VSS Vintorez
The AS Val (Russian: АС «Вал»; Автома́т Специа́льный, romanized: Avtomát Spetsiálny "Val", lit. 'Special Automatic–Shaft'), GRAU designation: 6P30, is the assault rifle variant that features a folding stock and was developed in 1985. 'Special Sniper Rifle–Thread Cutter'), GRAU designation: 6P29, is a Soviet-designed specialised sniper rifle/designated marksman rifle chambered in the 9×39mm subsonic cartridge that features an integral suppressor and is capable of fully automatic fire.
VSS Vintorez

Vitaly V. Kuzmin · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Field
- sniper rifle.
- Period
- 1987.
- Region
- Soviet Union and Russia.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
The AS Val (Russian: АС «Вал»; Автома́т Специа́льный, romanized: Avtomát Spetsiálny "Val", lit. 'Special Automatic–Shaft'), GRAU designation: 6P30, is the assault rifle variant that features a folding stock and was developed in 1985. 'Special Sniper Rifle–Thread Cutter'), GRAU designation: 6P29, is a Soviet-designed specialised sniper rifle/designated marksman rifle chambered in the 9×39mm subsonic cartridge that features an integral suppressor and is capable of fully automatic fire.
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wikidata · Q390320 · wikipedia · VSS Vintorez
In this article
Development
Development
Its initial development began in 1983, and was shortly followed by the development of the AS Val. The VSS Vintorez and AS Val were developed by TsNIITochMash to replace modified general-purpose firearms, such as the AKS-74UB, BS-1, APB, and PB, for clandestine operations, much like the PSS Vul. Manufacturing began at the Tula Arms Plant after its adoption by the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union in 1987.
The VSS Vintorez was based on the RG-036 prototype that was designed in 1981 by TsNIITochMash. Further development of the VSS Vintorez was carried out in parallel with the AS Val, to provide a suppressed sniper rifle for Spetsnaz undercover or clandestine units and capable of defeating NATO body armour at ranges up to 400 m (440 yd) with as little noise as possible. The AS Val can trace its origins back to the 1960 U-2 incident, where the Soviets captured a US Air Force pilot (Gary Powers) alongside his equipment, including a suppressed pistol, which impressed them enough to issue a requirement for a similar Soviet weapon. The captured pistol was examined by the TsNIITochMash at Klimovsk by a team of designers that included G. Petropavlov, Yu Krulov, V. Sabelinikov, A. Neougodev, A. Deryagin, A. Khinikadze, I. Kas'yanov, P. Serdyukov, V. Petrov, and V. Levchenko. They pioneered the development of suppressed weapons and specialized ammunition in Russia. With increasing tensions between the West and the Soviet Union during the late 1970s and 1980s, and both the United States and the USSR locked in a war between proxies, the KGB and GRU ordered the development of small arms suitable for covert operations around the world and in 1981, weapon designers P. I. Serdyukov and V. F. Krasnikov of TsNIITochMash began working on a combination of a new suppressed rifle and subsonic cartridge.
Operational history
Operational history
The VSS Vintorez and AS Val were both issued to Soviet troops since the late 1980s. Both rifles were used during the First Chechen War in 1994 and the Second Chechen War in 1999, though they remained relatively obscure amongst Western intelligence agencies and similar organisations until the Russians deployed troops to South Ossetia during the Russo-Georgian War in 2008. During the conflict, both Russian and Georgian forces used the VSS Vintorez. Both the VSS Vintorez and AS Val were also seen in use by Russian Spetsnaz during the Russo-Ukrainian War. The VSS Vintorez was used in small numbers by the Security Service of Ukraine's Alpha Group, which was protecting the Ukrainian embassy in Iraq in the 2000s. By 2014, it was no longer in use by any security forces in Ukraine. According to Militarnyi, the VSS Vintorez was retired from service due to the lack of ammo. However, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, significant numbers of VSS Vintorez and AS Val were captured from Russian forces.
Design details
Design details
The VSS Vintorez and AS Val uses a modified Kalashnikov action, a gas-operated rotating bolt combined with an integral suppressor and chambered for the 9×39mm subsonic cartridge. The barrel of the VSS Vintorez is optimised for accurate sniper fire paired with the SP-5 (7N8) cartridge firing a heavy 250 grain FMJ bullet at subsonic speed, whilst the barrel of the AS Val is optimised for sustained automatic fire paired with the SP-6 (7N9) cartridge that features a hardened steel or tungsten tip to defeat body armour. Both the VSS Vintorez and AS Val feature a selective fire mechanism and use the same detachable box magazine design. The AS Val is primarily used with 20-round magazines and the VSS Vintorez is normally used in semi-automatic mode with 10-round magazines, whilst fully automatic mode is used for emergency situations, ambushes or attacks against soft-skinned vehicles such as trucks. Both rifles are also compatible with the 30-round SR-3M magazines. The magazines have a series of horizontal indentations to provide tactile identification and prevent confusion with Kalashnikov-pattern magazines. The indentations also provide rigidity to the magazine walls. The safety selector for the VSS Vintorez and AS Val is similar to Kalashnikov rifles. However, the fire selector that switches the firing mode is located behind the trigger.
Sights
Sights
The VSS Vintorez and AS Val can be broken down for transport in a special aluminium briefcase for clandestine operations. A PSO-1-1 (1P43) telescopic sight, a NPSU-3 night sight with a 3.46× magnification, and two magazines are included in the briefcase. According to Janes, the PSO-1-1 has a length of 375 mm (14.8 in) and weights 580 g (20 oz), while the night sight has a length of 340 mm (13 in) and weights 2.1 kg (4.6 lb). The VSS Vintorez and AS Val can also mount the PSO-1 telescopic sight of the SVD rifle, or the 1PN52-1 night sight. Both rifles also feature a built-in iron sights integrated with the suppressor.
Integral suppressor
Integral suppressor
The integral suppressor makes use of the dual-chamber principle: the propellant gases are vented through specially designed perforations along the barrel into the first chamber, where the hot gases cool down and lose pressure before passing through the second chamber via a series of mesh screens which break the gas stream even further before leaving the barrel. The resulting sound signature is significantly lower than an unsuppressed rifle, and even from a short distance it cannot be recognised as the discharge of a rifle.
ASM and VSSM
ASM and VSSM
The ASM (6P30M) and VSSM (6P29M) are modernised variants of the AS Val and VSS Vintorez, respectively. Both feature a redesigned dust cover with a Picatinny rail on top, as well as a removable Picatinny rail mount that shrouds the suppressor. The VSSM is fitted with a redesigned aluminium buttstock with an adjustable cheek rest and butt pad. New accessories, such as the 30‑round magazine and the 1P86 optical sight that features variable magnification of either 1× or 4×, come as standard. Deliveries began in 2018.
KO VSS
KO VSS
The KO VSS (Russian: КО ВСС) is a civilian‑legal, semi‑automatic only variant of the VSS Vintorez that features a Picatinny rail on the top cover of the receiver, similar to the VSSM. A variant that features a dovetail mount is designated as the KO VSS-01 (Russian: КО ВСС-01).
Users
Users
Armenia: VSS Vintorez were delivered to the Armenian Army by Russia amongst other weaponry. Azerbaijan Belarus: VSS Vintorez used by various special forces. Cuba: VSS Vintorez and AS Val are used by the Mobile Brigade of Special Troops. Georgia: VSS Vintorez and AS Val are used by the Georgian Army and police special forces, some configured with Aimpoint and Kobra red dot sights. India: VSS Vintorez used by MARCOS. Russia: VSS Vintorez and AS Val are used by Spetsnaz units, Federal Security Service (FSB) and OMON. Ukraine: VSS Vintorez and AS Val are used by the Ukrainian special forces.
Former users
Former users
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Soviet Union
Chronology
Dated record
Chronology
The full dated record · 2 entries
1987
VSS Vintorez first recorded.
1987
VSS Vintorez is recorded from 1987.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Schooler, Lynndon. Keeping Its Place in Russian Battle Space The AS Val 9×39 Special Purpose Assault Rifle. Small Arms Defense Journal. 13 October 2023.
- 2.Besedovskyy, Vlad. VSS Vintorez used by Ukrainian special forces in Iraq. Safar Publishing. 2 May 2023.
- 3.9 mm special assault rifle AS Catalog Rosoboronexport. roe.ru.
- 4.9 mm special sniper rifle VSS Catalog Rosoboronexport. roe.ru.
- 5.Guns of the Spetsnaz: Specially-Designed Silenced Long Guns – Small Arms Defense Journal.
- 6.Criminals with Vintorez and Val rifles were detained in Chernihiv region. Militarnyi. 6 June 2022.
- 7.Как обеспечивается баланс сил в Закавказье. vestikavkaza.ru. 14 July 2014.
- 8.Вадим Зайцев. Юрий Лямин. Силы специальных операций Азербайджана // журнал «Экспорт вооружений», № 4, 2021.
- 9.Ствол, с которым идут в разведку Еженедельник "Военно-промышленный курьер". vpk-news.ru.
- 10.Tropas Especiales "Avispas Negras". cuba-militaria.org. 8 April 2014.
- 11.Спецподразделения Грузии. АЛАНИЯинформ.
- 12.Armament of the Georgian Army. geo-army.ge.
- 13.P, Rajat. Elite special forces of Army, IAF, Navy get major weapons upgrade India News – Times of India. The Times of India. 19 July 2019.
- 14.ЦАМТО / Новости / В ВВО поступила партия модернизированных снайперских винтовок "Винторез". armstrade.org.
- 15.— " ". bratishka.ru.
- 16.ИЗДЕЛИЕ 1ПН51 ТЕХНИЧЕСКОЕ ОПИСАНИЕ И ИНСТРУКЦИЯ ПО ЭКСПЛУАТАЦИИ. 11. January 1992.
- 17.ЦАМТО / Новости / Разведчики ВВО в Приамурье получили партию специальных автоматов АСМ 'Вал' последней модификации. armstrade.org.
- 18.ЦАМТО / / Разведчиков ЦВО в Самарской области впервые вооружили модернизированным бесшумным оружием.
- 19.ЦАМТО / / Около тысячи автоматов АК-12 получил спецназ ЦВО в Новосибирской области в 2021 году.
- 20.Neville, Leigh. Modern Snipers. Osprey Publishing. 190. 25 Aug 2016. 9781472815347.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 5
- Ferguson, Jonathan. Raising Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine, 2014. Armament Research Services Pty. Ltd. 2014. 978-0-9924624-3-7.
- Galeotti, Mark. Armies of Russia's War in Ukraine. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2019. 978-1-4728-3345-7.
- Galeotti, Mark. Russia's Five-Day War: The invasion of Georgia, August 2008. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2023. 978-1-4728-5097-3.
- Johnston, Gary Paul. The World's Assault Rifles. Ironside International Publishers Inc. 2016. 978-1-61984-601-2.
- Jones. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2010–2011. Jane's Information Group. 2010. 978-0-7106-2908-1.
References
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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