Pl 15k Lebedev compact pistol. Replacement for Makar: Lebedev's pistol is the best, but its prospects are vague

Pistol Lebedev PL-14, prototype. Right side view

Pistol Lebedev PL-15, prototype

Lebedev PL-15 pistol with a silencer installed

Pistol PL-15K

Shooting from a PL-15 pistol with a silencer installed
When shooting, standard 9x19 cartridges with a supersonic bullet were used. When using cartridges with a subsonic heavy bullet, the sound of the shot will be even quieter

Pistol PL-15 designed by designer Dmitry Lebedev, who works in the Kalashnikov concern. Dmitry is a student of the legendary sporting weapons designer Efim Khaidurov, and has been developing experimental pistols for many years.

The development of a pistol under the PL-14 index began in 2014. The purpose of developing a new pistol is to create a service (combat) pistol for the police, army and special services, as well as variants based on it for practical sports shooting. The new pistol was based on a number of basic concepts, namely: optimal ergonomics, safe handling, high reliability with any 9x19 cartridges, full “two-sidedness”, high resource (at least 10,000 shots when using reinforced armor-piercing cartridges 7H21). The Lebedev PL-14 pistol was first shown to the public in June 2015, in 2016 its improved version was shown at the Army-2016 exhibition under the designation PL-15. In 2017, at the next Army exhibition, new versions of the pistol were shown - the PL-15-01 with a shock trigger and the compact version of the PL-15K. At the time of publication (autumn 2017), the development of the Lebedev pistol continues.

The Lebedev PL-15 pistol uses automatics using the recoil of the bolt coupled to the barrel, with a short barrel stroke. The lowering of the breech when unlocking is carried out by a curly tide under the breech. The barrel bore is locked when the protrusion in the upper part of the barrel is engaged with a window for ejecting cartridge cases in the bolt. The frame of the pistol is made of aluminum alloy, in the future it is planned to use a frame made of impact-resistant polymer. The shape of the handle of the weapon provides a comfortable and natural grip of the weapon, while the maximum thickness of the handle is only 28mm.

The trigger mechanism in the basic version is a hammer, with a hidden trigger and an inertial drummer. Shooting is carried out in self-cocking mode for each shot (trigger only double action), while the trigger pull is 4 kg, and the full trigger travel is only 7 mm. Additionally, a manual fuse was introduced into the design, when turned on, the disconnecting trigger with a trigger and having two flat, conveniently located levers on both sides of the weapon. A version of the PL-15-01 pistol has also been developed, which has a single-action striker trigger, with a significantly reduced trigger pull and trigger travel.

The design provides for an indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber, made in the form of a pin protruding from the rear end of the bolt when there is a cartridge in the barrel. The slide stop levers are also reversible, as is the magazine release button. Cartridges are fed from detachable double-row magazines with cartridges exiting in one row. Sights are open, unregulated, installed in dovetail grooves. On the frame under the barrel there is a Picatinny rail for installation additional equipment(LCC, flashlight). The PL-15 pistol can be equipped with an elongated threaded barrel for mounting a quick-detachable muffler.

In 2015, at the international forum "Army-2015", a new Russian pistol PL-14. The development of this weapon was carried out by specialists from the Kalashnikov concern, and the project was led by Dmitry Lebedev, a student of the famous designer, shooter and trainer Efim Khaidurov. It is easy to guess that "PL" stands for "Lebedev's pistol", and the number "14" is the year the development of weapons began. The pistol uses "Parabellum" cartridges 9 × 19 mm.

The concept of the new pistol was created jointly by specialists from the Russian law enforcement agencies and leading domestic athletes, including Andrei Kirisenko, a well-known director and multiple national champion in practical shooting.

The Lebedev PL-14 pistol was developed for the needs of Russian law enforcement agencies: the Ministry of Defense, the police, and others. special services. Also, this gun is quite suitable for lovers of sports shooting. According to the developers, in the future the PL-14 will replace the "eternal" PM, as well as the Yarygin pistol, in which serious problems with ergonomics and resource were revealed during operation.

At present, the Kalashnikov concern is preparing for the start series production new pistol, this was announced at the beginning of March 2019 by the managing director of the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. True, such information looks somewhat strange, since previously there was no data on the successful passage of state or military tests by the pistol, as well as on its acceptance into service.

Before moving on to a review of this latest pistol, I would like to tell you a little more about the history of the creation of the PL-14, as well as about the ideas that were originally incorporated into its design.

How and why the Lebedev pistol was created

Back in 1951, the Makarov pistol was adopted, which for almost seventy years remained the main personal weapon, first of a Soviet, and then of a Russian officer. Despite the pretty good performance, its replacement is long overdue. In 1990, the then USSR Ministry of Defense announced a competition for the creation of a new pistol (R & D "Rook"). However, the collapse of the country seriously delayed the implementation of this project. Only in 2003, the development of the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, the Yarygin pistol of 9 mm caliber, was adopted by the Russian army. More or less massively, he began to enter the troops only at the beginning of this decade ...

However, the Yarygin pistol could not "take root" in the Russian army. Significant weight, lack of reliability and low resource - these are the main complaints about this weapon. The Russian-Italian Strizh pistol, which is often called the domestic Glock, was never adopted for service ...

The army needs a simple and reliable pistol, powerful, but at the same time convenient and versatile. Plus, you need a roomy magazine and a good rate of fire.

In 2014, at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant design bureau, a group of designers led by Dmitry Lebedev began developing a new pistol designed for the Russian law enforcement agencies.

Even before the start of work, the designers formulated several basic criteria that the new weapon must meet:

• high reliability and safety in handling;
• optimal level of ergonomics;
• "two-sidedness";
• significant resource (at least 10 thousand shots).

In 2015, the Lebedev pistol was first introduced general public. True, at that time the PL-14 was still at the prototype stage. Those few who managed to hold a pistol in their hands spoke with one voice about the excellent ergonomics of the weapon and its very hard descent.

The pistol initially received a double-action trigger with a large trigger pull (45N) and a significant hook stroke (7 mm). These were the wishes of the military regarding the safety of the use of weapons.

At the beginning of 2016 CEO Kalashnikov announced plans to start production of the Lebedev pistol in 2017. However, as they say, it was not judged.

Now the concern promises to start producing a pistol in this year and preparing a new production site for this.

The main modifications of the Lebedev pistol

After the first presentation, the PL-14 was reworked and refined for almost two years, periodically appearing in the news feed. In 2017, Lebedev introduced a new modification of his pistol - the PL-15 with a single-action trigger mechanism and a much lower trigger pull - 25N. Its course became shorter - 4 mm. The back of the pistol was slightly changed, the safety levers got a new shape, a hole for the strap appeared on the handle.

A compact version of the pistol was also presented - PL-15K with a length of 180 mm and a 14-round magazine. This modification will be produced with two versions of USM. There is information about the modification of a pistol with an elongated barrel with a thread to install a silencer. It is likely that some of the pistols will be produced with a plastic frame, and some with a metal one.

Earlier, Lebedev himself repeatedly stated that his pistol would become a kind of universal platform, on the basis of which it would be possible to create a whole line of short-barreled weapons. With different barrel lengths, trigger design, magazine capacity - depending on the preferences and wishes of a particular customer.

And this approach seems absolutely correct and justified. Currently, typical universal pistols do not exist, because the police have one requirement for weapons, the military has others, and the employees of special services or security structures have third ones.

True, the Kalashnikov concern has not yet officially presented the model range of the future pistol, and what modifications they plan to put into production and in what version they will be made - this is a great secret.

Overview of the design of the Lebedev pistol

Automation PL-14 works due to the recoil energy with a short barrel stroke. Its locking occurs due to the adhesion of the breech to the window through which the cartridge cases are extracted. The PL-14 frame is made of aluminum, but in the future it is planned to use impact-resistant plastic for other weapon modifications for its manufacture.

The safety of the pistol separates the trigger and the trigger.

The trigger mechanism of a hammer-type pistol with an inertial drummer and a hidden trigger. It is more comfortable to wear because the number of protruding parts is reduced. The design of USM PL-14 completely eliminates the possibility of spontaneous firing. The pistol has a system for indicating the presence of a cartridge in the chamber. The slide stop lever, as well as the magazine release button and the fuse, are located on both sides of the weapon.

The pistol is fed from a detachable two-row magazine for fourteen rounds. Sights PL-14 open type. On the frame of the weapon is a Picatinny rail, on which you can install additional equipment.

The developers paid special attention to the ergonomics of the weapon. The shape of the PL-14 handle provides a natural grip of the weapon. Its thickness is only 28 mm, which makes the weapon more convenient for concealed carry. The low location of the barrel axis reduces the toss of the pistol after a shot, but the weapon does not "sink" in the hand. The double-sided arrangement of the PL-14 controls allows you to fire both from the left and from the right hand.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Lebedev pistol

PL-14 has long been the subject of active discussion in in social networks and on specialized amateur forums small arms. The gun had time to literally "take apart the bones", describing in detail both its main advantages and main disadvantages. So let's start with the benefits:

1. Modern design and good ergonomics. Practically everyone who fired from it speaks about the convenience of the weapon;
2. Indicator of the presence of a cartridge in the chamber. It can also be called a definite plus of the PL-14, especially when using weapons in the dark;
3. Powerful cartridge, which is especially important for army weapons;
4. "Bilateral" pistol.

However, serious shortcomings were noticed in the design:

1. Recessed and "sleek" controls, a small trigger guard and a small shutter holding area put under big question successful operation of the PL-14 as an army pistol;
2. Big sizes. The length of the PL-14 is 220 mm. This is a lot, especially for police weapons. There is a direct analogy with the Stechkin pistol, which, largely due to its size, was replaced by a less bulky and more comfortable PM to carry;
3. A significant amount of weapons. It reaches almost a kilogram;
4. Very tight descent. The design of the trigger makes the trigger extremely tight (about 4 kg). This is even more than the famous "Nagant", which is considered the "standard" of a heavy trigger. On the one hand, such a design solution increases the safety of weapons, but, on the other hand, it cannot but affect the accuracy of shooting.

The performance characteristics of the PL-14

Below are the main performance characteristics of the pistol:

• Caliber, mm: 9;
• Length, mm: 220;
• Height, mm: 136;
• Thickness, mm: 28;
• Barrel length, mm: 127;
• Weight with equipped magazine, kg: 0.99;
• Magazine capacity - 15 rounds.

The Makarov pistol was developed in 1948 and still remains the main personal weapon of the Russian security forces. Another attempt to replace the obsolete PM was made by the Kalashnikov concern, having developed a compact version of the Lebedev pistol.

The weapon, also known as the PL-15, was first presented at the Army-2015 forum. Two years later, the Kalashnikov concern developed its compact version, called the PL-15K. The developers indicate that the new weapon was created as soon as possible, the first shots from the prototypes were fired on August 2 of this year.

« 99 percent of people who are required by the nature of their service to carry a gun will never use it. Therefore, it is possible to reduce performance characteristics weapon, making it less burdensome to carry. Adhering to this concept, we made a compact version of it based on the full-size PL-15”, - says the developer of the pistol Dmitry Lebedev.

The length of the PL-15K is 18 cm, the height is 13 cm, the mass of an unloaded pistol is 720 g. The caliber of the weapon is 9 × 19 mm, the magazine capacity is 14 rounds. The compact version of the Lebedev pistol is a complete analogue of its full-size "brother" and differs from it only in reduced dimensions. The pistol is modular, which makes it easy to change its barrel, sights and install accessories (flashlight, laser designator and silencer).

The Kalashnikov Concern, which is part of the Rostec State Concern, will launch the Lebedev pistol (PL-15) into serial production in 2019.

“Serial production (of the PL-15 pistol) will be in 2019, this is absolutely certain. All equipment is on the way,” Alexander Gvozdik told reporters, noting that the pistol will be produced in Izhevsk using new technologies. “The product will meet the consumer properties of the main customer both in terms of military small arms and in the direction of civilian small arms,” the managing director of IMZ emphasized. No other details about the start of mass production of the Lebedev pistol have yet been disclosed.

For the first time, the Lebedev pistol prototype was presented to the general public as part of the Army-2015 military-technical forum. And a modified and improved version of this pistol chambered for the 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridge, which is popular all over the world, was presented a year later at the Army-2016 forum. And in 2017, at the Army-2017 forum, the PL-15K pistol was presented to the public, which is a compact version of the standard PL-15 developed in the shortest possible time. The pistol is equipped with a Picatinny rail for mounting additional tactical devices, the PL-15 magazine is designed for 14 rounds. According to the assurances of the Kalashnikov concern, the novelty has a number of advantages, which include accuracy and accuracy of fire, a small thickness of the pistol and ergonomics of the handle.

Pistols PL-15K and PL-15 together

A compact version of the pistol, designated PL-15K and based on the full-size model, was introduced last year and is also a classic self-loading pistol. To reload the weapon, the move of the movable barrel is used, which, under the action of recoil, moves backward along with the bolt. The stroke of the PL-15K barrel when fired is short, that is, less than the shutter stroke. This automation scheme, chosen by the designers, allowed them to create a pistol with a minimum size. The design of the PL-15K pistol allows you to install a longer barrel on it, as well as various front sight and rear sight options. At the same time, the trigger stroke was deliberately made large, and the pressing force is 4 kg - this is more than that of analogues. A spontaneous shot is almost impossible.

The PL-15K version turned out to be even more compact, while retaining the 9x19 mm caliber and a 14-round magazine. The length of this version of the gun is only 180 mm, height - 130 mm. The mass of an unloaded PL-15K pistol is 720 grams. It is compactness that is called one of the main competitive advantages of the model. If the full-size PL-15, which is also difficult to call a giant, still has several fairly serious competitors in its segment, then the niche claimed by the PL-15K version is almost free from competitors. With the most successful development of circumstances, the compact pistol of Izhevsk gunsmiths will finally be able to supplant the almost eternal Makarov pistol, which enjoys unquestioned authority among domestic gunsmiths and industry, being in service since 1951.

Compared to its trouble-free, albeit already very old competitor, the PL-15K has a number of advantages, which include better ergonomics, accuracy, accuracy, and rate of fire, a small thickness and the absence of levers that protrude strongly beyond the side edges of the weapon. In addition, the model can be equipped with a self-cocking trigger, which allows you to safely carry a pistol with a cartridge in the chamber without the need to use a safety lever. An important fact is the use of more powerful 9x19 mm Parabellum cartridges, including the possibility of using armor-piercing ammunition. It is also important to increase the capacity of the magazine: the standard box magazine PL-15 and PL-15K is designed for 14 rounds, while in the PM there are only 8 rounds, the difference is almost two times.

The full name of this weapon is the Lebedev PL-14 pistol. This latest sample weapons in the concern "Kalashnikov", located, as you know, in Izhevsk. Led the development of the Russian pistol gunsmith Dmitry Lebedev, hence the name of the pistol.

AT given time the pistol is still being tested and improved, and it has not yet been adopted for service. According to assumptions, the new pistol should replace the familiar old man "Makarov", that is, the famous PM. In addition, the new weapon may also supplant the Yarygin pistol, which is armed with the Russian army and special agencies. In any case, the creators of the PL-14 do not hide this.

The history of the creation of the PL-14

The world first heard about the new pistol in 2015. Then the International Military-Technical Forum "Army-2015" was held in the Moscow region, where they demonstrated a sample of a new weapon. At the same time, the world also learned that the PL-14 pistol, made by the Kalashnikov concern, was designed to fire charges of 9x19 mm caliber.

It was also said that in addition to the team of designers led by Lebedev, specialists from the FSB, the Russian army, the police, and, in addition, sports shooters also participated in the work on the new pistol.

The difference between the PL-14 and other pistols

According to the developers, this type of pistol has a number of features that other domestic pistols have never had before:

• Excellent ergonomics, far superior to other domestic systems;
• The highest reliability. In fact, it is capable of firing any 9x19 mm caliber charge;
• The gun possesses a high degree safety in handling;
• The pistol is "double-sided", that is, it is equally convenient for them to shoot with both hands;
• The gun has a great resource. If you fire armor-piercing charges from it (and the design of the pistol allows you to shoot with such), then it is capable of firing at least 10,000 shots. If you shoot from a weapon with ordinary cartridges, then you can make much more shots.

In addition, here we must take into account that the pistol is currently being tested, which means that some of its characteristics may increase significantly.

TTX pistol

• Caliber - 9x19 mm;
• Length - 220 mm;
• Width - 136 mm;
• Thickness - 28 mm;
• Barrel length - 127 mm;
• Weight without cartridges - 800 gr;
• With cartridges - 990 gr;
• Magazine capacity - 15 rounds.

Those who held this weapon in their hands, and also fired from it, argue: despite the significant size and weight, the gun still does not give the impression of being bulky. Quite the opposite: thanks to well-thought-out ergonomic and design developments, neither the dimensions of the pistol nor its weight are practically felt when firing.

Design features

For its class, the pistol has advanced compact solutions: it is only 28 mm thick in the handle area, and 21 mm in the muzzle area.

Fuses and slide delays are located at the weapon on the right and left sides.

The pistol is equipped with a Picatinny rail for additional equipment.

The unconditional know-how of a weapon is a special indicator that can be used to determine whether there is a charge in the chamber. Such an indicator looks like a pin: the pin protrudes on the rear end of the bolt when there is still a charge in the chamber. The shooter, feeling for the pin, can make sure that the pistol is loaded and can be fired from it.

The developers assure that the pistol is so safe to handle that it can be carried without fear when there is a cartridge in the chamber - and in this case, an accidental shot cannot occur in any case.

Thanks to the well-thought-out design of the trigger mechanism, the pistol can be dropped onto a hard surface from a height, and the weapon will not fire spontaneously. In addition, the weapon has a rather long descent, and in order to shoot, the trigger must be pressed with force. This is intentional so that a stressed shooter cannot inadvertently pull the trigger. But in other modifications of the weapon (for example, in the sports version), the descent is supposed to be made shorter and easier.

According to the assurances of the designers, even non-standard cartridges can be fired from a pistol - if only their caliber was 9x19 mm.

In the first samples of the pistol, the frame was made of an aluminum alloy. In the future, it will be made from polymer material with impact resistant properties.

By the way: in addition to combat versions, it is also planned to produce sports modifications of the pistol.

Summing up

The review talked about some of the initial qualities of the PL-14 pistol. As already mentioned, now the gun is undergoing final tests. According to the designers, they will be completed at the very end of 2019.

What new qualities the gun will acquire will be seen after the end of the tests. As well as whether the pistol will go into service in Russian army and special agencies and whether he will force out "grandfather Makarov."

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.