Arsenal Shipka

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Shipka
Type	Submachine gun
Place of origin	Bulgaria
Service history
Used by	Bulgaria
Production history
Designed	1996
Variants	cal. 9x19mm Parabellum (magazine 25 rounds)
Specifications
Weight	2 to 2,2 kg without magazine
Length	338/625 mm
Barrel length	150 mm
Cartridge	9x18mm Makarov
Action	blowback
Rate of fire	700 round/min
Feed system	32 rounds

The Shipka is a 9 mm Bulgarian submachine gun produced in 1996 by the Bulgarian company Arsenal. The name is a reference to the famous Shipka Pass, near Arsenal's Kazanlak headquarters, in the Balkans where Russian and Bulgarian troops defeated the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, thereby liberating Bulgaria. The Shipka was developed for the Bulgarian police and military, and is widely exported.

The Shipka is a compact weapon originally intended for use by armored vehicle crews, pilots, and other shooters who might require either a close-quarter weapon or aimed shots at longer ranges.

The proto-type and pre-production versions of the Shipka were chambered in 9 mm Mauser and used a 30-round box magazine. Production versions were produced in 9x18mm Makarov.

The design is a straight forward blowback operation firing from open bolt. The lower receiver along with pistol grip and triggerguard is made from polymer, the upper receiver is made from steel. The simple buttstock is made from steel wire and folds to the left side of gun.