PSM pistol

Common card · No. 287278

The PSM (Pistolet Samozaryadny Malogabaritny, Russian for "Small self-loading pistol") was designed by the Tula Design Bureau in 1969 as a self-defense firearm for law enforcement and military officers of the USSR. The pistol entered production at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant in 1973. The pistol was primarily intended for army high command staff. However, owing to its insignificant dimensions, especially its small width (21 mm (0.83 in) across the safety catch), it soon became popular with security (KGB) and law enforcement (militsiya) personnel. The PSM was also appreciated by higher echelon Communist Party functionaries.

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