Strange Guns: APS Underwater Assault Rifle

(Image source)

The APS (Avtomat Podvodnyj Spetsialnyj) was developed in the early 1970s as a way to provide better firepower to Russian special forces combat divers. It was initially used by the Russian armed forces, but has also been sold on the international market since the fall of the Soviet Union.

The APS was, at first, based on the AK-74 rifle, but several major changes were made. It fires the 120mm long 5.6mm dart or flechette, which is quite stable traveling underwater – it uses a smoothbore barrel and depends on the shape of the dart for stability and accuracy. The dart is fired by a standard waterproofed cartridge case with powder and primer. The magazine shape is required for the long projectiles, and holds 26 rounds.

The rifle uses a gas piston like the AK-47 assault rifle to operate, but fires from an open bolt. This ensures that the barrel remains filled with water, which is necessary to properly stabilize the dart-like bullets. It can be fired dry above water, but this is makes it inaccurate and causes some wear and tear to the gun. The trigger mechanism has a selector for semi or full automatic shots, and a collapsing wire buttstock provides some stability.

The APS is by far the most fully developed underwater firearm in use, although it does have drawbacks. The wide magazine profile can make maneuvering in water kind of difficult, and the sights are simply crude.

Because of increasing water pressure, the APS perform differently at different depths. As one dives farther, the cyclic rate of the weapon slows down and the muzzle velocity and effective range decrease. At 5 meters depth, the APS is considered to have an effective range of 30 meters, decreasing to 11m at a depth of 40m. This change in pressure also requires a self-adjusting gas system, to ensure that the action cycles reliably in different pressures.

By 1975, the APS rifle was adopted, being produced by both TsNIITochMash, and the famous Tula arms factories for the Soviet and their allied navies. In the Soviet navy, the APS went to arm both Spetsnaz commandos and underwater warfare units protecting naval bases from underwater attack.

The gun was a unique weapon with no true competitor throughout the 1970s-1990s. Its very existence was unknown to the U.S. and her allies until the 1980s. It’s thought that since then the rifle has been sold abroad to almost any country who wanted a few and with enough hard cash to buy them.

Still, the APS is limited in its effectiveness and in 2000 it was replaced in Russian special operation use by the ASM-DT rifle, a 5.45x39mm hybrid rifle that could fire either special underwater rounds while submerged or standard AK-74 rounds when above water.

Video by Simple History

Video upload by 01e9

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Sources: http://www.forgottenweapons.com/rifles/aps-underwater-rifle/
http://sharpknife.top/view/1973-196027.html

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