From: "J. Sean Keane" <[s--ea--e] at [dakotacom.net]>
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Underwater Firearms [FACTUAL]
Date: 16 Aug 1996 00:20:44 -0400

There has been some interest in shooting firearms underwater from time
to time on this newsgroup.  This post does not address doing so with
guns that were not designed for that purpose.  Rather, it describes two
firearms of which I am aware that were designed specifically for firing
underwater, presumable for use by combat swimmers.

Mr. Moderator, perhaps this should be put in the FAQ?

Both firearms are made in Russia;  I have no idea about availability in
the US.

The 4.5 mm Underwater pistol is a four-barrelled pistol firing a drag
stabilized dart.  It is reported to be lethal at 50 m in air, and up to
17 m underwater.  The lethal range underwater depends on the depth at
which the pistol is fired;  17 m is the max, near the surface. This is a
true firearm, with the dart loaded in a cartridge case.  Four of the
darts are placed in a clip which is loaded from the rear and secured in
place by the firing chamber and breech unit.  The firing mechanism is
self-cocking, firing one cartridge with each pull of the trigger. 
Accuracy is reported as capable of hitting within a 150 mm circle at a
range of 100 m in air, with similar accuracy in the water at short
range.  The dart is 115 mm long, the cartridge with dart 145 mm long. 
Each round weighs 21 g.

Cartridge:  4.5 mm
Operation:  breech-loading four-shot repeater, tip-down barrels.
Feed:  4-round clip
Weight:  950 g empty
Length:  244 mm
Height:  136 mm
Width:  37 mm
Effective Range:  50 m (in air);  6 m at 40 m depth underwater;  17 m at
5 m depth underwater

Agency:  Tznitochmash, Zavodskaya Street 2, 142080 Klimovsh-1, Moscow
Region

Status:  In production


The 5.66 mm APS underwater assault rifle is a selective-fire,
gas-operated rifle.  The firing mechanism is reported to be generally
based in the Kalashnikov rotating bolt system.  Were it not for the
extremely large magazine, it would look a lot like an AKM assault rifle
with a folding stock.  The projectile is a dart, drag stabilized, which
is held in a cartridge that appears to be based on the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO
cartridge.  Each dart is 120 mm long, the entire round is 150 mm long. 
This accounts for the oversized magazine, which appears to be made of
clear plastic.  Each cartridge weighs 26 g.  The effective range in air
is given as 100 m.  The underwater range is 30 m at 5 m depth, and 11 m
at 40 m depth.  It is reported that at these ranges, the dart is capable
of inflicting fatal wounds through the normal types of underwater suits
and through 5 mm of glass, e.g. a face mask.

Cartridge:  5.66 mm Model MPS
Operation:  gas, selective fire
Feed:  26-round box magazine
Weight:  2.4 kg empty, 2.7 kg with empty magazine, 3.4 kg loaded
Length:  840 mm butt extended; 614 mm butt folded
Height:  187 mm
Width:  65 mm

Manufacturer:  Institute of Precise Mechanical Engineering, Izhevsk,
Russia

Status:  In production;  offered for export sales

Service:  Russian Special Forces

This information comes from the Twenty-First Edition (1995-96) of Jane's
Infantry Weapons.

Regards,

J. Sean Keane