Various questions about unauthorized pistols in Soviet military use...

[paintitblack]

This is a pretty specific question I'm struggling with. Searched for: Soviet officer personal weapon, unauthorized sidearm Soviet era, etc...  the information I found pertained to current and past issue Russian/Soviet Union handguns such as the PM, Tokarev, Nagant, Grach, etc... not what I'm looking for

Comments

[nicked_metal]

My knowledge in this area is very limited, but I did once have a conversation with a man who smuggled small items through the Iron Curtain in the 80s.

Assuming that a non-regulation weapon is against the rules (which does seem likely), the level of corruption in the USSR means that a breach of discipline of an unobtrusive nature would be pretty easy to get away with, if you had the right friends. The sort of people who might say "I've been told that you have come contraband in the right-hand drawer of your desk. I'm going to search that drawer first thing tomorrow morning, and I'd better not find anything!"

[fragesteller]

Russian born here.

I'm not sure if it really was possible in the mid. 80s. It was a common practise during the WW2 era but the Army members in Afghanistan were controlled by the special forces after by their return to the USSR much more stronger. If there was some kind of smuggeling, it should involve a lot of personal connections.
A VDV Major is - on the other side - a respectfull person. And service in Afghanistan were praised by the government as a honourable duty. It could be helpful for you character to smuggle a weapon to the USSR.

[anonymous]

>Bren Ten