Arsenal Shipka

Shipka
File:Arsenal Shipka.jpg
Type	Submachine gun
Place of origin	Bulgaria
Service history
Used by	Bulgaria
Production history
Produced	1996
Specifications
Mass	2 to 2,2 kg without magazine
Length	338 mm (stock folded) 625 mm (stock extended)
Barrel length	150 mm
Cartridge	9×18mm Makarov 9×19mm Parabellum
Caliber	9 mm
Action	blowback
Rate of fire	600-650 rpm (9x18 mm) 700 rpm (9x19 mm)
Muzzle velocity	320 m/s (9x18 mm) 360 m/s (9x19 mm)
Effective firing range	150 m
Feed system	Detachable box magazine: 32 rounds (9×18mm) 25 rounds (9×19mm)
Sights	Iron sights

The Shipka is a 9mm Bulgarian submachine gun produced in 1996 by the Bulgarian company Arsenal. The name is a reference to the famous Shipka Pass, near Arsenal's Kazanlak headquarters, in the Balkans where Bulgarian volunteers and Russian troops defeated the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, thereby liberating Bulgaria. The Shipka was developed for the Bulgarian police and military and is widely exported.

Design

The Shipka is a compact weapon originally intended for use by armored vehicle crews, pilots, and other shooters who might require either a close-quarter weapon or aimed shots at longer ranges.

The prototype and pre-production versions of the Shipka were chambered in 9×25mm Mauser and used a 30-round box magazine. Production versions were produced in 9×18mm Makarov with a 32-round magazine. After Bulgaria's entry into NATO, a version chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum with a 25-round magazine was introduced.

The design is a straightforward blowback operation firing from open bolt. The lower receiver along with pistol grip and trigger guard is made from polymer, the upper receiver is made from steel. The simple buttstock is made from steel wire and folds to the left side of gun.

See also

• Beretta M12
• Walther MP
• Interdynamic MP-9