In January 2000 the GSh-18 pistol was developed at the Tula-based KB Instrument Design Bureau by A.G. Shipunov and V.R Gryazev chambered for the 9×19. In 2003 the GSh-18 pistol was adopted for service as a variant of the Army pistol.
In an effort to reduce the cost price and weight of the pistol developers used a method of stamping, threading and welding of its metallic parts during production of metallic parts and a cast plastic receiver with a metallic insertion. The pistol acts on the blowback principle of a short barrel-slide travel. The locking of a barrel bore is ensured via rotation of a barrel – barrel lugs are cou¬pled with a plug of the barrel-slide. The tooth of an extractor is inserted into the rim of a cartridge case during locking of the bore.
The firing mechanism is of a striking type with a partial cocking of a firing pin after the slide recuperation. It is necessary to pull the trigger completely to ensure complete cocking and triggering. Rear part of a firing pin serves as a pointer of the cocking. There is an automatic safety lever on the trigger, which is switched out at the beginning of the release.
The magazine is of a dual-row type with¬out rearrangement of cartridges in one row in its upper part. A button type magazine latch may be arranged on its both sides. The cartridge 7N31 type 9×19 with a bullet weighing 4.2 g with a «armor-piercing» core, which ensures enhanced penetration accompanied by sufficient stopping effect, which is of a particular importance under conditions of a wide use of individual armor protection means. The bullet penetrates a steel plate of 8 mm thick at a range of 20 meters. The pistol may be fed with other cartridges like the 9x 19 ones. The GSh-18 pistol resulted in the unique combination of lethality, light weight, size, and “Streamlined” form with the promptness of opening fire.
Spécifications
Caliber ………………………….9mm
Cartridge …………9×19 «luger», 7N31 and 7N21
Weight w/o cartridges ……………….0.59 kg
Length………………………..183.5 m
Length of barrel…………………..103 mm
Bullet muzzle velocity
at 10 m range ……………..535-570 m/sec
Effective rate of fire…………….15-20 rds/min
Magazine capacity ………………….18rds