The Stechkin APS (Автоматический Пистолет Стечкина) is a Soviet select-fire machine pistol. It was designed between 1948 and 1949 by Igor Stechkin based on a request from the Soviet Army for a new compact defensive weapon, primarily to be used by vehicle and artillery crews. The APS was first issued in 1951 and was praised for its innovate design and relatively good controllability for a machine pistol, but was also derided for its heavy weight, limited effective range, high cost, and poor ergonomics, especially when fitted with the stock. The APS would eventually be phased out of service in favor of the AKS-74U compact carbine.-Hand Mesh Rig made by Foridex