The OTs-12 ''Tiss'' () is a Russian fully automatic compact assault rifle. It is chambered for the subsonic

9×39mm The 9×39mm is a Soviet rifle cartridge. History and design The 9x39 is based on the Soviet 7.62×39mm round, but with the neck expanded to fit a 9.3 mm bullet. Final design was completed by N. Zabelin, L. Dvoryaninova and Y. Frolov of the TsNI ...

round.https://en.kalashnikov.media/article/weapons/avtomat-tiss-primer-udachnogo-nauchnogo-tyka The Tiss is meant to equip OMNO and SOBR units in CQB-based operations.

History

The rifle was developed in the early 1990s in

TsKIB SOO The Central Design and Research Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Arms, abbreviated TsKIB SOO (russian: ЦКИБ СОО) is a Russian small arms design bureau based in Tula, Russia. It was established in 1946, and it is currently managed as a branch ...

of Tula designers VN Telesh and Yu.V.Lebedev. It is basically an

AKS-74U The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...

re-chambered for

, it was designed as alternative to the AKS-74U. The TsKIB COO of Tula made several hundred of OTs-12s, which were transferred to the Interior Ministry security forces. Despite the good evaluation, the

Tula Arms Plant Imperial Tula Arms Plant (russian: Императорский Тульский оружейный завод, Imperatorskiy Tulsky Oruzheiny Zavod) is a Russian weapons manufacturer founded by Tsar Peter I of Russia in 1712 in Tula, Tula Oblast a ...

did not put the rifle into mass-production. They instead opted for a

bullpup A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the Chamber (firearms), breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, ...

configuration known as

OTs-14 Groza The OTs-14 Groza () is a Russian selective fire bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 7.62×39 round and the 9×39mm subsonic round. It was developed in the 1990s at the TsKIB SOO (Central Design and Research Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Arms ...

, which became its successor. In 2018, a replica of the Tiss was reported to be designed by Daniel Fisher of KNS Precision.https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/09/17/american-made-replica-of-the-ots-12-9x39mm-ak-based-rifle/

Design

The main design changes from the AKS-74U are in the bolt,

barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...

muzzle-brake A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted ...

, and

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

. Early versions were made with a long barrel. The 20-round box magazine was designed so that it would be compatible with standard current-issue ammo pouches, but a larger 25-round magazine was in early production until its cancellation. The subsonic round showed superior penetration of cover at short and medium ranges (200–300 m) when compared to the

5.45×39mm The 5.45×39mm Cartridge (firearms), cartridge is a Rim (firearms), rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge. It was introduced into service in 1974 by the Soviet Union for use with the new AK-74. The 5.45×39mm gradually supplemented and then ...

. Criticism was placed on the Tiss since a user cannot clean the gas outlet.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 9×39mm firearms Assault rifles of Russia Kalashnikov derivatives TsKIB SOO products Military equipment introduced in the 1990s

History

Design

See also

References