D.E. Watters

Winnie the Putin!

Oh look the rifle that got me fired.

40 & 30rnd experimental 5,45x39. OTs-12 "Tiss" / OTs-14 "Groza" 9x39. Experimental SVK / SVK-S 6x49.

Was posted on otvaga.
ADS with 1P87 sight.
 
PKP-M
 
   And somebody is trying to make a suppressor for AN-94
 

Dean Speir covered this over at "The Gun Zone" back when it happened in 2001.

Initial Report
https://web.archive.org/web/20160317190046/http://www.thegunzone.com:80/m1akb.html

Shooter's Reply
https://web.archive.org/web/20160315120725/http://thegunzone.com/m1akb/762d2.html

Necropsy
https://web.archive.org/web/20160315121736/http://thegunzone.com/m1akb/762r.html

Dean Speir covered this over at "The Gun Zone" back when it happened in 2001.

Initial Report
https://web.archive.org/web/20160317190046/http://www.thegunzone.com:80/m1akb.html

Shooter's Reply
https://web.archive.org/web/20160315120725/http://thegunzone.com/m1akb/762d2.html

Necropsy
https://web.archive.org/web/20160315121736/http://thegunzone.com/m1akb/762r.html

The full title of this work is "Weaponeering - Conventional Weapon System Effectiveness" by Morris Driels, who teaches at the USN Postgraduate School, and the cover of the edition I have in hand can be seen below.


 
The book aims to "describe and quantify the methods commonly used to predict the probably of successfully attacking ground targets using air-launched or ground-launched weapons", including "the various methodologies utilized in operational products used widely in the [US military]." Essentially, this boils down to a series of statistical methods to calculate Pk and Ph for various weapons and engagements. 

The author gave the book to my mother, who was a coworker of his at the time, and is of the opinion that Driels is not as smart as he perceives himself to be. But, hey, it's worth a review for friends.

I will unfortunately be quite busy in the next few days, but I have enough spare time tonight to begin a small review of a chapter. I aim to eventually get a full review of the piece done.

Our dear friends @Collimatrix and @N-L-M requested specifically chapter 15 covering mines, and chapter 16 covering target acquisition.

Chapter 15
Mines

The mine section covers both land mines and sea mines, and is split roughly in twain along these lines.

The land mine section begins with roughly a page of technical description of AT vs AP, M-Kill vs K-Kill, and lists common US FAmily of SCatterably Mines (FASCAM) systems. The section includes decent representative diagrams. The chapter then proceeds to discuss the specification and planning of minefields, beginning with the mean effective diameter of a mine. Driels discusses a simplified minefield method based on mine density, and then a detailed method.

The simplified method expresses the effectiveness of the minefield as a density value. Diels derives for the release of unitary mines from aircraft

NMines = Fractional coverage in range * fractional coverage in deflection * number of mines released per pass * reliability * number of passes

and for cluster type

NMines = FRange * FDefl * NDispensers * Reliability dispenser * NMines per Dispenser * Reliability Submunition * number of passes

and then exploits the evident geometry to express the Area and Frontal densities. Most useful is the table of suggested minefield densities for Area Denial Artillery Munition and Remote Anti-Armor Mine System, giving the Area and Linear densities required to Disrupt, Turn, Fix, and Block an opponent. 


Whereas the simplistic method expresses effectiveness as a density, the detailed model views the targets and mines individually, assuming the targets are driving directly through the minefield perpendicular to the width and that there is only one casualty and no sympathetic detonations per detonation. The model computes the expected number of targets destroyed by the minefield, beginning with the Mean Effective Diameter and the PEncounter based on distance from the mine. 

Driels derives the number of mines encountered which will be encountered, not avoided, and will engage the target. I can't be arsed to type the equations in full, so here you go.



The section concludes with an example calculation using the detailed mine method. Overall, this shows the strengths and weaknesses of the book fairly well - it is a reasonable derivation of open-source statistical methods for predicting Pk and Ph and the number of sorties required, but US-specific and limited in scope and depth. 

The treatment of Sea Mines  begins by describing the various types and uses of said mines, importantly noting that they have both defensive and offensive uses, and that the presence of the threat of mines is equally important as the actual sinking which occurs. There are three classifications of sea mines, contact, influence, and controlled.

Shallow water mines are treated trivially, considering them equivalent to land mines with Blast Diameter in the place of MED, and assuming that the mines cannot be avoided.

Deep water mines are approached in a similar manner, with the desire to determine the number of mines needed to achieve the required probability of damage, and planning missions from there. Two features of sea mines must be considered, however - mine actuation by passing of the target, and mine damage to the target. The probability of activation is, unfortunately, dependent on the depth of the mine and distance, forming a series of stacked bowls as below.


The mean value of PActivation is the statistical expectation of the curve. Because I don't feel like screencapping another equation, the Width of Seaway where an actuation can occur is qualitatively merely the area under the actuation curve calculated for a specific mine and target combo.

The damage function is also of interest - because we require the mine to both actuate and damage the target, this limits our earlier area under the curve to that area integrated to the limits of the damage function. The selection of mine sensitivity plays a very large role in the effectiveness of our mines. A high setting will lead to many more actuations than damages, which can be indicated by the ratio of the actuation area and the damage area from earlier. Setting the actuation distance equal to the damage distance means that every actuation causes damage, but the probability of actuation is only around 42%. The compromise which selects some Areadamage / Areaactuation of around .8 to .93 is generally preferred. This gives us several useful terms -
PA+D = Reliability * Areadamage / Widthminefield . The probability that the first ship to transit a minefield is referred to as the threat, or
Threat T = 1 - (1 - PA+D)^NMines = 1 - (1 - Reliability * Areadamage / Widthminefield ) which can obviously be solved for NMines to get the desired number of mines for a desired threat level.

Anti-submarine mines are an interesting subset of deep sea mines, as they turn the problem from two-dimensions to three. Driels accounts for this by replacing the mine damage width with the mine damage area, to no one's surprise. Driels claims that the probability of actuation and damage is 

PA/D =  Damage Area / (Width * Depth of minefield). Despite my initial confusion, the reliability term safely reappears in the threat definition below.

T = 1 - (1 - (Reliability * Area damage)/(Width * Depth of minefield))^NMines, with a solution for number of mines for given threat level fairly easily taken out as before.

Lastly, there is a summary of topics for each chapter, though unfortunately they are qualitative descriptions. Including the final derived equations in this part would be a major benefit, but is overlooked. Ah well. They are quite good for review or refreshing the material.

As before, this is a relatively interesting if shallow engagement with the statistical methods to calculate Pk and Ph and the number of sorties required. Going more into detail regarding selecting Threat values or common (unclass) parameters would be interesting, but is lacking. Assuming I don't slack off tomorrow, I should have most or all of the Target Acquisition chapter covered.

Kalshnikov gun journal .Article about flechette ammo by Nikolay Dvoryaninov.
https://www.kalashnikov.ru/strelovidnye-puli-2/
https://www.kalashnikov.ru/strelovidnye-puli/

Experimental  soviet fletchette rounds and comparison with conventional ammo

SVDG (Smoothbore SVD )and PKG (smoothbore PK)

All failed to meet the requirements...
 
https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article182047984/Nachfolger-fuer-G36-Neue-Sturmgewehre-fuer-Bundeswehr-scheitern-im-Test.html

Back in 2009, I stumbled across a site hosting the annual command histories for the Commander in Chief Pacific (CINCPAC) from 1960 through the mid-'80s. I found an interesting tidbit in the 1974 history regarding an examination of establishing South Vietnamese production of the Lazy Dog munition for the VNAF.
 
 

@Mighty_Zuk you can't neck out 40CTA to 65mm.
 
Also the gun on the Griffin is 50x228 while IIRC supershot was 50x330.
 

A Czech company did just that, as well as a 7.5mm Swiss variant.  Google the Luvo Arms LA-11.

July 30, 1943
Tactical and technical requirements number 2456 for the development of a 7.62 mm avtomat for a special cartridge.
Objective:
Develop and produce a avtomat under a special cartridge that would, at a relatively low weight, provide high firepower at short and medium ranges of infantry combat.
1. Avtomat - an individual weapon designed to defeat single and group live targets of the enemy.
2. The weapon are designed for a special cartridge, which has the following main characteristics:
a) caliber - 7.62 mm
b) the initial velocity of the bullet is 670-720 m/sec (calculated data are given for a barrel long - 500 mm)
c) bullet weight - 8 grams
d) weight cartridge - 16 grams
e) the maximum pressure is 3200 kg/cm2
3. The total weight of the weapon with bayonet, magazine, belt and accessories should not be more than 5.0 kg.
4. The length of the weapon without a bayonet should be 900-1000 mm, and with a bayonet 1200-1300 mm.
5. The supply of cartridges is provided from a detachable magazine capacity of 30 cartridges.
6. Magazines should be interchangeable. Filling the magazine with cartridges should be convenient and made without special tools.
7. Mounting the magazine on the gun should ensure a quick replacement of the magazine in any position of the shooter.
Magazine should not spontaneously drop out of the weapon, even with an accidental impact on the latch of the magazine fixation.
8. Locking the barrel bore must be rigid and must exclude the possibility of a shot when the shutter is not fully closed.
9. The trigger  mechanism must ensure the conduct of a single and automatic fire, have a reliable fuse, safety catch, trigger pull force - from 2 to 2.5 kg, not to allow double shots when firing single,
do not allow the trigger  on the fingers during automatic shooting. The design of the weapon (the trigger bow and the trigger bracket)  should provide the possibility of shooting from the weapon in thick gloves.
10. The weapon should have an open sight for shooting at distances up to 1000m. with the divisions every 50m.
11. The front sight should have a safety catch and a reliable fastening, which should provide lateral displacement of the front sight (to adjust firing accuracy).
12. A sighting device should provide stability and speed of guidance and ease of use during operation.
13. The accuracy of the firing of a single fire should not be worse than that of the Mosin-Nagant rifle. The accuracy of shooting in automatic mode should be no worse than that of Degtyarev's machine gun.
14. The rate of fire should not be higher than 600 rpm. When firing at 3-5 rounds, the rate of fire is not less than 80 rounds per minute. When firing in a single mode, the rate of fire is at least 35 rounds per minute.
15. The weapon must have lightweight bipods, which in folded form should not protrude sharply from the dimensions of the weapon and must provide shooting standing and shooting standing on their knees.
16. The bayonet should be saber-shaped. The bayonet mount must be fast, durable and comfortable. The bayonet should have a sheath for wearing on  a belt.
17. The butt must be of the usual type with a socket for the placement of accessories and spare parts.
18. The weapon should have a sock belt and ensure the convenience of shooting on the move.
19. Disassembly and assembly of weapons for cleaning should be provided without complex special devices.
20. Work mechanisms should provide 5000 shots without cleaning the weapons.
21. The weapon must fire at any declination angles and in any positions.
22. Breakage of small parts allowed up to 10,000 shots, breakdown of complex parts with 20,000 shots.
23. The number of misfires should be 0.3%when the weapon is cooled after every 150 shots.
24. Weapons should be easy to learn, manufacture, and not have alloy steels, except on some small details.
 
 
 

While on train i will try to translate tactical technical specification № 2456–43
-Total weight of Avtomat shouldn't exceed 5 kilograms including magazine,bipod and bayonet
-Lenght of Avtomat shouldn't exceed 1200-1300mm with bayonet  
-Lenght without bayonet shouldnt exceed 900-1000mm
-Avtomat must feed from detachable 30 rounds box magazine
-Avtomat should have open iron sight sighted to 1000 meters with 50 meters increments
-Groupings in semi-auto should be equal to 7.62 rifle mod 1891/30 and in automatic fire should be comparable to DP machinegun
-Rate of Fire shouldn't be more than 600 round per minute. Practical firerate when firing in 3-5 bursts no less than 80 round per minute while in semi auto no less than 35 round per minute
-Durability of system shouldn't be less than 20000 rounds
@Collimatrix

I ran across an interesting pistol today while browsing the web. One of those pretty guns that I wouldn't actually want to shoot.
 

Stechkin's Abakan (TKB-0146).
https://www.kalashnikov.ru/abakan-stechkina-avtomat-stechkina-tkb-0146/

 

 
   Bullpup, system of "recoil impulse shifted in time", 2-stage feed system (a year before it was implemented by Nikonov on his ASM), ejection to the front above a trigger grip, non-reciprocating charging handle. 3 firemodes - "2" - 2 round burst (at around 2000 RPM), and "O-A" - combined semi-auto and full auto (pressing trigger intil first "step" will fire weapons in semi-auto, pressing it futher will swtich to full auto fire in 600 RPM).
 
 

Kalashnikov journal article about Manasyan's Avtomat in 7.62x39, that was designed by him in early 50s and tested somwhere in 1953-54. Previously (1952) his SMG was tested and found to be bad and not worth attention. Manasyan's new creation was tested and also found to be very unreliable (like 104 round put through weapon with 43 different problems and failers in one of tests).

 
Designer
 

 
 

https://vk.com/kalashism?w=wall-160278262_1083
Only 1 prototype made, but there was problems with mags and Chinese AK were probably cheaper to buy.

 
 

1

No, that was the .22 Homologous, using a 7.62mm NATO case necked down for 0.224" projectiles.

FWIW:  There has been additional patent activity on the Federal 9mm EPR.

https://patents.google.com/patent/USD813974

http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1="20180156584".PGNR.&OS=DN/20180156584&RS=DN/20180156584

(Note that this application was filed once the patent Sturgeon listed was granted.)

Photos and video of ASh-12 from "ShAK-12 system" shooting. 

 
 
 
Watch until 1:13, after that he just describe this gun. After 9:00 there is a little more.
   ASh-12 (Shurmovoy avtomat, Assault avtomat) is a name for just a gun, while ShAK-12 is a whole system (Shturmovoy avtomatniy komplex) with accessories, parts and so on. Suppressor (big ass can) and "tactical" suppressor/flash hider (small can), gun can fire without suppressors without problems. 10 and 20 round polymer mags. 
   This gun doesn't use any sort of gas system. Just barrel recoil is what operates this whole thing. Reciprocating charging handle, although it is foldable. Safety selector is separated from fire mode selector, fire mode selector can be switched by pulling small "button" out and moving selector. 2 positions - semi auto and full semi auto. Lower is polymer, upper is steel.