The PBS-1 is a silencer designed for the 7.62x39mm AKM variant of the Soviet AK-47 assault rifle in the Kalashnikov rifle family.[1] It is in diameter and long.
The PBS-1 silencer, designed for use with the AKM to reduce the noise when firing, was introduced in the 1960s, and was used mostly by Spetsnaz forces and the KGB.[2] [3] [4] They were used by the Spetsnaz in the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s, requiring the use of the AKM (modernized variant of the AK-47), because the newer AK-74 did not have a silencer available. Until a variant of the AK74, the AKS-74UB adapted for use with the PBS-4 suppressor (used in combination with subsonic 5.45×39mm Russian ammunition).
The PBS-1 is a two-chambered silencer using baffles and a rubber wipe.[5] It was designed for use in conjunction with subsonic rifle ammunition.[5] The PBS-1 has been extensively tested by the United States Army Foreign Weapons Test Lab. The rubber wipe requires replacement after 20–25 rounds. With a rubber wipe in place the PBS-1 reliably reduces the sound of an AKM discharge by 15 dB, which make the noise between 130—135 dB.[6]