Russian arms manufacturer Kalashnikov Concern is ready to roll out the brand new PPK-20 9mm submachine guns from its factories this year, the company’s CEO Dmitry Tarasov said on the sidelines of the ongoing IDEX-2021 being held in Abu Dhabi. The IDEX is considered the largest defense expo in the Middle East.
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Tarasov stated that the deliveries will begin sometime this year. Last September, the company announced the firearm’s clearance of trials and deemed ‘fir for mass production’.
The PPK-20 is an upgraded version of the proven Vityaz-SN submachine gun, popularly called the ‘Russian MP5’. Along the similar lines of most pistol-caliber submachine guns in the market, the Vityaz is a lightweight blowback 9mm firearm with a 9.4-inch barrel capable of engaging targets as far as 100-200 meters.
“Differences from the Vityaz are the reworked firing mechanism, the more advanced butt-stock, the silencer, and the new switch,” Russian News agency TSS quoted Tarasov as saying. The PPK-20 passed state trials in 2020, he said.
Interestingly, the firearm’s controls and appearance are very similar to the AK platform, with a right-hand side reciprocating charging handle and 3-position fire selector – safe, semi, and, full-auto modes.
Due to the external appearance, many people believe it to be a scaled-down version of the AK-47/M/74 rifles. However, in reality, the only internal features similar to the AK are the trigger group and safety.
As stated above, the submachine gun features a closed bolt, straight blowback method of operation, having no locking mechanisms. This also aids in achieving a high rate of fire (approximately 800 rounds/min) from a lower-powered cartridge.
Due to the high amount of firepower and lighter weight provided by a submachine gun, these firearms are favorites of special forces units around the world for close-quarters battle (CQB) operations. The Russian arms manufacturers were also contacted by the country’s Special Forces units to provide a modernized submachine gun as a replacement for the PP-19 Bizon.
The PPK-20 sports the new AK-19 style six-position adjustable buttstock which can be folded to the left, a new pistol grip, and a very welcomed feature- an additional spur on the fire selector switch.
Picatinny rails have been added to the receiver cover, handguard’s right side, and bottom slotted flash. The most notable addition is its compatibility with a quick-detach suppressor, making it on par with the most advanced submachine guns in the market.
