GSh-18

GSh-18 (ГШ-18)
Gryazev and Shipunov 9mm GSh-18 pistol
Type	Semi-automatic pistol
Place of origin	Russia
Service history
In service	2000–present
Used by	Russia
Production history
Designer	V.P. Gryazev A.G. Shipunov
Designed	1998–2000
Manufacturer	KBP Instrument Design Bureau
Unit cost	14 810 roubles (2008) 23 314, 44 roubles (2012)
Produced	2001 -
Variants	various civilian versions
Specifications
Weight	590 g (21 oz)
Length	184 mm (7.2 in)
Barrel length	103 mm (4.1 in)
Width	34 mm (1.3 in)
Height	136 mm (5.4 in)
Cartridge	9×19mm Parabellum 9×19mm 7N21 +P+ 9×19mm 7N31 +P+
Action	Short recoil, rotating barrel striker fired
Muzzle velocity	535 m/s (1,755 ft/s)–570 m/s (1,870.1 ft/s)
Feed system	18-round detachable box magazine
Sights	Fixed; front blade and rear notch

The GSh-18 (Cyrillic: ГШ-18) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol developed by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau in Tula during the 1990s. The pistol's name is derived from its designers — Gryazev and Shipunov, and the number 18 denotes the magazine capacity.

The GSh-18 is a rotating-barrel, short recoil, locked-breech pistol with 10 locking lugs spaced equally around the barrel, the large locking surface area resulting in a strong lockup, making it suitable for high-velocity ammunition loads. The GSh-18 may be employed using standard 9x19mm Parabellum rounds, but was designed for the high velocity, Russian armour-piercing 7N31 9x19mm round. The pistol incorporates a pre-set striker.. The slide and working parts are steel, and the weapon has a polymer frame. Two different designs of grip have been observed. The magazine capacity is 18 rounds, and an additional round may be carried in the chamber. The magazines are a double stack design common to many modern handguns. Disassembly is slightly more complex, with more dismountable parts, than a typical Browning derivative, such as the SIG Sauer P226, Glock 17 or CZ-75. The magazine release is reversible for left-handed shooters and the ejector doubles as a loaded chamber indicator.

The GSh-18 is designed to fire standard 9×19mm Parabellum as well as the Russian 9×19mm 7N21 (Cyrillic: 7Н21) and 7N31 (Cyrillic: 7Н31) +P+ armor-piercing rounds. The 7N31, has demonstrated penetration of 8 mm of steel (15–20 meters of distance).