A photo from open sources
At the USSR Cosmonautics Museum, visitors are considering all sorts of wonders that equipped the Soviet cosmonauts: unusual clothes, tubes with inscriptions of various dishes. And long time only the elect knew that each astronaut among other things had a firearm with him. Of course, the astronaut’s pistol – it is something special.
The gun of Yuri Gagarin
Firearms were part of the astronaut’s outfit with times of Yuri Gagarin. The first weapon to be in space was Soviet Makarov pistol. Of course, no one suggested that Yuri Gagarin will fight in orbit with the green men, and on landing … The devil knows where he can be taken.
Today we know that on April 12, 1961, apart from the triumphant broadcast, about the next victory of Soviet science and technology was prepared version of the report of the tragic death of the first astronaut.
But the flight ended in triumph, the astronaut landed where and It was supposed, not in the forest, not in the jungle and not on the enemy territory. Gagarin didn’t have to fight off wild animals, bloodthirsty cannibals or shoot back from the “hirelings of the world imperialism. “But not everyone was so successful.
Abnormal landing “Sunrise-2”
March 18, 1965 Alesei Leonov first went out into the open space. Everyone knows about it. And here is the crew return story Belyaev-Leonov is already less circulated by the media. When landing refused automatic brake installation, and Belyaev with Leonov for the first time lowered the ship from orbit in manual mode. Cosmonauts landed in the remote taiga north of Perm, from where they were dragged only to third day.
If at that time a connecting rod bear came across the astronauts – the beast would provide itself with food for two weeks. In the battle with a hungry wild beast would not help the astronauts anything – from he could only shoot himself. Two astronauts would become heroes posthumously.
Unusual order
In 1979, A. Leonov, visiting the Tula arms factory, talked about this “adventure” and turned to gunsmiths with request to come up with weapons for astronauts for such contingencies situations. And Tula lefties began to invent. In 1982 they brought three options of weapons to Star City: self-loading shotgun, revolver and three-barrel pistol. Gun astronauts rejected immediately: “In space, every kilogram and every cubic centimeter on the account “, a revolver with different-sized chambers (chamber) them also did not like, but the gun was interested.
“Poacher’s Dream”
The TP-82 pistol had three barrels: two smooth 32 caliber and one 5.45mm rifled, and an attached butt – machete in a case. The form machete allowed to use it as an ax, as a shovel and intended use. During training, the astronauts in two days they cut down up to several cubic meters of wood.
A photo from open sources
Two smooth barrels were intended for firing shots and signal cartridges, rifled – for firing bullets. Under the weapon special types of ammunition have been developed. 5.45mm the cartridge included a half-shell bullet with a steel core and hole in the nose to increase the expansive action. The striking effect of such a cartridge was 8-10 times superior the performance of a conventional 5.45 mm machine gun cartridge.
A photo from open sources
The astronauts could not resist and “tested” TP-82 in terrestrial conditions. From smooth trunks foxes, hares, partridges, pheasants, ducks, black grouses, geese and grouse. Boars were beaten from a rifled barrel and moose. Effective firing range was: 40m. fraction and 200m a bullet.
A photo from open sources
The gun performed well in rain, blizzards, fog, icing, heat and cold. “Poacher’s Dream” dubbed TP-82 astronauts.
With weapons on board
The gun was received, special pockets were made on the spacesuits for carrying a gun. In 1982, started the Soviet-French Soyuz T-6, the Soviet part of the crew was first equipped with a new miracle weapon. (The Frenchman looked enviously at the Russian “miracle guns”: “Let me see, eh?”, But he was strictly told: “Don’t paw, not yours.”) Since that time, TP-82 became a friend of the Soviet cosmonaut.
The vast majority of astronauts are former pilots. They could not help but Tell friends about a new secret weapon. The pilots demanded such a gun and myself. Cosmonaut Training Center Leadership arranged wards smash (Who blabbed the state secret ?!), but they didn’t look for the guilty. In 1986, the pilots achieved their goal, and TP-82 was adopted by the USSR Air Force, pilots armed with it long-range aircraft in case of emergency landing.
In 1987, the production of pistols and ammunition was discontinued, but another 30 years by Soviet and then Russian cosmonauts flew into space with the “poacher’s dream” on its side. In 2007 came out Warranty period for storage of ammunition and the crew of the next ship gave out the good old PM.
Declassified but still inaccessible
In 1986, the gun was declassified and first shown to the public at the exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the flight of Yuri Gagarin. Today on its base was developed by Vepr-2 for military pilots. Geologists surveyors, travelers would also like to have something similar, but civilians will not receive such weapons. Sell the population “kulak sawed-offs” is prohibited by law.
A photo from open sources
A photo from open sources
As for weapons for astronauts, in 1984 The designers of the Military Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces developed a laser pistol. The pistol did not go into the series and its only the surviving specimen can be seen in the museum of the academy. Were there still what developments and most importantly, what are they flying into orbit with today astronauts – unknown: military secret!
Posted by Klim Podkova
USSR time �
