Space pistol TP-82 (photo). An analog of the TP-82 called "Vepr"

Astronaut - a profession, not without reason enveloped in a halo of romance and heroism. Perhaps, there was not a boy in the USSR who would not dream of becoming one. The work of the toilers of space is associated with a constant danger, not only in space ... The landing of the descending capsule is a poorly predictable case. People can be anywhere, and therefore they may need protection. In the USSR, a specialized protective equipment was created - TP-82.

What it is?

In the early 1980s, a special pistol for self-defense of cosmonauts was created in the Union. The weapon had three barrels, based on a non-automatic scheme. The new gun was named TP-82. It became part of the rescue complex SONAZ. In appearance, the weapon looks like a double-barrel hybrid with a AK: two smooth 32-gauge barrels (hunting) are on top, and a 5.45 barrel is located below .

Background

For the first time the creation of such weapons was proposed by the legendary Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov. In 1979, he specifically visited Tula Arms Factory for this purpose. He told the gunsmiths about the incident in 1965: then the descent vehicle of the Voskhod-2 spacecraft landed in an unplanned location. More precisely, in the remote forests of the Perm region. The cosmonauts were looking for almost two days, during which people had a hard time.

In the forests of those there are many predators who would be clearly not averse to trying fresh cosmonauts. The situation was absurd because the latter would have absolutely nothing to defend in case of an attack. Leonov noted that, provided that the cosmonauts had at least some specialized weapons that could be repulsed from animals, they would feel much calmer. Already in 1981, the position of the man who first went into outer space, found broad official support. In 1982, the TP-82 was officially included in the rescue kit of all space expeditions.

The main purpose of weapons

It should be noted that this gun is not only cosmic. It is also intended for the armament of long - range aviation crews , who could be in the wild as a result of an unplanned emergency landing. Model TP-82 can be used for defense against predators, unfriendly people, criminal elements, and also for hunting. With the same gun it is possible to deliver light and sound distress signals in case of landing in a deserted, empty area.

Weapons were created in Tula. For the first time the pistol went into space with the crew of the Soyuz T-6 spacecraft in 1982. Four years later, it was officially included in the equipment of long-range aviation crews. The issue was completed in 1987. There is information that the TP-82 was used by Russian cosmonauts until 2007. By the end of this period, the period for the storage of ammunition that had been manufactured in the Soviet Union was simply over. It was considered inexpedient to resume their production.

Main technical characteristics

As we said, the weapon is a three-barrel non-automatic pistol. The two upper trunks are designed for more or less usual 32-caliber, while the lower one is charged with a special cartridge 5.45x40 mm. Recall that the Kalashnikov assault rifles use a 5.45 x 39 mm ammunition. For the adjustment of the lower trunk a special firing device is used, the force of which is regulated by three bolts.

The evacuation of shooting cartridges from the 32nd caliber occurs with the help of an ordinary extractor. To throw out the cartridge cartridge sleeve 5.45x39, you need to press a special button spring extractor, which is located at the bottom of the weapon. Thus, the TP-82 pistol is quite simple, and therefore when handling it, no problems for astronauts, who were mostly military pilots, did not arise.

To carry out recharging, the weapon should be broken, like a hunting rifle. On the left above the pistol grip there is a latch, which holds the entire structure. To break the space gun TP-82, it is shifted to the left. The trigger mechanism of the shock-hammer type, does not have a self-cocking. In general, its design is extremely simple, but there are some important features.

Sights and sighting devices

The peculiarity of the trigger mechanism is that the right trigger is responsible only for the right smooth trunk, while the left one can be switched at any time between the left and bottom trunks. Under the trigger guard there is a fuse button, locking the hammers. Sighting device space gun TP-82 has the simplest: mechanical, open type. This is done so that even in the most difficult conditions to minimize the probability of shooting down the fire.

Taking advantage of Tokarev's experience, the specialists provided for the use of a butt-holster. This simple device allows you to significantly improve the accuracy of shooting. Mounted holster to the bottom of the pistol grip. But this is not the main secret. The fact is that inside the holster, in a special rigid scabbard, was ... a real machete, only a relatively small size. Moreover, it was recommended to conduct the shooting exactly when it was inside the holster, since in this case the butt received the necessary rigidity. In short, the gun of astronauts TP-82 is a very unusual and extremely versatile weapon.

Characteristics of cartridges

Its peculiarity is also that it was intended to use cartridges specially designed for TsNIITOCHMASH for shooting. PF Sazonov led the creation of new and unusual ammunition. In total, three types of cartridges were developed. The first - a standard shotgun SP-D, for the creation of which they used the usual hunting 32-meter caliber. The cartridge 12.5 x 70 mm is completely analogous in its lethal effect to the ammunition used in hunting rifles with a barrel length of about 700 mm.

The second type, SP-P, is signaling. As its base, a simple hunting cartridge was also used . Actually, in its design it is a special light-and-smoke checker with a long burning time.

Finally, the SP-P bullet cartridge. For its equipment, a half-shell bullet of 5.45 mm caliber is used, crimped in a 40 mm sleeve. The core was made of hardened tool steel, a small hole was drilled to increase the expansive action in the bullet nose. According to the test results, the wounds from such an ammunition were several times more dangerous than from a standard automatic cartridge.

On the range of effective shooting

It was reported that when using a bullet cartridges, the range of effective shooting could reach about 200 meters, in the case of the use of fractions, this value was reduced to 40 meters. In the ammunition included exactly 40 rounds: ten SP-D and SP-C. All the rest are bullet. Ammunition fit in a special canvas pouch. The main difference between all these cartridges from their military and hunting prototypes was their maximum reliability, preserved even in conditions of low pressure, high and low temperatures, humidity.

Hunting use

Throughout the state testing period, the TP-82 pistol, whose photo you can see in the article, was intensively used as a hunting weapon. It was found out that with its help it is possible to extract practically all categories of small game, as well as birds, in shooting for which the TP proved to be particularly good. The rifled barrel could be used for the production of wild boars, goats, gazelles and even moose, provided that the animal's weight reached no more than 200 kilograms.

The testers were so impressed with the capabilities of the weapon that the latter received the apt nickname "poacher's dream". It was reported (unofficially) that when using conventional hunting cartridges of 32 caliber with an increased hinge of gunpowder and a large shot, it was possible to easily obtain moose weighing significantly more than two centners.

Overall efficiency of use

Very good was the signal cartridge. The noisy flash that arose when it was used gave a significant chance that people will be able to be noticed by search units. In short, TP-82 is a weapon that could be a great help for astronauts who found themselves in a remote taiga. Even the machete, which "hid" in the holster, proved to be great.

Alexander Herman, who was the head of cosmonaut training for survival, told that in two days (the standard duration of training), his wards, with the help of this blade, cut down a few cubic meters of wood. So the machete could be useful even when building a temporary home!

What is the overall impression of TP-82? The cosmonaut's weapon looks very solid and solid, it is made qualitatively. All the side parts, such as holster, pouch and machete, have the lowest possible weight. Weapons control units are made according to ergonomic schemes, even a person who has undergone minimal training can easily and easily manage them. Fuses provide complete safety of handling even with loaded weapons, completely eliminating the likelihood of a random shot. Specialists-gunsmiths liked the soft descent, the grip of the hilt and the verified balance of the pistol.

There is no hard necessity to attach a stock for firing, so if necessary, it was possible to proceed to defense immediately, without spending too much time preparing. It was reported that without a holster it was desirable to fire only shot, at short distances.

Termination

Finally, the tri-barreled pistol of the cosmonauts TP-82 was adopted in 1986. Soviet cosmonauts armed themselves with it, including during joint exercises with Americans and Europeans, training and missions. The release of weapons was discontinued in the late 1980s. The official reason is the accumulation of a sufficient number of pistols. The Tula people themselves say that during the disintegration of the state, the Kremlin authorities simply did not want to finance a "stupid" project.

The exact number of pistols collected is still unknown. It is assumed that the volume of output is unlikely to exceed 30-110 units (which is clearly very small). If you want to see this rare pistol firsthand, then you can visit the artillery museum in St. Petersburg, the space museum that is in the city of Moscow, or go to Tula.

"Boar"

For not too official information, there was (or exists) an analog of TP-82 called "Vepr". In reality, no one saw this pistol, there are no photos of it. Presumably, this ersatz was issued with a less strict OTK and was intended for commanders of long-range aviation. However, all this is just a rumor, as there is practically no official data on this weapon. Be that as it may, the "Vepr" was equipped with the same special cartridges, and therefore in 2007 the period of use of these weapons (even if it was) also came to an end.