PSM
Izhevsk Mechanical Plant · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1973
Also known as: Pistolet Samozaryadny Malogabaritny, MR-441, IZH-75
Overview
The PSM (Pistolet Samozaryadny Malogabaritny, 'Small-Sized Self-Loading Pistol') is a Soviet blowback-operated, hammer-fired semi-automatic pistol chambered in the bottlenecked 5.45x18mm MPTs cartridge. Designed at the Tula design bureau in the late 1960s and adopted in 1973, it is exceptionally thin and flat, intended as a concealable sidearm for senior officers, plainclothes KGB operatives, and law enforcement. Its small-caliber, moderate-velocity round was developed to defeat body armor and steel helmets at close range despite the pistol's compact dimensions.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 460 g (16.2 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 510 g (18.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 155 mm (6.10") |
| Barrel Length | 85 mm (3.35") |
| Height | 117 mm (4.61") |
| Width | 17 mm (0.67") |
| Sight Radius | 130 mm (5.12") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 315 m/s (1033 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 124 J (91 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Aluminum |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 5.45x18mm MPTs · primary — also known as 5.45x18mm, 5.45x18 MPTs, 7N7, 5.45 PSM
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Decocker
- Features: Fixed Barrel, Slim Profile, Concealed Carry, Heel Magazine Release, Fixed Sights
Variants
- IZH-75 (IC) — Export
- Baikal IJ-75 — Export
Service history
Operators
- KGB · adopted 1973
- Soviet Armed Forces · adopted 1973
- Soviet Militsiya · adopted 1973
Conflicts
- Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
Production
Production years: 1973-1990s
Issued widely as an officer and police sidearm in the USSR and successor states; export variants produced through the 1990s
Origin
Country of origin: Russia
Designer: Tikhon Lashnev, Anatoly Simarin, Lev Kulikov
Notes
Manufactured at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant from a design by TsNIITochMash engineers and the Tula bureau. Civilian and export versions (IZH-75, Baikal IJ-75) were rechambered for .25 ACP and .380 ACP. The double-action trigger and combined safety/decocking lever sit on the left of the slide.
Background
Developed in response to a Soviet requirement for an ultra-flat pistol that would not print under civilian clothing, the PSM is one of the thinnest production handguns ever made at roughly 17mm across the grip, earning a reputation as a status sidearm for high-ranking officers and intelligence officers.