Borz

The Borz (Борз, Chechen for 'wolf') submachine gun is one of a number of low cost weapons produced in Chechnya. It was produced in small numbers from 1992 to 1999. It was used primarily by Chechen separatists. It is named after the Borz (wolf) because of its position as Chechnya's national animal.

Design details


The Borz was initially a near-copy of the Armenian K6-92, which itself was loosely based on the Soviet PPS submachine gun. However, individual models can vary greatly, since the Borz is neither a single model of weapon, nor made by a particular weapon manufacturer, but a common name for all Chechen hand-made submachine guns with some similarity in design and appearance. Some of the Borz models from late 1990s don't follow the original design and have a Uzi-like telescoping bolt and magazine in the pistol grip. These are often referred to as the "second generation Borz"—some of these also featured silencers and 40-round magazines.

Production of the first models started in 1992 at the "Krasniy Molot" plant in Grozny, Chechnya. However, very shortly production at this plant was stopped by the First Chechen War, and moved into underground workshops. According to the witnesses, only a few hundred Borzes were actually crafted at the "Krasniy Molot" plant.

The Borz was very simple and inexpensive to produce, costing about $100 in Chechnya. The receiver could be square steel tubing with a stamped steel dustcover on top and trunnions in the front and rear, although some versions have a round receiver. The bolt design closely mimicked that of the Soviet PPS, and the magazine was based on the magazine used in the German MP 40. The trigger mechanism has features in common with the Madsen M-50, and enables both fully automatic and single fire. The ejector and barrel locking nut also resemble those of the Madsen.

Deployment
The Borz submachine gun is considered an ideal weapon for sudden surprise attacks. It is a small and compact gun, whose lightness and ease of use makes up for its poor technical quality. Usually the Borz is used once and discarded, due to its cheap construction.

The Borz had a number of advantages, being small, lightweight and easy to produce in home workshops. However, the quality of these submachine guns was usually poor, and they were very inaccurate since most had poor or nonexistent sights, no stock and barrels of poor quality metal.