PP-90
Encyclopedia
The PP-90 is a Russia
n 9 mm
folding submachine gun
, developed by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau
in Tula
for use with special units of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs
(MVD). It is designed for close quarters combat
, particularly engagements that require the weapon deployed rapidly in unusual circumstances.
method of operation, chambered for the 9x18mm Makarov cartridge. The weapon bears a conceptual resemblance to the 9 mm FMG
submachine gun made by the American
company Ares
.
The PP-90 consist of the following main groups: the receiver which houses the barrel, action (bolt and recoil mechanism), safety, fire selector switch and supports the pistol grip with magazine well and the shoulder rest. When carried in the stowed position (the bolt is in its forward, closed position) the pistol grip and magazine are folded under the barrel in line with the bore axis and covered by the folded stock body. The folded weapon resembles a cuboid
with the following dimensions – 270x90x32 mm, devoid of any protruding elements, enabling easy concealment. To ready the weapon for firing the stock is pivoted out (simultaneously the pistol grip with magazine, trigger and trigger guard deploy), the safety is disengaged and the bolt cocked. The bolt’s cocking handle is installed at the rear of the receiver and is accessed from beneath the stock.
During the design phase, emphasis was placed on safety when operating the weapon. It is impossible to discharge the firearm in its folded position or when the stock is not fully deployed. The PP-90 also has a manual safety and fire selector. The safety toggle, installed on the left side of the receiver housing, has two settings: a top “P” position – indicating the weapon is safe and the bottom “O” setting – automatic fire. The "safe" setting ensures the bolt catch is disabled mechanically. The weapon’s internal safety mechanism features a drop safety that prevents the weapon from firing when dropped with a loaded chamber.
The submachine gun is fed from a detachable 30-round box magazine, placed in a well inside the hollowed pistol grip. The magazine catch is located inside the heel of the pistol grip.
For aimed firing the PP-90 uses flip-up iron sight
s (notch and front post), which lie flush with the receiver housing’s top cover when folded down. The threaded barrel can also accept a sound suppressor
.
The submachine gun with spare magazines and a cleaning brush is carried in a holster that can be slung from a duty belt or shoulder rig. The weapon can also be used with a sling.
A variant of the PP-90 chambered in the 9x19mm Parabellum pistol
cartridge is known as the PP-92. A selective fire
version has also been developed, designated PP-90M.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n 9 mm
9 mm caliber
This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the caliber range. The most prevalent of these rounds is the 9x19mm Parabellum.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge....
folding submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
, developed by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau
KBP Instrument Design Bureau
KBP Instrument Design Bureau is a Russian developer and manufacturer of high-precision weapons. It was established in 1927 in Tula, USSR. Arkady Shipunov has been the Designer General since 1962...
in Tula
Tula, Russia
Tula is an industrial city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast, Russia. It is located south of Moscow, on the Upa River. Population: -History:...
for use with special units of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs
Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs
The Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del is the interior ministry of Russia. Its predecessor was founded in 1802 by Alexander I in Imperial Russia...
(MVD). It is designed for close quarters combat
Close quarters battle
Close quarters combat or close quarters battle is a type of fighting in which small units engage the enemy with personal weapons at very short range, potentially to the point of hand-to-hand combat or fighting with hand weapons such as swords or knives...
, particularly engagements that require the weapon deployed rapidly in unusual circumstances.
Design
The PP-90 (short for Pistolet-Pulemet model 1990, – Пистолет-пулемет) is an automatic-only weapon that uses the straight blowbackBlowback (arms)
Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gases created by the ignition of the propellant charge....
method of operation, chambered for the 9x18mm Makarov cartridge. The weapon bears a conceptual resemblance to the 9 mm FMG
ARES FMG
The ARES FMG is a folding submachine gun designed by Eugene Stoner while he was an owner of ARES Incorporated. Stoner designed the gun for concealment and covert use, describing it as a “businessman’s personal defense weapon”...
submachine gun made by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company Ares
Ares Incorporated
ARES Incorporated is weapons manufacturer co-founded by Eugene Stoner in 1971. The company is based in Port Clinton, Ohio, and produces fire control systems, turret systems, small arms, automatic cannons and industrial machinery....
.
The PP-90 consist of the following main groups: the receiver which houses the barrel, action (bolt and recoil mechanism), safety, fire selector switch and supports the pistol grip with magazine well and the shoulder rest. When carried in the stowed position (the bolt is in its forward, closed position) the pistol grip and magazine are folded under the barrel in line with the bore axis and covered by the folded stock body. The folded weapon resembles a cuboid
Cuboid
In geometry, a cuboid is a solid figure bounded by six faces, forming a convex polyhedron. There are two competing definitions of a cuboid in mathematical literature...
with the following dimensions – 270x90x32 mm, devoid of any protruding elements, enabling easy concealment. To ready the weapon for firing the stock is pivoted out (simultaneously the pistol grip with magazine, trigger and trigger guard deploy), the safety is disengaged and the bolt cocked. The bolt’s cocking handle is installed at the rear of the receiver and is accessed from beneath the stock.
During the design phase, emphasis was placed on safety when operating the weapon. It is impossible to discharge the firearm in its folded position or when the stock is not fully deployed. The PP-90 also has a manual safety and fire selector. The safety toggle, installed on the left side of the receiver housing, has two settings: a top “P” position – indicating the weapon is safe and the bottom “O” setting – automatic fire. The "safe" setting ensures the bolt catch is disabled mechanically. The weapon’s internal safety mechanism features a drop safety that prevents the weapon from firing when dropped with a loaded chamber.
The submachine gun is fed from a detachable 30-round box magazine, placed in a well inside the hollowed pistol grip. The magazine catch is located inside the heel of the pistol grip.
For aimed firing the PP-90 uses flip-up iron sight
Iron sight
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
s (notch and front post), which lie flush with the receiver housing’s top cover when folded down. The threaded barrel can also accept a sound suppressor
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
.
The submachine gun with spare magazines and a cleaning brush is carried in a holster that can be slung from a duty belt or shoulder rig. The weapon can also be used with a sling.
A variant of the PP-90 chambered in the 9x19mm Parabellum pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
cartridge is known as the PP-92. A selective fire
Selective fire
A selective fire firearm has at least one semi–automatic and one automatic mode, which is activated by means of a selector which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective fire weapons utilize burst fire mechanisms to limit the maximum or total number of shots fired automatically in...
version has also been developed, designated PP-90M.