Makarov's pistol, which has been in the "service" for more than 70 years, has become such a familiar attribute of a Soviet, and then a Russian officer, policeman, policeman, that it seems that no one will come up with anything better. In any case, for mass, serial production. Since the 1980s, they have been saying that Makarov is morally outdated, but he is still in service. In the world of small arms, it is not so easy to push a reliable and simple design off the pedestal, even with certain disadvantages and obviously retirement age. But time does not stand still, other requirements are now being imposed on small arms, not only in accuracy and accuracy, but also in ergonomics, design, and the ability to carry a payload, such as a flashlight and a laser designator.
And there is such a gun in Russia, and it seems that soon he will become the rightful heir of Makarov.
We talk about the novelty of the Kalashnikov concern – the Lebedev pistol, which entered service a year ago, and explain why short-barreled guns need modularity.Designer Dmitry Lebedev is a student of the famous athlete–shooter and designer of sports weapons Efim Haidurov.
Lebedev is also an excellent shooter and I am sure that the designer should be able to shoot, because who but the creator of the model can feel the advantages and disadvantages of his brainchild in business. Lebedev "got sick" with pistols as a child and still believes that their design is the pinnacle of engineering art in the field of creating small arms. In submachine guns and machine guns, they say, there is a lot of space, but in a pistol everything is compact, therefore it is more difficult to perform tasks, and there should be more virtuosity and sophistication of ideas.
The evolution of the idea took place as follows: first – a sketch on an ordinary notebook sheet, then – a model made of sculptural plasticine, then additive technologies helped to embody the shape of the weapon – and the layout printed on a 3D printer began to resemble a real pistol. Such "sculptural" work made it possible to calculate the ergonomics and balance of the future weapon, to approach its creation taking into account modern ideas about human biomechanics. In particular, the handle, its dimensions and tilt should be convenient for both the right and left hands, make it possible to comfortably shoot offhand, taking into account the recoil, etc. It was here that the lessons of sports shooting and the construction of sports weapons came in handy for Lebedev. After all, sports weapons are created precisely to achieve ideal results.
Photo: Igor Rodin The official history of the Lebedev pistol began in 2014, hence the abbreviation – PL-14.
The management of the Kalashnikov concern then decided to initiate the development of a new combat pistol, and Lebedev was invited as its designer.
Already the following year, a prototype of a new 9×19 mm pistol was presented at the Army – 2015 forum. It was, perhaps, the first domestic weapon, the concept of which was developed taking into account the developments and wishes of both security forces and athletes.
Therefore, the pistol turned out to be universal, suitable for everyday use by law enforcement officers, and for performing special tasks, and for practical shooting competitions.
Photo: Igor Rodin
One of the main advantages of the new weapon was its ergonomics, balance, convenience and a completely new aesthetic. The two–sided arrangement of the controls, which allows you to work with both right and left hands, a replaceable barrel, a Picatinny rail - everything attracted attention. Comfort, convenience, reliability and in addition increased security. The decision of the trigger mechanism negates the possibility of spontaneous firing.
In 2017, Kalashnikov began work on the creation of a pistol on the instructions of Rosgvardiya. They became the MPL model (Lebedev Modular Pistol). Modular – because the creators of the weapon worked on the design as a universal platform. In the same year 2017, a compact version of the pistol, called the PLC, was presented to the police and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. This is a lighter model, with a shorter barrel and a weight slightly less than the usual police "Makarov". But there are more cartridges in the store than the Makarov – 14, and in the MPL version – 16 cartridges.
Photo: Kalashnikov Concern
Lebedev and his team were constantly working on improvements and on various modifications of the new pistol. As a result, the MPL-1 for special forces with a low-noise shooting device, a sports version, and a traumatic pistol for the civilian market appeared on a single platform. A flashlight, a laser designator, an elongated barrel for installing a silencer – as they say, everything is provided for the convenience of the client in the pistol. You can change both the front sight and the rear sight, and install a collimator sight. You can shoot with both conventional 9×19 mm Parabellum cartridges and high-pulse armor-piercing 7H21. A fighter armed with an MPL is in no way inferior to the coolest characters in computer games, only this weapon is real.
Already entered service after successfully passed state tests at the beginning of 2021, the MPL was received by Rosgvardiya, and last autumn Lebedev pistols began to arrive at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The revolution in the pistol business, which has been talked about for so many years, seems to have happened.
