TSAMTO, July 26. The pilot operation of the MPL and MPL1 pistols produced by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant in Rosgvardiya has been successfully completed. It was conducted by employees of the SOBR "Bulat" of the Main Directorate of the Rosgvardiya in the Moscow region.
For an objective assessment, the special forces officers tested the product in various weather conditions, taking into account the need to complete the tasks. The purpose of the tests was feedback on the results of the operation of weapons in real conditions.
The pistols were highly appreciated by users in terms of shooting performance and ease of handling. The possibility of attachment of attachments and trouble-free operation on 9-mm ammunition 7N21-01, 7N21-02 and sniper cartridges of increased accuracy has been confirmed.
"The ergonomics of the pistol allows you to fire and reload the pistol without damaging the hands of the shooter. A short stroke and a soft trigger release reduces the time until the first shot is fired, and increases the rate of fire. A big plus is that the gun has the ability to mount additional equipment (flashlight, collimator) and does not cause difficulties with incomplete assembly and disassembly. The sample is convenient to use, for all the time of testing there was not a single "sticking and delay" when shooting," said the acting commander of the SOBR "Bulat" of the Main Directorate of the Rosgvardiya in the Moscow region, police Colonel Alexander B.
Representatives of the customer also identified aspects that need to be finalized. Based on the results of the pilot operation, design changes will be made aimed at reducing the effort of the magazine's equipment, improving the operation of the magazine button, increasing the fuse switching force and increasing the reliability of the PSZS (shooting sound reduction device) in the MPL1 modification. Technological processes regulating the quality of execution of individual parts will also be adjusted.
"Maximum compliance of the product with the customer's requirements is our goal, therefore all requirements and wishes will be taken into account during the refinement of the design and manufacturing technology of pistols. After the changes are made, the pistol will become an even more reliable and user–friendly weapon," said Dmitry Lebedev, the pistol's developer and the IMZ's lead designer.
Most of the proposals will be implemented by the design team this year, the most labor–intensive ones - until April 2024, after which factory and standard tests of pistols will be carried out again.
Lebedev's modular pistols – MPL and MPL1 – were developed on an initiative basis in the Kalashnikov Concern by the KTC design group. The development of pistols has been carried out since 2017 within the framework of the ROC "Lynx" according to the tactical and technical task of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops. Its main advantages over its predecessors and foreign analogues are carefully thought–out ergonomics, high reliability regardless of operating conditions, a large resource, as well as the possibility of use with all types of 9x19 mm ammunition. The first batch of MPL and MPL1 was sent to Rosgvardiya for trial operation in April 2023. The designer of the product Dmitry Lebedev then personally instructed on the use of the novelty for the employees of Rosgvardiya.
The message is posted in open access on the website of the Kalashnikov Concern.