{"id":3738,"date":"2025-09-03T14:35:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T14:35:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextgun.ch\/wiki\/as-val-compact-stealthy-9x39-mm-weapon\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T14:40:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T14:40:02","slug":"as-val-compact-stealthy-9x39-mm-weapon","status":"publish","type":"wiki","link":"https:\/\/nextgun.ch\/en\/wiki\/as-val-compact-stealthy-9x39-mm-weapon\/","title":{"rendered":"AS Val | Compact, stealthy 9\u00d739 mm weapon"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Introduction<\/h2>

TheAS Val<\/strong> is a compact, completely silent assault rifle designed in the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Chambered in 9\u00d739 mm<\/strong>, it was developed for Russian special forces, reconnaissance units and troops operating in urban environments or on covert missions. The AS Val is directly derived from the VSS Vintorez, a subsonic sniper rifle, and shares many features with it, including an integrated sound moderator<\/strong>. <\/p>

Powerful, discreet and designed for infiltration, the AS Val combines the advantages of an assault rifle and a silenced machine pistol. Its unique role in the Russian arsenal makes it an emblematic weapon of modern unconventional warfare. <\/p>

History and development<\/h2>

The AS Val was designed by TsNIITochMash<\/strong> (Central Research Institute for Precision Engineering) and adopted in 1987. It met a specific need: to equip Soviet special forces<\/strong> with a compact, silent automatic weapon capable of penetrating body armor at short range. <\/p>

Its development is closely linked to the 9\u00d739 mm caliber<\/strong>, a subsonic cartridge derived from the 7.62\u00d739 mm, with a heavy warhead ensuring both acoustic discretion<\/strong> and excellent ballistic penetration<\/strong>.<\/p>

AS Val is adopted by several units:<\/p>

  • FSB<\/strong> (intelligence services)<\/p><\/li>

  • Spetsnaz<\/strong> (special forces)<\/p><\/li>

  • close protection and reconnaissance units<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

    Technical data<\/h2>
    Element<\/th>Detail<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    Caliber<\/td>9\u00d739 mm SP-5 \/ SP-6<\/td><\/tr>
    Capacity<\/td>20 or 30 shots<\/td><\/tr>
    Length<\/td>875 mm (615 mm with stock folded)<\/td><\/tr>
    Barrel length<\/td>200 mm<\/td><\/tr>
    Weight<\/td>2.5 kg (without charger)<\/td><\/tr>
    Mechanism<\/td>Rotary cylinder head, gas borrowing<\/td><\/tr>
    Firing rate<\/td>Approx. 900 shots\/min<\/td><\/tr>
    Special features<\/td>Integrated sound moderator<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

    Operation and ergonomics<\/h2>

    The AS Val uses gas borrowing<\/strong> with a rotating bolt, similar to the AK rifle. However, it is distinguished by several innovations: <\/p>

    • Integrated silencer<\/strong> along the entire length of the barrel, drastically reducing detonation noise<\/p><\/li>

    • Tubular steel folding stock<\/strong> for easy transport in confined spaces<\/p><\/li>

    • Adjustable metal sights<\/strong> and side rails for optical mounting<\/p><\/li>

    • Pistol grip<\/strong> and optimized ergonomics for rapid-fire shooting<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

      Its system is designed to withstand the stresses of subsonic cartridges with heavy warheads, which retain a high perforation capacity at close range.<\/p>

      9\u00d739 mm ammunition<\/h2>

      One of the keys to AS Val’s success lies in its ammunition:<\/p>

      • SP-5<\/strong>: precision subsonic cartridge<\/p><\/li>

      • SP-6<\/strong>: piercing version, capable of penetrating 6 mm steel at 200 m<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

        This ammunition enables the AS Val to combine acoustic discretion<\/strong> and stopping power<\/strong>, while remaining compact.<\/p>

        Variants and derivatives<\/h2>

        • VSS Vintorez<\/strong>: precision rifle based on the same platform, but with a fixed wooden stock and dedicated PSO-1 optics.<\/p><\/li>

        • SR-3 Vikhr<\/strong>: compact version without fixed silencer, for short-range operations<\/p><\/li>

        • AS Val-M<\/strong>: modernized version with Picatinny rail, tactical handle and improved modularity<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

          Comparison with other compact weapons<\/h2>
          Model<\/th>Caliber<\/th>Integrated silencer<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
          AS Val<\/td>9\u00d739 mm<\/td>Yes<\/td><\/tr>
          MP5SD<\/td>9\u00d719 mm<\/td>Yes<\/td><\/tr>
          VSS Vintorez<\/td>9\u00d739 mm<\/td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

          The AS Val outperforms most subsonic weapons in terminal power<\/strong>, thanks to its SP-6 ammunition. However, it remains limited by its effective range (approx. 400 m) and its specific 9\u00d739 mm design, which is not widely used outside Russia. <\/p>

          Operational use<\/h2>

          The AS Val is still in service today in many Russian units. It has been seen in : <\/p>

          • conflicts in Chechnya<\/strong>, Ukraine<\/strong> and Georgia<\/strong><\/p><\/li>

          • clandestine<\/strong> intelligence and counter-terrorism missions<\/p><\/li>

          • special operations<\/strong> requiring stealth and power at close range<\/p><\/li><\/ul>

            Its reputation as a “stealthy but lethal” weapon makes it an ideal tool for special urban or forestry actions<\/strong>.<\/p>

            Conclusion<\/h2>

            TheAS Val<\/strong> is a masterpiece in the arsenal of Russian special forces. Its unique combination of integrated silencer<\/strong>, powerful subsonic ammunition<\/strong> and compactness<\/strong> make it an extremely formidable weapon in close combat and covert operations. <\/p>

            Although it remains a rarity outside Russian military circles, the AS Val continues to fascinate armaments enthusiasts for its atypical design<\/strong>, singular performance and role in modern conflicts.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"featured_media":3709,"template":"elementor_theme","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-3738","wiki","type-wiki","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextgun.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wiki\/3738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextgun.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wiki"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextgun.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wiki"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nextgun.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wiki\/3738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3739,"href":"https:\/\/nextgun.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wiki\/3738\/revisions\/3739"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextgun.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextgun.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}