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Category
Assault Rifle
Barrel
200 mm
Weight, empty
2.50 kg
Introduced
1987

About

What it is, and why it matters

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The AS Val is a semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9x39mm, produced by TsNIITochMash since 1987. Featuring a 20-round magazine capacity, this pistol offers generous firepower for duty use and home defense. The 7.9-inch barrel maximizes accuracy potential and ballistic performance, making this an excellent choice for target shooting, competition, or field use. At 2500g (88.2 oz), this is a substantial firearm whose weight contributes to reduced felt recoil and enhanced stability during precision shooting. The steel frame provides a solid, premium feel with the durability to withstand decades of regular use and thousands of rounds. Safety features include manual safety selector, cross bolt fire selector, reflecting modern design standards that prioritize safe handling and operation. This firearm represents its manufacturer's commitment to delivering a well-engineered, reliable product that serves the needs of discerning shooters seeking quality, accuracy, and dependable performance from a proven platform. With over 81 years of firearms manufacturing experience, TsNIITochMash brings established expertise in metallurgy, machining, and quality control to every product in their lineup, ensuring each firearm meets the standards expected by today's demanding market of knowledgeable shooters and professionals.

The AS Val was developed as part of a family of integrally suppressed 9x39mm weapons alongside the VSS Vintorez sniper rifle. Its existence was kept secret for years after adoption, with Western intelligence only confirming its operational use during the Chechen conflicts. The weapon gained widespread recognition through its appearances in video games including the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, Escape from Tarkov, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

The AS Val's integral suppressor is a key design feature, not a removable attachment. The suppressor contains an expansion chamber and series of baffles that reduce propellant gas velocity. The 9x39mm SP-5 ball round has a 16.2g bullet that provides penetration of 6mm steel plate at 100m, while the SP-6 armor-piercing variant can defeat body armor at similar ranges. Magazine options include 10-round and 20-round detachable box magazines. The rifle can be field-stripped into three main components (suppressor, receiver group, stock) for concealed transport. Weight figures vary by source: 2.5 kg is the rifle body without suppressor, while 2.96 kg includes the integral suppressor assembly.

Specification

Everything measured

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IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.

Manufacturer
TsNIITochMash
Category
Assault Rifle
Country
Soviet Union
Status
In production
Produced
1987

DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.

Barrel
200 mm
Overall length
875 mm
Weight, empty
2.50 kg
Weight, loaded
2.96 kg

ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.

Action
Gas operated rotating bolt
Firing mechanism
Hammer fired
Trigger
Single stage
Capacity
20
Magazine
Detachable box

MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.

Frame
Steel
Barrel
Steel
Stock
Polymer
Finish
Matte black

BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.

Muzzle velocity
295 m/s
Muzzle energy
705 J
Effective range
300 m
Maximum range
400 m
Rate of fire
900 rpm

Trajectory

What the round does downrange

Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.

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No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.

Features

What it has

What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.

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  • Integral suppressor
  • Rotating bolt
  • Select fire
  • Folding stock
  • Subsonic ammunition
  • Chrome lined barrel

Standing

How it compares

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Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.

MeasurementThis firearmMedianPosition
Empty weightAmong 274 assault rifles2.50 kg3.59 kgLighter than about 90%
Overall lengthAmong 271 assault rifles875 mm915 mmShorter than about 60%
Barrel lengthAmong 271 assault rifles200 mm415 mmAmong the shortest tenth
Magazine capacityAmong 276 assault rifles2030Among the smallest capacities

Answers

Questions about the AS Val

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How much does the AS Val weigh?

The AS Val weighs 2.50 kg (5.51 lb) empty and 2.96 kg (6.53 lb) loaded.

What caliber is the AS Val?

The AS Val is chambered in 9x39mm.

How many rounds does the AS Val hold?

The AS Val holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.

How long is the AS Val?

The AS Val is 875 mm (34.4 in) long overall, with a 200 mm (7.87 in) barrel.

Who makes the AS Val?

The AS Val is made by TsNIITochMash (Russia). It was designed by Pyotr Serdyukov.

When was the AS Val introduced?

The AS Val was introduced in 1987.

How does the AS Val operate?

The AS Val uses a gas operated rotating bolt action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.

Compatibility

Which parts fit this firearm

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Studio

Every part that mounts on this, resolved

Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.

  • Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
  • Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
  • The same answers through the API and the MCP server

Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.

Provenance

What the record holds

Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.

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In service

Soviet Armed Forces (Spetsnaz)
1987
Russian Armed Forces (Spetsnaz)
1991
FSB (Federal Security Service)
1995
MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs)
1995
Ukrainian Security Service (SBU)
2000
Armenian Armed Forces
2000

Provenance

Stockists

Where to buy

Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.

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No shop has listed this firearm yet

Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.

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MCP

Ask an assistant about it

The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.

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Ask GunSpec

Works with

Claude CodeClaude DesktopCursorVS CodeGitHub CopilotWindsurf

Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.

API

The call that returns this record

The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.

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curl --request GET \  --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/as-val-avtomat-specialnyj' \  --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'
Response
{  "id": "as-val-avtomat-specialnyj",  "name": "AS Val",  "manufacturer": {    "id": "tsniitochmash",    "name": "TsNIITochMash",    "countryCode": "RU",    "foundedYear": 1944,    "website": null,    "logoUrl": null,    "description": null,    "status": null,    "defunctYear": null,    "stateOwned": null,    "makesFirearms": null,    "parentId": null,    "predecessorId": null,    "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:42",    "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:40",    "version": "9bbb1958205ad1f5c88aa7699c7226f3880b3d5d4006515a4af61041b54d7a65"  },  "category": {    "id": "assault-rifle",    "name": "Assault Rifle",    "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges"  },  "country_of_origin": "SU",  "year_introduced": 1987,  "barrel_length_mm": 200,  "weight_empty_g": 2500,  "action_type": "gas_operated_rotating_bolt"}