Czechoslovakia until the state collapsed into two parts from time to time created small arms that could adequately enter the foreign market. When Slovakia separated from the Czech Republic, the latter received the bulk of arms enterprises. Nevertheless, Slovak engineers did not stop trying to organize large-scale production of weapons in the territory of their country. To date, Grand Power deserves the most attention among Slovak weapons, in particular its K100 line of pistols. It is with these products that we will meet today.
Historical excursion
Yaroslav Kuratsina (the head of the company and the chief designer) violated the creation of the Grand Power K100 pistol in the early 90s. He received inspiration for this project from the old Steyr M1912 pistol, or rather from his battle and recoil indicators. Almost three years were spent on the development of the model and the search for an enterprise that could make a prototype. At that time, Kuratsin did not think about the prospect of creating his own production. Incidentally, the company’s pistols are still being produced at the facilities of other factories.
The first prototype appeared in 1997, it received the Q2000 index. A pistol was made at the Povazhsky machine-building plant. After a series of tests, the design received some improvements. As a result, in 2000, an updated model with the K1 index was presented at the IWA exhibition in Germany. Immediately after this, the gun suffered a number of minor improvements. This time he received the name Grand Power K100. It was this model that became the basis for a number of modifications, which will be discussed below.
Device
The automation of the model is based on the recoil of the barrel with a short stroke. This is how the prototype of the Steyr M1912 pistol worked. Another borrowed and fundamentally important feature is the locking of the shutter by turning the barrel. This happens thanks to a special groove of a complex shape located on the breech of the trunk. When the shutter housing along with the barrel moves back, the groove interacts with a pin located on the frame, as a result of which the barrel rotates 42 degrees around its axis. The main advantage of the rotating barrel locking mechanism is the reduction in the risk of contamination of the mechanism and wear of parts. While working on the pistol, the Steyr M1912 barrel locking system was so modernized that Slovak engineers received their personal patent.
The design of the trigger mechanism (trigger) pistol Grand Power K100 was partly borrowed from other manufacturers. USM trigger type is performed as a single unit, which greatly facilitates the maintenance of weapons and reduces the risk of loss of small elements during cleaning and disassembly. An interesting fact is that the USM design makes it possible to pull the trigger with the trigger, without first sending the cartridge into the chamber. In this case, the drummer is not at risk.
Safety in operation of the Grand Power K100 pistol is provided by a non-automatic fuse that blocks the firing pin. In earlier versions, the fuse box was located on the left side. However, after some time they began to install the same flag on the right. Thus, a right-handed person or a left-handed person can use the gun comfortably. It was with a double flag that the pistol began to be mass-produced.
The shutter-release lever has undergone the same changes. At first it was one-sided, and then became two-sided. Levers are located above the trigger guard. On both sides there are also buttons for fixing the store.
The Grand Power K100 pistol, the photo of which is presented in the article, is equipped with a magazine for 15 rounds of caliber 9 by 19. The magazine has a standard design and does not differ from its competitors in anything special. A frame with a casing is also manufactured in a standard way. In accordance with the trends of recent years, the frame has a steel frame and a plastic coating. In places where special strength is required, of course, there are metal inserts. The shutter housing is made of steel with chromium, nickel and molybdenum additives.
External metal parts are coated with a special composition similar to that used in Glock pistols. Sights are traditionally represented by the front sight and the whole. On the rear faces of these parts there are white marks for more comfortable aiming. Based on the Grand Power K100 pistol, the characteristics of which we examined above, we created several modifications. Let's talk about each of them.
Model K100QA
The QA Index is an abbreviation for Quick Action, which means “fast action”. This model has a special trigger mechanism. The trigger in it constantly stands in a half-cocked position. As a result, the trigger stroke was significantly reduced and its resistance decreased. The K100QA modification was created specifically so that the shooter was able to safely carry the pistol with the cartridge in the chamber and not spend valuable time on bringing the weapon into combat condition.
Grand Power K100 Whisper
The word whisper is translated from English as "whisperer". This is the same K100, only with an elongated barrel. The part of the barrel that extends beyond the casing has a thread designed for attaching a silencer. Complete with this modification of the pistol is a silencer, the body of which is made of duralumin-aluminum alloy, as well as interchangeable front sight and rear sight with inserts glowing in the dark. It is interesting to note that in order to purchase this model you need to get a special permission from the Slovak Ministry of Internal Affairs.
K100 Mk6
This version of the gun was created for special forces. It differs mainly in increased ergonomics. Holding the gun is much more convenient than its prototype, thanks to the updated handle. The increased trigger guard allows you to use weapons even with gloves.
K100 Mk7
The Grand Power K100 Mk7 pistol is nothing more than a modified Mk6. The model is equipped with interchangeable butt plates of the handle, which allows the user to make the handle of his model as convenient as possible. If you wish, you can order a gun with a barrel like the Whisper model and a silencer.
K100 GPC9
This is a simplified export-oriented pistol modification. It has a number of technological differences and is equipped with one-way fuse and gate delay flags .
GP T10
This is a traumatic version of the Grand Power K100. The traumatic gun, in contrast to the firearm counterpart, is built on the recoil of the free shutter. The main components and assemblies are made of high-strength steel used in military weapons. The plastic shell makes it possible to reduce weight and improve ergonomic properties. Two pins installed in the barrel immediately after the chamber, prevent firing of solid objects. The dual-action trigger with an open trigger allows you to shoot with a preliminary cocking of the trigger, as well as self-cocking.
The pistol caliber is 10 by 22. The dimensions of the model are as follows: height - 140 mm, thickness - 40 mm, total length - 190 mm. Due to such very serious dimensions, the model is not very suitable for hidden wear.
GP T12
In 2010, the T10 model received several improvements. The updated gun was called the T12. The main difference between the models is the caliber of ammunition. Especially for this model, AKBS created a 10 by 28 caliber cartridge. The second significant difference is the simplified barrel design. There is no muzzle in the gun. And one of the “teeth” that prevented a shot with a solid object was removed. Well, the third difference is the updated frame made of more durable material.
P1 family
Of course, not only conventional pistols, but also their more compact versions possess commercial potential. And in the case of the K100 model, which differs in impressive dimensions, this is especially important. Therefore, the company Grand Power made a smaller version of the gun. Reducing the length required such serious changes that Kuratsina and her colleagues decided to create a separate series for the shortened pistols, which received the P1 index.
The main difference between the P1 model and the K100 is the reduced barrel length and shutter cover. From 108 mm the barrel decreased to 93 mm. Thus, the total length of the model was 188 mm instead of 203. USM and shutter lock remained the same, with the exception of some overall parameters. The shape of the pillar was slightly changed, and the front sight received a luminescent rod.
In addition to the original model P1, its two versions are released, which have some differences. The first of them is P1 Ultra. There are 14 holes in the barrel and casing of this weapon. Reducing the length of the weapon caused a shift in balance. The holes play the role of a compensator, discharge powder gases. As a result, a balance close to that of the K100 version. Well, the third model of the shortened pistol line is called the P1 Mk7. The only difference is that it is made on the basis of the K100 Mk7 modification and has a set of removable rear handle pads.
Market position
The main quantity of Grand Power products is adopted by the Slovak power structures. These are mainly various combat versions of the K100 model. Kuracina pistols are also successfully exported. K100 and P1 models are actively supplied to the Czech Republic, America, Canada, Australia, Venezuela and other countries.
The main trump card of Slovak pistols is a good ratio of quality and value. The guaranteed number of shots is about 30 thousand. A number of South American and European countries are even considering the centralized procurement of Grand Power products and their adoption.
Reviews
It's time to find out what experts think about the Grand Power K100 pistols. Reviews show that the gun sits well in the hand and has a soft recoil directed directly to the center of the palm. Often gunsmiths complain of delays in this model. However, with proper care (regular cleaning and thorough lubrication), the number of delays can be minimized. Grand Power K100 does not like Russian cartridges, so it is advisable to use imported ones. It is noteworthy that the creator of the gun is actively in contact with users and is always trying to fix the flaws. In general, the gun deserves positive reviews. And its main highlight (rotation of the barrel) is a promising direction for the development of pistol manufacturing.