The deliveries of the state-of-the-art 9x21mm Udav pistols for the Russian Defense Ministry’s combined arms forces began in 2021. In 2023, there are plans to begin the deliveries of the handgun specially furnished with a silencer, the press office of the Rostec state tech corporation told TASS on Friday. The pistol’s version for the general-purpose forces has already been delivered to the troops, Rostec said. The Defense Ministry was beginning the purchases of new Udav pistols in two modifications (for combined arms and special-purpose forces) to replace the Makarov pistol.
The Udav handgun has been developed by the Central Research Institute of Precision Machine-Building (TsNIITochMash, part of Rostec). The latest pistol’s design incorporates original solutions that give it some advantages over the CZ, Glock, Walther, Colt and other pistols. Its patented technologies include the magazine’s design as an indicator of the number of rounds, which helps determine a fully-loaded magazine both visually and tactually. Besides, the pistol’s equipment set includes a silencer with a replaceable heat-absorbing module and two types of rounds with an increased piercing capacity and the bullet’s reduced speed.
The design of the semi-automatic 9mm caliber Udav pistol is completely Russian. The interdepartmental commission, which decides on the admission of the Udav pistols to mass production, has completed its work, and the pistol received the classification letter “O1”. In addition, two completely new cartridges were developed specifically for the pistol: subsonic and increased penetration. The pistol grip is made of modern composite materials, the strength of which allow it to be operated in temperatures from -50 to +70 degrees Celsius.
Its magazine capacity is 18 rounds, which is 10 more than the Makarov. Udav can use a full range of 9x21mm cartridges, including tracer, armor piercing and hollow-point rounds. The Udav has an effective firing range of 100 meters. The pistol is capable of piercing individual armor vests (including fabric vests) and Type II helmets at a distance of up to 75 meters. The Udav can operate within a temperature range of minus 50 degrees to plus 50 degrees Celsius. The pistol weighs just 780g with its magazine (without rounds) and is 206mm long and 145mm high. The magazine’s capacity is 18 9x21mm rounds. It has a guaranteed service life of 10,000 shots.
