PB-4M Pistol Fires rubber bullets
In the following letter you would be able to find some brief information about Russian-made non-lethal pistol, specially designed for the self-defense and law-enforcement. If you would need further information and/or photos please contact me. Under the current Law people here in Russia are not allowed to carry handguns. You can have a shotgun at home (even a 10-shot 12-gauge Saiga semi-auto with the folding stock and the pistol grip), but it is completely illegal to carry even a tiny .25 pistol. The only men allowed to carry are law enforcement officers and officers of the certain government agencies (ex. foresters, customs officers and so on). The only type of handguns that can be purchased in Russia by ordinary people are the domestic-manufactured pistols that fire non-lethal rubber ammunition. The main representative of the Russian rubber-shooting handguns market is the PB-4M pistol, designed and manufactured at the FGUP FNPC NIIPH (that means Federal state-owned enterprise Federal center for research and manufacturing The Institute for science and research in the applied chemistry ). NIIPH is one of the leading Russian military contractors and it was the first-ever Russian developer of the rubber-shooting pistol. For that time PB-4M pistol is available at the domestic market and can be purchased and carried by ordinary law-abiding citizens. It is also used by private and state-owned security companies. Several Russian law-enforcement agencies now consider the purchase of such weapons. PB-4M is the 4-barreled derringer-type pistol with the unique electronic action. When the trigger is pulled the small generator is activated. This generator is the know-how of the NIIPH and is extremely durable and reliable. The power from the generator comes to the small chip, located in the grip of the pistol. This chip performs a test in the ask-response mode. During such test the chip receives information about the condition of the each of the pistol s chambers: is there a cartridge in the chamber and is it ready to fire. All it takes less then a fraction of the second. When the chip finds ready cartridge in sends a power impulse that ignites the cartridge s electric primer. Such system helps to ease the process of shooting: until there would be workable cartridges in the pistol, each trigger pull will cause shooting. In other words, the action of the PB-4M can be described as a radically improved action of the double-action revolver. In the revolver if you meet a non-performing cartridge you just press the trigger, rotate the cylinder and shoot from the following chamber. Electronic action perform this job automatically, eliminating the need for the extra trigger pulls . It also eases the process of reloading the gun in the hurry: put the new cartridge in any chamber and pull the trigger, and the pistol will shoot. There is also a earlier modification PB-4 with the mechanical switch, that works just like the DAO-revolver, and a new PB-4-1, where the generator is replaced with the heavy-duty battery. The PB-4-1 also has the electronic action and is equipped with the integral laser sight. All PB pistols are made of the high-strength aluminum and are very light and compact. The weight of the loaded PB-4 is about 0.4 kg, the weight of the loaded PB-4M is about 0.36 kg. Because of the small weight it is well suited for concealment carry. All Russian-made rubber-shooting pistols fire special 18x45 ammunition with the electric primers. Such primers are very reliable (no less then 0.9999) and can be used in almost every weather and humidity. Together with the pistol 18x45 (18 mm external diameter, 45 mm length) makes the OSA system ( OSA in Russian is for the Orujiye samooborony or the self-defense weapon )/ The main modification of the 18x45 cartridge is the 18x45T ( T is for Trauma ) which shoots the 15.5 mm rubber projectile. Such projectile incapacitates the assailant with the impact with the minimal risk of fatal damage. For that time 18x45T cartridges have the initial energy of the 85J, but upon the request of the foreign customer the energy can be increased and decreased in the wide range. According to the NIIPH statements, the 18x45 cartridge can shoot 160-mm groups at the range of 10 meters. There is also a special law-enforcement modification called 18x70T with the initial energy of the 100J that is not available for the civilians. It also has greater accuracy up to 400-mm at 50 meters. 18x70 cartridges are designed for the law-enforcement version of the pistol called PB-4-2. PB-4-2 can also use all cartridges of the 18x45 family. All following variants There is also a flash-bang version of the 18x45, the 18x45SZ. It performs just like the flash-bang grenades widely used by police and special troops and incapacitates the opponent with the loud noise and the extremely strong flash. There are also signal (18x45S) and lightning (18x45O) versions that shoot signal and lightning rockets. If you would need further information I would be ready to help you. Further information about the NIIPH can be available at niiph@tsinet.ru fax 7-09654-450-26, 7-09654-749-44 The former executive editor of The Russian Gun Magazine, now writing for the Kaliber.ru and Magnum gun-publications. casatic@mail.ru
Photo and information from: Dmitry Kotchetkoff
Website by:
E-Image Agency
