QSPR

This is coolbert:

Thanks here to the great Russian web site: WorldGuns.

"Smith & Wesson / AAI Quiet Special Purpose Revolver / QSPR / tunnel revolver (USA)"

This was a new one on me. A revolver, developed by the U.S. Army for use by tunnel rats in Vietnam.

The tunnel rat. An American troop, small in stature but big in courage, venturing into the very heart of the enemy underground. Those tunnel complexes so favored by the communist enemy in Vietnam. Elaborate underground structures that could harbor an entire division of enemy troops if need be.

American tunnel rats, equipped with a bare minimum of equipment, often operating solo, entering the "commie" abode in the search primarily for material of intelligence value.

Again, the tunnel rat, barely equipped, often carrying with intent a minimum of gear. Gear to include:

* Small caliber handgun.
* Goggles.
* Knee-pads and gloves.
* Gas mask.
* Hearing protection.
* Illumination device of some sort.
* Grenades. [concussion, flash/bang grenades were available?]

It should be understood that the .45 ACP auto loading pistol, standard issue to American infantry at the time, WAS TOO LARGE A CALIBER FOR EFFECTIVE USE UNDERGROUND!! The report ["bang" made by detonation of the firearm] and muzzle flash were both deafening and blinding at one and the same time.

It was preferred to use an expedient handgun of smaller caliber during tunnel rat operations. A .38 special revolver or a Chinese made 7.62 auto loading pistol quite often being used in lieu of the .45 ACP weapon, the 7.62 Chicom pistol perhaps having been captured from communist forces prior!

Here is the weapon the U.S. Army devised to fill the need for a potent handgun to be used in tunnel warfare.

The QSPR.



"Quiet Special Purpose Revolver (QSPR; also known as 'tunnel revolver' or 'tunnel gun') evolved from 1967 US Army requirements for a silenced, multi-projectile hand weapon for use by 'tunnel exploration personnel' (so called 'tunnel rats'), which operated against Vietnamese communist forces in the numerous tunnels dug by NVA and VC personnel"

"based on commercially available Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum revolvers, rebuilt by AAI to handle their special integrally silenced ammunition. Earliest prototypes featured new, very short smooth bore barrels"

* NO sights. None were needed. Low-light, use at close quarters, etc.
* Stubby, smooth-bore, almost non-existent barrel.

A firearm using uniquely developed INTERNALLY SILENCED AMMUNITION!!

"internally silenced ammunition, based on the "gas seal piston" concept . . . The whole concept of the internally silenced ammunition is rather old and starts in the pre-WW1 era, but practical results were achieved only during 1950s and 1960s, when chemical and metallurgical technologies finally permitted manufacture of actual ammunition."

A handgun NOT firing conventional ammunition. Firing tungsten balls from a sabot round!!

"the QSPR ammunition fired fifteen tungsten balls (loaded into plastic sabot)"

"the practical lethal range was estimated at about 30 feet / 10 meters, which was sufficient for extremely cramped tunnels of Vietnam war. The sound signature [report] of QSPR round fired from QSPR revolver was about 110 dB, or similar to that of traditionally silenced .22LR pistol."

AS WITH MOST, IF NOT ALL, "SILENCED" WEAPONRY, NOT TOTALLY SILENCED, BUT RATHER, MUFFLED!!

Was used to a very limited extent by special operations units in Vietnam, BUT NOT DURING TUNNEL OPERATIONS!!

These handguns, if they still exist, must be worth a lot of money. What happened to them in the aftermath of the war. You could not fire one as the ammo would not be available? Worth something to a collector, that would be for sure!

coolbert.