PP-2000 - The Kremlin's PDW

The gun

Development of the PP-2000 began around 2000 in Tula. Two long-tenured designers led the effort: Arkady G. Shipunov, a decorated designer who rose to head the Tula bureau, and Vasiliy P. Gryazev, an equally prolific engineer with extensive experience across aircraft, naval, and small-arms ammunition design. Their partnership, a blend of institutional knowledge and practical small-arms experience, produced a compact, weapon-tailored to the rise of counterterrorism and urban policing needs: light, concealable, and effective at short ranges.

Small, unique-looking, and compact, the PP-2000 is explicitly a close-quarters weapon. It features a short barrel, a polymer lower receiver with the magazine in the pistol grip, and a folding wire stock that reduces the overall length. The gun weighs roughly 3.08 lbs unloaded and has a barrel of around 7.16 inches long. This highly compact weapon prioritizes maneuverability for urban operations, in vehicles, and in other tight spaces, making it ideal for room clearing or as a weapon for an entry team's shield bearer.

Ergonomically, the PP-2000 is simple and allows for rapid manipulation. An ambidextrous reciprocating charging handle rides above the barrel. Its controls include a three-position selector (safe/semi-auto/auto) and a magazine release within easy reach. A vertical foregrip forms part of the lower assembly and increases rigidity while enlarging the trigger guard for gloved use. The receiver’s top rail accepts optics.

The PP-2000 employs a simple, delayed blowback (closed-bolt) system designed to be rugged and easy to maintain. It commonly uses standard 9x19mm Parabellum ball ammunition but was built from the outset to accept Russia’s higher-velocity +P+ rounds such as the 7N21 and 7N31, which improve penetration against light ballistic armor and barriers at short ranges. Reported muzzle velocities of up to 1,900 feet per second for those rounds place the PP-2000 in a class capable of defeating soft armor at close ranges, making it useful for police and special operations roles where adversaries may wear protective gear or be in vehicles.

Cyclic rates around 750-800 rounds per minute; effective practical ranges are modest, roughly 100 meters, with the weapon optimized for much closer where most CQB engagements occur. The PP-2000 accepts either compact 20-round magazines for concealment or extended 44-round magazines, which were once used as improvised stocks in the earliest prototypes until the wire stock was developed. Both magazine types have heavily texturized floorplates because the original stock was a 44-round magazine. The design includes a non-removable birdcage-style flash hider integrated into the front sight block and a fixed rear sight set into the top rail. Third-party accessories are available, and some models can be fitted with suppressors, according to manufacturer literature.

In the hands of a trained operator, the PP-2000 is fast, controllable, and straightforward. Its lightweight, compact dimensions provide exceptional mobility; the trigger and controls are ergonomically arranged, and the closed-bolt system improves accuracy. Downsides reflect the compromises of any PDW: short barrels reduce long-range velocity and energy; and in the case of the PP-2000, the thin polymer lower has been reported to crack in some early examples; and the factory wire stock offers a less-than-ideal cheek weld, a complaint echoed by some operators, and one I would agree with. The high cyclic rate makes 20-round magazines empty quickly, so many units prefer the larger-capacity magazines despite the trade-off in compactness and concealability.

Russian interior ministry (MVD) units, special police, and select Spetsnaz elements adopted the PP-2000 to one degree or another for urban policing, counterterrorism, and as an emergency or vehicle-stowed weapon for crews unable to carry a full-size carbine. It fills a niche rather than replacing rifles: a rapid-reaction, short-range arm that pairs concealability with lethality when adversaries wearing body armor are a real possibility, or more realistically, shooting through barriers such as car doors. Also, around 2019, the PP-2000 was considered and under evaluation as an aircrew survival weapon.

After testing the PP-2000, I would say it was pleasant to shoot in semi-automatic fire and well-suited for its intended role. Recoil impulse is relatively sharp compared with longer, heavier SMGs due to short bolt travel and an abrupt bolt stop, but it remains manageable with practice. Quality control issues in production samples and the stock design remain the most common criticisms. Yet the platform’s ease of handling, compactness, and compatibility with high-performance ammunition ensure it remains relevant.

Conclusion

KBP’s PP-2000 is a clear expression of the modern Russian PDW concept: grounded in an institutional design tradition, adapted to contemporary operational needs, and delivered as a compact, effective platform for close-quarters and security work. It isn’t a universal solution, but for the problems it was designed to solve, rapid deployment and short-range armor/barrier penetration, it remains an interesting though less encountered weapon of modern Russian small-arms inventories.