Russian Armed Forces adopting 9x19mm Strizh Pistol

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has announced that the Russian Armed Forces will be replacing the Makarov pistol with the Strizh Pistol chambered in 9x19mm.

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Fully loaded Strizh Pistol in long range configuration.

Arsenal Firearms jumped from obscurity earlier this year when they unveiled the Strizh Pistol, or Strike One as it is branded in English, followed by the much talked about Arsenal Double Barrel 1911. Not much is know about the company which formed last year. The company was founded by Nicola Bandini, an Italian gun designer and writer, and Dimitry Streshinskiy, a Russian miniature gun designer. They do not explicitly say from which country they operated from, but it is my understanding they manufacture firearms in both Russia and Italy.

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Infographic comparing the new Strizh with the Makarov (via. Russia’s official facebook page)

While the Strizh appears to be a decent modern pistol, I find it strange that the conservative Russian armed forces would adopt a pistol with a brand new design and absolutely no track record. The pistol has yet to be sold in the commercial market.

The adoption of the 9x19mm round is no surprise. Most of the pistols in recent years that were considered by the Russian military were chambered in it.