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VAG-72
The VAG-72 is a prototype Russian pistol designed by Soviet engineer Vladimir Alekseevich Gerasimenko. He was an engineer working in Kiev, and designed the 7.62mm caseless round in the 1970s for use in his two pistol designs, the VAG-72 and the VAG-73 in 1972 and 1973 respectively. Only one of each was made, and they both currently reside in the Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The VAG-72 is a regular semi-automatic pistol and the VAG-73 is a select-fire machine pistol.
The two pistols are fairly odd. The 7.62mm caseless ammo is similar in concept to the Russian 40x53mm caseless grenade (more commonly known as the VOG-25) and functions similarily to the Italian 9x25mm AUPO caseless. The cartridge consists of a hollow steel projectile opened at the bottom, which would be filled with propellant and closed with a screwed-in brass base that contained the primer. When fired, gases from the propellant would push out from the primer's hole and push the entire projectile out of the barrel, and the brass base would engage the rifling.
A highly unusual feature of the VAG-73 is its use of a double-compartment magazine that holds 48 rounds in tandem, almost like two magazines were stuck together. They each have their own follower and feed spring. When firing, the slide pulls the top rounds from both compartments forwards; the top round from the front compartment moves into the chamber, while the top round from the rear compartment moves into the top of the front compartment, taking the place of the round that entered the chamber. This means that the rear compartment is expended first when firing, then the front compartment is expended.
Specifications
(1972 for VAG-72, 1973 for VAG-73)
Type: Pistol (VAG-72)/Machine Pistol (VAG-73)
Length (VAG-73): 9.25 in (235 mm)
Weight (VAG-73): 2.65 lb (1.2 kg)
Caliber: 7.62mm Gerasimenko caseless
Capacity: 24-round magazine (VAG-72), 48-round tandem magazine (VAG-73)
Fire Modes: Semi-auto (VAG-72), select-fire (VAG-73)
The VAG-72 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Video Games
| Title | Appears as | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruelty Squad | "BAG-82" | VAG-72 | 2021 |