Statutory provisions for carrying a machine gun. Some ways to carry small arms

“The dagger is good for those who have it, and bad for those who do not have it.” right moment»
(Abdullah, “White Sun of the Desert”)

Firearms are an integral attribute of civilization. Since ancient times, weapons have served as a tool for defense, obtaining food, and conquering territories. And always a weapon is an instrument that fulfills the will of its owner, a criminal or a servant of the law, an invader or a defender of the Fatherland.
For eighteen years, small arms have been my constant companion. In heat and cold, day and night, in different parts of the terrain, in different regions, at the shooting range, at the training ground, in battle, in everyday life - it is always with me. Over the years, many samples of domestic military weapons and very few foreign ones have passed through my hands. I know what each sample is capable of, what to expect from it, what to hope for and what to fear.
And, of course, everyone has their own opinion, which often does not coincide with the common one. Not without my active participation in combat situations. And I can judge weapons, perhaps with more right than other “experts” on the Internet and some “weapons” magazines, who write at length about the advantages and disadvantages of this or that type of weapon. The main problem with domestic small arms is mediocre and sometimes simply terrible ergonomics, and, of course, low quality workmanship (this does not apply to the Soviet period).
But, as they say, there are as many opinions as there are people. So, let's begin…

Self-loading pistol Small-sized PSM

Can be deciphered as “Gun for Self-Calm.” Maybe you'll get lucky." There is a known case when a wounded man, with five bullets in the stomach fired from a PSM, independently walked to a medical facility located one and a half kilometers away.

5.45 mm self-loading pistol PSM

Moreover, he was of slight build. A very accurate pistol, at the level of sporting small-caliber pistols. Very compact. James Bond would be pleased with him. On combat pistol A spur on the lid of one of the magazines would be nice. Suitable as a backup pistol, but not as a primary weapon. Plus the problem with the shortage of ammunition.

Makarov PM pistol

A legendary pistol, without a doubt. The standard of reliability, relatively compact, always ready for battle. Even despite its venerable age, it still remains in service and is actively used both in the shooting range and in battle. A classic pistol for civilian and police use. Of course, this is not a pistol for target or high-speed shooting, but placing three bullets in the center of a standard target (a circle with a diameter of 10 cm) from 25 m is not a problem for this “old man”. He is capable of more. Some of our PMs allow you to place five holes in a 6 cm circle. As for the low stopping effect of a bullet, I can say that this is said by individuals who, at best, kill paper targets, and have never fired in a combat situation. It is important to hit the vital organs of the “target”, otherwise even a rifle bullet will not guarantee a reliable hit.

9-mm self-loading pistol PM

Some problems are caused by bullets with a steel core Pst, which sometimes ricochet from solid obstacles. In recent years, the situation with ammunition for PM has changed; cartridges with bullets with increased stopping power and increased penetration ability of PBM (7N25) have appeared. For example, the PPO cartridge for law enforcement agencies allows the use of weapons (pistols and submachine guns) in enclosed spaces, in populated areas, with a low probability of dangerous ricochets, due to the absence of a solid core in the bullet. There is information about the poor quality of PPO cartridges and unstable characteristics, but the cartridges supplied to our unit do not present any unpleasant surprises and the weapon works with them like a clock.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Makarov pistol Upgraded PMM-12

Modernization of PM for increased power cartridge. Improved handle ergonomics, increased capacity magazine. It is used with both Pst and PPO cartridges, since standard 7N16 cartridges are very rare and have not been produced for a long time.

9-mm self-loading pistol PMM

Springs in magazines work under overstress, so they quickly lose their elasticity, which leads to delays when shooting. Poor quality plastic from which the feeder is made will cause cracks and wear or breakage of the feeder tooth.

Pistol Tula Tokarev TT

Another weapon legend. A lot has been said about him, but very little can be added. More suitable for military applications when brought into combat readiness. For its relatively small dimensions, one of powerful pistols in the world.

7.62 mm TT self-loading pistols

And it’s much nicer to the touch, for example, than PY and all sorts of Glocks. Completely unsuitable for urban shootings and self-defense. The bullet's high penetrating power and lack of self-cocking can lead to prison (shooting right through to a random passerby) or to a cemetery (you have to have time to cock the trigger).
______________________________________________________________________________________

Automatic pistol Stechkin APS

The same age as PM, even more popular. Pistol with a capital letter. Reliable, powerful, accurate, with a large ammunition load and the ability to fire automatically. Often used as the main weapon during operations in tight quarters, when using bulletproof shields, when only one hand is free. Automatic mode is used when shooting at close ranges to create a high density of fire and a greater probability of destruction.

APS pistols with standard holsters, stocks and pouches.

APS pistols in a converted hip holster with a rubber grip and a twisted pistol strap

Employee Favorite special units, still in demand today. Even before the pistol arrives at the unit, a real “hunt” is already underway for it. Some, having tasted the “delights” of PYa, prefer to exchange them for old, sometimes dismantled APS. The pistol has a streamlined shape and does not catch on anything when quickly removed from the holster. Some problems when holding it are caused by the pistol grip, which has been polished over the years by palms and clothing. In hot and cold weather, the gun tends to “slip” out of your hands. But this minor nuisance can be eliminated by putting a piece of a bicycle inner tube or pad, such as Uncle Mike’s, on the handle.
The pistol is not small, but with proper skill and experience it can be carried concealed, like all pistols. I usually carry it in a self-made belly holster, without any fasteners, for quick removal, and with a coiled pistol strap, or in a suitable cross-body bag.
I never use a safety, even if there is a cartridge in the chamber; no one is outraged by the lack of safety on most revolvers, and a loaded self-cocking pistol is as safe as a loaded revolver. When working in urban conditions, I carry the pistol in a converted hip holster, and not fastened - the design of the holster allows me to hold the pistol even in an upside-down position. I carry spare magazines on my left hip in a homemade pouch. One magazine always with an open valve for quick removal.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Pistol Yarygin PYA

A miracle of Russian weapons thought. Although, undoubtedly, a long-awaited type of army pistol. Powerful, moderately ergonomic, with a capacious magazine. But... I doubt that in Soviet times it would have been adopted. The gun is frankly “raw”. Angular, with protruding parts, as if carved out with an axe. The workmanship is appropriate. When shooting ten new pistols with sports cartridges issued for shooting practice, two pistols had cartridge cases stuck, one misfired, and after re-puncture, it fired. When equipping magazines, the sharp edges of the sponges cut your fingers, and in order not to die from periodic bleeding, you have to pick up a file. When increasing the magazine capacity by one cartridge, the holes would have to be moved to control the number of cartridges (the Ministry of Internal Affairs adopted an 18-round pistol). The holes themselves are located on the right side, and in order to visually determine the number of cartridges, the magazine must be completely pulled out of the handle or you must be left-handed. It was probably not possible to move the holes to the left wall of the store or to the back.

The magazine latch is not protected in any way; accidental clicks when worn are not uncommon. At best, you can lose the magazine, at worst, you can be left in the face of danger with an empty chamber, because when you accidentally press the magazine release button, it moves down from the chambering line and the bolt slips past the cartridge. And the magazine seems to be in the handle, pressed with a latch. The store itself should be made like an APS store, with large windows, or like a PSM store, to make it easier to load with cartridges. The bolt stop lever is located close to the safety and when you press one of the levers, the other one also falls under your finger, which requires additional effort. On some relatively new pistols, the bolt spontaneously breaks off the slide stop. The back of the shutter is of an openwork design. Probably specially made for collecting various types of garbage. (Unlike PM and APS).

9mm automatic pistols APS

The notch in the front of the bolt is probably a tribute to fashion and nothing more. When using this notch, your fingers will encounter sharp edges on the front of the frame. Maybe it is used to check the presence of a cartridge in the chamber, as is done on foreign pistols? But for this there is an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.
Double-sided safety lever. Good decision. But if there is only a right-handed standard holster, this solution remains unclaimed. The same can be said about setting the safety with the hammer cocked. A completely unnecessary feature. When removing the pistol from the holster, cocking the hammer at the same time does not present any problems. Moreover, self-cocking on the PJ is soft and does not greatly affect the accuracy of the first shot.

9-mm self-loading pistol PYA

What cannot be taken away from the PY is the smooth descent and quick return to the aiming line after the shot. It is more suitable for high-speed shooting. The similarity between USM PI and PSM is obvious and noticeable even to a non-specialist. Why not make the safety the same as on the PSM design and place it on the bolt, ensuring simultaneous removal of the safety and cocking the hammer. And at the same time close the back of the shutter from possible clogging with foreign objects. Protrusion on the front of the trigger guard for the index finger. Maybe it improves shooting accuracy - I didn’t notice much of a difference. The pistol throws in the same way as with a normal grip. And with such a wide bracket, for a normal grip you need not an index finger, but a tentacle. Sights it was necessary to make it streamlined in order to prevent snagging on clothing or an operational holster.

The pistol comes with only one spare magazine. Standard cartridges with the Pst bullet differ from the 9x19 Luger sports cartridges used during shooting practice in the level of acoustic impact on the shooter, greater recoil force and strong flash when fired. As a result, the shooter learns about these features only when using the pistol in combat conditions. When using cartridges with a Pst bullet in enclosed spaces, dangerous ricochets were observed, which can be corrected by replacing half of the carried ammunition with cartridges with bullets with a lead core. In general, this is the case with this pistol. Complete analogy with domestic and foreign cars. Similar, but something about ours is not the same...
____________________________________________________________________________________

Self-loading pistol Special PSS

Here we can say with complete confidence the phrase that is abused in our country - “has no analogues.” Compact pistol, flat enough for concealed carry. Accurate, unpretentious, always ready for battle - no need to attach a silencer.

Used as a second or third weapon. Rarely, but if necessary, he is ready at your service. A pistol is not uncommon among those who deserve it. There are no problems with cartridges either.

NRS-2 knife, PN14K glasses, PSS pistol, SP4 and 7N36 cartridges
______________________________________________________________________________________

Revolver TKB-0216

A thoroughly degraded version of the Smith and Wesson revolvers. Its only advantage is its smooth and soft descent. Given its large dimensions, it would be possible to use more powerful ammunition, for example SP10, SP11.

9-mm revolver TKB-0216 (OTs-01 Cobalt

Poorly fitted handle cheeks. The drum axis often unscrews spontaneously.
______________________________________________________________________________________

Submachine gun PP-93

Compact submachine gun with good firing capabilities. With some experience, you can “plant” the entire magazine into a target. Good accuracy even when shooting with automatic fire from one hand. The APB modification includes a PBS and a powerful LP93 laser target designator. Unfortunately, either a PBS or a laser can be attached to the barrel at the same time. Fastening is carried out using a latch and has a large backlash. The shoulder rest is a masterpiece. Thanks to the low recoil, it is still possible to deal with the embryo of the butt plate, but due to poor fixation of the shoulder rest in the firing position, the bullets do not always go in the desired direction. And over time, this knot becomes even more loose.

9-mm APB submachine guns (modification PP-93) with installed PBS (top) or laser pointer (bottom)

The magazine release button is very good. No complaints, which cannot be said about the cocking handle, located very interesting place. To quickly cock the shutter, you need to practice for a long time, since you have to not only pull the handle, but before that you also have to push it down and remember to return it back, like on a PC. Otherwise, during a shot, you can hit your fingers with the handle returning with the bolt. The safety switch is located on the “right” side, but the flat shape does not always allow you to quickly change the fire modes, especially in winter, while wearing gloves.
____________________________________________________________________________________

9 mm submachine gun SR-2M "Veresk"

A powerful submachine gun, accurate, with large ammunition capacity. The samples purchased for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation do not have a standard collimator sight - one of the main attributes of this weapon. Instead of the standard case, there is a case from the AKS-74U and a bag for AK-74 magazines. Apparently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not have enough money, or the responsible officials did not consider it necessary to purchase weapons as standard.

9-mm SR-2M submachine gun with a 30-round magazine. There's a 20-round magazine nearby.

SR-2M submachine gun - safety and reloading handle are located on the right side

At the first communication, one is surprised by the ill-conceived arrangement of controls. The safety is located on the right side, although if it were placed on the left side, under the thumb, then it would be possible to quickly bring the weapon into combat readiness, and also quickly transfer it to a safe state. And all this - with one hand. The fire mode translator, on the contrary, is used most often once, and fast access is not necessary for it. For quick reloading, the bolt handle should be moved to the other side or made double-sided. With the butt folded, on some samples, the right rod overlaps the folded cocking handle by a couple of millimeters, and the handle has to be pulled out from under the butt.

When “Vereski” entered the unit, everyone who took their hands noticed that the shoulder rest was too long. When shooting in a bulletproof vest, this is very noticeable, especially when holding the front handle.
By the way, about the handle. The thing is, of course, necessary. When using the handle lock, sooner or later it pinches the skin on the index finger. The handle itself is located close to the muzzle, which gets very hot during intense shooting and does not add comfort to the hand. It would be a good idea to install a plastic pad at the bottom of the muzzle. A muzzle with compensation holes would be nice. When holding the weapon by the front handle, the sharp edges of the lower part of the fore-end cut into the hand. Tolerable, but unpleasant. Just recently, during an operation, I tried to silently chamber a cartridge. That is, guide the bolt frame with your hand, avoiding hitting the moving parts in the forward position. I did this out of habit, since this trick works on 9A-91.

The bolt pushed out the upper cartridge, which along the way pulled the lower one along with it. As a result, the upper cartridge buried itself in the breech section of the barrel, the lower cartridge half crawled out of the magazine, supported the upper cartridge from below and jammed the magazine, which turned out to be impossible to remove. I had to hold the bolt frame with my left hand, pick out the upper cartridge with my right finger, and push the lower one back into the magazine. The owner's manual attributes this delay to a magazine malfunction. And this is on a new SMG with several rounds fired. In general, in terms of size, ease of use and power, the SR-2M is inferior to the proven and reliable 9A-91 assault rifle.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Kalashnikov assault rifles

As for any “authoritative” statements about the best machine gun in the world, the most reliable, the strongest, which can not be cleaned, thrown from any height, and so on, I will say the following. Kalashnikov assault rifles, I think, are not the best in the world. Otherwise, the whole world and the nearest inhabited planets would be armed with them. In the eighties, the most common rifle in the world was the Belgian FN FAL. This speaks to its fighting qualities, since Belgium is a small country and cannot afford, like the USA and the USSR, to give, sell cheaply or use weapons as a reward for loyalty to itself.

7.62 mm AKMS and AK assault rifles manufactured in 1954

In this situation, in addition to the reasonable price, quality plays a decisive role. A lot of material has appeared in the press about the developed types of weapons, which at one time were superior to the AK family in many respects, but it turns out that at that time the combat qualities of these models were not decisive in choosing the best. And it’s difficult to call Kalashnikov (personally, I respect him very much) the sole author of the design, because, again, according to media materials, dozens of institutes and enterprises participated in the creation of the AK family and its development. Undoubtedly, the Kalashnikov assault rifle is beautiful, reliable and convenient for some, but for my work it turned out to be not very suitable.

In my job, I often have to carry my gun loaded. The situation is interesting: on the one hand, you must be prepared to immediately open fire - therefore the safety is removed, the cartridge is in the chamber. On the other hand, there is no obvious threat, there are citizens of the Russian Federation around, you have to move around, perform some manipulations with your hands, and therefore it is better to keep the weapon on safety. To open fire, one movement is desirable, and preferably the shooting hand. The Kalashnikov assault rifle is not a weapon that can instantly open fire. To do this, I either have to keep the safety off (and constantly shake at the thought of an accidental shot). Or take the machine gun in your left hand, remove the right hand from the pistol grip and remove the machine from the safety catch. A lot of time and a lot of manipulation. The reloading handle is also on the right side and again forces you to remove your hand from the trigger. A short, low butt, an uncomfortable pistol grip, the junction of which with the receiver rubs the skin between the thumb and forefinger.

7.62 mm assault rifle L1A1 - English modification of the Belgian FN FAL

The butts of the AKS-74 and AKS-74U assault rifles don’t bring much joy to the hand either. I understand that the right location of the butt swivel is very convenient when the butt is folded, but the weapon is mainly worn in the combat position, and this location of the swivel is not very convenient for me personally, especially if you carry it with the barrel down. The magazine has many protruding parts that make it difficult to remove the magazine from the equipment and insert an empty one back. I don’t understand the reluctance of people responsible for supplies (at least the police) to adopt increased-capacity magazines. Four-row and drum magazines are used all over the world, except for our dear ones. Twin stores are not used for a good life. If you don’t go to the mountains or shoot at targets, all the “authoritative” statements about imbalance and weight of the weapon are forgotten during a close-range shooting. When clearing premises, when it is necessary to create a high density of fire and the enemy is so close that any normal person has a natural desire to have as many cartridges in the magazine as possible (and it is desirable that they do not run out). And no one will remember about imbalance and excess weight.
If some factory or company would come up with drum magazines or ties for pairing AK-74 magazines, I think I wouldn’t be the only one who would buy such magazines for a reasonable price.

7.62 mm AKM assault rifle (with PBS-1 and GP-25 installed) and 5.45 mm shortened AKS-74U assault rifle
______________________________________________________________________________________

Reliability of AK and M16

The most important feature of the AK (compared to the M16 family) is reliability. There are no questions - you don’t have to clean the AK, you don’t have to force it however you want, but it will shoot and shoot. Well, first of all, weapons still need to be cleaned - any weapon. Secondly, the reliability of the AK is based on the high speed of rollback of the moving parts and the large gap between them. Hence the main drawback - increased dispersion during automatic shooting. Personally, I think that for the army or for those who use weapons mainly by carrying them on the shoulder or firing a few rounds at the shooting range, the Kalashnikov assault rifle is even too good. This weapon is unpretentious, allowing for a somewhat barbaric attitude. I think the AK fully meets the requirements for mass-produced weapons.

5.45 mm AK-74M assault rifle, improved by the owner

And for my work I need a 5.45 mm assault rifle, with a thickened barrel 30 cm long, with a high-capacity magazine, a low-noise firing device, a bolt stop, a double-sided safety, an automatic safety on the trigger, an adjustable butt and Picatinny rails for the front handles, collimators, optics, flashlights and target designators. The ideal option for such weapons is the presence of interchangeable barrels (standard and compact lengths for indoor operations). The presence of a replaceable barrel will lead to a more complex design and increased cost. But it is cheaper to have one machine gun with two barrels than two machine guns of different sizes. We sometimes have situations when we are forced to take with us on operations, in addition to the standard AK-74M, both small-sized weapons such as 9A-91 and silent ones, depending on the situation, which often changes during one individual operation.

5.56 mm American M16 assault rifle

As for reliability... Designer Korobov said that he wanted to create an assault rifle that would help a soldier survive in a trench, and not outlive all the soldiers in the trench... Comments, as they say, are unnecessary. Personally, I don't need 200% reliability. 100% reliability and 100% ergonomics are enough for me. Now about the eternal dispute between AKM and AK74. Without any doubts. Only 5.45 mm! (During my military service, I had a lot of weapons in my hands. There was an AKMS with PBS-1 and GP-25. There was also an AK-74. And after the army there were and are many different models, including the AK-74M, and AKS-74U.) First, ammunition. I can take much more 7N10 (5.45 mm) cartridges, carry them further, and shoot more cartridges before the barrel overheats than PS mod. 1943 (7.62 mm). Secondly, the flight path of the AK-74 bullet is much flatter, which is of great importance in battle, and the bullets have no less penetration and lethality. Thirdly, the accuracy of the AK-74 is in no way worse than that of the AKM. As for ricochets and boring discussions about shooting through branches, all pointed bullets ricochet - these are the laws of physics. And you need to aim better through the branches. And in general, there is an old principle: if I don’t see, I don’t shoot.

We conducted a spontaneous experiment once. At the training ground, we made several shots offhand, at a high tempo, at chest targets located in different directions from the shooter, which is similar to life. It turned out that the AK-74M (5.45 mm) returns to the aiming line much faster than the AKMS assault rifle (7.62 mm). If you fire a long burst from an AKMS, which normal people often do in a difficult situation, then most of the bullets will simply pierce the sky. But the AK-74 allows such liberties, including hand-held shooting. It’s not serious to give AKM a big plus for having a muffler. Even in my office, far from Moscow and supply bases, 100% of the personnel have silent weapons, and of various modifications. And there is plenty of ammunition for it. And the fact that the AKM fires US and PS cartridges is also not a special plus. Almost any silent weapon is better than an AKM assault rifle with PBS-1 - more compact, lighter, more compact. And the bulk cartridges PAB-9 and BP penetrate what AKM with PS and US cartridges cannot. Not to mention the 5.45 mm PP and BP cartridges, which we have in abundance, and they are not inferior to the BZ cartridge and the like. So here AKM is not a leader either. And the knock of moving parts on the AKM with PBS, and the same on the OTs-14, is not drowned out by the clap of the PBS.
And again about ricochet when shooting from an AK-74. I read and hear about this all the time. It seems that all those shooting only hit branches, they run out of cartridges, and they helplessly throw their AK-74s to the ground and look with envy at the happy owner of the AKM. And he mows down the bushes with hooligans hiding behind them, like a machine gunner with a Minigun mows down the jungle in Predator. By the way, in films this is presented as truth. In fact, no person on earth can do this, because this machine gun does not have sighting devices, is powered by batteries, such as car batteries, has a recoil of more than 100 kg, and spits out in a small burst as much ammunition as a person is not able to carry. I'll repeat it again. All pointed bullets ricochet. AKM has no advantages. Are the ricochets really so strong that one magazine won’t even hit the target? Or maybe find some light? Or maybe it's better to aim?
From any machine...

And finally, simplest example. You have an AKM, and other ignoramuses have an AK-74. Ammunition - only those that are with you. Sometimes you run out of ammo. However, not all. AK-74 owners can easily share cartridges with each other. And you? I have a 1992 AK-74M. With a stock that won’t fold out the first time, with a gas piston on which the layer of chrome is thinner than a child’s hair, with a Saiga pistol grip and a pirated copy of the fore-end with a handle, with a Cobra sight that can’t stand being next to an under-barrel grenade launcher, and the main advantage of this machine is that it exists.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Special automatic machine AS "Val"

Very comfortable, practical. It just begs to be picked up. The butt itself finds a point of support in the shoulder, the cheek rests in the right place on the butt. Of the domestic folding stocks, the AC stock is the best. The rough surface allows you to firmly hold the fire control handle, which is also facilitated by the shape of the handle itself. A relatively long sighting line has a beneficial effect on shooting accuracy. The handguard, despite its small size, is comfortable and has the same non-slip surface as the handle. The forend is completely blocked by the folded stock and in this position it is difficult to shoot, for example, in a tight space, while holding the weapon securely. To correct this shortcoming, I installed a handle on the muffler body. Almost every detail in the machine helps improve accuracy and reduce noise when firing. According to these parameters, it surpasses all domestic machines of the same type. For example, at a distance of 100 m, lying down using an optical sight, I hit the bottom of an inert VOG-25 shot. Of course, not from the first shot.

9-mm automatic rifle with additionally installed front handle and flashlight.

Spare magazines and clips with cartridges for their equipment.

The machine gives a lot to its owner, but also demands special attention. This concerns maintenance, or rather cleaning. Anyone who has dealt with cleaning AC and BCC after shooting will understand what I mean. P-45 gunpowder, used in standard cartridges, produces a lot of carbon deposits, which after some time hardens, you have to sweat to get rid of it. The lion's share of time is taken by cleaning the separator and the inner surface of the muffler, as they are most susceptible to the destructive effects of powder gases. Here various powders and gels for cleaning dishes are used. But, despite all these little things, the machine is very good. Although it requires delicate handling. I love this machine and it loves me back.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Special Sniper Rifle VSS “Vintorez”

Great rifle. Compact, handy, accurate. In our division it is used with AS machine magazines.

9-mm sniper rifle VSS. The muffler has space for installing additional equipment

Standard SP-5 and SPP cartridges have, to a small extent, different ballistics, so our snipers, depending on preferences, bring their rifles to normal combat under the type of cartridge they like. The only depressing thing is the absence of a cheekpiece on the butt, which, apparently, was done for the sake of a quick transition to mechanical sights when shooting.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Small-sized assault rifle 9A-91

A real workhorse. Compact, powerful machine. Streamlined shapes. In the dashing nineties, it was widely used as a concealed weapon when capturing criminals inside a vehicle or in a residential area. Due to its small thickness, weight, and folding charging handle, it was often carried secretly, under a jacket, behind a belt or on the side on a belt loop over the shoulder. The stock in the folded position does not extend beyond the dimensions of the machine gun. Easily and quickly transferred from traveling to combat position and back. Super reliable. Shoots in any degree of contamination. The sights are very clearly “outlined”, but due to the short length of the aiming line, it is ineffective to shoot more than 50 m, and it is unrealistic to shoot more than 100 m.

Upgraded 9A-91 with red dot sight

The machine has several modifications: The first is equipped with a compensator and has a fuse-translator on the left side. The second one is equipped with a silencer and translator of reduced size. There is no compensator. The third (1995) - equipped with a silencer and a bracket for mounting optical sights. In this regard, the safety translator flag has been moved to the right side. There is a version of this modification in which there is no bracket for mounting optics. The latest modification has a larger handguard. Moving the safety switch to the right side made it more difficult to manipulate. Small magazine capacity. A larger-capacity magazine or a coupler for two magazines would be nice. Difficulty in replacing it. Availability of one spare magazine. The magazines of some machine guns are not fixed in the necks of other machines due to the excess thickness of some magazines and the discrepancy between the windows for the magazine latch and the latches of some machines.

Magazines were produced with feeders of different designs and different locations of holes to control the availability of cartridges. At first, feeders with a right-handed upper cartridge were produced. Then they produced feeders with the upper cartridge located on the left. Magazines with feeders of the second type have a hole for controlling the number of cartridges, made one cartridge thicker than with feeders of the first type. As a result of poor quality control at the manufacturing plant, magazines with type 1 feeders with late model magazine bodies began to arrive. When such magazines are loaded with cartridges, a cartridge case is visible in the hole, which indicates that the magazine is fully loaded with 20 rounds. There are actually 19 rounds in the magazine. All this leads to problems when receiving and handing over weapons and ammunition.

There are no guides on the forend for attaching the flashlight and the front handle. After the abolition of the compensator, the front handle would not be superfluous. The bolt handle is poorly fixed in the firing position and folds spontaneously, which creates difficulties when reloading in a combat situation and when using gloves. When firing SP5, PAB-9, BP cartridges into the ground and hard obstacles at an angle, almost one hundred percent ricochets are observed.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Rifle-grenade launcher complex OTs-14-4A “Groza”

Impossibility of shooting from the left shoulder. The shooter's face is above the ejection port spent cartridges and, accordingly, escaping powder gases. Inconvenience of replacing a magazine.

9/40-mm rifle-grenade launcher system OTs-14-4A

Variant OTs-14-4A silent sniper rifle

Just one spare magazine. The translator-fuse does not allow them to be used quickly. When shooting in a helmet and body armor, it is quite problematic to “attach” normally. After shooting, you will have a tedious cleanup. It turns out that after several magazines, cleaning the “Groza” is even more tedious than the AC assault rifle and the VSS rifle due to the many hard-to-reach places in the receiver.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Dragunov SVD sniper rifle

There's nothing bad to say. An excellent rifle, time-tested. When using plastic forend pads, it was not possible to achieve a tight fit to the forend assembly, which slightly distorts the elegant appearance of this beauty. To mitigate recoil, the butt plate of the GP-25 grenade launcher is often used. The stock sight basically satisfies the requirements for the rifle.

7.62 mm sniper rifle SVD

7.62 mm SVD-S sniper rifle with folding stock

Dragunov sniper rifle SVD-S

Compact version of SVD. A thicker barrel gives more consistent results. The shape of the fire control handle does not allow it to be held firmly. The rifle “kicks” sensitively when firing.
______________________________________________________________________________________

Sniper rifle SVU-AS

Dimensions and accuracy are better than those of the SVD. My SVU-AS has a factory shooting range of 2.5 cm at 100 m, LPS bullet, 4 shots. You can stand next to it when shooting, unlike the SVD. The recoil is not strong compared to the SVD. Weight - 5.5 kg, but not very heavy. Due to the fact that the trigger rod is a long, thin plate, and is hidden under a high, poorly secured cover, when the trigger is pressed, it bends and rests against the cover. And then it transfers the force to the trigger. Therefore, the descent is long and unpredictable. When shooting, especially from a bipod, the power of the compensator is such that it blows the rifle several centimeters to the side, and the target is lost from view. Without optics, with a mechanical sight - a very accurate, convenient type FG42, especially since the sight and front sight were copied from it and the front sight guard was added. It's strange that no one mentions this anywhere.

7.62 mm shortened sniper rifle SVU-AS
______________________________________________________________________________________

Sniper rifle SV-98

It's a club, but it shoots well. In passport - the best group out of 10 shots - 8.8 cm at 300 m. Assembly - in the best domestic traditions. When assembling the shutter at the factory, pins were inserted into the holes from below, and a guide bar was placed on top, which should be attached to the shutter with these pins. When attaching the bolt to the rifle, the bar fell down and jammed the bolt. I could barely take it apart. Then I wondered how this bar was attached. Bulky stores, obviously overcomplicated in design. The sporting unified case included is long for a rifle only, but does not accommodate a rifle with a silencer. A whole epic happened with the sights for this rifle. They entered the unit only with night sights. So they stood idle. Then alone good man donated an expensive Zeiss sight to the unit - Diavari 2.5-10-50T. A year later we received PPO 5-15x50.

7.62 mm sniper rifle SV-98

Then, after a considerable period of time, we received a Belarusian POSP 4x12-42W sight with mounts for a Weaver rail. Although the rifle has a Picatinny rail. The fixing pins on the sight bracket, which prevent longitudinal displacement, did not fit the guide on the rifle, which was corrected with a file. It turns out that for a couple of years the rifles were not used for their intended purpose. Due to the lack of sights. The rifle is bulky and inferior to the SVD in terms of maneuverability. In practice, the accuracy of the SVD is quite at a level corresponding to the conditions of its use. In mountainous areas, the weight of the SV-98 is a noticeable burden.
Reliability, untested by time and operation, forces a sniper to take SVD, SVD-S or VSS, VSK-94 for an operation. They are proven and reliable. And the SV-98 is often relegated to the role of a competition rifle.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Sniper rifle SV-99

I think the reason for its appearance in service is as follows. Izhevsk had to sell something. And then one of the responsible officials, who had read or heard from their circle about the use of small-caliber rifles in the United States as “dog killers” and “light bulb destroyers,” came up with the idea of ​​purchasing such things. And Izhevsk is right there. The rifle is a doll, but practically suitable only for sporting and recreational shooting. I don’t think the powerful “Marmot” cartridge will hold up, and with weaker cartridges you won’t knock anyone down right away. Since it is in service as a sniper, ammunition for shooting is issued according to standards corresponding to normal-caliber rifles. That is, it makes no difference what to shoot from - from the SV-99 or from the SVD and SV-98. So it is better to shoot from normal caliber rifles. The optical sight bracket does not have a locking pin and it is impossible to install it in exactly the same place after removing the sight.

5.6 mm sniper rifle SV-99
______________________________________________________________________________________

Kalashnikov light machine gun Modernized RPK-203

Has sufficient firepower at close ranges. Place the forend like on the Vepr-12, the bipod on the rail, the front handle, the collimator, and the drum magazine. If you go deep, then the trigger should be made like on the American IAR with a “front and rear sear.” If desired, conditions for the use of PKK can be found. In close combat, in the city, to create a fire curtain if the PC is too lazy to carry a machine gun. In general, you need a machine gun chambered for machine gun cartridges, belt-fed, with interchangeable barrels different lengths and a folding stock. At one time there was a very good RPD-44 machine gun. The prototype of all today's machine guns chambered for a cartridge less powerful than a rifle cartridge. Compared to a machine gun, the PC is more compact and allows the machine gunner to carry more ammunition. Modern conditions combat operations, for example in populated areas, and the tactics of special units give this type of machine gun the right to exist. Minor modernization by installing a new plastic forend of greater length, a system of straps for the front handle and bipod, a lightweight butt (possibly a skeletal design).

7.62 mm light machine gun RPK-203

It’s a pity that due to the presence of a recoil spring in the buttstock, it will not be possible to make it foldable. Place the bipod closer to the breech of the barrel to facilitate transfer of the direction of fire. And be sure to place the sight rail on the receiver cover. That's it - the mini-PC is ready.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Kalashnikov Machine Gun Modernized Easel PKMS

Powerful machine gun. Doesn't like the tape bending back when shooting - there is a possibility of delay. Lack of a folding stock and a full-fledged forend. And this machine gun is often fired from hand. All boxes for 200 rounds are included. And it is used, as a rule, without a machine. Large dimensions; if worn for a long time, the carrying handle becomes loose. The best way to remake it is like the Americans, like SPW. You can install a muzzle brake-compensator, otherwise it bounces when shooting from a hard surface. And the box for cartridges is more compact. Underbarrel grenade launchers: GP-25. It still remains the best in its class.

7.62 mm PKMS heavy machine gun

Compact and fast-firing. Of no small importance is the ability to shoot at a distance of less than 100 m. The scope allows this. Over time, the connection between the barrel and the trigger body becomes loose. On some frequently used grenade launchers, the clamps became loose due to rust. When fired, they broke and the grenade launchers flew off the machine guns. Features of the self-cocking trigger negatively affect shooting accuracy.
____________________________________________________________________________________

My favorite grenade launcher. Convenient sight, almost “pistol” trigger, smooth and relatively soft. Convenient fuse. There is no installation on the sight for shooting at a distance of 50 m. When shooting at short distances, when you press against the butt, you can get hit.

5.45 mm AK-74 assault rifle with GP-25 grenade launcher

5.45 mm AK-103 assault rifles with GP-30 and GP-34M grenade launchers

5.45 mm AK-103 assault rifle with GP-30M grenade launcher

GP-30M

Almost the same. There is no fuse, which I'm very disappointed with. An extractor that acts as a cleaning rod. Doesn't understand the stowed position. The high pressure chamber is now firmly attached to the barrel of the GP-34. The descent is like a water pistol. Can't compare with GP-30. The sight is more difficult to handle. When setting the scope to 50 m, you have to press your cheek against the ridge of the butt, and recover after the shot. Like a blow to the jaw. The butt plate is twice as thick as the old one and it is almost impossible to shoot in a bulletproof vest and unloading vest. And most importantly, during installation the cleaning rod is removed, and the kit comes with a prefabricated one, but there is nowhere to put it.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Hand Grenade Launcher Special RGS-50M

Multifunctional weapon, with appropriate ammunition. There are no sling swivels for attaching a belt. Have to carry it in a bag. During the application, repeated cases of discrepancies between shot trajectories and sight settings were revealed.

50-mm hand grenade launcher special RGS-50M
______________________________________________________________________________________

Handheld Anti-personnel Grenade Launcher RG-6

The high density of fire is negated by the time spent loading. Together with the ammunition, 20 rounds represent a large load on the shooter, especially in personal armor protection. Moreover, a normal grenade launcher, in his right mind, would never refuse a machine gun with ammunition. With the shoulder rest folded, the butt plate prevents you from properly grasping the control handle and opening fire. Although such situations do occur. It would be possible to make another hole in the base of the grenade launcher to extend the shoulder rest by about five centimeters. Swivels on the left side, like on the GM-94, would also be nice. On the right side of the shooter there is a machine gun. On the left is a grenade launcher as an additional weapon.

40-mm hand-held anti-personnel grenade launcher RG-6
______________________________________________________________________________________

Store grenade launcher GM-94

Can successfully replace RG-6 and RGS-50. Very ergonomic. Fully double sided. There is an indicator of the presence of a shot in the grenade launcher. Allows you to shoot at a distance of closer than 50 m. At one time, US Navy S.E.A.L. fighters. they would have given a lot for the GM-94, since when conducting combat operations on the territory of South Vietnam they had to use the heavy (more than 8 kg without shots), inconvenient EX-41 grenade launcher.

43 mm GM-94 manual repeating grenade launcher
______________________________________________________________________________________

Carbine Special 18.5 KS-K

At one time, the KS-23 carbine was developed as a weapon that made it possible to deliver a projectile of greater volume and mass to the target than a 12-gauge weapon. Weapons are now being adopted for service for a reason that is clearly the opposite of what was the basis for the transition to 23 mm weapons. Moreover, 12-gauge weapons are often presented as an ideal weapon for close-range operations. Apparently, not without regard to Foreign experience. But there criminals usually use pistols, revolvers, and shotguns. And the use of smooth-bore weapons to neutralize them is quite adequate. In addition, their city buildings are made of less thick and durable material than ours. Our situation is different. The criminals are armed, most often with automatic weapons, and the doors in the apartments are most often made of iron. Smoothbore weapons We have an inadequate response to the threat.

Special carbine 18.5 KS-K 12 gauge

Cumbersome weapon. The dimensions, even with the stock folded, do not allow working with it in tight spaces. The design of the weapon does not allow the installation of a forend with straps for the front handle and attachments, since the standard forend contains a spring for locking the buttstock in the folded position. And at a fast rate of fire or shooting with the butt folded, the front handle is not a superfluous detail at all. The rubber butt plate is designed in such a way that it is possible to lock the buttstock in the folded position after a couple of strikes with the palm of your hand, due to the fact that the rubber does not allow the lock to engage with the buttstock. When the magazine is loaded with eight rounds, it is impossible to lock it in the weapon. To attach even an empty magazine to a carbine, you again need to hit it with your palm from below to secure it.

In conclusion, I can say that everything described above is not only my personal opinion, it is the opinion of my colleagues and colleagues from other departments. We work with weapons not only at the training ground or at the shooting range. Very often it is necessary to use weapons for their main and historical purpose. These are the realities of our life. It may seem that I am too critical of some samples. Or I’m too pampered and want a “comfortable” weapon. But there are no trifles in my work. Especially those related to weapons. Any little thing, a hitch with manipulations, an uncomfortable application is even worse - a delay in shooting can have a detrimental effect on the integrity of my skin. And I trust only those weapons that I have personally tested at the training ground or in battle.

Depending on the situation. The place for shooting is chosen in a trench, trench, shell crater, ditch, behind a stone, stump, etc. In a populated area, the place for shooting can be chosen in the window of a building, in the attic, in the foundation of a building, etc.

You should not choose a place for shooting near prominent individual local objects, as well as on the ridges of hills

To occupy a place for shooting, a command is given, approximately: “To such and such (machine gunner or machine gunner such and such), a place for shooting there is for battle.” At this command, the machine gunner (machine gunner), applying himself to the terrain, quickly takes the shooting position and prepares to fire.

Depending on the situation and the nature of the terrain, the machine gunner (machine gunner) in battle moves by running, at an accelerated pace, and by dashing or crawling. Before moving, the machine gun (machine gun) is put on safety.

When crawling, the machine gun (machine gun) is held right hand by the belt at the top swivel or by the forend. The bipod legs of the machine gun must be folded and secured with a clasp.

Depending on the physical; features of the machine gunner (machine gunner): it is allowed to fire from the left shoulder, aim with both eyes open, etc.
Firing from a machine gun (machine gun) consists of preparing to fire, production-shooting(shot) and stop shooting.

Getting ready to shoot

The machine gunner (machine gunner) is trained to fire on command or independently.
Preparation for shooting includes taking the position for shooting and loading the machine gun (machine gun).

To assume a position for firing a machine gun while lying down, you need to: move your right hand along the belt slightly upward and, removing the machine gun from your shoulder, grab it with your left hand by the trigger guard and receiver, then take the machine gun with your right hand by the receiver lining and the fore-end with the muzzle part forward. At the same time, take a full step with your right foot forward and slightly to the right. Leaning forward, lower yourself to your left knee and place your left hand on the ground in front of you, fingers pointing to the right; then, leaning successively on the thigh of the left leg and the forearm of the left hand, lie on your left side and quickly turn onto your stomach, spreading your legs slightly to the sides with your toes outward; At the same time, place the machine gun with the fore-end on the palm of your left hand.

To assume a prone position for firing a machine gun, you need to move your right hand slightly up along the belt and, removing the machine gun from your shoulder, grab it with your left hand by the trigger guard and receiver; then take the machine gun with your right hand by the barrel lining and fore-end, and spread the legs of the bipod with your left hand. At the same time, take a full step forward with your right (left) foot and, leaning forward, place the machine gun on the bipod in the direction of fire; without straightening, lean with both hands on the ground, throw your legs back and lie on your stomach, spreading your legs with your toes out.

To assume a position for shooting from the knee, you need to: take the machine gun (machine gun) in your right hand by the barrel lining and fore-end with the muzzle forward and at the same time, putting your right leg back, lower yourself onto your right knee and sit on your heel; the shin of the left leg should remain in a vertical position, and the hips should form an angle close to a right angle; transfer the machine gun (machine gun) with the fore-end to the left hand, pointing it towards the target. To assume a standing shooting position, you need to: turn half a turn to the right in relation to the direction towards the target and, without placing your left leg, set it to the left approximately shoulder-width apart, as is more convenient for the machine gunner (to the machine gunner), while distributing the weight of the body evenly on both legs. At the same time, moving your right hand slightly upward along the belt, remove the machine gun (machine gun) from your shoulder and, grabbing it from below with your left hand by the fore-end and the barrel guard, vigorously push the muzzle forward towards the target.

To load an assault rifle (machine gun), attach a loaded magazine to the assault rifle (machine gun), if it was not previously attached to it; remove the machine gun (machine gun) from the safety lock; set the translator to the required type of fire; vigorously pull the bolt frame back to full strength and release it; put the machine gun (machine gun) on safety if there is no immediate opening of fire or the command “Fire” is not followed and move your right hand to the pistol grip.

Shooting production

Fire from a machine gun (machine gun) is carried out by command or independently, depending on the task and the situation.

The command to open fire specifies: who to shoot, the target, the sight, the rear sight and the aiming point. For example: “So-and-so (submachine gunner or machine gunner so-and-so), according to the observer, four, fire to the target,” “Squad, along the column, five, fire to the waist.”

When shooting at targets at ranges up to 400 m, the sight and aiming point may not be trimmed. For example: “To the machine gunner (machine gunner), fire on the attacking infantry.” At this command, the machine gunner (machine gunner) fires with a 4 or “P” sight, and chooses the aiming point independently.

Firing (a shot) includes installing a sight and rear sight, a translator for the required type of fire, placing the gun, aiming, pulling the trigger and holding the machine gun (machine gun) while firing.

To install the sight, you need to bring the machine gun (machine gun) closer to you, squeeze the clamp latch with the thumb and forefinger of your right hand and move the clamp until its front cut aligns with the duckweed (division) under the corresponding number on the sighting bar. The sight of a machine gun can also be installed using a scale; printed on the back (bottom) side of the aiming bar.

To install the rear sight, you need to pull the handwheel of the rear sight screw slightly to the right and by rotating it align the mark under the slot of the mane with the desired division.

To set the translator to the required type of fire, press thumb right hand on the translator ledge, turn the translator down: until the first click - for automatic fire (AB), until the second click - for single fire (OD).

To attach an assault rifle (machine gun), you need to: without losing sight of the target, rest the butt against your shoulder so that you feel the entire butt plate fit tightly to your shoulder; Place the index finger of the right hand (first joint) on the trigger; tilt your head slightly forward and, without straining your neck, place your right cheek on the butt.

Hold the machine gun with your left hand by the fore-end or magazine, and with your right hand by the pistol grip.

Hold the machine gun: when shooting from a prone position and from a trench while standing or kneeling - with your left hand on the neck of the butt or on the butt from below, and with your right hand on the pistol grip; when shooting from a kneeling position and standing outside the trench - with your left hand on the fore-end or magazine, and with your right hand on the pistol grip (like a machine gun). When holding the machine gun by the neck of the butt, press your hands firmly against each other. When applying the elbows, they should be: placed on the ground in the most comfortable position (approximately shoulder width from a lying position and from a trench while standing or kneeling); the elbow of the left hand is placed on the flesh of the left leg near the knee or slightly lowered from it, and the elbow of the right hand is raised approximately to shoulder height when shooting from a kneeling position outside the trench; the elbow of the left hand is pressed to the side near the grenade bag if the machine gun (machine gun) is held by the magazine, and the elbow of the right hand is raised to approximately shoulder height when shooting from a standing position outside the trench.

To aim, you need to close your left eye, and look through the slot of the sight at the front sight with your right eye so that the front sight is in the middle of the slot, and its top is level with the upper edges of the mane of the sighting bar, i.e. take an even front sight.

Stop shooting

The cessation of shooting can be temporary or complete. To temporarily stop shooting, the command “Stop” is given, and when shooting in motion - “Cease fire”.

Following these commands, the machine gunner (machine gunner) stops pressing the trigger, puts the machine gun (machine gun) on safety and, if necessary, changes the magazine.

To completely stop firing, after the command “Stop” or “Cease fire,” the command “Unload” is given. At this command, the machine gunner (machine gunner) puts the machine gun (machine gun) on safety, pulls the clamp back, setting the machine gun's sight to "P", the machine gun's sight to "I" and the rear sight to 0, unloads the machine gun (machine gun), and the machine gun's sight to The folding butt also folds the butt. When shooting from a prone position, he lowers the butt (the back of the receiver) to the ground, and places the muzzle of the machine gun on the forearm of his left hand and then acts according to the situation

When firing from a trench, after unloading, the machine gun can be placed on the parapet of the trench with the bolt handle downward.

To unload an assault rifle (machine gun), you must: separate the magazine; remove the machine gun (machine gun) from the safety lock; slowly pull the bolt frame back by the handle, remove the cartridge from the chamber and release the bolt frame; pull the trigger (decock the hammer); put the machine gun (machine gun) on the safety catch, take it “on the belt” if shooting was carried out from a standing position, or put it (lower the butt of the machine gun) on the ground if shooting was carried out from a prone position; remove the cartridges from the magazine and attach it to the machine gun; pick up the cartridge.

To stand up, you need to pull both hands to chest level, holding the machine gun with your right hand by the fore-end and the barrel lining, at the same time bring both legs together, sharply straightening your arms, lift your chest off the ground and move your right (left) leg forward, quickly stand up and, if necessary, , start moving. When standing up with a machine gun, after moving your leg forward, take the machine gun, quickly get up and, if necessary, start moving.

After unloading, if necessary, the commander gives the command:"Weapons - for inspection."

With this command you need to:
- in a prone position: separate the magazine and place it near the machine gun (machine gun) with the neck facing you, remove the machine gun (machine gun) from the safety catch, pull the bolt frame back by the handle and turn the machine gun (machine gun) slightly to the left; after the commander has inspected the chamber and magazine, release the bolt frame forward, release the hammer (pull the trigger), put the machine gun (machine gun) on the safety catch and attach the magazine to the machine gun (machine gun);
- in a standing position: holding the machine gun (machine gun) with your left hand from below by the forend, with your right, separate the magazine and transfer it to your left hand, holding it upward (with the convex part away from you), with the fingers of your left hand, press the magazine to the forend of the machine gun (machine gun);
- remove the machine gun (machine gun) from the safety catch, move the bolt frame back and turn the machine gun (machine gun) slightly to the left.

After the commander has inspected the chamber and magazine, release the bolt frame forward, release the hammer (press the trigger), put the machine gun (machine gun) on safety, attach the magazine and take the machine gun (machine gun) to the “belt” position or take the machine gun to the leg .

Rules for shooting from a machine gun (machine gun)

To successfully complete tasks in combat, it is necessary to: continuously monitor the battlefield; quickly and correctly prepare data for shooting; skillfully fire at all kinds of targets in various combat conditions, both day and night; to hit group and most important single targets, use concentrated fire; observe the results of the fire and skillfully adjust it; monitor the consumption of ammunition in battle and take measures to replenish them in a timely manner.

Safety precautions when handling weapons

When handling weapons, the following rules must be strictly observed:
1. During shooting, all actions with weapons must be carried out only on the commands of the shooting director.
2. At the end or in cases of breaks in shooting, as well as when transferring and receiving weapons, you must first of all make sure that it is not loaded.
3. During shooting, hold the weapon only in the direction of shooting or with the barrel up, regardless of whether it is loaded or not.
4. Immediately stop shooting and unload the weapon in the following cases: a command to stop shooting is received, a white flag appears prohibiting continued shooting, people or animals appear in the firing sector,
5. Carry and store a weapon with the bolt closed and the hammer released.

It is strictly prohibited:
1. Load the weapon until the supervisor’s command and the “FIRE” signal.
2. Point the weapon at people, to the side or to the rear of the shooting range, regardless of whether it is loaded or not.
3. Open and fire from a faulty weapon while the white flag is raised.
4. Leave a loaded weapon anywhere or transfer it to others.
5. Enter areas of the shooting range where there are unexploded military grenades (shells) and other explosive objects and touch them.

Submachine gunner's tricks

The most striking drawback is the inability to properly carry a weapon and quickly prepare it for battle. The commonly used methods of carrying weapons do not allow one to quickly prepare for battle when an armed enemy suddenly appears at close range. I will give two cases characterizing similar situations that occurred in Grozny. The mortar battery was located on the flat roof of the house and fired at the positions of the militants. Two soldiers went down to the courtyard of the house to the well for water. They carried buckets in their hands, and the machine guns were in the “behind their back” position. Militants suddenly entered the courtyard of the house, pointed guns at the soldiers, disarmed them and took them prisoner. The soldiers were unable to use their weapons.

Second case. During the period of pacification and dual power in Grozny, an officer of the commandant’s office photographed the burial of Russian soldiers. His hands were busy with equipment, the machine gun was hanging on his right shoulder with the barrel down, the pistol was on his right side in a holster. Two militants approached from both sides, threatening with weapons, disarmed and took prisoner. And such cases occur quite often in military conflict zones. Soldiers and officers find themselves unprepared for sudden encounters with the enemy and do not have time to use their weapons.

I would like to suggest some ways to carry and use standard small arms, allowing you to position them comfortably while having your hands free. And, at the same time, these methods allow you to quickly prepare for battle and repel an enemy attack.

1. On the left shoulder - this is an old hunting method. To prevent the machine from slipping, it is necessary to properly fit the weapon belt. This method allows you to quickly prepare for battle, but if the enemy is close and a hand-to-hand fight awaits, this position of the weapon interferes. In this case, you should remove the belt from your shoulder and drop the machine gun on the ground.

2. On the chest - the belt is thrown over the neck, the machine gun hangs with the barrel down. This method is more convenient and allows you to quickly prepare for battle. This position of the machine gun does not interfere with hand-to-hand combat, it makes it possible to freely strike with hands and feet, grapple, fall and roll.

In addition, machine guns can block enemy blows and deliver strong blows with the butt and magazine. With this method of carrying the machine gun, the gun belt should be released quite strongly so that the butt is slightly below the right shoulder.

3. When marching in armored vehicles, the landing force is usually located on top of the armor. Typically, paratroopers sit with one leg down in the open hatch, and the other kept on top of the armor. From this position it is easy to “go” down the hatch if shelling starts, and it is easy to jump from the vehicle to the ground if the vehicle is blown up by a mine or hit anti-tank grenade. In this case, the weapon is usually held in the hands, and the machine gun greatly interferes when diving into a hatch, and is also easily lost if the paratroopers are thrown off the armor by an explosion or sudden braking. To prevent this from happening, you should loosen the gun belt and put it over your head; the machine gun is located on the body with the barrel up. At the same time, the machine gun is located quite conveniently, does not interfere with jumping from the car and is quickly aimed at. target"

4. Both military personnel and police officers often have to serve at checkpoints, checkpoints, and traffic police posts. The nature of the service at these facilities requires a long stay at the post, and it is necessary to have free hands to give signals and to check documents, inspect cars and search people. The weapon must be in a position that allows its rapid use, and at the same time, the people being tested must not be able to block the use of the weapon. Typically, traffic police officers place the machine gun on the right side. Machine guns cannot be thrown to the shoulder from this position; you can only shoot from the belt and without aiming. And if the guard is dressed in winter clothes, then the machine gun becomes an extra weight that hinders movement. For a more convenient location of the machine gun, you should unhook the belt from the receiver swivel and hook its carbine to the butt swivel, forming a loop. This loop is customizable and fits over the shoulder and back. The machine gun with the butt folded down is located under the right shoulder and can be easily thrown with one hand. When checking, I recommend setting left leg forward half a step, turning the body with the left side forward so that the machine gun is furthest away from those being checked and they cannot grab it.

Shooting from a machine gun

The technical rate of fire of the AK-74 is very high. A thirty-round magazine is fired in one burst in 3 seconds, a 45-round magazine in 4.5 seconds. Therefore, experienced shooters in battle put the safety on for single fire and shoot with frequent shots, refining the aim after each shot. The rate of fire remains quite high, and the accuracy becomes much higher compared to burst fire. To illustrate the disadvantages of shooting in long bursts, I will give the following example.

When the 81st Motorized Rifle Regiment was surrounded in Grozny in January 1995, some of the personnel took up defensive positions in the station building. Chechen fighters, who were shelling the station, ran up to the building and jumped into the window openings. Having let them out inside the building, standing on the windowsill, they fired a magazine in one burst, jumped back onto the street, changed the magazine, and again, jumping out of the window, shot inside the building without much harm to the defenders. Our soldiers fired intensely at these jack-in-the-boxes, but also without much success.

However, in some situations, shooting in long bursts is preferable. These are cases when several armed opponents appear at once in front of the scout at close range. For example, the reconnaissance group conducted a search in the area of ​​the village of Chechen-Aul. One of the forward reconnaissance patrols suddenly came out from the rear to a trench in which there were 4 militants. The militants had not yet seen the scout, but could turn around at any moment. The scout crossed out the trench with a burst, releasing the entire magazine and hitting all the militants. In such cases, there is no time to aim.

But you can roughly aim at the barrel of the machine gun, and not at the front and rear sights. The AK-74 assault rifle points to the right and up when firing in bursts. Therefore, it is advisable to start shelling from the closest left target.

When conducting combat operations in populated areas, in mountainous and wooded areas there is always a high probability of meeting the enemy at close range. In this case, the fighter may need to retreat to the main group or to cover, and there is no one to cover him at this moment. It is inconvenient to run backwards while firing at the enemy, and there is no shooting accuracy whatsoever. A method of firing a machine gun backwards while running, if before this the weapon was held using methods 1 or 2. In this case, the machine gun is fixed quite stably even while running; by moving the butt with your right hand, you can aim approximately left-right and up-down. Although this is not aimed fire, at close range it will force the enemy to seek cover.

What if the target appears at ultra-short distances (one or two steps)? For example, if a patrolman or patrolman came close to one militant, hand-to-hand combat skills or a knife could help. What if there is one enemy in front of you and his hands are clutching your machine gun, and behind him there are 2-3 more militants standing one or two steps away? For such cases, it is necessary to have an auxiliary melee weapon (pistol).

If a shooter armed with a machine gun also has a pistol, he can quickly move on to using it. You just need to carry the gun so that it is not conspicuous. I will give two examples to illustrate the usefulness of carrying a concealed pistol. Both cases occurred in the Republic of Tajikistan.

In the first case, at night, an officer, accompanied by one soldier, returned to a strong point after checking the posts. Both were armed with machine guns (the officer had the machine gun hanging on his chest, the soldier had it on his shoulder). The officer, in addition, had a pistol with a cartridge chambered in the barrel, with the safety on, which he tucked on the right side under “belt A” (in the army this belt is also called a bib or bra).

Already upon approaching the strong point, two Islamist militants armed with machine guns came out to meet our servicemen. One militant stood opposite the officer and started a conversation on the topic: “Where are you coming from, why did you go?” The second one moved to the side and ended up on the side. At this time, the soldier also moved to the side, as if hiding behind the officer, and prepared his machine gun for battle. The militant, who was standing to the side, removed the safety of his machine gun (a characteristic click was heard), and another militant rushed to the officer and tried to grab his machine gun. The officer shot him directly through his breastplate, and with a second shot (almost simultaneously with his soldier, who also opened fire), he hit another militant, who was raising his machine gun to his shoulder.

In the second case, two special forces officers entered a small store. They were armed with pistols, which hung openly on their belts in holsters. While the officers were examining the counter, 7 militants entered the store, one of them with a machine gun. One militant ordered to raise his hands up. An attempt to get a weapon with such a location could not go unnoticed and was immediately stopped by a machine gun burst overhead. The militants disarmed the officers, disabled one with a blow to the head with a rifle butt, and jumped out of the store and drove away in their cars. In the first case, carrying a concealed weapon helped destroy the enemy. In the second case, open carrying provoked criminals to seize weapons and did not allow them to successfully use pistols.

Quite often in hot spots you can see “cool” fighters whose machine guns are equipped with magazines linked in pairs. I would like to warn against this method of carrying stores. When shooting, fighters often rest the magazine of the machine gun on the ground. In this case, the lower magazine feeder becomes clogged with dirt, and this causes delays when firing. In a combat situation, you can pay for such a delay with your life.

Anyone who has ever fired a military weapon is familiar with the command “UNLOAD, WEAPON FOR INSPECTION!” And how to discharge the weapon if, for example, a reconnaissance group went to the location of its troops after completing the task. The scouts did not sleep or eat for several days; their fingers were swollen and did not bend because they were frostbitten. And there is no way to line up in one line, to point the weapon in a safe direction, because there are people and equipment around.

In this case, the so-called combat discharge is used. Scouts stand in a circle (to control each other). The machine guns are raised with their barrels up so that the bolts are at eye level. The magazine is detached and placed in the pouch, and the soldiers pull the bolt 5-6 times in a row. If someone forgets to remove the magazine, it will be immediately noticeable, because the bolt will begin to eject cartridges, and they will hit someone in the face. If an accidental shot occurs in this position, the bullet will go vertically upward without causing harm. After such a check, each fighter performs an independent control release and puts the weapon on safety. The magazine is not connected to the weapon, since in a combat situation one quickly develops the habit of connecting the magazine and immediately sending the cartridge into the chamber.

The basic rule in war is to never part with your weapon. As soon as you leave the protected area, do not let go of the weapon, always keep it where it is easy to take it from, so that you are always ready for battle.

In addition to the fact that the commander should have 1-2 magazines with tracer cartridges, it is desirable that each fighter also have one such magazine. This is a store intended as a last resort, to indicate your location or for target designation.

The Kalashnikov magazine mount is inconvenient for quick reloading. It is impossible to detach an empty magazine while simultaneously holding a loaded one with the same hand. Therefore, in a tense battle, do not expect the store to be completely empty. If the magazine is partially empty and there is a pause in the battle, change the magazine and leave the partially used one in reserve. In order not to waste time juggling the bolt when loading, when starting to load the magazine, insert three tracer cartridges first.

Then, when you shoot and notice that the tracer bullet has gone through, you will know that there are only two cartridges left. You can shoot again and, having disconnected the empty magazine, replace it with a full one. Since the last cartridge has already been chambered, there is no need to jerk the bolt. An empty magazine is usually thrown on the ground in battle so that it does not interfere and so as not to be confused with full magazines. If necessary, an empty magazine can be thrown at the enemy, simulating a grenade throw to cover reloading. In hand-to-hand combat, you can also throw an empty magazine, aiming at the enemy's face. With a little practice, you can learn to throw a magazine so that its prong hits the enemy’s forehead or temple. If the throw is strong, then the hit incapacitates the enemy.

It is advisable to divide the personnel of the unit not into bets, but into combat troikas, to add one more person to the crews of machine guns, RPGs, AGS. It’s easier for three fighters to interact: if one gets wounded, it’s easier to pull him out from under fire together. If someone has a delay in shooting (due to a malfunction or while reloading), it is easier to cover him with two people. (In this case, the signal “Cover!” is given, the covering person must answer “I’m holding”).

During the fighting in Grozny, we often had to inspect attics, basements and other rooms. Often it was necessary to work in the dark. Domestic night devices, operating on the principle of enhancing the natural illumination of the area, are not suitable for indoor use. During the Great Patriotic War, Soviet soldiers used this method. An ordinary electric torch was packaged in a piece of rubber cut from car tire. When inspecting dark rooms or during a battle in a basement, sewer network, tunnel, etc., the fighters turned on these “shockproof” flashlights and threw them towards the expected location of the enemy. Thus, they illuminated the target and were able to conduct aimed fire.

A few words about night sights YSPU-1 and 2. It should be taken into account that these devices do not start working immediately after switching on; in cold weather they require 1 to 2 minutes to warm up.

But immediately after turning on, the eyepiece of these devices begins to give off a greenish light reflection, giving the shooter away to enemy observers and snipers. Therefore, after turning on the device or taking your eye away from the eyepiece, immediately cover the eyepiece with your palm or make a special shutter for this.

These devices are easily illuminated by open light sources. There was a case when, in the area of ​​​​the village of Komsomolskoye in Chechnya, our reconnaissance group was monitoring a fire near which militants were sitting. The scouts watched for a long time using night instruments, but were unable to discern that behind the fire there was an entire stronghold with fortifications, firing points, significant forces and firepower. The light from the fire illuminated the instrument screens, interfering with observation. As a result, the group opened fire and came under return fire from superior enemy forces.

There are little tricks when shooting from underbarrel grenade launcher GP-25. It is inconvenient to press the GP-25 trigger with your right hand; it is located too far away. To make it more convenient to shoot from a grenade launcher, you should rest the pistol grip of the machine gun rather than the butt on your shoulder. This position of the weapon is especially convenient when shooting while lying down. When shooting with mounted fire, the butt of the machine gun should be rested on the ground. In this case, an assistant must insert grenades into the barrel of the GP-25, and the shooter fixes the position of the machine gun, remembers it, and depending on where the flash from the previous shot was, changing the tilt of the barrel, makes adjustments to the shooting. (When fighting in the city, do not forget that cocking a grenade for the GP-25 occurs 10-20 meters into the flight after the shot. When shooting at the windows of buildings at a shorter distance, the grenades may not explode.)

When moving on the battlefield or at the shooting range, shooters usually hold the machine gun at stomach level, pointing the barrel forward. To quickly prepare for shooting and not waste time raising the machine gun to your shoulder, you should move without lifting the butt from your shoulder, while lowering the barrel slightly down. From this position, the shooter is quickly prepared for combat and aimed shooting.

Of course, you can fire from the stomach, but then you can hit the target with the first shots only at very short ranges (5-10 meters). Good shooters, having specially trained in shooting from the stomach, can hit a tall target with their first shots at a distance of 20-50 meters. If the target is located further away, then it can be hit from the stomach only with a significant number of shots (5-10), and then only if the fire is adjusted along the paths or splashes of the soil.

To the question How to properly carry and hold (and other actions) a machine gun? They asked for Dpu. They asked for Dpu. given by the author Andrew Michaels the best answer is 1. On the left shoulder - this is an old hunting method. To prevent the machine from slipping, it is necessary to properly fit the weapon belt. This method allows you to quickly prepare for battle, but if the enemy is close and a hand-to-hand fight awaits, this position of the weapon interferes. In this case, you should remove the belt from your shoulder and drop the machine gun on the ground.
2. On the chest - the belt is thrown over the neck, the machine gun hangs with the barrel down. This method is more convenient and allows you to quickly prepare for battle. This position of the machine gun does not interfere with hand-to-hand combat, it makes it possible to freely strike with hands and feet, grapple, fall and roll.
In addition, machine guns can block enemy blows and deliver strong blows with the butt and magazine. With this method of carrying the machine gun, the gun belt should be released quite strongly so that the butt is slightly below the right shoulder.
3. When marching in armored vehicles, the landing force is usually located on top of the armor. Typically, paratroopers sit with one leg down in the open hatch, and the other kept on top of the armor. From this position it is easy to “go down” into the hatch if shelling starts, and it is easy to jump from the vehicle to the ground if the vehicle is blown up by a mine or hit by an anti-tank grenade. In this case, the weapon is usually held in the hands, and the machine gun greatly interferes when diving into a hatch, and is also easily lost if the paratroopers are thrown off the armor by an explosion or sudden braking. To prevent this from happening, you should loosen the gun belt and put it over your head; the machine gun is located on the body with the barrel up. At the same time, the machine gun is located quite conveniently, does not interfere with jumping from the car and is quickly aimed at. target"
4. Both military personnel and police officers often have to serve at checkpoints, checkpoints, and traffic police posts. The nature of the service at these facilities requires a long stay at the post, and it is necessary to have free hands to give signals and to check documents, inspect cars and search people. The weapon must be in a position that allows its rapid use, and at the same time, the people being tested must not be able to block the use of the weapon. Typically, traffic police officers place the machine gun on the right side. Machine guns cannot be thrown to the shoulder from this position; you can only shoot from the belt and without aiming. And if the guard is dressed in winter clothes, then the machine gun becomes an extra weight that hinders movement. For a more convenient location of the machine gun, you should unhook the belt from the receiver swivel and hook its carbine to the butt swivel, forming a loop. This loop is customizable and fits over the shoulder and back. The machine gun with the butt folded down is located under the right shoulder and can be easily thrown with one hand. When conducting a check, I recommend putting your left foot forward half a step, turning your body with your left side forward so that the machine gun is furthest away from those being tested and they cannot grab it.

Answer from Andrey Drobot[active]
A machine gun “on the chest” is when the machine gun hangs on the chest with the barrel up diagonally - the compensator is at the top of the left shoulder, the butt, accordingly, is on the right near the belt. The belt is on the left shoulder.
A machine gun “on the belt” is when the machine gun is behind your back on the right shoulder with the barrel up (with a folding butt - the barrel down). The belt is on the right shoulder. The position is unstable, the belt constantly tries to slip off, therefore, according to the regulations, you are supposed to hold it with your right hand.
A machine gun “behind the back” is when the machine gun is located behind the back, with the barrel up (with a folding butt - the muzzle down). The barrel is at the top of the left shoulder, the butt, respectively, at the bottom right.
The drill regulations DO NOT ALLOW any other options.
And now you constantly see two of some Pindos variants.
The first is a machine gun on the chest with the barrel down. This, to be honest, is not clear to me. If you have to shoot, the soldier will lose time, feeling for the handle with his right hand. If you constantly hold it half-bent on the handle, it will quickly get tired. Plus, there is a good chance of getting hit in the teeth or ear with the butt of your own machine gun. Or shoot the neighbor on the left in the leg. But the strangest thing is when the machine gun is held on the chest in the arms, like a child. A heavy piece of hardware, an assault rifle with a loaded magazine and grenade launcher, weighs over 5 kg. Your hands will get tired of holding it like this.
This whole thing started with " polite people"Before that, they were still worn according to the regulations.

Directories

Little melee tricks

Little melee tricks

The combat regulations of the Russian Armed Forces so far reflect only the essence of classic combined arms combat, in which the actions of any unit are supported by artillery, armored vehicles, and aviation. A common phrase has become that we were always preparing for the past war, losing the invaluable experience of small military conflicts. The experience of the defeat of Bandera formations in Ukraine and the “forest brothers” in the Baltic states, operations in Hungary (in 1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968), battles in China and Korea, military operations in Vietnam, battles in Congo and Somalia. Finally, it is difficult to call the experience of two recent small wars - in Afghanistan and Chechnya - well learned. After the Great Patriotic War, our soldiers and officers fought in a total of 20 countries around the world. But, oddly enough, the methods of conducting those military operations were not reflected in our combat manuals.

During conflicts of low intensity (the war in Chechnya is one of these, in which about 1/30 of the total number of military formations Russia), regular army units often have to fight with illegal armed groups (IAGs), which prefer to conduct guerrilla-type actions, imposing battles in closed areas (mountains, forests, jungles, populated areas), where the warring parties, as a rule, are separated only several tens of meters. The Vietnamese called the tactic of tying up the enemy in close combat the term “grabbing by the belt”; the Americans called it “tying hands.”

In such conditions, armored vehicles become ineffective, and artillery and aviation fire pose a threat to friendly troops. As a result, the unit has to fight on its own, using only standard portable weapons. By its nature, close fire combat in a closed area is a series of local battles, the success of which is determined by the skills and abilities of each soldier, and squad and platoon commanders do not have the opportunity to command their subordinates, since they are heard only by 2-3 soldiers nearby.

There are little tricks to help you survive in close combat.

To successfully assess the situation in this type of battle, commanders should learn to determine by ear, by the density of enemy fire, their numbers, weapons, location on the ground, and where they are concentrating their main efforts. Unfortunately, assessing the enemy by ear based on the strength of fire is not taught in any military school. When I was a platoon commander, I was taught this by a company commander who had served in Afghanistan. During the exercises, he took us to the areas of shooting ranges and training grounds and forced us to identify by ear the types of weapons, the composition of the firing units and their approximate location on the ground.

Each shooter must independently choose targets and hit them (grenade launcher - equipment, fortifications, accumulations of manpower; machine gunner - fire weapons and accumulations of manpower; sniper - commanders, drivers, signalmen, etc.). But, besides this, every commander must give target instructions to his subordinates to hit important targets. To do this, squad, platoon and company commanders must have 1-2 magazines fully loaded with tracer cartridges. For target designation, it is enough to connect this magazine and fire 2-3 times with single shots towards the desired target. The remaining shooters, having noticed the path from the first bullet, use the 2nd and 3rd shots to clarify the location of the target and focus fire on it.

Tricks of the grenade launcher

It should be clarified that illegal armed groups widely use hand grenade launchers. The vast experience of combat use of the RPG-7 accumulated in Afghanistan by the joint forces of the Mujahideen is widely spreading to other hot spots. If a motorized rifle platoon has 3 RPG-7s on staff, and a special forces group has 1, then up to 50-80% of the personnel in an illegal armed formation are armed with RPGs. In conditions of a lack of artillery, RPGs are assigned the additional task of “artillery” support for combat operations, which is sometimes carried out more effectively than by artillery fire. For these purposes, the illegal armed formations create special groups of grenade launchers to conduct massive fire in battle. Our soldiers and officers had to deal with similar groups in Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Chechnya. A feature of the tactics of such groups is that armored vehicles are destroyed by sequentially concentrating fire from 2-3 or more RPGs on one armored vehicle from a distance of 20 to 50 meters. Even dynamic protection and additionally installed screens cannot save you from such fire. The protective equipment is knocked down by the first shots, after which the grenade launchers hit the equipment in vulnerable places.

INVF grenade launchers actively use RPGs to fire at openly located manpower. Even when using cumulative ammunition personnel are affected by shrapnel and blast waves within a radius of up to 4 meters. In addition, in Afghanistan, the Mujahideen used fragmentation grenades for RPG-7s made in Egypt and China. There have been cases of the use of such grenades in Tajikistan, not only against manpower, but also against armored vehicles (to disable surveillance devices). In Chechnya, the use of homemade fragmentation grenades was noted, when the Chechens wrapped the head of cumulative grenades with wire or covered them with fragments secured with electrical tape (metal balls, etc.). In addition, massive fire from RPGs against manpower has a demoralizing effect. There were cases when for every shot or burst of small arms we fired, the militants were followed by 2-3 shots from an RPG.

The firing position of the grenade launcher at the moment of the shot is unmasked by a characteristic flash and white-blue smoke. The flight of a grenade in the wake of a running engine is also clearly visible. If you notice such a flash and grenade path on the battlefield, then you need to give a command, for example: “Flash, go down!” At this command, your subordinates must lie on the ground (behind cover) and cover their ears with their hands. If these requirements are met, if a cumulative grenade explodes nearby, even if you are on an open, flat area without shelter, there is a high probability that you will remain alive and unharmed.

If there is time to equip a grenade launcher position (for example, when setting up an ambush), then to reduce dust formation, the soil at a distance of up to 2-4 m behind the grenade launcher plate should be watered generously. The grenade launcher's firing position is well camouflaged by thickets of tall (up to 2 meters) bushes, reeds, corn crops and other herbaceous plants. But we must remember that in the direction of fire there should be no vegetation that would interfere with the flight of the grenade (to prevent the grenade from exploding when it hits branches and grass, the protective cap from the fuse should not be removed).

To suppress firing points on mountain slopes and the upper floors of buildings, RPG fire is used slightly higher than shelters in order to hit the enemy not only with fragments and the blast wave of an exploding grenade, but also with pieces of stone and concrete breaking off during the explosion.

In battle, 1-2 soldiers should be assigned to cover the grenade launcher. They must destroy enemy shooters who are dangerous to the grenade launcher, give him target designations, and ensure that the grenade launcher changes position as often as possible (preferably after each shot). The fact is that after 2-3 shots the grenade launcher stops hearing the sounds of combat and commands. And if the shots hit the target, the grenade launchers become morbidly excited, forgetting about safety precautions. Therefore, cover fighters must watch them.

In combat conditions, the grenade launcher should be carried with a grenade inserted into the barrel. If the weather is rainy, damp, then you need to put a plastic bag on the grenade and the barrel of the grenade launcher, since the paper insulation of the powder charge is easily moistened, which leads to the complete unusability of the powder charge. To prevent the bag from falling off, it should be attached to the trunk, tied with a cord. The bag does not need to be removed before firing; it does not interfere with shooting. Additional grenades with attached powder charges are best carried on the shoulder using a quick-release rope strap. In this way, grenades can be carried by both the grenade launcher and his assistants. To protect grenades from moisture, they need to be wrapped in waterproof fabric or polyethylene, over which a portable belt can be fitted.

Often, troops do not like to take the RPG-7 on combat missions because of its large mass, replacing the RPG-18, 22, 26 and the RPO-A (“Bumblebee”) hand flamethrower, which in night battles is used not only as an incendiary weapon, but also to illuminate enemy positions and create light landmarks. The RPG-7 should not be neglected; its effective range is higher than that of disposable grenade launchers, and the presence of an optical sight makes shooting from it particularly accurate. Although it should be noted that the creation of fragmentation incendiary, illuminating and other special grenades for the RPG-7 would significantly expand the capabilities of the units of the Russian Army.

Submachine gunner's tricks

The most striking drawback is the inability to properly carry a weapon and quickly prepare it for battle. The commonly used methods of carrying weapons do not allow one to quickly prepare for battle when an armed enemy suddenly appears at close range. I will give two cases characterizing similar situations that occurred in Grozny.

The mortar battery was located on the flat roof of the house and fired at the positions of the militants. Two soldiers went down to the courtyard of the house to the well for water.

They carried buckets in their hands, and the machine guns were in the “behind their back” position. Militants suddenly entered the courtyard of the house, pointed guns at the soldiers, disarmed them and took them prisoner. The soldiers were unable to use their weapons.

Second case. During the period of pacification and dual power in Grozny, an officer of the commandant’s office photographed the burial of Russian soldiers. His hands were busy with equipment, the machine gun was hanging on his right shoulder with the barrel down, the pistol was on his right side in a holster. Two militants approached from both sides, threatening with weapons, disarmed and took prisoner.

And such cases occur quite often in military conflict zones. Soldiers and officers find themselves

are not prepared for sudden encounters with the enemy and do not have time to use their weapons.

I would like to suggest some ways to carry and use standard small arms, allowing you to position them comfortably while having your hands free. And, at the same time, these methods allow you to quickly prepare for battle and repel an enemy attack.

On the left shoulder - this is an old hunting method. To prevent the machine from slipping, it is necessary to properly fit the weapon belt. This method allows you to quickly prepare for battle, but if the enemy is close and a hand-to-hand fight awaits, this position of the weapon interferes. In this case, you should remove the belt from your shoulder and drop the machine gun on the ground.

On the chest there is a belt thrown over the neck, the machine gun hangs with the barrel down. This method is more convenient and allows you to quickly prepare for battle. This position of the machine gun does not interfere with hand-to-hand combat, it makes it possible to freely strike with hands and feet, grapple, fall and roll. In addition, with a machine gun you can block enemy blows and deliver strong blows with the butt and magazine. With this method of carrying a machine gun, the gun belt should be released quite firmly so that the butt is slightly below the right shoulder.

When marching in armored vehicles, the landing force is usually located on top of the armor. Typically, paratroopers sit with one leg down in the open hatch, and the other kept on top of the armor. From this position it is easy to “go down” into the hatch if shelling starts, and it is easy to jump from the vehicle to the ground if the vehicle is blown up by a mine or hit by an anti-tank grenade. In this case, the weapon is usually held in the hands, and the machine gun greatly interferes when diving into a hatch, and is also easily lost if the paratroopers are thrown off the armor by an explosion or sudden braking. To prevent this from happening, you should loosen the gun belt and put it over your head; the machine gun is located on the body with the barrel up. At the same time, the machine gun is located quite conveniently, does not interfere with jumping from the car and quickly aims at the target.

Both military personnel and police officers often have to serve at checkpoints, checkpoints, and traffic police posts. The nature of the service at these facilities requires a long stay at the post, and it is necessary to have free hands to give signals and to check documents, inspect cars and search people. The weapon must be in a position that allows its rapid use, and at the same time, the people being tested must not be able to block the use of the weapon. Typically, traffic police officers place the machine gun on the right side. Machine guns cannot be thrown to the shoulder from this position; you can only shoot from the belt and without aiming. And if the guard is dressed in winter clothes, then the machine gun becomes an extra weight that hinders movement. For a more convenient location of the machine gun, you should unhook the belt from the receiver swivel and hook its carbine to the butt swivel, forming a loop. This loop is customizable and fits over the shoulder and back. The machine gun with the butt folded down is located under the right shoulder and can be easily thrown with one hand. When conducting a check, I recommend putting your left foot forward half a step, turning your body with your left side forward so that the machine gun is furthest away from those being tested and they cannot grab it.

Shooting

The technical rate of fire of the AK-74 is very high. A thirty-round magazine is fired in one burst in 3 seconds, a 45-round magazine in 4.5 seconds. Therefore, experienced shooters in battle put the safety on for single fire and shoot with frequent shots, refining the aim after each shot. The rate of fire remains quite high, and the accuracy becomes much higher compared to burst fire. To illustrate the disadvantages of shooting in long bursts, I will give the following example.

When the 81st Motorized Rifle Regiment was surrounded in Grozny in January 1995, some of the personnel took up defensive positions in the station building. Chechen militants who were shelling the station ran up to the building and jumped into the window openings. Having let them out inside the building, standing on the windowsill, they fired a magazine in one burst, jumped back onto the street, changed the magazine, and again, jumping out of the window, shot inside the building without much harm to the defenders. Our soldiers fired intensely at these jack-in-the-boxes, but also without much success.

However, in some situations, shooting in long bursts is preferable. These are cases when several armed opponents appear at once in front of the scout at close range. For example, the reconnaissance group conducted a search in the area of ​​the village of Chechen-Aul. One of the forward reconnaissance patrols suddenly came out from the rear to a trench in which there were 4 militants. The militants had not yet seen the scout, but could turn around at any moment. The scout crossed out the trench with a burst, releasing the entire magazine and hitting all the militants. In such cases, there is no time to aim. But you can roughly aim at the barrel of the machine gun, and not at the front and rear sights. The AK-74 assault rifle points to the right and up when firing in bursts. Therefore, it is advisable to start shelling from the closest left target.

When conducting combat operations in populated areas, in mountainous and wooded areas, there is always a high probability of meeting the enemy at close range. In this case, the fighter may need to retreat to the main group or to cover, and there is no one to cover him at this moment. It is inconvenient to run backwards while firing at the enemy, and there is no shooting accuracy whatsoever. A method of firing a machine gun backwards while running, if before this the weapon was held using methods 1 or 2. In this case, the machine gun is fixed quite stably even while running; by moving the butt with your right hand, you can aim approximately left-right and up-down. Although this is not aimed fire, at close range it will force the enemy to seek cover.

What if the target appears at ultra-short distances (one or two steps)? For example, if a patrolman or patrolman came close to one militant, hand-to-hand combat skills or a knife could help. What if there is one enemy in front of you and his hands have already grabbed your machine gun, and 2-3 more militants are standing one or two steps behind him? For such cases, it is necessary to have an auxiliary melee weapon (pistol).

If a shooter armed with a machine gun also has a pistol, he can quickly move on to using it. You just need to carry the gun so that it is not conspicuous. I will give two examples to illustrate the usefulness of carrying a concealed pistol. Both cases occurred in the Republic of Tajikistan.

In the first case, at night, an officer, accompanied by one soldier, returned to a strong point after checking the posts. Both were armed with machine guns (the officer had the machine gun hanging on his chest, the soldier had it on his shoulder). The officer, in addition, had a pistol with a cartridge chambered in the barrel, with the safety on, which he tucked on the right side under “belt A” (in the army this belt is also called a bib or bra).

Already upon approaching the strong point, two Islamist militants armed with machine guns came out to meet our servicemen. One militant stood opposite the officer and started a conversation on the topic: “Where are you coming from, why did you go?” The second one moved to the side and ended up on the side. At this time, the soldier also moved to the side, as if hiding behind the officer, and prepared his machine gun for battle. The militant, who was standing to the side, removed the safety of his machine gun (a characteristic click was heard), and another militant rushed to the officer and tried to grab his machine gun. The officer shot him directly through his breastplate, and with a second shot (almost simultaneously with his soldier, who also opened fire), he hit another militant, who was raising his machine gun to his shoulder.

In the second case, two special forces officers entered a small store. They were armed with pistols, which hung openly on their belts in holsters. While the officers were examining the counter, 7 militants entered the store, one of them with a machine gun. One militant ordered to raise his hands up. An attempt to get a weapon with such a location could not go unnoticed, and was immediately stopped by a machine gun burst overhead. The militants disarmed the officers, disabled one with a blow to the head with a rifle butt, and jumped out of the store and drove away in their cars. In the first case, carrying a concealed weapon helped destroy the enemy. In the second case, open carrying provoked criminals to seize weapons and did not allow them to successfully use pistols.

Quite often in hot spots you can see “cool” fighters whose machine guns are equipped with magazines linked in pairs. I would like to warn against this method of carrying stores. When shooting, fighters often rest the magazine of the machine gun on the ground. In this case, the lower magazine feeder becomes clogged with dirt, and this causes delays when firing. In a combat situation, you can pay for such a delay with your life.

Anyone who has ever fired a military weapon is familiar with the command “UNLOAD, WEAPON FOR INSPECTION!” And how to discharge the weapon if, for example, a reconnaissance group went to the location of its troops after completing the task. The scouts did not sleep or eat for several days; their fingers were swollen and did not bend because they were frostbitten. And there is no way to line up in one line, to point the weapon in a safe direction, because there are people and equipment around.

In this case, the so-called combat discharge is used. Scouts stand in a circle (to control each other). The machine guns are raised with their barrels up so that the bolts are at eye level. The magazine is detached and placed in the pouch, and the soldiers pull the bolt 5-6 times in a row. If someone forgets to remove the magazine, it will be immediately noticeable, because the bolt will begin to eject cartridges, and they will hit someone in the face. If an accidental shot occurs in this position, the bullet will go vertically upward without causing harm. After such a check, each fighter performs an independent control release and puts the weapon on safety. The magazine is not connected to the weapon, since in a combat situation one quickly develops the habit of connecting the magazine and immediately sending a cartridge into the chamber.

The basic rule in war is to never part with your weapon. As soon as you leave the protected area, do not let go of the weapon, always keep it where it is easy to take it from, so that you are always ready for battle.

In addition to the fact that the commander should have 1-2 magazines with tracer cartridges, it is desirable that each fighter also have one such magazine. This is a store intended as a last resort, to indicate your location or for target designation.

The Kalashnikov magazine mount is inconvenient for quick reloading. It is impossible to detach an empty magazine while simultaneously holding a loaded one with the same hand. Therefore, in a tense battle, do not expect the store to be completely empty. If the magazine is partially empty and there is a pause in the battle, change the magazine and leave the partially used one in reserve. In order not to waste time juggling the bolt when loading, when starting to load the magazine, insert three tracer cartridges first. Then, when you shoot and notice that the tracer bullet has gone through, you will know that there are only two cartridges left. You can shoot again and, having disconnected the empty magazine, replace it with a full one. Since the last cartridge has already been chambered, there is no need to jerk the bolt. An empty magazine is usually thrown on the ground in battle so that it does not interfere and so as not to be confused with full magazines. If necessary, an empty magazine can be thrown at the enemy, simulating a grenade throw to cover reloading. In hand-to-hand combat, you can also throw an empty magazine, aiming at the enemy's face. With a little practice, you can learn to throw a magazine so that its prong hits the enemy’s forehead or temple. If the throw is strong, then the hit incapacitates the enemy.

It is advisable to divide the personnel of the unit not into pairs, but into combat trios, and add one more person to the crews of machine guns, RPGs, AGS. It’s easier for three fighters to interact: if one gets wounded, it’s easier to pull him out from under fire together. If someone has a delay in shooting (due to a malfunction or while reloading), it is easier to cover him with two people. (In this case, the signal “Cover!” is given, the covering person must answer “I’m holding”).

During the fighting in Grozny, we often had to inspect attics, basements and other rooms.

Often it was necessary to work in the dark. Domestic night devices, operating on the principle of enhancing the natural illumination of the area, are not suitable for indoor use. During the Great Patriotic War, Soviet soldiers used this method. An ordinary electric flashlight was packaged in a piece of rubber cut from a car tire. When inspecting dark rooms or during a battle in a basement, sewer network, tunnel, etc., the fighters turned on these “shockproof” flashlights and threw them towards the expected location of the enemy. Thus, they illuminated the target and were able to conduct aimed fire.

A few words about the NSPU-1 and 2 night sights. It should be taken into account that these devices do not start working immediately after switching on; in cold weather they require 1 to 2 minutes to warm up.

But immediately after turning on, the eyepiece of these devices begins to give off a greenish light reflection, giving the shooter away to enemy observers and snipers. Therefore, after turning on the device or taking your eye away from the eyepiece, immediately cover the eyepiece with your palm or make a special shutter for this.

These devices are easily illuminated by open light sources. There was a case when, in the area of ​​​​the village of Komsomolskoye in Chechnya, our reconnaissance group was monitoring a fire near which militants were sitting. The scouts watched for a long time using night instruments, but were unable to discern that behind the fire there was an entire stronghold with fortifications, firing points, significant forces and firepower. The light from the fire illuminated the instrument screens, interfering with observation. As a result, the group opened fire and came under return fire from superior enemy forces.

There are also little tricks when firing from the GP-25 under-barrel grenade launcher. It is inconvenient to press the GP-25 trigger with your right hand; it is located too far away. To make it more convenient to shoot from a grenade launcher, you should rest the pistol grip of the machine gun rather than the butt on your shoulder. This position of the weapon is especially convenient when shooting while lying down. When shooting with mounted fire, the butt of the machine gun should be rested on the ground. In this case, an assistant must insert grenades into the barrel of the GP-25, and the shooter fixes the position of the machine gun, remembers it, and depending on where the flash from the previous shot was, changing the tilt of the barrel, makes adjustments to the shooting. (When fighting in the city, do not forget that cocking a grenade for the GP-25 occurs 10-20 meters into the flight after the shot. When shooting at the windows of buildings at a shorter distance, the grenades may not explode.)

When moving on the battlefield or at the shooting range, shooters usually hold the machine gun at stomach level, pointing the barrel forward. To quickly prepare for shooting and not waste time raising the machine gun to your shoulder, you should move without lifting the butt from your shoulder, while lowering the barrel slightly down. From this position, the shooter is quickly prepared for combat and aimed shooting.

Of course, you can fire from the stomach, but then you can hit the target with the first shots only at very short ranges (5-10 meters). Good shooters, having specially trained in shooting from the stomach, can hit a tall target with their first shots at a distance of 20-50 meters. If the target is located further away, then it can be hit from the stomach only with a significant number of shots (5-10), and then only if the fire is adjusted along the paths or splashes of the soil.

Sniper tricks

It is best for the sniper to be close to the team leader. He is not only a destroyer of important targets, but also an observer and a guard for the commander. In cases of a surprise attack on the enemy (raid, ambush, search, etc.), the sniper must identify and destroy those enemy fighters who came to their senses faster than others and are trying to return fire and organize resistance.

There are so many tricks and tricks in sniper business that any good sniper is able to write an entire textbook. But this tutorial may not be suitable for other snipers. For example, snipers of the anti-terrorist units of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs work at relatively short ranges of 100-200 meters in urban environments; snipers of combined arms units learn to fire in conditions of combined arms combat at ranges of 400-600 meters on flat terrain; snipers of army and naval special forces units also work at a greater range in the conditions of their areas of operation (mountains, coast, forest, plain, etc.) Therefore, it is difficult to give general recommendations for snipers. I will cite only two that I have convinced myself are true.

When firing through a water barrier, you need to take a larger elevation angle (aim higher), since the cold air from the water and humidity reduce the trajectory of the bullet.

The air in the mountains is more transparent, therefore (especially when firing through a gorge) an error occurs in determining the distance to the target (the target seems closer). When looking up and down a slope, the distances seem shorter, which also leads to errors in aiming.

Fighting in populated areas during Chechen war showed the need to have a larger number of snipers than provided for by the staff of military and special units. Often, only snipers could promptly identify and hit militant firing points and conduct anti-sniper warfare in densely built-up areas.

The lack of a sufficient number of snipers forced the installation of optical sights on machine guns that had mounts (tides) for night devices. Grenade launcher optical sight PGO-7, installed on the AK-74, allows sniper fire at a range of up to 300-400 meters; Using an optical sight from the SVD PSO-1, you can accurately shoot from an AK at a distance of up to 500-600 meters. The special sniper rifle VSS (“Vintorez”), which is in service with reconnaissance units of the Ministry of Defense and special forces of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, turned out to be unexpectedly popular. The VSS turned out to be an excellent weapon for fighting in the city. Compact, lightweight, silent, equipped with day and night sights, it allows you to conduct very accurate fire day and night at a range of up to 300 meters (although the VSS manual indicates an effective range of 400 m.)

A sniper armed with this weapon is neither seen nor heard by the enemy. This weapon was used for covert combing of terrain and buildings. The scouts, without revealing themselves, fired from the VSS at suspicious places, finding out whether the enemy had taken refuge there. In addition, the VSS was used for silent mine clearance. Having discovered a mine, the scouts shot it with VSS from a safe distance. As a rule, mines and homemade landmines were destroyed without detonation (explosion).

The VSS and the special AS (“Val”) assault rifle created on its basis are equipped with laser target designators. The beam from target designators at night is visible not only with night-time devices, but also with the naked eye. Especially if there is dust or fog in the air. There was a case when our reconnaissance group, operating at night, came across Chechen sniper. Three of our scouts, armed with Vintorez, started a duel with him. Since the beams from the target designators were clearly visible, the Chechen determined in time that he was being targeted and changed his position. The group commander took down the sniper using a regular AK with a night sight.

The SVD sniper rifle can be successfully used to overcome high fences and to climb the wall of any structure (stone, brick, concrete). To do this, you need to shoot bullets with a steel core (the tip of the bullet is painted silver) or armor-piercing incendiary bullets (a black tip with a red belt) at the wall so that the holes are arranged in a “herringbone” pattern. Then you can climb the wall by inserting specially prepared stop pegs into the holes. Metal pegs from the ISS kit are well suited for such stops (ISS is a mesh camouflage kit for camouflaging equipment and structures).

Rules of interaction in battle

In battle, you should act in combat twos, or even better and more reliably - in threes, covering each other. If possible, you should use hand and under-barrel grenades more. The fire of all available firepower should be concentrated on any center of resistance. If in front of you are three enemies running away at full height and only one lying behind cover and shooting, then first of all you need to destroy the one who is shooting, without being tempted by an easier and larger target.

To take cover from a hand grenade that fell nearby, you need to fall on your face, with your head towards the grenade, cover your head (if you don’t have a helmet) with your palms, and open your mouth (so that your eardrums are not damaged by the blast wave). The first one to see the grenade gives the signal: “Grenade on the right (left, front, back).”

In the event of a sudden enemy attack, you should fall behind the nearest cover, while simultaneously preparing for battle. Experience shows that fighters do not do this. Some begin to shoot, remaining in place and being a good target for the enemy. Others fall behind cover, forgetting to remove the machine gun from their shoulder, and then begin to fumble, trying to get the weapon that is in an awkward position, and not being able to fire. There are those who fall into a state of tremor (fear, severe trembling, lack of reaction to the situation and commands).

Therefore, soldiers should be trained in such a way that if they come under massive fire, they will not get lost. I will give an example showing how the correct actions of a scout saved his life in a situation that was almost hopeless.

A special forces reconnaissance group under the command of Captain Gennady O. advanced at night to the area in which it was planned to ambush the caravan of Afghan Mujahideen. A reconnaissance patrol (2 people) was walking ahead at a short distance, followed at some distance by a group led by a commander. Moving along the route, the group came to the top of a small mountain. The reconnaissance patrol examined the peak and descended to the other side of the mountain. Following the patrol, the group commander Gennady climbed to the top. And it was at that moment that a group of Mujahideen came out along another slope to the left of the group to the top of the same mountain. The patrolmen walking ahead of her, rising to the top, saw the figure of a “shuravi” against the sky, fell and opened fire.

The distance between the partisans and Gennady was about 10 meters. Gennady heard noise and clicks of fuses (the enemies had 7.62 mm AKs). And a split second before the shots were fired, he managed to throw off his backpack, throw it in front of him, take cover behind it and make a machine gun. The Mujahideen were the first to open fire. Bullets from 2 AKs tore holes in the backpack, damaged the machine gun and breastplate with magazines, and flew into Gennady’s chest. But even such a minor obstacle reduced the lethality of the bullets, and the wound turned out to be non-fatal. The scouts arrived in time and destroyed the shooting guards. And while the main group of partisans was approaching the battlefield, the scouts went down the slope, breaking away from the enemy. At the same time, the wounded Gennady (later a lump of 4 deformed bullets was removed from his chest) ran for about a kilometer, unbandaged, clutching the wound with his palm.

So a good reaction and correct actions helped the officer survive under fire from two machine guns at point-blank range.

See also on Spetsnaz.org:

• Combat regulations for the preparation and conduct of combined arms combat
• ...Retreating “spirits” in a group of three to five people are sure to post a covering person. First you need to destroy it, otherwise the “spirit” will kill the attackers from its cover. Then you need to remove or at least seriously wound the furthest one escaping. After all, he has a better chance of going into cover and from there starting fire on ours to support his own. Then just finish off the rest...
  ...A grenade fell nearby. Lay your head towards her. If you don’t have a helmet, cover your head in a cross shape with your hands. Even half a meter from the gap there are “dead” zones for fragments to scatter; they will go a little higher above you. Just open your mouth as wide as possible. Otherwise, if there is a break, you will go deaf for a long time, maybe forever. The one who saw the thrown grenade first, shout: “grenade on the right!..” - or: “grenade on the left!” Don’t hold back your own maneuver. You can scream while flying to Mother Earth, or while lying on her. But you must warn your comrades...
  ...If someone suddenly shoots at you, immediately fall with a roll and at the same time prepare for battle at the moment of rolling. Why do you have to fall and roll right away? Because in the event of a sudden attack by the enemy, fear paralyzes, your fingers refuse to work and you lose vital fractions of a second to prepare the machine gun for shooting and die. And if you fall, when you fall, a surge of adrenaline occurs from the pain impulse, blood runs through all the veins, and the muscles are obedient. He rolled, that is, changed his position, momentarily left the sighting field of the enemy barrel, at the same time took the machine gun off the safety, pulled the bolt and, already in control of the situation, instantly joined the battle.
  “If you’re going to lie down,” the new adviser chimes in, “you need to change your position two or three times with the same roll within a few minutes in order to confuse the enemy’s sights...”
  A sudden scream at the right moment of attack helps no less than a trusty knife or a fool's bullet. A scream lifts your spirits and evokes the nostalgic sadness of saying goodbye to life for the “dear” whom you are about to finish off. And so the guys rush at each other screaming, trying to out-shout the “adversary.” Funny!
  - If the “spirits” managed to creep up unnoticed, you did not hear the clicks of the cocked shutters, and besides, you yourself are temporarily disarmed; when the enemy shoots, you must immediately cover yourself with the first things that come to hand, even rags, preferably crumpled ones. Take special care of your head. A bullet that hits a lump of clothing or an overcoat loses its impact force. This way you can avoid death and even serious injury. You’ll just get away with a concussion or cut off skin, and if it hits the forehead bone at an angle, a 5.6 caliber bullet will simply ricochet off. It’s true that Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov used to say that a bullet is a fool!”

  Vladimir Sadovnichy, 25.08.2012 17:34:19

  “The Kalashnikov magazine mount is inconvenient for quick reloading. It is impossible to detach an empty magazine while holding a new loaded one with the same hand.” Why? You can reload with one left hand without releasing the pistol grip. After the magazine is empty, the old magazine is empty, without releasing the pistol grip and without changing the position of the machine gun, we take out a new magazine with our left hand, hit the magazine latch with it and push the new magazine a little forward, it turns out that with the loaded magazine we first press the latch and then knock out the empty magazine , insert the loaded magazine, turn the machine gun 90 degrees (so that the barrel faces the same way, but the magazine turns out to be not at the bottom but facing to the right) and with the edge of the palm of the left hand we jerk the bolt. If you practice a little, you can reload the machine gun with one left hand so that your right hand holds the handle and the barrel always points forward. P.S. I hope you understand my explanations

  yanki, 26.08.2012 01:37:17

  I understand that V. Nikolaev is an internationalist warrior “Afghan” and I in no way belittle his merits, but the books he writes are military adventure novels. Now for reloading. it all takes so long-1 2-you will need to move your gaze to the place where you are “hitting”... but for me it is generally better to feel with your hands what you are pressing. 3 - you have to turn the machine gun 90 degrees with one hand, and also by the pistol grip, and so that the barrel looks straight... try turning the machine gun with a full magazine, and if it also has a grenade launcher..... MAD MAX, 26.08.2012 23:34:04 Actually, on the topic of quickly reloading a machine gun, I quote the words of Comrade. KardeNa MAD MAX, 28.08.2012 00:40:49 I express my deep gratitude to Comrade. Cardin for participating in the discussion of this topic!!

1. How to carry a weapon more conveniently

The experience of combat operations, both our domestic and foreign ones, shows that in low-intensity military conflicts the number of units operating in isolation from the main forces increases significantly. Regular units have to carry out tasks in small groups in conditions typical for special forces (ambushes, patrols, reconnaissance, etc.).

In this regard, it should be noted that one of the main disadvantages is the inability to properly carry a weapon and quickly prepare it for battle. Often, employees of various departments and military personnel do not use a belt at all to carry weapons, which sometimes leads to the loss of machine guns in cases of equipment explosions, when falling from it, and similar situations. On the other hand, the commonly used methods of carrying weapons do not allow one to quickly prepare to fire when an armed enemy suddenly appears at close range. But in close contact with the enemy, he is able to easily take away the machine gun, for example, when checking documents from citizens at a checkpoint and similar situations.

Some rather rarely used methods of carrying small arms allow you to quickly prepare to fire and repel an attack.

Method number 1. On the left shoulder is an old hunting technique. To prevent the machine from slipping, you need to adjust the belt correctly. This method allows you to quickly prepare for firing. The downside is that when in close contact with an opponent, he can easily yank the weapon off his shoulder.

Method number 2. On the chest there is a belt thrown over the neck, the machine gun hangs with the barrel down.

It allows:

• quickly prepare to fire;
• shift weapons from one shoulder to another;
• use weapons in hand-to-hand combat.

The disadvantage is that carrying the machine gun for a long time causes your neck to become tired.

Method number 3. On the chest - the belt is thrown over the back, the machine gun is on the chest with the barrel down.

Advantages of the method:

• the main load falls on the back, not the neck;
• quick preparation for shooting;
• the ability to quickly switch to method No. 2.

Flaws:

• you cannot shift a weapon from one shoulder to another;
• the difficulty of using a machine gun in hand-to-hand combat.

Method number 4. At a checkpoint, it becomes necessary to have your hands free; on the other hand, the weapon must be in a position that allows for its quick use. At the same time, the machine gun must be moved away from the person being checked in order to deprive him of the ability to block the weapon. For a convenient location of the machine gun, you should unhook the belt from the receiver swivel and hook it to the butt swivel, forming a loop. The loop is adjusted to size and worn over the shoulder and back. The machine gun with the butt folded down is located under the right shoulder and can be easily thrown with one hand. When conducting a check, you must stand with your left side to the person being checked, on the right side of him. You need to slightly put your left leg forward, turn your body with your left side forward so that the machine gun is as far away as possible from the person being tested.

Positive points:

• the machine gun is as far away from the person being searched as possible, which makes it difficult to take possession of the weapon;
• in case of danger, it is easy to break the distance and use weapons;
• in this situation it is good to control the receipt of documents;
• the machine gun can be freely moved from one shoulder to another.

This method is good when using short-barreled weapons, for example AKS-74U. If you have a long-barreled weapon, then if you tilt or squat, the barrel will inevitably stick into the ground, which can lead to contamination of the barrel bore.

Method number 5. To secure the weapon, you can use a carbine attached to the employee’s equipment, into which the machine gun’s belt is inserted.

Considering the above wearing methods, several conclusions can be drawn:

1. When performing service and combat tasks, the weapon must be secured to the employee.


2. It is advisable to give preference to methods No. 2, 3, 5. When working with short-barreled weapons - method No. 4.


3. Carrying weapons in these ways allows you to:

• free your hands and, if necessary, instantly bring the machine gun into firing position;


• if necessary, switch to an additional weapon, throw a grenade, carry a load or evacuate a wounded person, etc. simply release the machine gun.

This material does not discuss the use of a belt when firing small arms, although these points also need to be taken into account, as this allows for more effective fire.

2. Learn to shoot correctly

The use of weapons in a combat situation is aimed at instantly responding to a changing situation and quickly defeating an emerging enemy.

1. The butt is located at the hip, the muzzle is located horizontally. This position does not provide high shooting accuracy.


2. The butt rests on the shoulder, the muzzle is parallel to the ground.
   This option allows you to:

• instantly open fairly effective fire when the enemy appears in the line of fire, since the aiming line and the barrel of the weapon are at the same level;


• it is easy to adjust the fire, especially at short distances, typical of populated areas, since ricochets are visible.
  The disadvantage is that when carrying a weapon in this position for a long time, the hand supporting it gets tired.

The butt is located at the shoulder, the muzzle is tilted down, the elbow of the supporting hand rests on the side.
Positive points:

• this option allows you to quickly return the weapon to the previous position with corresponding advantages;


• With this method, the load on the supporting hand is less, therefore, it does not get so tired.

The butt is located at the shoulder, the muzzle of the weapon is parallel to the ground, the magazine of the machine gun rests on the palm of the hand, and its elbow rests on the thigh.
Pros:

• positive points, as in the second option;


• the weapon has a more stable position due to the support of the supporting hand resting on the thigh;


• The supporting hand gets less tired.

When in a combat zone, situations arise when a fighter, in a sudden meeting with the enemy, needs to retreat to the nearest shelter, and at that moment there is no one to cover him. Moving backwards while firing at the enemy is inconvenient (you might trip or fall), takes longer, and fire in such a situation is not effective enough. IN in this case you can use the following method. The fighter turns in the direction where he needs to run, leaving the weapon pointed towards the enemy, and runs to cover, firing at the enemy.

The technique here is as follows:

• when moving with the right hand holding the butt, the weapon is approximately aimed towards the enemy;


• Although this is not targeted shooting, at close range it will force the enemy to also seek cover and affect the effectiveness of his fire.

This method is more physiological and allows you, while firing at the enemy, to simultaneously see where you need to run.

3. Features of the use of weapons

The technical rate of fire of the AK-74 is high (600 v/m). A 30-round magazine is fired in one burst in three seconds, and a 45-round magazine in four and a half. Experienced shooters in combat put the safety on for single fire and shoot frequently with single shots, refining the aim after each shot. The rate of fire is quite high, and the accuracy is much higher compared to bursts. However, in some situations, shooting in long bursts is justified, for example, when several armed opponents appear at close range. Some good shooters can fire single shots with the translator on automatic fire. When the need arises to fire in bursts, there is no need to be distracted and waste time switching the fire selector.

When firing in bursts from an AK-74, it is necessary to take into account that in this case the machine gun points upward to the right, so it is advisable to start firing from the leftmost closest target.

When in a combat zone, you can often see many people carrying weapons with attached magazines. I would not recommend doing this to those who have already traditional way, since similar linking of stores:

• disrupts weapon balancing;
• when shooting prone, the magazine turned down often sticks into the ground, as a result of which it becomes dirty, which can lead to delays or failure of the weapon with all the ensuing negative consequences;
• when shooting prone, due to a slight increase in the length of the associated magazines, the profile of the shooter increases somewhat, which is also a negative point.

For these reasons, the use of high-capacity magazines, as well as tying them, can be recommended for maneuvering operations in the city or on equipment. The magazines need to be fastened with the feeder facing up, inserting a piece of wood or another object between them so that when attaching the magazine, the second one does not interfere with this. With this position of the magazines, reloading will occur much faster, and their contamination will be eliminated.

When firing important point is to account for ammunition, otherwise at the most inopportune moment you may find yourself without ammunition against an armed enemy. In some countries, magazines made of transparent plastic are used for these purposes, but we do not yet produce such things. Sometimes army craftsmen make a slot along the magazine to control the consumption of ammunition. The disadvantage of this option is the rapid contamination of the magazine, which can lead to delays or complete failure of the weapon when firing.

I would advise doing the following:

at the end of the magazine, load 3-5 cartridges with a tracer bullet so that after them there are another 3-5 cartridges with a regular bullet. When you fire and see that the “tracers” have started, this will be a signal for you: it’s time to reload, but you still have 3-5 rounds left for the last burst.

When driving vehicles, patrolling, and similar situations, it is advisable that the first magazine be loaded with cartridges with a tracer bullet. If it is necessary to open fire, for example, in a sudden collision with the enemy, this gives:

• the entire group instantly determines where to fire;
• the ability to quickly adjust fire;
• additional psychological impact on the enemy (he sees that the “tracers” are going in his direction). In addition, when operating in conditions of limited visibility, the enemy may have the impression that he is facing a larger group, since traditionally “tracers” are loaded through 3-5 conventional cartridges.

It is very important to choose the right sight that matches the range to the enemy and control it. In populated areas, it is recommended to fire with scope “1” or “2” (preferably “2”). When firing from an AK-74, the excess of the point of impact over the aiming point is:

• with scope “1” the excess by 100 m is 0 cm (i.e. where we aim, we hit);
• with sight “2” at 100 m - 5 cm;
• with a “P” sight at 100 m - 28 cm, at 200 m - 38 cm.

When firing at short distances (which is typical for combat in populated areas) with a “P” sight, for example, at a head target located at a distance of 70-100 m, the probability of a hit decreases, and in the turmoil of the battle, bringing out the front sight, taking into account the excess, as a rule , no time. When shooting with scope “2” at a distance of up to 200 m, the bullet’s flight path will not exceed 5 cm, which makes it possible to shoot directly at the target. At a distance of 250 m, the point of impact will be 10 cm below the aiming point, i.e. when firing at a chest target at ranges up to 250 m, there is practically no need to adjust the aiming point. It is advisable that every soldier knows the table of bullet flight trajectories that is specific to the weapon he is working with, or at least writes it down in his notebook. This, by the way, will also help if it is necessary to bring the weapon into normal combat. You can also enter other information into the same notebook: target designation, landmarks, etc. When shooting, you should not rest the fore-end (as well as the magazine) on a hard surface, since this also negatively affects the shooting results. It’s better to put something soft under the forend, or at least your hand.

In cases where it is not possible to shoot from a rest, you can shoot using a belt, taking into account the points mentioned above. When running, it is better to shoot in the single-support phase (when one foot is on the ground). This allows you to fire more accurately at the enemy.

It is very important to carry out the butt correctly: when putting the head to the butt during shooting, the front sight must be in the rear sight slot. Automaticity can be achieved here through repeated training. True, everyone’s head is different, and as a rule there is no adjustable cheek piece on the butt. In some cases, this requires making a homemade cheek piece, for example, by wrapping a tourniquet around the area of ​​the butt that the head touches. All this is necessary for fast and accurate shooting offhand, so as not to waste time searching for the front and rear sights.

When performing combat missions, it is necessary, in addition to the main weapon (AK, SVD, PC, etc.), to have an additional one (PM, APS, etc.), which will allow you in case of impossibility to use the main weapon (delays, low ammunition, danger of ricochets, etc. . p.) work additionally.

Equipment

In combat conditions, a fighter’s equipment is of great importance. Not only life and health, but also the ability to competently complete the task with the least loss depends on what and how he is dressed. Often, military personnel are equipped in such a way that it causes, to put it mildly, bewilderment. The uniform is replete with various stripes and emblems, headdresses have bright shiny cockades, etc., etc. We must remember that the uniform must match the background of the area in which you have to work. The main unmasking elements, in addition to clothing, are various stripes, emblems, cockades, insignia, open parts of the body (hands, face), metal parts of weapons that give an unmasking shine.

Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that all this does not happen. A mask is either put on the face to match the background of the area, or makeup is applied (special product “Fog”, etc.). A fabric cover is made for the helmet to match the background of the area. It can be used to attach branches, rags, etc. to create a blurred silhouette of a helmet.

Should be on hand gloves, also under the background of the area. In winter, especially when it is very cold, you can wear mittens on top of your gloves with an elastic band threaded through the sleeves of your clothes (many people have been familiar with this since childhood). If necessary, the mittens are simply discarded, and you work with gloves on without having to think about where to place the mittens. Other options are also possible using combined mittens (in which the palm part can be pulled back and fastened with Velcro to the back of the palm, while the hand remains in the glove), and the use of three-fingered mittens. Gloves should be full-fingered, it is better if they have protective pads.

The use of cut-off gloves is not advisable because it is easy to injure your fingers during various movements (over fences, obstacles, rappelling, etc.). If it is necessary to make an accurate shot, to increase the sensitivity of the finger on the trigger, a cut is made on the glove of the index finger along the seam, into which the index finger sticks out - this is exactly what some biathletes do when performing in competitions. In other cases, during maneuvering actions, you can fire without exposing your finger.

Must have knee pads And elbow pads- they will protect your joints from injury, since during a combat clash you will have no time to choose where and how to fall, and in the event of injury, you will not only complicate the task for your colleagues, but will also divert a certain number of them to help you. In my opinion, it is better to use soft knee pads and elbow pads: they make less noise, and when shooting prone from hard ground, using soft elbow pads is much more convenient than hard ones. Knee and elbow pads will also help you in other situations, for example, when you have to lie down for a long time (ambush, surveillance, etc.). This is especially true in autumn, winter and spring: they will protect your joints from hypothermia. In such cases, you can place an ordinary tourist “seat” under your stomach, made from a tourist rug or bought in a store - this will make it possible to be quite comfortable in a lying position for a long time, especially on rocky ground.

It is also necessary to have glasses. They will protect your eyes from the sun, dust, sand, plaster, and shell casings. It is advisable that the glasses have replaceable lenses for clear weather: they will protect your eyes from the sun's rays and allow you to monitor your surroundings. In extreme cases, when exposed to the sun, especially in spring or in the mountains on snow, for protection we can recommend a mask made of thick white paper (thick material) with narrow slits for the eyes. The mask will protect your eyes and face from sunburn, and your face will not stand out against a white background and unmask you (at the same time, it would not be amiss to remind you that you should also be dressed in a white camouflage suit, and your weapon should be camouflaged to look like snow).

Shoes should be with a high top, because using sneakers can lead to ankle injuries. It's easy to twist your ankle in sneakers, especially after long hikes when you're tired. In addition, the sneakers leave the bony parts of the ankle exposed, which can easily be damaged when moving on rocky ground or when crossing fords with a rocky bottom. Sneakers are easy to lose, even if they are tightly laced: just catch the back of something well, and they will immediately come off, and running barefoot, especially in a combat situation, will not bring much pleasure. When you are on loose soil, sand will inevitably get into your sneakers, which will also contribute to foot injuries.

Quite often, when performing combat missions, you can observe soldiers dressed in waterproof suits(“Slope R-1” and others like it). In my opinion, using them in such situations is inappropriate, since they do not “breathe” and therefore moisture collects under them. In warm weather this can lead to overheating and rapid removal of water from the body, and in cold weather it can lead to hypothermia. In addition, such suits also provide poor protection from rain. When moving, they rustle, which prevents hidden movement. You can put on or take off such a suit only by freeing yourself from the unloading vest, which is also undesirable in combat conditions. A poncho is more suitable for these purposes: all elements of equipment in this case are under its protection, the poncho does not reduce motor functions, is quickly put on, and can be easily and quickly removed without removing the unloading vest. In addition, it is easy to make a canopy out of a poncho and hide from rain or sun. In certain situations it can be used as a stretcher for carrying loads.

When performing tasks in the summer, many wear short-sleeved T-shirts, not thinking that in the event of shelling they will have to fall to the ground and crawl from place to place, which can lead to additional injuries, not to mention the unmasking factor. Therefore, clothes should have long sleeves and preferably stronger ones; in extreme cases, the sleeves can be slightly rolled up. When using winter suits “Snow” and their analogues, to reduce the rustling noise they make when moving, you can wear a regular fabric camouflage suit on top, or, in extreme cases, a regular uniform bigger size under the background of the area.

Now let's talk about unloading vests. They can be divided into three types:

1. Unloading vest for a specific weapon (“Pioneer”, “Tarzan”, “Otter-3M-Base”, “Cordon”, etc.).


2. Unloading vests with a base on which replaceable weapon units (“Vydra-3M-SBV”) are attached.


3. Belt-shoulder systems.

In my opinion, it is more practical to use unloading vests of the second and third types, since they can be easily combined with any weapon that you have to work with. To do this, simply change the replacement weapon units. Of the two selected, the belt-shoulder system is preferable:

• it's quick to put on (just throw it on and fasten the belt clasp);
• in hot weather it does not cover the body and there is less chance of getting heatstroke;
• when attaching weapons to a belt, there is less load on the back, it is much more convenient to remove weapon elements from the belt than from chest pockets;
• When wearing body armor, your profile when shooting prone is smaller than if you use unloading vests of the first and second types. When using unloading vests with pockets for magazines located on the chest (Tarzan, Pioneer, etc.), shooting in a prone position is less convenient.

Taking into account everything previously said, it is advisable for each weapon to have set camouflage equipment , which would reduce unmasking factors to a minimum. To do this, just sew covers from a material that matches the background of the area, and your weapon will not be seen even at close range. The case is made for the front part of a machine gun, rifle, or machine gun. Tightening ropes are attached to both ends, and rags are sewn onto the case itself, which change the silhouette of the weapon. This cover is fixed at the base of the front sight and at the receiver, and is quickly put on and removed. Similar cases are made for the stock and magazine. Additionally, black fabric insulating tape (white tape in winter) is wrapped around the metal parts of the belt and the carabiner at the front swivel. Your weapon, prepared in this way, will make much less noise when moving, and it will be practically invisible. A small fabric cover is also made for the flash suppressor: it will protect the barrel bore from foreign objects, and in case of a shot it will not interfere with it.

Knives. I believe that every employee should have two of them: one combat type, the other a compact universal one with a set of tools for everyday needs. By the way, it may also be needed in combat conditions. Set of tools should include wire cutters and pliers - you will need them for overcoming chain-link fences and in other situations. Each fighter must have with him two “smoke”, 1-2 individual dressing bags, a tourniquet, 1-2 syringe tubes of promedol. Depending on the situation, the quantity may be greater, but not less, since no one can say in advance where and when all this will be needed. In addition, when you are separated from the main forces, sometimes there is no way to get what you need. Also, everyone needs to have a NAZ kit (portable emergency supply) in case you suddenly find yourself alone in territory controlled by an illegal armed formation or the population of which has a negative attitude towards the official authorities, and you need time to go out to your own people or wait for help. The NAZ should be attached to the employee himself, and not placed in a backpack or backpack. In certain situations, you risk losing them, leaving you without a portable emergency supply.

NAZ may include 1-2 sewing needles (preferably magnetized) with thread, a pair of safety pins, 3-5 meters of thin fishing line, a pair of fish hooks, 2 halves of a safety razor blade, several matches with a grater, several tablets for water disinfection, medications , for example, analgin, tablets for diarrhea, for infection, etc. All this easily fits into a regular army first aid kit or a small soap dish. It is also advisable to have 1-2 bars of chocolate with nuts with you, this will help you replenish your energy costs for some time and not have to deal with mining or cooking.

Everyone should have flask filled with water. Often water in ordinary plastic packaging They carry you in the back of a car, but if you are ambushed or exploded, you will have no time to think about water, you will have to act, perhaps retreat to the nearest shelter and wait for help, or break away from the pursuit and then go out to your own. Sometimes this can take a long time and you will find it difficult without water.

Everyone should have area map, on which you have to work, compass, protractor, pencil. If it is not possible to provide everyone with a map, then it should at least be at the temporary deployment point so that the soldiers can study it well. The map will help you navigate and give target designation. However, military topographical maps, as a rule, are insufficient or absent altogether. This is how we did it. During business trips, back in Mozdok, we bought a regular geographical map Chechen Republic scale 1:250000, cut off the excess and covered it with tape to protect it from moisture and less wear. Such a map was enough to navigate the territory of Chechnya. If necessary, it was possible to give target designation using it; it was quite compact and, when folded, fit in a breast pocket. At least it's better than nothing.

5. Travel by transport

Speaking about the conduct of hostilities, it is necessary to separately touch upon the topic of movement by transport. As a rule, the bulk of personnel move across the territory of Chechnya in ordinary Urals, which do not protect soldiers from small arms, RPGs, and explosive devices. As a result, there are unjustified losses during shelling and explosions. A number of measures can be taken to protect personnel:

• Side benches are removed.
• The sides of the "Ural" are reinforced with timber (logs) or iron pipes into which logs or beams are inserted.
• You can put steel or armored shields in front of the beam, and cover the outside of the sides with thick rubber (for example, rubber squares from sports tracks in stadiums).
• The bottom of the body also needs to be lined with timber or covered with sandbags.
• Place large weapon boxes in the middle of the body. They can be used to transport additional ammunition, food, etc.
• The personnel are positioned on boxes with their backs to each other with their weapons pointed at the outer perimeter. Everyone is watching their sector. A soldier sitting in the cockpit controls the sector as the vehicle moves. Everyone must have cartridges in the chamber, the first magazine must be loaded with “tracers” (target designation, psychological impact on the enemy).
• As for the awning, when moving on the flat part it can be left, secured at the top for protection from the sun and precipitation. When moving in the mountains and the city, it must be removed, as it limits the view.
• Personnel must be equipped with protective equipment and wear a helmet. When wearing "Mask" helmets and their analogues, the visor must be lowered.
• When traveling on armored Urals, the layout should be the same. If the body is equipped with an armored kung with hatches in the roof, then the fighter located in the front hatch controls the sector in front of the vehicle, and the one located in the rear hatch controls the sector behind the vehicle. When moving in the city and mountains, they also control multi-story buildings and heights.

With this arrangement of personnel, the fighters constantly monitor the space around the vehicle and are ready to quickly open fire on the enemy if necessary. There must be constant communication between the cab and the body. The personnel must agree in advance on the procedure for action in a given situation, and, if possible, practice. Commands must be clear and understandable.

When moving on an armored personnel carrier, the one who sits in the commander’s place controls the sector in the direction of travel. Located in the hatches - sectors on the sides and up. Those sitting inside additionally control the sectors on the sides. The shooter in the turret tracks either the sector ahead of the armored personnel carrier or the most dangerous direction. The machine gunner is located between the open hatches on top and controls the rear and upper sectors. Everyone is wearing protective equipment.

6. They greet you by their clothes...

And one last thing. During business trips to Chechnya I had to face another problem. As a rule, SOBR units operated as part of consolidated detachments of the RUBOP, which consisted of four or more groups from the Organized Crime Control Department of regions and republics.

In my opinion, it would be more expedient to reduce the number of groups in the combined detachments and increase their numerical strength. This would contribute to more productive work of the combined detachments.

Often, employees from different departments were included in the group to perform a particular task, and proposals to form groups of colleagues did not find support from senior management. Paradoxical as it may seem, this is a fact. I don’t want to offend any of my colleagues, but any competent commander should be aware of such concepts as combat coherence, psychological compatibility, etc., etc. An old Russian proverb says: “You are greeted by your clothes, you are seen off by your mind.” If you are well and competently equipped, this increases your chances of completing the assigned task and surviving in a combat situation, but all this must still be complemented by professional, competent work.