The Kalashnikov Company reported that TsNIItochmash has supplied the first batch of cartridges for the new 9 mm automatic 6P72 pistol to the Russian Defense Ministry (Minoboron). The cartridges are fitted with a bullet of increased penetration (index 7N42) and a slower bullet (index 7U4). The SR-2 Udav pistol (Boa) is a Russian 9x21mm semi-automatic pistol, developed by TsNIITochMash). The pistol has been designed for purpose as a military issue sidearm to replace 9x18mm Makarov pistol. The 9x19mm variant of the pistol called Poloz is intended for use of law enforcement and its magazine can hold 15-rounds.
The SR-2 Udav is intended to replace the old Makarov, which has been in service since 1951 and remains the Russian Army’s most commonly-used pistol. The Russian Army chose the Udav pistol in August 2021. The pistol has successfully passed official trial in January 2019, getting approved for adoption by the Russian Army. The Udav pistol is a short recoil-operated, semi-automatic handgun. It uses a traditional Browning-type action with a tilting barrel that locks into the ejection opening in the slide. The trigger is of double action type, with an exposed hammer and ambidextrous safety levers on the slide.
The pistol features a polymer frame with a steel insert molded into it. There is no manual slide release lever. The slide hold-open device is automatically disengaged to chamber a fresh round as soon as a new, loaded magazine is inserted into the grip. This pistol uses double stack, double feed magazines holding 18 rounds. The magazine release button is ambidextrous and located at the base of the trigger guard. The Udav pistol can be equipped with an extended threaded barrel to accept a detachable sound suppressor (silencer). It also features a built-in rail under the barrel, forward of the trigger-guard for the easy attachment of lights or aiming devices.
TsNIITochMash (the Central Research Institute of Precision Machine-Building) is a Russian industrial design bureau which is a major designer and producer of weapons for the Russian military and MVD National Guard. TsNIITochMash determines the development of and develops small arms and simulators for them, individual field equipment, conducts R&D on control systems for precision-guided munitions (as well as protection against them), field artillery systems and new materials. It also develops most cartridges, from small arms up to 14.5×114mm, for the Russian Armed Forces.
