A friend from Texas has drawn my attention to the underwater assault rifle below. Every gun owner (with a swimming pool) should have one. No telling when an intruder will take a dip.
The video here and below struts the Soviet/Russian developed and still (perhaps restricted export) APS Underwater Rifle. This baby, with its 26 round magazine, fires bolts which work better underwater than conventional nose bullets. Range (5m deep) is advertised as 30m - and in the air, 100m. It also works much better than spear-guns.
Current and/or former users are special forces divers in Russia, its former allies, as well as China, India and Indonesia. Perhaps US SEALS have tested it.
Other countries make generally shorter barrelled, submachine gun or pistol sized underwater weapons like the Heckler & Koch P11 pistol. Shorter barrelled weapons do have an 2 advantages - being lighter and quicker/easier to swing around. The latter is a major issue given water resistance when more slowly swinging around a longer weapon, with a large magazine.
8 comments:
One must wonder what the SEALS are using. They don't like to be left out. Yes, handguns are easier to use, but they lack range. But generally divers aren't seen or detected while underwater. If they are, it can be a bad day.
It has been superseded by a new weapon...
https://modernfirearms.net/ru/avtomaty-shturmovye-vintovki/rossija-avtomaty-i-shturmovye-vintovki/ads-dvuhsrednyj/
https://modernfirearms.net/ru/pistolety-i-revolvery/pistolety/rossija-pistolety/spp-1m-podvodnyj/
Hi jbmoore
Looking at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mk_1_Underwater_Defense_Gun#History it seems US SEALs used US developed pistols until 1976 when they adopted the Heckler & Koch P11,
with specs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_%26_Koch_P11 :
- 5 barrels
- with a seeming major drawback "After firing all five cartridges, the barrel unit must be sent back to its manufacturer for reloading"
- ranges 10-15m underwater, 30m in air,
Regards
Pete
Hi Bob
Thanks for the new information:
1. Highly detailed 2009 data at https://modernfirearms.net/ru/avtomaty-shturmovye-vintovki/rossija-avtomaty-i-shturmovye-vintovki/ads-dvuhsrednyj/
indicates Russian divers might have adopted the
"Automatic two-medium special ADS [Assault Rifle] in the basic configuration, in which it can be used both under water (with cartridges 5.45x39 PSP) and in the air (with cartridges 5.45x39 7N6, 7N10, 7N22 and others)."
AND/OR
2. https://modernfirearms.net/ru/pistolety-i-revolvery/pistolety/rossija-pistolety/spp-1m-podvodnyj/
indicates Russian divers might have adopted the
Underwater pistol SPP-1M, which has
- 4 barrels, and
- "The effective range of the SPP-1 pistol is up to 17 meters at a depth of 5 meters, up to 11 meters at a depth of 20 meters, and up to 20 meters in the air."
Extra info at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPP-1_underwater_pistol indicates
"It is manufactured by TOZ (Tulsky Oruzheiny Zavod/ Тульский Оружейный Завод) Tula Arms Plant,[3] and exported by Rosoboronexport,[2] the state agency for Russia's export and import of defense-related products."
Regards
Pete
Pete,
I found this youtube blurb about the navy testing cavitating bullets:
https://youtu.be/W8ywjlXnP5o
Perhaps the new Russian guns are doing the same thing.
John
Why bother fighting mano-a-mano? :)
"The RPK-8 system is an upgrade of the RBU-6000 system, firing the 90R rocket, which is actively guided in the water. This allows it to home in on targets at depths of up to 1,000 meters. The warhead is a 19.5 kg shaped charge, which enables it to punch through the hulls of submarines. It can also be used against divers and torpedoes."
See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RBU-6000
Hi John [at January 28, 2021 at 2:00 AM]
Thanks. https://youtu.be/W8ywjlXnP5o is a nifty video.
Looks like all underwater bolts that are fired need to cavitate (presumably the same as "supercavitate") to attain a useful range and velocity underwater.
Once they slow down they may stop cavitating and during that phase range/velocity drops off sharply. So presumably regular bullets don't cavitate.
Here's a section on Supercavitating ammunition of a Norwegian compny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwater_firearm#Supercavitating_ammunition
and concerning the
RUSSIAN SPP-1 Underwater Pistol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPP-1_underwater_pistol#Performance which states:
"Depth reduces range because the higher pressure closes the cavity sooner. Once the projectile is no longer supercavitating, hydrodynamic drag increases greatly, and the projectile becomes unstable. [ie. starts tumbling]"
Regards
Pete
Hi Anonymous
at January 28, 2021 at 11:36 AM
The kilos of guided explosives RBU-6000 system indeed looks nasty https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RBU-6000 . A worry to subs and divers even in peacetime.
The next step up was, of course, ANTI-SUBMARINE NUCLEAR depth bombs/charges, torpedos and missiles from the 1950s.
Since then and theoretically now https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_depth_bomb
“All nuclear anti-submarine weapons were withdrawn from service by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China in or around 1990.”
BUT!
I’d say any of those countries May have nuclear warhead capable
Ballistic or Cruise missiles particularly able to sink enemy SSBNs
preferably Before such SSBNs fire off their SLBMs in time of nuclear war.
Regards
Pete
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