General Facts

TYPE
Assault rifle

ORIGIN
USSR

NICKNAMES
Val, shaft (Russian nickname)
6P30 (GRAU designation)

DESIGNED
Mid 1980's - late 1980's

DESIGNER
TsNIITochMash

PRODUCTION
Late 1987 - present

PRODUCERS
Russia - TOZ
USSR - TOZ

QUANTITY
Unknown

UNIT COST
Unknown

CHARACTERISTICS
Powerful and armor piercing ability
Rugged and reliable
Limited noise and muzzle flash
Functions similar to AK-47
Limited magazine capacity
Limited effective range
Uses expensive ammunition
Automatic fire difficult to control
Limited effective range

Introduction

The AS Val is a silenced assault rifle of Soviet origin. It was developed in the 1980's to be used in urban combat and the reconnaissance role. The name AS stands for Avtomat Special'nyj, which is Russian for special automatic rifle. The nickname Val means shaft and refers to the prominent silencer. The AS Val stems from the VSS Vintorez silenced sniper rifle and has a 70% parts commonality.

Design

The AS Val is based on a Kalashnikov receiver and uses a similar long stroke gas mechanism. The large box magazine holds the 9x39mm round which was developed specifically for this weapon. The most striking feature of the AS Val is the long integrated silencer with small polymer forearm. A metal tubular folding stock sets the AS Val apart from the VSS Vintorez. Standard Kalashnikov type iron sights are fitted. Various type of optical sights may be fitted.

Firepower

The AS Val fires the powerful subsonic 9x39mm round that was specifically designed for this weapon. 20 round magazines are most common, although 10 or 30 round models are available. The fire selector allows for semi-automatic fire and automatic fire at 900 rpm. The maximum effective range is 400 meters, although 200 to 300 meters is the practical range.

Users

The AS Val is used by various reconnaissance and special elements of the Russian armed forces. It has also been adopted by various law enforcement and internal security units. In various recent internal conflicts the AS Val proved to be very suitable for urban combat.

AS Val

The AS Val is a silenced assault rifle. It is produced in only one version, although the VSS Vintorez silenced sniper rifle may be considered a variant as it shares 70% of the parts. The AS Val is easily identified by the long integrated silencer, Kalashnikov receiver, large box magazine, short black furniture and tubular folding stock. It is often used without optics, although reddot sights, 4x PSO-1 scope or night vision optics may be fitted.

Specifications:
AS Val

Type	Assault rifle
Caliber	9x39mm Soviet
Magazine	10, 20, 30 rounds
Operation	Gas operated, long stroke gas piston, rotating bolt
Fire selector	0-1-F
Rate of fire	800 - 900 rpm