cm, and I ignore them. The first zero is about 50, the second zero is about 90 m, at 100 m the drop is 3 cm. In the same elk, I think it won’t matter.

Disassembly

The owner of the VPO-208 carbine periodically needs to disassemble the carbine for cleaning and maintenance.

In order to carry out incomplete disassembly

carbine, follow these steps:

• Remove the case with accessories from the carbine butt
• Separate the receiver cover; to do this, turn the checkbox of the receiver cover up
• Remove the return mechanism from the bolt stem
• Remove the bolt; to do this, move the bolt handle back and remove the bolt stem along with the frame

Complete disassembly of the VPO-208 is carried out for cleaning in case of heavy contamination, after exposure to rain or snow, or after repairs.

To carry out a complete disassembly

carbine, follow these steps:

• Perform partial disassembly of the carbine
• Remove the pusher with the spring
• Separate the firing mechanism
• Separate the store
• Separate the barrel and receiver from the stock
• Disassemble the firing mechanism
• Disassemble the return mechanism
• Separate the firing pin and ejector from the bolt

Assemble the carabiner in the reverse order.

Varieties of the VPO 213 model

The manufacturer initially provided several varieties of the classic model so that each buyer could choose the right weapon according to his taste and needs.

Among the main varieties are:

1. Shotgun models with barrels of various lengths: 305, 420, 520 and 590 millimeters. Initially, a modification with a 420 mm barrel went on sale, but gradually other models were released onto the market.
2. The manufacturer also presented varieties based on the type of receiver cover. At the buyer's request, it can be removable or folding.
3. Additionally, hunting enthusiasts can choose a carbine based on the location of the front sight: it can be located either at the end of the muzzle or on the gas chamber.

Despite the presence of a fairly large number of varieties, all gun models can be optionally equipped with different types of body kits, a muzzle brake or other additional types of shooting equipment.

Tuning

The VPO-208 carbine allows tuning at the request of its owner. Most often, VPO-208 owners improve their carbine with the following tuning elements:

• A mechanical sight is not very suitable for accurate shooting at long distances, so many owners install an optical or collimator sight on the carbine. With this improvement, the firing range and accuracy significantly increases.
• The original SKS carbine has a wooden stock, which does not meet modern requirements for the appearance and practicality of a weapon. The owner of the VPO-208 can install a modern type of stock on his carbine, which can be plastic or wooden, folding, with adjustable length; in addition, it can be equipped with a pistol or tactical grip.
• Owners of the VPO-208 carbine can equip their carbine with various barrel attachments: a muzzle brake-compensator (DTC), a flash suppressor or a muffler. The muzzle brake-compensator (DTC) allows you to reduce recoil and thereby increase the accuracy and accuracy of fire. Silencers allow you to reduce the volume of a shot, reducing it to a minimum. Flash suppressors allow you to reduce the flash of fire from the barrel, thereby hiding the location of the shooter.
• The standard VPO-208 magazine is designed for 10 rounds; some owners want to increase the capacity of the carbine magazine, but you should immediately warn that such an upgrade is prohibited by the weapons law, according to which civilian weapons cannot have a magazine with a capacity of more than 10 rounds.
• In addition to the above-mentioned tuning elements, there are many small accessories that can significantly increase comfort when using the VPO-208 carbine, these include a rubber butt plate for the butt, a magazine release button, a buffer for the return spring, and an improved gas outlet tube.

Features of the acquisition

It is most profitable to purchase software directly from the manufacturer.

Thus, the standard delivery package includes:

• gun - 1 copy;
• product passport – 1 piece;
• magazine for 5 rounds – 1 piece;
• Spare parts kit (weapon care products: cleaning kit, gun oil).

Optionally, you can purchase replacement bushings, bipods and spare parts. The packaging is moisture- and dust-proof, as well as increased mechanical strength. Components that can be purchased without a weapons license are delivered by Russian Post, which is very convenient.

It is worth noting that the prices for the VPO 214 shotgun are quite steep. The cost of a copy is approximately 150 thousand rubles, which is relatively expensive for the average Russian buyer. Perhaps, after several years of serial production, prices will be slightly reduced.

Owner reviews

Most reviews from owners of the VPO-208 carbine are positive. Reliable, time-tested design of the SKS carbine, smooth barrel of 366 TKM caliber, which has characteristics comparable to those of rifled weapons and all this at a fairly affordable price. Of course, stores have domestic rifled semi-automatic weapons at the same or even lower prices, but it is incorrect to compare the smooth-bore VPO-208 with rifled weapons, after all, the VPO-208 has its own buyer.

Design and purpose

In the reviews of VPO-208 owners, there is a point that confirms that the design of the carbine is quite acceptable for beginners (thanks to its simplicity and understandable mechanism). When using it, there are no particular difficulties either during shooting or during maintenance.

The most important parts of the weapon in question are the stock and the receiver. The high-quality polymer materials used for their manufacture can withstand significant temperature changes, which makes it possible to effectively use the carbine in field conditions.

The model under consideration is distinguished by its versatility. It is aimed not only at hunting or target practice, but is also well suited for self-defense. Another feature is the ability to use charges of various calibers, which guarantees the destruction of targets of various directions.