There is one thing that Mikhail Kalashnikov is known for, the iconic AK-47 rifle. But now, we get to learn that he actually designed a pistol as his entry to the competition for new pistols for the Soviet Red Army. In a video released by Kalashnikov Concern last 19 October, we finally get to see the prototype pistol he built for the combat pistol competition.
Called the Kalashnikov Automatic Pistol (APK), it was designed in the 1950 as after World War II, the Red Army called for a combat compact pistol that officers can use, and another pistol that can be used as a Personal Defense Weapon (PDW).
Kalashnikov decided to enter the competition with the APK. Using the 9 x 18 cartridge, the magazine has a capacity of 20 rounds. Fire modes are full-auto and semi-auto with the fire selector doubly works as a safety. The pistol itself is a straight blowback action. He designed the holster to be used as a detachable stock which we see as a neat design allowing the soldier to use the APK with the holster as a stock for a more stabilised shooting. As a PDW, it is intended for use by operators of vehicles, artillery crews, and law enforcement which probably is the Military Police or the Voennaya politsiya or VP.
The pistol showed on the video below was not fired and we do not know if actually can still fire a bullet. Only a few prototypes are remaining and the one in the video is probably a museum piece.
As mentioned in the video, the APK lost to the Stechkin Automatic Pistol (APS). Designed by Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin, at that time a new graduate in 1948 from the Tula Mechanical Institute, it is like the APK in a way that is a select-fire weapon, uses the same 9 x 18mm Makarov Cartridge, also uses its holster as a detachable stock, and is a straight blowback pistol.
Stechkin Automatic Pistol (Source:Wikipedia)
It was adopted in 1951 after completing tests by the Red Army successfully. However, it was phased out later due to costs, longer production, issues in ergonomics, too heavy and big, as well as it had frequent stoppages. It was used by the FSB and Spetsnaz. The AKS-74U took over the APS as the main PDW weapon in 1981. According to Wikipedia, the OTS-33 Pernach is a derivative of the APS.
If anyone is interested in making an airsoft version of the APK, they better get a licence from Kalashnikov Concern as the company is now aggressive in protecting its intellectual property worldwide.