How Is Firearms Testing Conducted in Russia?

Today, we will move away from the sniper topic and tell you about how weapons are tested in Russia, what types of tests exist, how they differ, and what they are.

Every weapon, from a pistol to a rifle, undergoes a multi-stage, comprehensive testing process before it reaches the user. Why is this necessary? To ensure that the equipment does not fail in a critical situation.

Weapon testing is a comprehensive process that evaluates the reliability, safety, accuracy, and durability of a weapon before it is adopted or released on the market.

This is not just a matter of "checking whether it shoots or not," but a rigorous scientific and technical process regulated by GOSTs, military standards, and international norms. In Russia, the concepts of testing and their types are regulated by GOST 16504-81 "System of State Product Testing: Testing and Quality Control of Products." There are a total of 12 types of testing, but we will focus on the main ones for small arms.

Ballistic tests

They include studies of internal, intermediate and final ballistics. In the process of conducting these tests, measurements of pressure inside the barrel, the speed of the bullet's exit, the accuracy of shooting, the nature and parameters of the disturbance of the bullet at the exit from the barrel, as well as the interaction of the bullet and the obstacle, i.e. determination of armor penetration. Ballistic tests are a broad and interesting layer of experiments, tests and research, which attracts the attention of even people who are not interested in the subject of weapons.

For example, most people have seen shooting at a kind of jelly at shooting ranges at least once. Well, this jelly is a special ballistic gel that mimics the physical properties of human flesh. Using this gel allows us to evaluate the damaging effect of a munition.

Another interesting process is measuring the pressure inside the barrel. To do this, a hole is drilled in the barrel, into which a special sensor (for example, a cracker sensor) is installed, which, after firing, allows you to obtain a graph of the pressure of powder gases formed after firing. Each such experience and research is the result of the work of a whole team of engineers, testers, and technologists.

Mechanical tests are carried out when measuring the parameters of the movement of the weapon's mechanisms, acoustic tests, and the determination of recoil parameters. These tests are equally interesting. For example, the method of high-speed video recording is often used. This method involves the use of a high-speed camera capable of capturing videos with a frame rate of more than two million frames per second. These parameters are necessary for capturing processes that occur in a matter of moments and for their subsequent processing. The method of high-speed video recording is used to determine the effectiveness of the muzzle brake, measure the speed of the moving parts of the automatic system, and assess the recoil. It is enough to make a few shots and get an impressive amount of useful data about the weapon.

Also a frequent guest at the tests - many familiar velocimeter. However, not everyone knows that, firstly, there are velocimeters of different types (mechanical, optical and electrical), and secondly, in addition to measuring the speed of the bullet, leaving the barrel, velocimeters are also used to measure the speed of the moving parts of the automation.

Acoustic tests are not so popular among people who shoot, however, they are an integral part of testing in design bureaus. When it comes to calibers larger than the standard 7.62, it is strictly necessary to evaluate the level of sound pressure on the shooter's ears, as a shooter with "one-time" ears will not bring much joy to anyone. To avoid such situations, acoustic tests are conducted to evaluate different designs of muzzle brakes, silencers, and, in cases where acceptable sound pressure levels cannot be achieved, to assess the feasibility of using hearing protection devices (tactical earplugs, artillery headset microphones, and active noise-canceling headphones).

Finally, we move on to the evaluation of recoil. As mentioned earlier, high-speed video recording techniques are often employed. The weapon is mounted on a special machine's carriage, creating an unsecured condition, and a shot is fired. This process is captured by a high-speed camera, and the resulting video is processed to determine the maximum recoil velocity and calculate the maximum recoil momentum and energy.

On every piece of small arms in our country, you can find test marks on the main parts of the weapon (the barrel, the bolt, the receiver, and the cylinder and frame in the case of pistols). These are most often the CIP, GIS, dome, etc. These markings are familiar to many, but not everyone knows what they mean. We invite our readers to delve deeper into this topic, as there is a lot of interesting work behind these letters and drawings.

The test stamp is a mark applied to civilian and service firearms and high-load parts, certifying that they have been subjected to individual tests and meet the requirements of GOST R 50529-2015 and the requirements of the C.I.P. We continue to reveal our nest of terms. In turn, the C.I.P. is the Permanent International Commission for the Testing of Small Arms, better known as the C.I.P. Without the creation of the C.I.P., gunsmiths would be like the builders of the Tower of Babel after they started speaking different languages. The Commission standardizes safety regulations, as well as the geometric dimensions of cartridges and chambers, regulates maximum pressures during firing, and much more. Currently, 14 countries are members of the PMC in the firearms industry.

This significantly increases the level of safety when using weapons, because more standardization -> better control -> higher quality. Testing stations certified by the commission are available in the participating countries to ensure that tests are carried out in accordance with the PMK. There are 4 such stations in Russia: in Krasnozavodsk, in Izhevsk and two stations in Klimovsk. Each of them has its own brand, looking at which you can immediately understand exactly where your weapon was certified. On our products, you can see the GIS stamps, which indicate that our products have passed all the necessary tests at the State Testing Station of the Russian Federation for Testing Handguns and Ammunition at JSC TsNIITOCHMASH.

Let's go directly to the requirements themselves. In Russia, safety requirements and safety test methods are regulated by GOST R 50529-2015. It describes in detail all the requirements and test methods for all small arms (up to slaughtering pistols for livestock). The geometry of the chamber in the weapon must comply with the standard C.I.P. (PMK). Weapons must comply with safety standards, are not allowed.:

- misfire;
- accidental triggering of the trigger mechanism when locking the weapon;
- accidental firing of multiple cartridges in a weapon with multiple barrels;
- jamming of the cartridge case during its extraction, caused by its abnormal deformation:
- perforation of the primer;
- deformation of the barrel and chamber, which damages the safety of the weapon;
- stretching of the barrel, including in the form of waviness;
- destruction of the soldered connection of hooks or couplings:
- damage or deformation of the locking mechanism parts:
- cracks on the main parts of the weapon;
- defects in the functioning of the weapon's mechanisms (the safety mechanism, the firing mechanism, the reloading mechanism, the locking mechanism, and the drum rotation mechanism)

During the testing of a weapon model, it is monitored for a variety of parameters before firing, during firing, and after firing. The functionality, reliability, and failure-free operation of all mechanisms are monitored. This extensive and rigorous list of tests and controls ensures the safety of the end user of small arms.
By handling a weapon with the markings of testing stations, you can be confident that your weapon meets all safety standards.

The presence of GOSTs, PMCs, and testing stations allows for the development of the firearms industry and the firearms community in key areas: safety, quality and standardization.