Stechkin automatic pistol

APS
Stechkin automatic pistol
Type	Machine Pistol
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1951–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Vietnam war Soviet war in Afghanistan War in Donbass
Production history
Designer	Igor Stechkin
Designed	1948
Manufacturer	Vytatsky Polyany Machine-Building Plant "Molot"
Produced	1951–1959
Variants	APB silent variant
Specifications
Weight	1.22 kg (2.69 lbs)
Length	225 mm (8.86 in)
Barrel length	140 mm (5.51 in)
Cartridge	9×18mm Makarov, 9×19mm Parabellum.
Action	blowback
Rate of fire	750 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity	340 m/s (9×18mm Makarov)
Maximum firing range	200 m
Feed system	20-round detachable box magazine

The Stechkin automatic pistol or APS (Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Stechkina, Russian: Автоматический Пистолет Стечкина) is a Soviet selective fire machine pistol. It bears the name of its developer, Igor Stechkin.

Submachine guns such as the PPSh-41 or the PPS-43 were declared obsolete shortly after the adoption of the AK47 assault rifle. A new self-defence weapon was requested for artillery and mortar crews, tank crews and aircraft personnel, where a cumbersome assault rifle was deemed unnecessary.

Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin, recently graduated in 1948 from the Tula Mechanical Institute, began work on this new automatic weapon concept, competing against other prolific designers such as Vojvodin and Kalashnikov. Stechkin designed a select-fire pistol capable of accurate fire up to 200 meters, with the possibility of attaching a combination holster/shoulder stock. Field-testing of the first prototypes was undertaken from April to June 1949. A 20000 round endurance test against an Astra machine pistol, and a PPS-43 submachine gun proved that Stechkin's design was promising. However, the testing board showed flaws of the prototype, such as the lack of adjustability of the rear sight, the high weight (1.9 kg with holster), short sight radius, and the recoil spring located under the barrel.

A large redesign effort was made by Stechkin. He took several inspirations from the Makarov pistol, such as the general silhouette, slide rails, extractor. The gun was lightened, the trigger mechanism redesigned and simplified, and the trigger guard reshaped. After successful military tests, the APS was formally adopted on the 3rd of December, 1951.

The APS was issued to Red Army vehicle operators, artillery crew, and front-line officers and law enforcement, and was used in conflicts in Angola, Libya, Mozambique, Romania, Tanzania and Zambia. The APS was praised for its innovative concept and good controllability for its size. However, the high cost of the weapon, complex and time-consuming machining, combined with a limited effective range, large size and weight for a pistol, fragile buttstock, frequent stoppages and subpar ergonomics, led to the APS being gradually phased out of active service. However, the weapon found a new niche among special forces such as the Spetsnaz or FSB, who needed a more effective sidearm than the Makarov PM. The Stechkin APS was eventually replaced by the AKS-74U compact assault rifle in 1981, offering more firepower due to its much more powerful 5.45×39mm M74 rifle ammunition, acceptable accuracy at moderate distances, and greater magazine capacity.