Guns of the Spetsnaz part IV pistols: forget that "badge of rank" stuff; Soviet troops in Afghanistan found plenty of good uses for their pistols when things got hot.

Page/Link: Page URL: Page URL: HTML link: <a href="https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Guns+of+the+Spetsnaz+part+IV+pistols%3a+forget+that+%22badge+of+rank%22...-a0255603146</a> HTML link: Citations: MLA style: "Guns of the Spetsnaz part IV pistols: forget that 'badge of rank' stuff; Soviet troops in Afghanistan found plenty of good uses for their pistols when things got hot.." The Free Library . 2011 InterMedia Outdoors, Inc. 19 Sep. 2020 "Guns of the Spetsnaz part IV pistols: forget that 'badge of rank' stuff; Soviet troops in Afghanistan found plenty of good uses for their pistols when things got hot..". 2011 InterMedia Outdoors, Inc. 19 Sep. 2020 https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Guns+of+the+Spetsnaz+part+IV+pistols%3a+forget+that+%22badge+of+rank%22...-a0255603146

Chicago style: The Free Library. S.v. Guns of the Spetsnaz part IV pistols: forget that 'badge of rank' stuff; Soviet troops in Afghanistan found plenty of good uses for their pistols when things got hot.." Retrieved Sep 19 2020 from The Free Library. S.v. Guns of the Spetsnaz part IV pistols: forget that 'badge of rank' stuff; Soviet troops in Afghanistan found plenty of good uses for their pistols when things got hot.." Retrieved Sep 19 2020 from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Guns+of+the+Spetsnaz+part+IV+pistols%3a+forget+that+%22badge+of+rank%22...-a0255603146

APA style: Guns of the Spetsnaz part IV pistols: forget that 'badge of rank' stuff; Soviet troops in Afghanistan found plenty of good uses for their pistols when things got hot.. (n.d.) >The Free Library. (2014). Retrieved Sep 19 2020 from Guns of the Spetsnaz part IV pistols: forget that 'badge of rank' stuff; Soviet troops in Afghanistan found plenty of good uses for their pistols when things got hot.. (n.d.) >The Free Library. (2014). Retrieved Sep 19 2020 from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Guns+of+the+Spetsnaz+part+IV+pistols%3a+forget+that+%22badge+of+rank%22...-a0255603146

Pistols in Afghanistan were plentiful. Most of the enlisted soldiers who were pulling combat missions on regular basis possessed one. While pistols had a limited practical application on operations, they were good for bragging rights in the barracks.Pistols had to be carefully hidden from the officers, thanks to the "unofficial" way of acquiring these captured war trophies. A large variety of pistols floated through the ranks: Chinese copies of the Soviet TT-33, small Mausers and Berettas, even Chinese-built Makarovs. I have to say that Tokarevs and Makarovs were especially popular, since ammo was available.They were easy to acquire during an ambush site search, as many enemy fighters carried them. For the most part, unit COs tolerated trophy pistols. But it was a different story when it came down to more exotic handguns such as British Webley revolvers and their Indian or Pakistani copies. Those were surrendered to the CO and later presented as gifts to visiting higher-ups.The ones that were illegally acquired were passed from older conscripts to younger as they were discharged. Strict Soviet gun laws with a mandatory prison sentence for firearm possession deterred any notion a soldier may have had of bringing a war trophy home. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, the worst thing that could happen was your pistol would be confiscated by an officer. It was a war, after all.Spetsnaz was well equipped for any mission it had to perform. Its arsenal included several pistols that were officially issued even to enlisted personnel. There were two types of pistols: Officers and NCOs carried the 9mm Pistolet Makarova PM or Makarov and the Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Stechkina APS (Stechkin Automatic Pistol) or simply Stechkin. The other category encompassed specialty guns like the Pistolet Besshumny PB (Silenced Pistol), Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Besshumny APB (Automatic Silenced Pistol).I was one of those lucky individuals who not only pulled the Afghanistan card, but also wound up humping my way up and down the Hindu Kush for 16 months as a member of a Spetsnaz unit.Looking back it's hard to highlight one particular engagement. There were so many. You do remember some more vividly than others. And not because you've used a certain gun or carried some equipment, but because something happened that time that stuck in your head. Every veteran has one or two of those moments when he came very close to Jesus. Maybe that is what he remembers. Others may have witnessed a selfless and heroic act and that is what sticks in their minds. I my case it was both.Spetsnaz in Afghanistan was tasked with a specific mission related to the anti-insurgency war--to cut off enemy communications and resupply lines. It did what it was designated and trained to do: operate deep behind enemy lines and attack his vital infrastructure. Since there were no clear lines and insurgents were everywhere, we had plenty of work hunting them down and intercepting resupply convoys and caravans.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]Everything about it was bad. It was hotter than Hell. And over all it was a pretty bad spot for an ambush. We were to straddle the road that was often used by several Mujahedeen detachments operating in Baharak region. The plan was to capture a Muj prisoner and "pump" him for information about his unit's upcoming adventure and based on this intel hit them hard on the march before they change their plans.The plan was very audacious, since it was a wide open area with no hills or mountains coming close to the road, just fields as far as an eye could see. There was no place to hide the entire group except for a small destroyed and abandoned dwelling and irrigation ditches that ran at the edge of the fields.That is where we left the bulk of our group that would serve as both a security and fire support sub-group in case we needed it. We had to position the support group a ways from the road itself, 4D0, maybe 500 meters. The reason for that was that anyone walking the road could see into the irrigation ditches. My assault group of seven personnel hid inside the abandoned dwelling.As hours passed, by we observed pedestrian and motorized traffic on the road. Our position was not ideal, either. We were about 50 meters removed from the road and could easily eliminate anyone using our guns.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]But that wasn't our objective. We could not approach the road un-noticed and we could not surprise anyone as we still had to negotiate the 50 meters that separated us from the darn road. However, the road ran over a pipe that connected two irrigation canals. The pipe was about 1 meter in diameter and was about 80 meters to our right.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]The decision was made to dispatch Sgt. Lazarev and Pvt. Azimov, both of who were experienced scouts, to the pipe for the purpose of grabbing our prisoner. They were both armed with AKM rifles with PBS-1 silencers and each had a PB silenced pistol. They used a lull in traffic and quickly took their new position. Now we would act as an observation post for Lazarev and Azimov and would radio in when a suitable individual was within their range.At about 1700, we saw a tall individual armed with an AK rifle casually riding a bicycle down the road in our direction. Our captain decided to make this guy our source of fresh intel. As he got close to the pipe, the CO give the order. Like two demons from the bowels of Hell, our scouts jumped out of their hide right in front of the unassuming Muj.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]Two carefully placed punches and a wet noodle of the Muj's body along with his bicycle, disappeared in the irrigation pipe. Job well done. We've got a live one. Time to go home, or so we thought. As Lazarev and Azimov, carrying their properly bound, gagged and blindfolded prisoner, got out of their hiding hole, we spotted two more enemy combatants, this time walking in their direction with guns unslung.In a split second, Lazarev and Azimov, with their prisoner in tow, disappeared into the pipe again. We were faced with a dilemma. These two obviously were more vigilant and could have been a security detail for a convoy that was close. They might even search the irrigation pipe. We had to take them out. We could not afford to make a lot of noise. It would be like stirring a beehive. The CO radioed to the pipe with an order to take these Muj out silently. We watched.When the Muj were about 10 meters from the pipe, Lazarev and Azimov popped up from the hideout with PB pistols in their hands. I couldn't tell whether what I heard were actual shots or bullets striking flesh, but from 80 meters away it was almost inaudible. Both rebels were down. Our guys dragged their bodies into the pipe.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]Just then two more armed men were visible, walking slowly in the same direction. These two were alert and looking around, stopping and shouting what I thought were the other two's names. The CO opted for the same plan of action. Once more, as new Muj approached the pipe, Lazarev and Azimov went to work with their silenced pistols. Two more dead Mujahedeen had to be dragged into the hideout pipe.The bodies were piling up. We had to think of how to get our guys, the prisoner and the entire group out of there, preferably unscathed. By the time the captain came up with an extraction plan, we spotted a single motorcycle with armed rider speeding in the same direction. Something was up.Before the order was radioed in, we saw Azimov with a "borrowed" turban on his head stumble on the road from the ditch. The motorcycle rider slowed down, and before he could stop, Azimov leveled his PB pistol and fired several shots into the rider, who toppled off the bike, letting the riderless motorcycle slide for couple of meters. Once again, the body and motorcycle were dragged into the pipe. By this time it was pretty much clogged.But our saga was far from over. This time it was a tractor pulling a trailer full of armed fighters. Besides a driver who was shouldering a weapon, there was one more "bad guy" on the tractor itself. However, the trailer was a different story. It had six armed fighters in it.The CO decided and group leaders agreed that we would take this group of enemy out, but should still try and keep it as quiet as possible if we had a chance getting out of there. Two things were in our favor. First, the sun was setting and it would be dark soon. Second, I don't think that enemy knew we were in their backyard for the entire day stuffing dead Muj into the irrigation pipe, so the element of surprise was still there.One more thing we had going for us was their mode of transportation. Though in the boondocks of Afghanistan a tractor may seem like a Ferrari, it ain't. It was slowly crawling along the road toward us giving us enough time to roll out a welcome mat.We were ordered to ready our weapons: five troopers inside the hooch and two in the pipe. Between us we had six suppressed automatic weapons: four AKMS with PBS-1 silencers and two APB pistols. The CO distributed combat engagement orders. The guys in the pipe were to take care of the tractor crew while we concentrated our fire on the trailer. We'd already attached the suppressors to the AKMS carbines, and wire stocks were clipped on the APB pistols. Guns were locked and loaded. We were set.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]When the trailer was just past our position in the dwelling, our captain, wielding a silenced APB pistol, almost whispered "Ogon'!" (Fire).It was a strange scene. Among clouds of dust, I could not hear the usual shots that you grow accustomed to in Afghanistan; all I heard were mechanical metallic noises of guns cycling and empty cases hitting mud walls. I could still detect distinct short bursts of fire from two automatic pistols operated by our CO and one of the group leaders, a lieutenant.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]Switching to their suppressed AKM rifles, Lazarev and Azimov made quick work of the tractor driver and his mate before shifting their fire to the trailer. The tractor continued to roll, then got off the road and toppled into the ditch by the irrigation pipe, flipping and flinging its trailer with its dead cargo.The enemy did not have a chance. I believe there was only a single shot fired by the surprised Muj before it was all over. Overall, everything went according to plan. Though only a single shot rang out from the battle site, the dust kicked up by the fight and tractor overturning could alert enemy observers.So we weren't about to wait around, and the CO ordered the two scouts from the pipe with our prisoner to join our group and together we would retreat to our unit's main position and using irrigation ditches, move out of the area for subsequent aerial extraction.This exceptional example demonstrated individual heroism, ability to plan and execute challenging missions and proper use of equipment, including suppressed rifles and most of all pistols.Pistols used by the Spetsnaz during combat operations were considered auxiliary or secondary weapons. In company-size Spetsnaz detachments, the PM (Makarov) pistol as a rule was issued to the CO and company's command staff. The PB suppressed pistol was issued to group commanders and the APB automatic suppressed pistol to the squad leaders.All these were also armed with AK rifles. Unlike rifles or other weapons, pistols were not a mandatory piece of armament for any combat mission. On rare occasions, a pistol was issued as the only weapon to the scout radio operator, heavy weaponry crews or other specialists assigned or attached to the Spetsnaz detachment.SidearmsThe Pistolet Makarova or PM or Makarov as we all know it, was seldom used during reconnaissance or special combat operations. The Makarov was very handy as a self-protection weapon during travel within Afghanistan not directly related to combat operations. Crudely made by Western standards and yet well balanced, it was chambered for the underpowered 9x18mm round. It had a fixed barrel and extra recoil kick.Its magazine could only hold eight rounds, but everyone used eight plus one in the chamber. I am not the right person to declare whether or not Makarov was or still is a good or bad pistol. The school is still out on this subject. Nevertheless, it was issued in numbers to the officers and Spetsnaz sergeants.The pistol was developed at the TsKB-14 (Central Design Bureau) by N.F. Makarov, chambered in 9mm pistol cartridge developed by B.V. Semin and N.M. Elizarov and was adopted for service with the Soviet Armed Forces in 1951. The manufacturing was launched at IzhMech Plant (Izhevskiy Mechanicheskiy Zavod) in the arsenal city of Izhevsk.The PM Makarov pistol is blowback-operated with an exposed hammer. The lower curve of the mainspring acts as the magazine catch. The hammer rests in cocked and half-cocked positions. The firing mechanism permits self-cocking fire.The thumb safety releases the hammer from a sear notch, locks it, and blocks the slide. The single-column magazine's follower lifts up a slide catch to hold the slide open after the last round is fired. The plastic pistol grips are fastened to the receiver with a single screw.The FMJ 9x18 PM (57H181S) round had a steel core and was capable of penetrating three 1-inch pine boards. A tracer round was also developed. The PM was capable of 16cm (6.2 inches) groups at 50m.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]PM Makarov PistolSPECIFICATIONSCaliber: 9x18mmWeight w/o cartridges: .73kgOverall Length: 161mmBarrel length: 93.5mmMuzzle velocity: 315 m/secEffective rate of fire: 30 rds/minSighting range: 50 mMagazine capacity: 8It was issued with two magazines, cleaning rod, specialty tool, leather lanyard and leather holster that held the cleaning rod and a spare eight-round magazine.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]Here in the States, everywhere you look you'll find Makarov pistols. Back when I was a young kid in the Soviet Union the only time l saw a Makarov was when my friend the Militsiya (police) officer showed it to me. So, you can imagine the awe and admiration we felt seeing the famed PM for the first time as young recruits.At basic and later at the Spetsnaz training center, we trained with Makarovs on a regular basis. The Standard training consisted of two basic exercises: The one-handed dueling stance and a two-handed grip frontal stance, both to 25-meter range. Some guys could achieve a pretty good accuracy at that distance. My best result was 27 out of 30 with three-shot drill.Much later, in Afghanistan, the enlisted men retained an admiration for the gun, but not for its combat capabilities. As my unit's station was within a motorized infantry regiment's base and as Spetsnaz, we could get Makarovs at any time, we were constantly the objects of envy by our infantry peers. Still not everyone always carried PM on missions, as it would only add weight and not firepower. Still, for an enlisted man to have a Makarov was a cool thing.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED][ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]Besides, it was great toy to pass idle time with. Friendly shooting competitions were a popular pastime. I once got six of eight rounds in chest of a silhouette target at 65 meters with the damn thingSpetsnaz officers had their own opinions about the pistol: some hated it, some couldn't care less, some bragged about how accurate it was and what they could do with it. Our CO, seeing someone getting ready to take a Makarov on a mission, always said, "Ah, 9 millimeter PM Makarov Pistol. It is a fine weapon. Extremely reliable gun that you can always count on. Probably the best gun for a suicide! So, you should only load it with one round."[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]Dark humor about possibility of being captured by the Mujaheddeen was common. It was told to us over and over again that capture by the Muj if you are a Spetsnaz soldier was a bleak prospect. Just a thought of what they would do to a Spetnaz trooper made your toes curl.It's funny how it was a well-known fact even though the only time a Spetsnaz unit member was ever captured was during a botched operation by a brand-new unit around Jalalabad. A helicopter pilot spotted a wounded trooper being led away by the Mujaheddeen. Later that day, the recovery group found his body about 100 meters from the spot where he was seen by the pilot. It appeared he died of his wounds. Nevertheless, the fear care of being captured by the enemy was always in the back of your mind. And so we all carried an extra grenade just in case the glorious occasion like that would arise.The funny thing is that those in the Army top echelon counted the Makarov pistol as a serious issued weapon. Every manual had it as part of unit armament. I also remember that anytime you entered any APC's personnel compartment, you would most likely trip over a tin or two of Makarov ammo. However, the vast majority of Spetsnaz officers were Stechkin APS fans.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]The APS Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Stechkina (Stechkin Automatic Pistol) on the other hand was loved, admired and wanted by everyone, including greenhorn officers who just arrived in the country.Designed as a personal weapon for tankers, APC drivers and artillery crews, this pistol was an excellent piece of hardware, but for a whole different reason. It was obviously underpowered, as it fired the Makarov pistol round, and could not serve as a serious firearm in all-out gunfight.Although it was issued in large numbers, production of the Stechkin was stopped and it was replaced by the newly introduced 5.45x39mm AKS74U (AKSU). In my opinion, as in the opinion of most who came m contact with his gun, it was a right and at same time wrong decision.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]What should have happened is the APS should have been redesignated as a special purpose firearm and issued to personnel handling special weapons such as snipers. Nevertheless, while produced it was widely issued and every regiment or brigade had numerous Stechkins at their armories, even after its time was supposedly past.While we thought the Makarov pistol added nothing but weight, the Stechkin, slightly bigger and tad heavier, added serious firepower to the overall strength of a unit. The ability to fire full automatic out of 20-round hi-capacity magazines and to hit targets at ranges of up to 200 meters made this gun a formidable weapon when needed, especially at close quarters.The APS Stechkin 9mm Automatic Pistol was developed in 1951 at the TsKB-14 Central Design Bureau and was adopted for service at the same time as the PM Makarov pistol. Vyatskiye Plyany "Molot" Arsenal was designated as a manufacturing facility for Stechkin pistols.The blowback-operated pistol has an exposed hammer and coiled mainspring. The hammer can be placed in cocked and half cocked positions. The grip houses a rate retarder to stabilize the pistol during full-automatic fire. The thumb safety features three positions: safe, single-shot and full-auto fire.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]The APS fires from a two-column 20-round magazine. The U-notch rear sight is adjustable for 25, 50,100 and 200 meters. The Stechkin pistol is capable of 5cm (2-inch) groups at 50 meters and 22cm at 200.It was issued with holster/stock made out of solid wood or Bakelite with leather shoulder strap, double leather magazine pouch and five 20-round magazines. The holster/stock also housed a cleaning rod. The holster had a belt clip and was designed to attach as a stock to the back of the pistol grip, a useful feature when firing on full auto.It was much larger than the Makarov and had less kick when fired on semi-automatic. When used on full-auto without the stock attached, the APS was very control-able, but the accuracy would not amount to anything. with the buttstock attached, however, it was very accurate. During training on the range, I would consistently knock silhouette targets at 200 meters with short bursts.I was lucky to actually carry an APS for six months with my SVD sniper rifle. Though I never fired it in anger, carried it with me at all times: not on my belt, but in my backpack's side pocket. On several occasions when not providing cover, I had a chance to enter dwellings during Louse-to-house searches.That is when I would sling the SVD and have the shoulder-stocked Stechkin in my hands.A green lieutenant joined our unit as a replacement. Almost immediately, he had his eye on my fine sidearm. It started with an "official inquiry: "Hey, private, where did you get that weapon." That kind of behavior was simply unacceptable, and he was made aware of that.The "official" inquiries stopped, but his desire persevered. He had graduated to the "best friend" favor talk. Since I already had enough friends, I wasn't interested. The lieutenant finally resorted to outright begging, also with no result. I am sure he would have continued his advances, but after his first raid the CO issued him one.You might think my beloved Stechkin was safe. Not in he least. He now was after my holster/stock. See, his APS was an older model with well-worn wooden one. Mine, on the other hand, was the newer issue Bakelite model.APS Stechkin Automatic PistolSPECIFICATIONSCaliber: 9x18mmWeight w/o cartridges: 1.02kgWeight w/holster stock: 1.78kgOverall Length: 225mmLength w/stock attached: 540mmBarrel length: 140mmMuzzle velocity: 340 m/secEffective rate of fire: 40/90 rds/minSighting range: 200mMagazine capacity: 20After a while I would avoid him and a month later I was transferred to an assault sub-group and had to give up my APS along with my SVD rifle. Returning from the very next mission, I noticed the lietenant parading around the base with my gun. But at that time I couldn't care less.Special (Suppressed) PistolsAs a part of every mission, a Spetsnaz group or detachment would be armed with specialty pistols among other sidearms. The Spetsnaz personnel carried PB Pistolet Besshumniy and APB Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Besshumniy (Automatic Silenced Pistol) that were part of a unit's specialty weapons arsenal and were present at every operation.Even though there is an obvious similarity with the Makarov, the PB pistol shares only the ammo, magazine and several parts of the trigger/hammer group. The PB is equipped with an integrated silencer that is unlike similar systems made up of two separate parts.Even with the silencer attached, the PB is not fully silent. But the only sound you hear is the clatter of metal parts. At night and in the open, this can be distinctly heard at the distance of 50 meters that is the effective range for this pistol. However, during practical application the sound is not audible, and even if it is, it's still hard to pinpoint a shooter.The PB Pistolet Besshumnyj (Silenced Pistol, Index 6P9) was developed specifically for use by Soviet Army Spetnaz units and was adopted for service in 1967.PB Suppressed PistolSPECIFICATIONSCaliber: 9x18mmWeight w/loaded magazine and silencer: 1.02kgWeight w/silencer: .97kgMuzzle velocity: 290 m/secMagazine capacity: 8Effective range: 50mEffective rate of fire: 30 r/minThe pistol features a unique integral two-part silencer that allows it to be carried in a relatively small holster with the front part of suppressor removed for more convenient carry. It can be quickly reattached right before use. The rear part of the silencer is fixed around the barrel. The barrel itself is drilled to decrease the muzzle velocity to subsonic level.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]Unlike many other integrally silenced pistols, the PB can be safely fired with the front part of the silencer removed, but this would greatly increase the sound signature to a level close to that of a conventional Makarov. Nevertheless, it's a useful feature in an emergeney.Because the front part of the barrel is inserted into the silencer, the slide is very short and cannot contain the return spring. Instead, the return spring is located in the grip and linked to the slide by a rocking lever.The double-action firing group, with external hammer and thumb safety/decocker, as well as the magazine, are borrowed directly from PM without modification. The PB has fixed and rather "fat" sights.Though PB was issued with a special holster that had a separate compartment for the front part of silencer, Spetsnaz soldiers in Afghanistan preferred to modify a regular Makarov holster by cutting the tip off. This let them carry the PB fully assembled and ready for immediate action.It was especially effective at extremely close ranges and was successfully used against point guards, sentry posts and individual enemy observers. It was a permanent part of the Soviet Spetsnaz silenced weapons arsenal along with AKM rifles equipped with PBS-1 silencers and APB Automatic Suppressed PistolThe APB was essentially a modified Stechkin with several important modifications that turned it into highly specialized weapon. It had a longer barrel with ability to accept a specifically designed suppressor, and a wire shoulder stock in lieu of the bulky Stechkin holster/stock. Like the Stechkin, it was capable of semi- and full-automatic fire.The APB Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Besshumniy (Automatic Silenced Pistol APB, index 6P13) was developed by A. S. Neugodov and was adopted for service in 1972. The pistol is a blowback weapon with fire rate retarder, hammer type firing mechanism, safety lever and U-notch rear sight.The barrel, longer than the Stechkin's, is jacketed with an integrated chamber that captures exhaust gases escaping through grooves in the barrel. This reduces the muzzle velocity to subsonic level. When a bullet leaves the bore, the already cooled gases from the expansion chamber return into the barrel and escape through the muzzle at reduced pressure.The front end of the barrel protrudes past the slide and is threaded for the suppressor attachment. The suppressor itself has a series of baffles that create a row of expansion chambers.APB Automatic Silent PistolSPECIFICATIONSCaliber: 9x18mmWeight w/loaded magazine and silencer: 1.65kgSilencer weight: .4kgWeight of shoulder-rest: .2kgMuzzle velocity: 290 m/secMagazine capacity: 20[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]The reduced recoil, increased weight of the pistol and center of gravity moved forward resulted in tighter group capability when compared to the Standard Stechkin APS pistol. It was issued with detachable silencer and wire stock that can be stowed together in a separate compartment in the specially designed holster, a double leather magazine pouch and five 20-round magazines.The APB pistol was widely used with great success by the Soviet Armed Forces fighting in Afghanistan. It allows consistent and accurate full automatic fire with tight groups and high probability of taking down targets at the ranges of up to 50 meters.The APB is not fully silent, but its report is much quieter than a regular 9mm pistol. It sounds like a .22 cal. pistol. Its main benefit is confusing the enemy as to the shooter's location. However, during actual combat use it remained almost undetectable by the enemy even at distances less than 50 meters.I personally had no combat experience with both PB and APB pistols, but I've seen them in action on regular basis. Not to have either of them on the any operation would be unusual. They performed well and did the work we needed to be done.Nowadays when I teach my classes at Behind Lines, I am often asked if we would train with pistols. I usually dismiss these requests, concentrating rather on sniper or ambush tactics. I have simply forgotten how much we relied on our sidearms in those far-gone '80s in place called Afghanistan.