PSS silent pistol

The PSS silent pistol or MSS "VUL" (or "Wool" in English) is the last completed weapon system resulting from the Soviet development of silent pistols operating on a sealed cartridge system. Two previous designs were considered unacceptable for use due to their limitation to two shots. Earlier systems included the MSP and SP-4M double barreled pistols. Developed around 1980, the PSS was first issued to KGB Spetsnaz in 1983. Intended for assassinations and reconnaissance, it is under production in the special weapons foundry at TsNIITochMash. PSS pistols are still in use by elite special forces units of many nations, as well as by some FSB, MVD, and KGB elite units.

Purpose

The PSS was developed to give Soviet special forces and secret police an almost completely silent option for covert operations such as reconnaissance and assassinations. The weapon uses a unique cartridge with an internal piston to achieve this end. Otherwise, it is a fairly simple double-action pistol. Few details are known about the pistol's performance, as only a few have entered western hands.