9×39mm

9×39mm
Type	Rifle, subsonic
Place of origin	Soviet Union Russia
Production history
Designer	Nikolai Zabelin
Designed	1980s
Specifications
Parent cartridge	7.62×39mm
Case type	Rimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	9,25 (SP-5) 9,26 (SP-6)
Shoulder diameter	10.36 mm (0.408 in)
Base diameter	11.35 mm (0.447 in)
Rim diameter	11.35 mm (0.447 in)
Rim thickness	1.50 mm (0.059 in)
Case length	38,76 (СП-5) 38,78 (СП-6)
Ballistic performance Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy 16.8 g (259 gr) 280 m/s (920 ft/s) 658.5 J (485.7 ft·lbf)

The 9×39 mm is a Soviet / Russian rifle cartridge. It is based on the Russian 7.62×39 mm round, but with an enlarged neck to accommodate a 9 mm bullet. The cartridge was designed by N. Zabelin, L. Dvoryaninova and Y. Frolov of the TsNIITochMash in the 1980s. The intent was to create a subsonic cartridge for suppressed firearms for special forces units that had more power, range and penetration than handgun cartridges. The 5.45×39 mm cartridge introduced in 1974 for AK-74 lacks bullet weight for acceptable energy at subsonic velocities. The bullet of the 9×39 mm is approximately 16 g (250 gr), double that of the 7.62×39 mm, and is subsonic. This slow velocity does not produce a sonic boom, but does limit the effective range of a weapon when compared to non-suppressed assault rifles. The round has an effective lethal range of 300 to 400 meters and a maximum penetration of up to 10 mm of steel. Like the 5.45×39mm cartridge, 9×39mm SP-5 features an airpocket in the tip, which vastly improves its capability to yaw; with such a long projectile, yawing can be quite violent.

Variants

Cartridge	SP-5	SP-5UZ	SP-6	SP-6UCh	PAB-9	SPP	BP
Type	sniper	test (increased charge)	armor piercing	training	armor piercing	sniper (increased penetration)	armor piercing
Bullet weight	up to 16.8 grams		about 16 grams		up to 17.3 grams
Muzzle velocity	280–320 m/s		280–320 m/s		280–320 m/s
Muzzle Energy	658.5-860.1 J				678.1-885.7 J
Maximum penetration			up to 10 mm of steel		up to 10 mm of steel

SP-5 (7N8) - The SP-5 (СП-5) (SP: Spetsialnyj Patron; "Special Cartridge") was developed by Nikolai Zabelin. It is a conventional lead core FMJ bullet, but developed for accuracy.

SP-5UZ - The SP-5UZ (СП5-УЗ) is an SP-5 variant with an increased charge intended for a factory-specific strength testing of the weapons.

SP-6 (7N9) - The SP-6 (СП-6) was developed by Yuri Frolov. It has a hardened metal armor piercing core. It can penetrate 2 mm (0.079 in) of steel at 500 meters or 6 mm (0.24 in)of steel, 2.8 mm (0.11 in) of titanium or 30 layers of Kevlar at 200 meters. At 100 meters it penetrates 8 mm (0.31 in) of steel, while retaining enough power to neutralize a soft target behind it.

SP-6UCh - The SP-6UCh (СП-6УЧ) is an SP-6 variant intended for training.

PAB-9 (7N12) - The SP-6's bullet is expensive, so an attempt was made to make a lower-cost version of the cartridge. The PAB-9 (ПАБ-9) used a stamped rather than machined steel core. It sacrificed too much performance to be usable. As of 2015, its usage is prohibited.

SPP - The SPP (СПП) (SPP: Snaiperskie Povishennaya Probivaemost; "Sniper - Increased Penetration") is a sniper round with an increased penetration.

BP - The BP (БП) (BP: Broneboin'ie Pulya; "Armor-Piercing Bullet") is an armor-piercing round.

Weapons

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

• 9A-91
• AK-9
• AS "Val"
• OTs-12 "Tiss"
• OTs-14-4A "Groza"
• SR-3, SR-3M "Vikhr"
• VSK-94
• VSS "Vintorez"

References

• Jane's Infantry Weapons 1997-98 (23rd ed.). Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group. p. 458. ISBN 0-7106-1548-5. 
• Modern Firearms - Special Purpose Cartridges of USSR and Russia
• http://www.militaryparitet.com/nomen/russia/strel/patroni/data/ic_nomenrussiastrelpatroni/1/

External links

Cartridges

• left to right : SP-5, SP-6, PAB-9, BP, SPP
• left to right : SP-5, SP-6, PAB-9, SPP, BP
• left to right : SP-6, BP (2006), PAB-9, BP (2008)

Bullets

• left to right : SP-5, SPP, SP-6, PAB-9, BP (?), BP (2006), BP (2008)