The Stechkin automatic pistol or APS (Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Stechkina = Автоматический Пистолет Стечкина) is a Soviet selective fire machine pistol. It bears the name of its developer, Igor Stechkin.
Submachine guns such as the PPSh-41 or the PPS-43 were declared obsolete shortly after the adoption of the AK47 assault rifle. A new self-defence weapon was requested for artillery and mortar crews, tank crews and aircraft personnel, where a cumbersome assault rifle was deemed unnecessary.
Igor ...