AS Val

As Val

Special Assault Rifle
Type Assault Rifle
Place of origin Soviet Union
Service history
In service 1980s-present
Used by Russian Federation
Wars First Chechen War and Second Chechen War, 2008 South Ossetia war (used by both Russian and Georgian special forces)
Production history
Designer TsNIITochMash
Designed 1980s
Manufacturer Tula Arms Plant
Produced 1987–present
Variants VSS "Vintorez", SR-3 "Vikhr"
Specifications
Weight 2.5 kg (5.51 lb) empty
Length 875 mm (34.4 in) stock extended / 615 mm (24.2 in) stock folded
Barrel length 200 mm (7.9 in)
Cartridge 9x39mm
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire 900 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity 295 m/s (968 ft/s)
Effective firing range 300 m
Maximum firing range 400 m
Feed system 20-round detachable box magazine
(optional 10-round magazine from the VSS or 30-round magazine from the SR-3M)
Sights Front post, rear sector sight; day or night-time optics

The AS "Val" (Avtomat Special'nyj Val, Russian: Автомат Специальный Вал or Special Automatic Rifle, code name: "Shaft", GRAU designation 6P30) is a Soviet-designed assault rifle featuring an integrated suppressor.

It was developed during the late 1980s by TsNIITochMash (Central Institute for Precision Machine Building). Since 1987, it was added to the arsenal of the Soviet Army and the KGB and is used by Russian Spetsnaz special forces and the MVD, FSB, and select units of the Russian Army.

Its effective range is approximately 300 m, as it uses heavy subsonic 9x39mm SP-6 (high-performance armor-piercing) ammunition, as well as the SP-5 ball round used by the VSS Vintorez suppressed sniper rifle. It can also use the same 10 or 20-round magazines as the VSS. Controls are similar to all AK-type rifles with charging handle on the right side, tangent rear sight, magazine release button behind the magazine well, and safety lever above the trigger guard. The fire selector is, however, located within the trigger guard, behind the trigger. The "Val" has two modes of fire, semi-automatic and fully automatic fire at a rate of 900 RPM. According to its users, the "Val" is reliable, accurate, and well liked.

It has an AK-type side mount for various optical sights, including the 4x PSO-1 scope and night sights such as the 1PN51[1] calibrated for use with the 9x39mm round. The standard open sights are graduated up to 400 m in 25 m increments.

The "Val" shares 70% of its components with its sister-gun, the VSS Vintorez. Differences are furniture made of high impact polymer and a skeletonized steel stock which folds to the left for storage and transportation (gun can operate with stock folded).

Since the SP-5/6 bullet weighs about twice as much as that of the 9×19mm Parabellum, its muzzle energy is about twice a high as that of a subsonic 9×19mm Parabellum bullet fired from e.g. a HK MP5SD.

Users

A comparison photo shows the 'AS Val' on the bottom while its sister the 'VSS Vintorez' is shown on the top.
AS Val Instruction sheet with field strip

See also

References

  1. 1 2 ИЗДЕЛИЕ 1ПН51 ТЕХНИЧЕСКОЕ ОПИСАНИЕ И ИНСТРУКЦИЯ ПО ЭКСПЛУАТАЦИИ [PRODUCT 1PN51 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS] (in Russian). January 1992. p. 11.
  2. ↑ "Russian special forces in Luhansk: so called insurgents armed with AS "Val" assault rifles - the weapon used by the Russian Federation Army only. VIDEO". Censor.net. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to AS Val.
Look up вал#Russian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, December 28, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.