TP-82
TP-82 | |
---|---|
| |
Type | Combination gun |
Place of origin | Soviet Union |
Service history | |
In service | 1986–2006 |
Production history | |
Designer | Igor Aleksandrovich Skrylev |
Specifications | |
Weight | 2.4 kg (with stock) |
| |
Cartridge | 5.45×39mm (below) and 12.5×70 shotgun shells (above) |
Barrels | 3 |
Effective firing range | 200 meters |
Feed system | Break-open |
Sights | Iron |
The TP-82 (Russian: ТП-82) was a triple-barrelled Soviet pistol that was carried by cosmonauts on space missions.
It was intended as a survival aid to be used after landings and before recovery in the Siberian wilderness. The TP-82 was the result of cosmonaut Alexy Leonov's concerns after being stranded in the Siberian wilderness when his Voskhod capsule malfunctioned. He was concerned that the 9-millimetre pistol that was provided in the survival kit would be ineffective against the Siberian wildlife, namely bears and wolves.[1]
The upper two smoothbore barrels used 12.5×70 mm ammunition (40 gauge), and the lower rifled barrel used 5.45×39mm ammunition. The pistol could be used for hunting, to defend against predators and for visible and audible distress signals. The detachable buttstock was also a machete that came with a canvas sheath.
TP-82s were carried regularly on Soviet and Russian space missions from 1986 to 2006. They were part of the Soyuz Portable Emergency-Survival Kit (Носимый аварийный запас, Nosimyi Avariynyi Zapas, NAZ). In 2007,[2] the media reported that the remaining ammunition for the TP-82 had become unusable and that a regular semi-automatic pistol would be used on future missions.
See also
- Soviet laser pistol
- Combination gun
- M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon
- M30 Luftwaffe drilling
- List of multiple barrel firearms
- List of Russian weaponry
References
- ↑ Simpson, James (2015-02-03). "Soviet Cosmonauts Carried a Shotgun Into Space". War Is Boring. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
- ↑ "TP-82 : Russian space pistol / shotgun / carbine / flare gun no longer being carried into space - The Firearm Blog". The Firearm Blog. 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
External links
- Russia has the corner on guns in space - MSNBC, updated 2:09 p.m. PT, Tues., Feb. 12, 2008
- TP-82 : Russian space pistol / shotgun / carbine / flare gun no longer being carried into space (with photos) - The Firearm Blog
- Soviet cosmonauts carried a shotgun into space