TP-82
Soviet triple-barreled survival gun for cosmonauts.
The TP-82 is a triple-barreled combination gun that Soviet cosmonauts once carried into space. No longer in service, it was designed as a survival tool for use after landing, before rescue teams could reach them in the Siberian wilderness.
The weapon was built to be compact and light enough for storage inside a Soyuz descent module, while also serving multiple roles: shotgun, flare gun, pistol, and machete. Though it could be used for hunting, its main purposes were defense against predators and signaling for help by firing flares from its shotgun barrels. The detachable metal buttstock has a sharpened edge, turning it into a machete, and comes with a canvas sheath to prevent injury when not in use. The two upper barrels, mounted side by side, fire 12.5×70 mm ammunition (40 gauge). The lower, single rifle barrel uses 5.45×39mm ammunition, the same round used in the AK-74 assault rifle. A large lever on the left side of the receiver opens the action, and a small grip safety under the trigger guard looks like a second trigger. According to NASA astronauts, the gun is accurate to about 20–30 meters (22–33 yards).
The TP-82 came about after cosmonaut Alexei Leonov was stranded in the Siberian wilderness when his Voskhod capsule malfunctioned. He worried that the 9x18mm Makarov pistol in his survival kit would not be enough against local predators like Eurasian brown bears and wolves. The TP-82 was a regular part of Soviet and Russian space missions from 1986 to 2006, included in the Soyuz Portable Emergency Survival Kit (known as the NAZ). In 2007, reports stated that the remaining ammunition for the TP-82 had degraded and become unusable, and that a standard semi-automatic pistol would be used on future missions.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Is Ranged
- yes
- Service
- 1986–2006
- Used By
- Cosmonauts
- Designer
- Igor Aleksandrovich Skrylev
- Weight
- 2.4 kg (with the buttstock attached)
- Cartridge
- 12.5×70mm shotgun (over) and 5.45×39mm rifle (under)
- Barrels
- 3 (2 shotgun and 1 rifle)
- Range
- 200 m
- Feed
- Break-open
- Sights
- Iron sights
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The TP-82 was the result of cosmonaut Alexei Leonov's concerns after being stranded in the Siberian wilderness when his Voskhod capsule malfunctioned. He feared that the 9x18mm Makarov pistol provided in his survival kit would be ineffective against Siberian wildlife such as Eurasian brown bears and Eurasian wolves. The TP-82 was designed to be compact and lightweight for storage within the limited space of a Soyuz descent module and to fulfill multiple roles, including those of a shotgun, flare gun, pistol and machete. Although it could be used for hunting, its primary purpose was defense against predators and the generation of visible and audible distress signals by firing flares from its shotgun barrels. The detachable buttstock is metal with a sharpened edge, allowing it to function as a machete; it is supplied with a canvas sheath to prevent injury when not in use. The upper two side-by-side shotgun barrels fire 12.5×70 mm ammunition (40 gauge), while the lower single rifle barrel is chambered for 5.45×39mm ammunition developed for the AK-74 assault rifle. A large lever on the left side of the receiver opens the action, and a small grip safety beneath the trigger guard resembles a secondary trigger.
Reader's Guide
The TP-82 represents a unique intersection of space exploration and wilderness survival engineering. Carried regularly on Soviet and Russian space missions from 1986 to 2006, it was part of the Soyuz Portable Emergency Survival Kit (NAZ). Its design addressed a specific concern raised by cosmonaut Alexei Leonov after his Voskhod capsule malfunctioned, leading to a survival situation in the Siberian wilderness. The weapon's triple-barrel configuration combined shotgun, rifle, and flare-launching capabilities in a single compact package, with the detachable buttstock doubling as a machete. In 2007, the media reported that the remaining ammunition for the TP-82 had become unusable and that a regular semi-automatic pistol would be used on future missions, effectively ending its service. The TP-82 remains notable as the only firearm specifically designed for spaceflight survival, reflecting the practical challenges faced by cosmonauts returning to remote terrestrial environments.
Did You Know?
- The TP-82's detachable buttstock has a sharpened edge and functions as a machete, supplied with a canvas sheath.
- It was carried on Soviet and Russian space missions from 1986 to 2006 as part of the Soyuz Portable Emergency Survival Kit.
- Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov's concerns after a Voskhod capsule malfunction led to the TP-82's development.
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