The Vintorez sniper rifle and the Val submachine gun are certainly not the oldest examples of Soviet weapons that remain in service to this day. However, both developments are over 30 years old and it is clear that things should have appeared much better and more modern. However, for some reason this does not happen. What is the main secret of Soviet silent weapons?
Something new may and should have appeared, but has not yet appeared. Including because both "Vintorez" and "Val" perfectly cope with the tasks for which they were created by the Soviet designer Peter Ivanovich Serdyukov back in 1987 within the walls of TsNIITOCHMASH. By the way, it is correct to say all the same VSS or "Special sniper rifle", the name "Vintorez" is "folk". It was invented either by Peter Ivanovich himself, or by someone from his creative team of designers. This word was called VSS in the project documentation, but the sniper rifle was never officially called "Vintorez". The situation is similar with "Val". In reality, it is a Special Machine or AC.
Vintorez and Val are not just visually similar. The assault rifle appeared later and was created on the basis of a sniper rifle. Both types of weapons are 70% unified in terms of spare parts. Both the VSS and the AU were created by order of the KGB and the GRU of the USSR. The special forces of the Soviet Union wanted to get at their disposal a powerful weapon with the ability to constantly conduct silent fire. At the same time, an important requirement on the part of the scouts was an increased silencer resource and an effective firing range of at least 300 meters.
At the same time, in the 1980s, an extremely difficult and contradictory task was set before Soviet designers. They wanted to get the most silent weapon from them, which at the same time would have a high striking and penetrating ability. At the same time, it was necessary not to drop below the required level of accuracy of the shot. After a long and intense development, the famous 9x39 mm subsonic cartridge was born, which became the main caliber for Vintorez and Val, as well as some other types of special weapons.
The use of a unique subsonic ammunition allows special weapons to shoot as quietly as possible and at the same time maintain the level of accuracy, combining it with a high lethality. So, at a distance of 400 meters "Vintorez" and "Val" still pierce a kevlar helmet and most body armor. This is what makes them so "special" and invariably popular in the special forces of the former Soviet republics, including Russia.
If you want to know even more interesting things, then you should read about 7 best assault rifles modernity.