VSS Vintorez The VSS ( , " Vintovka Snayperskaya Spetsialnaya " or " Special Sniper Rifle " ) , also called the Vintorez ( " thread cutter " ) , is a suppressed sniper rifle developed in the late 1980s by TsNIITochMash and manufactured by the Tula Arsenal . It is issued primarily to Spetsnaz units for undercover or clandestine operations , a role made evident by its ability to be stripped down for transport in a specially fitted briefcase . Design details . Operating mechanism . The overall operating principle and sound suppression system used on the VSS are derived from the AS assault rifle . The VSS is a gas - operated select - fire rifle . It has a long - stroke gas piston operating rod in a gas cylinder above the barrel . The weapon is locked with a rotating bolt that has 6 locking lugs which engage appropriate sockets machined into the receiver . The VSS is striker fired . It features a cross - bolt type fire selector switch located behind the trigger , inside the trigger guard ; the safety lever and the charging handle resemble those used in AK - pattern weapons . Features . The weapon has an integral suppressor which wraps around the barrel . The barrel itself has a series of small ports drilled in the rifling grooves , leading into the suppressor which slows and cools the exhaust gases . The suppressor can be easily removed for storage or maintenance , but the VSS should not be fired without the suppressor . The weapons integral suppressor measures 284 . 36 mm in length and a diameter of 35 . 86 mm . The skeletonized wooden stock is a more rounded version of that provided on the SVD rifle ; it has a rubber shoulder pad and can be removed when the rifle is dismantled for compact storage . The forward handguard is made from a high - impact polymer . The VSS is normally fed from a 10 - round magazine and fired semi - automatically . Should the operational need arise , the weapon can be used in fully automatic mode using either its original 10 - round magazine or the 20 - round magazines from the AS rifle . It uses a heavy subsonic 9×39 mm SP - 5 cartridge . Subsonic ammunition is used to avoid a sonic boom . The bullet is very effective at penetrating body armor . For this purpose it is equipped with a hardened steel or tungsten tip to penetrate a high - density steel plate at 100 m ; a steel plate or a standard army helmet can be fully penetrated at 500 m ; however , the rifle is typically employed under 400 m . Sights . A side rail is provided , installed on the receiver and used to mount the PSO - 1 - 1 ( 1P43 ) telescopic sight . The weapon can also be deployed for night - time use with the 3 . 46x NSPUM - 3 ( 1PN75 ) , special version of NSPU - 3 ( 1PN51 ) , night sight using an appropriate mount . Back - up iron sight s consist of a rear notch on a sliding tangent and forward blade . The rear sight has range graduations up to 400 m , with 100 m adjustments . Accessories . For carriage and concealment the rifle is dismantled into three main components carried in a special briefcase measuring 450 x 370 x 140 mm ( 17 . 7 x 14 . 5 x 5 . 5 in ) . The briefcase also has space for a PSO - 1 - 1 scope , a NSPU - 3 night sight and two magazines . The VSS forms part of the VSK silenced sniper system . With the system , the rifle can be coupled to the PKS - 07 collimated telescopic sight or the PKN - 03 night sight . When the rifle forms part of the VSK system the range of ammunition can be extended to include the SP - 6 and PAB - 9 cartridges .