VSS Vintorez
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.60 kg
- Introduced
- 1987
About
What it is, and why it matters
The VSS Vintorez (Vintovka Snaiperskaya Spetsialnaya, or Special Sniper Rifle) is a Soviet integrally-suppressed special-purpose marksman rifle chambered in the subsonic 9x39mm cartridge. Designed by Pyotr Serdyukov at TsNIITochMash in the mid-1980s as a sister weapon to the AS Val, the rifle, its heavy subsonic cartridge, and its integral suppressor were co-developed as a single unified system intended for silent elimination of armored targets out to 400 meters. Issued almost exclusively to Russian Spetsnaz, FSB, and airborne units, the VSS is regarded as one of the most effective dedicated 'quiet sniping' platforms ever fielded.
The VSS is famously quieter at the muzzle than a .22 LR rimfire when firing SP-5 or SP-6 subsonic ammunition - the bolt cycling is reportedly louder than the shot itself. Unlike most 'silenced' rifles where the suppressor is an afterthought, the rifle, the 9x39mm cartridge, and the integral suppressor were engineered from a blank sheet as one system, giving the Vintorez its reputation as the gold standard of quiet sniping within 400 meters.
The VSS and AS Val share the same receiver, magazine, and integral suppressor architecture - roughly 70% parts commonality - differing primarily in stock (wooden thumbhole on VSS vs folding metal on Val), barrel profile, and intended role. The issued PSO-1-1 optic carries a reticle specifically calibrated for the steep ballistic drop of the 9x39mm subsonic cartridge. The SP-5 ball round is used for soft targets while the SP-6 armor-piercing round can defeat 6mm of RHA steel or CRISAT body armor at 200 meters despite its ~290 m/s muzzle velocity. The weapon breaks down into three components (suppressor, receiver, stock) for concealed transport in a briefcase.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- TsNIITochMash
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1987
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Overall length
- 894 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.60 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.41 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Trigger pull
- 25.0 N
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 290 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 706 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Maximum range
- 600 m
- Rate of fire
- 700 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.
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.
Integral suppressor
Subsonic ammunition
Pso 1 1 scope- Ballistic drop compensating reticle
Detachable skeleton stock
Three piece takedown
Select fire- Armor piercing capability
- Shares magazines with as val
Standing
How it compares
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.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 430 sniper rifles | 2.60 kg | 5.40 kg | Among the lightest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 894 mm | 1150 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 200 mm | 620 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 10 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the VSS Vintorez
How much does the VSS Vintorez weigh?
The VSS Vintorez weighs 2.60 kg (5.73 lb) empty and 3.41 kg (7.52 lb) loaded. It is the 2nd lightest of 430 sniper rifles in the catalogue.
What caliber is the VSS Vintorez?
The VSS Vintorez is chambered in 9x39mm.
How many rounds does the VSS Vintorez hold?
The VSS Vintorez holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the VSS Vintorez?
The VSS Vintorez is 894 mm (35.2 in) long overall, with a 200 mm (7.87 in) barrel.
Who makes the VSS Vintorez?
The VSS Vintorez is made by TsNIITochMash (Russia). It was designed by Pyotr Serdyukov.
When was the VSS Vintorez introduced?
The VSS Vintorez was introduced in 1987.
How does the VSS Vintorez operate?
The VSS Vintorez uses a gas operated long stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
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.
In service
- Soviet Special Forces (Spetsnaz)
- 1987
- Armenian Armed Forces
- Armenia
- Syrian Armed Forces
- Syria
- Russian GRU Spetsnaz
- 1991
- FSB Alpha Group
- Russia
- FSB Vympel
- Russia
- Russian VDV (Airborne Forces)
- Russia
- MVD OMON
- Russia
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
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.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
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.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/vss-vintorez' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "vss-vintorez", "name": "VSS Vintorez", "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": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "SU", "year_introduced": 1987, "barrel_length_mm": 200, "weight_empty_g": 2600, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}