Russian Army may get powerful Udav handguns this year – manufacturer

The Russian Army will likely get brand new 9mm Udav (‘Boa’) handguns this year, its maker said. The weapon is set to replace the legendary Makarov pistol, extensively used by the armed forces and police.

The final decision is up to the defense minister, but the pistol’s manufacturer is confident that the army will receive the new weapon soon.

“I believe an order will be issued this year, and we will send out the pilot batch [of handguns] to the troops,” the company’s head, Albert Bakov, told Russian media on Friday.

The gun completed trials and was cleared for mass production in April. The weapon is equipped with an 18-round magazine, which is 10 rounds more than the famous but ageing Makarov pistol (PM) that it is set to replace. Although similar in design, Udav is said to be more powerful than the PM, and has less ricochets.

Different variations of the Udav handgun have been developed for use by the military, special ops units, and civilians.

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