Captured relic: Ukrainian forces seize rare Russian WSS‑M rifle

A Ukrainian soldier from the airborne unit seized a WSS-M Vintorez marksman rifle with a thermal sight from Russian forces. It represents the latest modernization of the exceptional WSS Vintorez weapon, well-known to Stalker enthusiasts, and uses extremely intriguing ammunition.

9x39 mm — unique ammunition for special tasks

The concept of using specially suppressed weapons capable of piercing bulletproof vests came to fruition in Russia in the 1990s. Previously, in the USSR, they simply augmented AK rifles with silencers and heavier ammunition.

This approach proved inadequate, so a weapon was designed to pierce bulletproof vests while maintaining a muzzle velocity limit of less than 340 m/s (1,115 ft/s). Only then is the weapon quiet, as a subsonic bullet doesn't generate a sonic boom.

However, this significantly limits the projectile's kinetic energy, and with such a strict velocity limit, the only option is to maximize the bullet's mass. For this reason, the Russians developed the 9x39 mm cartridge by placing a 9 mm diameter bullet weighing 16 g (250 grains) into a 7.62x39 mm cartridge case. A regular 7.62 mm bullet weighs 8 g (122 grains).

The Russians developed two versions of the new 9x39 mm ammunition, designated SP-5 and SP-6. The first type includes full metal jacket bullets with a steel penetrator making up 25% of the mass, while SP-6 features a bullet with an exposed 7 mm steel penetrator made of hardened tool steel. This is designed to pierce 8 mm (0.31 inches) of steel at a distance of 100 meters (328 feet) but is inadequate against modern ballistic plates of the fourth class of the American NIJ ballistic standard.

AS Val and WSS Vintorez rifles — unusual weapons differing from the AK system construction

The AS Val and WSS Vintorez rifles have a milled receiver and a gas system with a long-stroke piston, similar to AK rifles, but that's where the similarities end. Locking occurs through the bolt rotation, secured by six lugs (the AK has two). Furthermore, a distinctive feature is using barrels measuring 20 cm (7.87 inches) in length, comprising only one-third of the integrated suppressor.

The weight of the AS Val is 2.95 kg (6.5 lbs), and the WSS Vintorez is 3.4 kg (7.5 lbs) with a PSO-1 optical sight or the newer 1P86 with adjustable magnification from 1x to 4x. The weapon is fed from 10 or 20-round magazines. Given the ballistics of the 9x39 mm, the effective range does not exceed 400 meters (437 yards), often requiring users to carry additional weapons for engagements at longer distances.

The modernization to the WSS-M standard included, for example, replacing the wooden stock or barrel covers with polymer ones with rail sections. Additionally, it's evident that the stock has adjustable length and cheek pad height, and a section of the mounting rail can be seen on top of the receiver, allowing the use of modern thermal sights.