Soviet miniaturized pistol cartridge developed for the PSM pistol issued to KGB and military officers. The bottlenecked case fires a small-diameter steel-core bullet designed to penetrate body armor and car doors at close range.
Type: Pistol
Introduced: 1972, Soviet Union
Parent case: None
Standardization: None
Bullet diameter: 0.21" (5.45 mm)
Case length: 0.7" (17.8 mm)
Overall length: 0.98" (24.9 mm)
Max pressure: 25,000 PSI
Rim type: Rimless
Primer: Berdan Small Pistol
Typical twist rate: 1:16
Muzzle velocity: 1033–1080 fps
Muzzle energy: 97–106 ft-lbs
Effective range: 50 yd
Common bullet weights: 41 gr
Primary use: Military, Self Defense
Production status: Active
Also known as: 5.45mm PSM · 5.45x18mmMPTs · 5.45x18mm
History: Developed in 1972 for the Pistolet Samozaryadny Malogabaritny (PSM) — 'small self-loading pistol' — as a concealed-carry sidearm for Soviet officers and intelligence agents. The tiny bottlenecked round was specifically engineered to penetrate early soft body armor, giving intelligence operatives a concealed weapon with armor-defeating capability. The PSM remains in limited service with Russian…
Notable firearms: PSM Pistol, OTs-23 Drotik
Military use: Soviet Union, Russia, Various Warsaw Pact nations
Similar cartridges: .22 WMR, 5.7x28mm FN