The OTs-14 "Groza" assault rifle is not the most widely known type of weapon. Few have seen him. Even fewer people were holding the "Storm" in their hands. At the same time, a bizarre-looking machine gun has actually been in service with the power structures of the Russian Federation for a long time. First of all, it is used by the FSB fighters. The baptism of fire "Groza" took place during the First Chechen War. Initially, the assault rifle was created for a very specific niche - sniper fire cover.
The development of the Groza rifle-grenade launcher began in Russia back in 1993. The project was based on the OTs-12 "Tiss" assault rifle, created on the basis of AKS74U. In fact, the "Thunderstorm" became the "Yew" carried over to the bullpup layout. A distinctive feature of the new firing system was that it fired automatic and grenade launcher shots with the same trigger. The action of the trigger was determined by switching to the appropriate mode of the fire switch located on the right side of the receiver. The assault rifle also received the latest U-shaped sight and equipment for installing numerous tactical accessories. An important detail was the fact that OTs-14 "Groza" and AKS74U correlate in details by 70%.
Developed "Groza" under the leadership of Valery Nikolaevich Telesh since 1992 on the basis of TsKIB SOO. The assault rifle was conceived as a modular shooting complex for performing a wide range of tactical tasks. From the very beginning, the OTs-14 was positioned as a weapon for special units, including the FSB special forces. The novelty was presented to the general public in 1994. At the same time, the baptism of fire of the machine took place. The "Thunderstorm" was used for the first time in the First Chechen campaign of 1994-1996.
An important feature of the "Groza" was the use of a special intermediate cartridge of 9x39 mm. The same ammunition at that time was already used in VSS "Vintorez", AS "Val" and SR-3 "Whirlwind". Separately, a modification was released for army special forces and field reconnaissance chambered for 7.62x39 mm. All this made the OTs-14 a formidable weapon at medium and close ranges. True, the "army" version, in contrast to the "special" version, was much less suitable for firefights in confined spaces due to the increased likelihood of a ricochet.
Special forces and intelligence officers highly appreciated the "Thunderstorm" already during the war in Chechnya. The assault rifle had a relatively small weight and dimensions, the "innovative" bullpup layout had a positive effect on the balance and ergonomics of weapons, subsonic ammunition 9x39 mm provided a monstrous stopping ability. They appreciated the military and modular design, which made it possible to turn the OTs-14 from an assault rifle into a submachine gun. The special forces also liked the presence of a regular grenade launcher.
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The early versions of "The Thunderstorm" had something to scold. The special forces were unhappy with the fact that the weapon gives too much powder gases that fly straight into the face and prevent the shooter from conducting long-term effective fire. The decision to use a single trigger for a grenade launcher and an assault rifle was also heavily criticized after gaining experience in real combat encounters. The Thunderstorm was also scolded for its short aiming line, which hindered rather than helped when firing. Finally, the scouts were unhappy with the low magazine capacity, which was only 20 rounds.
Continuing the topic, read about ASh-12 assault rifle: why Americans think he will let the Russians forget about the Kalashnikov.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/020621/59220/
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