RMB-93
Encyclopedia
The RMb-93 is a pump-action shotgun
designed and manufactured by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau
of Tula, Russia
. It is the baseline model of the Rys ("Lynx
") series of shotguns, taking the modelname of Rys-K.
The RMb-93 has been conceived as a combat weapon for Special Forces
and Police
units that might face Close Quarters Battle
situations. The weapon is thus engineered to reduce size and encumbrance as much as possible.
The working system of the RMb-93 is itself an odd slide-action operation called "Inverted Cycle", similar in concept to the one used in the South-African
Truvelo Armoury
Neostead shotgun (the only other mass-produced firearm to be based upon this system). The feeding tube is placed over the barrel rather than under it, and tilts upwards for loading. Once the weapon is loaded, a shell is chambered by pushing the slide forward-then-backward, instead of the standard backward-then-forward motion of the forend found on most pump-action
weapons. Having the RMb-93 a fixed breech face and movable barrel, the operation moves the entire barrel assembly. Once a round is fired and another is chambered, the empty shell falls downwards to the ground, pushed by its own weight.
The design of the RMb-93 "Rys-K" carries several advantages: the ejection system makes the gun fully ambidextrous, and the magazine located over the barrel gives the shotgun a low center of mass
and reduces upward recoil. The main drawback of the overall design stands in the fact that the weapon has a pistol grip with upfolding metal stock, which when folded finds itself right up the feeding tube. The RMb-93 thus can not be reloaded without extending or removing the stock, a disadvantage if it is being used tactically with a folded stock.
, Russia
, Italy
and possibly in other Countries. For the civilian distribution in Russia
and Canada
, the shotgun is provided with a stock disconnector that prevents it from firing if the stock is not extended, so to comply with local laws and regulation about the minimum legal length for civilian firearms.
Additionally, KBP manufactures several variants of the "Rys" shotgun series for the civilian distribution. The RMb-93 "Rys-K" itself is manufactured with Phosphatized finish
to resist salt corrosion (for use in maritime environments). The RMO-93 "Rys" is a purely sporting variant with wooden thumbhole stock and either wooden or synthetic slide-forend; very similar to it is the "Rys-OT" variant with longer barrel, synthetic or wooden slide-forend and standard wooden shotgun stock. The RMf-96 "Rys-F" shotgun is instead a longer-barrel variant of the RMb-93 "Rys-K", plus equipped with the above-mentioned stock disconnector.
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
designed and manufactured 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...
of Tula, Russia
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:...
. It is the baseline model of the Rys ("Lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
") series of shotguns, taking the modelname of Rys-K.
The RMb-93 has been conceived as a combat weapon for Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
and Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
units that might face Close Quarters Battle
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...
situations. The weapon is thus engineered to reduce size and encumbrance as much as possible.
The working system of the RMb-93 is itself an odd slide-action operation called "Inverted Cycle", similar in concept to the one used in the South-African
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
Truvelo Armoury
Truvelo Armoury
Truvelo Armoury is a South African firearms manufacturer. It is a division of Truvelo Manufacturers Ltd and was established in 1994. The company produces a range of rifles and other small arms for military, law enforcement and civilian users.-Products:...
Neostead shotgun (the only other mass-produced firearm to be based upon this system). The feeding tube is placed over the barrel rather than under it, and tilts upwards for loading. Once the weapon is loaded, a shell is chambered by pushing the slide forward-then-backward, instead of the standard backward-then-forward motion of the forend found on most pump-action
Pump-action
A pump-action rifle or shotgun is one in which the handgrip can be pumped back and forth in order to eject a spent round of ammunition and to chamber a fresh one. It is much faster than a bolt-action and somewhat faster than a lever-action, as it does not require the trigger hand to be removed from...
weapons. Having the RMb-93 a fixed breech face and movable barrel, the operation moves the entire barrel assembly. Once a round is fired and another is chambered, the empty shell falls downwards to the ground, pushed by its own weight.
The design of the RMb-93 "Rys-K" carries several advantages: the ejection system makes the gun fully ambidextrous, and the magazine located over the barrel gives the shotgun a low center of mass
Center of mass
In physics, the center of mass or barycenter of a system is the average location of all of its mass. In the case of a rigid body, the position of the center of mass is fixed in relation to the body...
and reduces upward recoil. The main drawback of the overall design stands in the fact that the weapon has a pistol grip with upfolding metal stock, which when folded finds itself right up the feeding tube. The RMb-93 thus can not be reloaded without extending or removing the stock, a disadvantage if it is being used tactically with a folded stock.
Variants and commercial availability
The RMb-93 "Rys-K" shotgun is commercially available to civilians in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Russia
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...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and possibly in other Countries. For the civilian distribution in Russia
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...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the shotgun is provided with a stock disconnector that prevents it from firing if the stock is not extended, so to comply with local laws and regulation about the minimum legal length for civilian firearms.
Additionally, KBP manufactures several variants of the "Rys" shotgun series for the civilian distribution. The RMb-93 "Rys-K" itself is manufactured with Phosphatized finish
Parkerizing
Parkerizing is a method of protecting a steel surface from corrosion and increasing its resistance to wear through the application of an electrochemical phosphate conversion coating...
to resist salt corrosion (for use in maritime environments). The RMO-93 "Rys" is a purely sporting variant with wooden thumbhole stock and either wooden or synthetic slide-forend; very similar to it is the "Rys-OT" variant with longer barrel, synthetic or wooden slide-forend and standard wooden shotgun stock. The RMf-96 "Rys-F" shotgun is instead a longer-barrel variant of the RMb-93 "Rys-K", plus equipped with the above-mentioned stock disconnector.