Polymer Framed Makarov !
Posted: February 6th, 2016, 5:25 pm
Polymer Framed Makarov !
In 1963 Soviets started a project of modernization of Makarov pistol. The government tasked the TSKIB SOO to make it 100 grams lighter. The designers started to experiment with various frame materials ... a couple of polymers, which failed and even made one with titanium alloy, which proved to be not efficient to manufacture. Eventually they found a proper polymer (КС-30) and made a frame from it with metal inserts to strengthen it. And they accomplished the task ... it was lighter than Makarov for 100 grams exactly having unloaded weight of 630 grams. The new gun had the following designation: TKB-023 (ТКБ-023). However the mechanism had to be changed. Disassembly was to be done by a special lever near the base of trigger spur, the metal frame insert had to be secured in the grip with a cross pin at the bottom portion of the grip and a couple of internal parts changed too. It was torture tested and passed pretty much all the tests. During the drop test (dropped from one meter height on a railroad rail) ... the trigger guard was broken, but the gun kept functioning flawlessly. Interestingly the original steel framed Makarov failed that drop test , it bent the trigger guard and the gun disassembled itself at first shot. Although everything looked good, the gun was never adopted, because of some mechanism changes (perhaps cost of tooling up too) and the lack of confidence in polymer technologies back in the day.
So there you have it ... there could be a polymer pistol in 1963 !
So there you have it ... there could be a polymer pistol in 1963 !