The Stechkin Machine Pistol: A Russian ninja love story
Though the same could be said of many nations, the Soviets always seemed to have an overarching desire to have special ops guys ready on
the ready to go round the world, meet interesting people and kill them. And what fun would being a commie ninja be if there weren’t cool
toys to go along with job? The Stechkin APS was one of the neater pieces in the Spetsnaz’s toy box.
After World War 2, the Soviet military greatly expanded their special ops type characters. They had proven useful behind German and
Japanese lines in the last Great Patriotic War and surely, they would come in handy in the next. These spetsnaz (special purpose) troops
needed to move fast and pack light. What they required were compact weapons, which could deliver a shocking blow, and then stow away
again until needed. This gun could also be issued to vehicle crews, aviators, and others with the same need for a compact weapon that
stowed away until needed. Sure, submachine guns were neat—but even then smaller was better. For this type of weapon, the Russkis turned
to a crafty little guy named Igor….
