×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

OTs-12 (Tiss)


Experimental Assault Carbine / Rifle


Russia | 1993



"For a time, the OTs-12 assault rifle and its subsonic cartridge were evaluated by Russian Internal Troops - no large-scale production followed."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the OTs-12 (Tiss). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
656 ft
199.9 m | 218.7 yds
Max.Eff.Range
800
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire
885 ft/sec
270 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity
Physical
The physical qualities of the OTs-12 (Tiss). Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
730 mm
28.74 in
O/A Length
207 mm
8.15 in
Barrel Length
5.51 lb
2.50 kg
Weight
Gas-Operated; Rotating Bolt
Action
9x39mm Subsonic
Caliber(s)
20- or 25-round detachable box magazine
Feed
Adjustable Iron; Optional Optics
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the OTs-12 (Tiss) Experimental Assault Carbine / Rifle family line.
OTs-12 "Tiss" - Base Series Designation
OC-12 - Alternative
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/12/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The OTs-12 "Tiss" (also known as the "OC-12") was an experimental Soviet/Russian assault carbine born from the classic profile of the Kalashnikov assault weapons family - mainly the AKS-74U series. The system began its design phase in the early 1990s under the direction of V.N. Telesh and U.V. Lebedev and made use of the unique 9x39mm cartridge, a subsonic cartridge born in Soviet Russia during the 1980s under the direction of Nikolai Zabelin. The cartridge was based on the famous 7.62x39mm rifle-type featuring its rimless, bottleneck design though capped by a 9mm bullet - therefore providing the increased penetration, range and firepower of the 7.62mm cartridge with the low power qualities of the 9mm pistol cartridge. It was primarily intended for use by special Soviet elements and focused on suppressed firearms for a truly silent weapon. Range of the cartridge was, however, limited to less than 400 meters.

Production of the OTs-12 was handled by TsKIB SOO ("Central Design Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Weapons") beginning in 1993 though it is said that only several hundred examples were produced for operational trials and ultimately dropped from contention in relatively short order. Primary users were Soviet paramilitary "Internal Troops" who found favor with the new weapon but there proved little government need at the time. Additionally, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to many Russian military programs being underfunded or dropped entirely.

At its core, the OTs-12 was essentially a conventional assault system aside from its specialized cartridge. It utilized a gas system of operation with the cylinder set above the barrel in the usual Kalashnikov fashion. The barrel itself was short for a more compact footprint and the body of the rifle was truly Kalashnikov in its design styling featuring the requisite large fire selector switch, charging handle and ejection port all seated along the right side of the frame. The weapon was given a conventional pistol grip with integrated trigger unit, a forward-set magazine feed (using curved magazine boxes) and the usual magazine release/catch situated between the grip and magazine feed areas. The shoulder stock was skeletal using a conjoined, two-strut shape and hinged to fold over the side of the receiver for a more compact product during transport or use in confined spaces. The folded stock in no way limited the action of the weapon. Wood furniture was only present at the forend as a two-piece section and serves as a heat shield/forward hand grip against the hot barrel. Iron sights provided basic sighting for ranged work while optics were optional. Overall weight was listed at 2.5 kilograms with a complete running length of 730mm, the barrel measuring 207mm long.

Performance of the OTs-12 proved comparable to other modern assault systems of the period including an 800 round-per-minute rate-of-fire. The weapon was fed through a 20-round curved detachable box magazine in the usual way and a 25-round count may have been developed. Effective range was listed at approximately 200 meters while maximum range, limited largely by the cartridge in use, was under 400 meters.

The "Tiss" name is derived from "Yew Tree" common to parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the OTs-12 (Tiss). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): TsKIB SOO - Russia
National flag of Russia

[ Russia ]
1 / 1
Image of the OTs-12 (Tiss)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Going Further...
The OTs-12 (Tiss) Experimental Assault Carbine / Rifle appears in the following collections:
HOME
SMALL ARMS INDEX
SPECIAL FORCES
ARMS BY COUNTRY
ARMS MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE ARMS
ARMS BY CONFLICT
ARMS BY TYPE
ARMS BY DECADE
MODERN SMALL ARMS
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)