What is this VSS Rifle? Zissou?

[ChuckMK23]

Someone who knows firearms - what is the deal with this weapon? (pic from current Georgia region)

Russian VSS - looks like some sort of supressed semi auto, magazine fed rifle.

What is it and how do I get a civ legal one?

Or let's just start with whet the hell is it?

Zissou? A4s? XMid? Anyone?

 

[squeeze]

9x39 suppressed medium range sniper rifle. Effective out to ~400 meters. Heavy, subsonic round designed to defeat body armor.

 

[A4sForever]

Squeeze is just too quick on the draw -- some additional info:

VSS 'Vintorez' silenced sniper rifle (USSR/Russia)

 

[nittany03]

Wikipedia article on the 9x39. Seems to have come about in the same manner as the 9x19mm cartridge a century ago. Fat chance getting the liberals to agree to import it . . ."ZOMG IT CAN FIT IN A BRIEFCASE! IT'S A SECRET AGENT SNIPER GUN! OH NOES!!!11!"

 

[Zissou]

9x39 suppressed medium range sniper rifle. Effective out to ~400 meters. Heavy, subsonic round designed to defeat body armor.

That's as much as I know about it myself. Never actually seen one.

Our equivalent is the 300 Whisper Light, 150 grain Corbon bullet at 2400 fps. And in my opinion the quietest rifle. Sounds like an air rifle.

 

[phrogpilot73]

And I'll weigh in on what I know about the pic... My guess is that's a Georgian soldier, vice a Russian one. Look at the cammies... It's no coincidence that we did an exercise with them - and now their cammies look like Uncle Sam's Misguided Children's...

 

[Clux4]

And I'll weigh in on what I know about the pic... My guess is that's a Georgian soldier, vice a Russian one. Look at the cammies... It's no coincidence that we did an exercise with them - and now their cammies look like Uncle Sam's Misguided Children's...

Same thing I thought. But the digital pattern seems to be the order of the day. I think I saw another military wearing something that looked like a digi pattern a few weeks ago. I want to say Colubian forces.

 

[eddie]

Why are the faces of these soldiers (seemingly both sides) so often covered in pics?

 

[A4sForever]

Why are the faces of these soldiers (seemingly both sides) so often covered in pics?

'Cause they know where you live & work ... plus it looks mean. Mebbe he's just got bad acne ... ???

 

[m0tbaillie]

'Cause they know where you live & work ...

Probably this. Georgia's only a country of about 4.9 million. That sounds like a lot, but I grew up in a city of about 6 million and you'd be surprised how many people you'll meet that already knows at least two or three people or has heard of you from within the same circles.

My best friend's Georgian and he can pick people out of the Parliament and be like "yea I know that guy's son/daughter/cousin" from <insert school/job here>.

Heck, I go to a school of about 45k students and I meet people every single weekend and I'll add them to Facebook the next only to find out that we'll have 5 or 6 mutual friends. Betting this guy doesn't want to make those same connections, however.

 

[Zissou]

They are all big on the balclava over there.

I dont know why though. They arent nomex, just cotton crap usually.

I'm sure everyone has seen the old video from 1990 something of the Spetnaz dude cutting the Chechen's throat open? He wasnt trying to hide his face with the mask, thats just how they roll.

GROM in Iraq wore ski masks all the time too.

Must be an Eastern Euro thing?

 

[Mumbles]

^Since you brought them up Z, as an operator yourself, what are your impressions of Spetsnaz?? What do they do and not do well??

Thanks.

 

[m0tbaillie]

They are all big on the balclava over there.

I dont know why though. They arent nomex, just cotton crap usually.

I'm sure everyone has seen the old video from 1990 something of the Spetnaz dude cutting the Chechen's throat open? He wasnt trying to hide his face with the mask, thats just how they roll.

GROM in Iraq wore ski masks all the time too.

Must be an Eastern Euro thing?

Broseph you've got that video backwards, IF you're referring to the FacesOfDeath video. From what I remember that's a Chechen rebel cutting open the jugular of a Russian Army regular. But you're right. Some of those people just straight up don't give a shit - more than likely they've probably got nothing to lose.

 

[Zissou]

^Since you brought them up Z, as an operator yourself, what are your impressions of Spetsnaz?? What do they do and not do well??

Thanks.

I have worked with four former Spetnaz at my current job. They have alot of lessons learned from Afghanistan. We are still learning from detailed debriefs of their experiences.

SOF guys tend to be very similar regardless what nation they serve and thats been true of SPETZNAZ guys. We get along well.

They had a shitty budget and that reflects on them in the predictable ways. They dont work well with air or water assets, its too expensive to train with CAS.

Their profieciency at the common tasks of field soldiering is great. They nav well, excellent field discipline, good shooters.

But they are absolutely brutal people.

There is a guy who goes by the name Sonny, he teaches AK shooting classes to civilians in the states. He is an excellent example of your MK1 MOD 0 Spetznaz dude. Intelligent, aggressive, and brutal.

 

[Zissou]

Broseph you've got that video backwards, IF you're referring to the FacesOfDeath video. From what I remember that's a Chechen rebel cutting open the jugular of a Russian Army regular. But you're right. Some of those people just straight up don't give a shit - more than likely they've probably got nothing to lose.

You are correct, its a Chechen killing a Russian.

The soldier's name was Alex Lipatov evidently.

Regardless, they dig ski masks in Eastern Europe.