SPSh-44

The gun was designed by G. S. Shpagin as a replacement for the previous models of the Red Army signal pistol.^[1]

In 1943 he made first version of the gun - 26mm SPSh-43 flare (signal) pistol (26-мм осветительный (сигнальный) пистолет СПШ-43). In January 1944, The second version of this pistol was made - SPSh-2 (СПШ-2).

After tests and trials, in 1944 SPSh-2 flare gun was officially adopted as the new standard Red Army signal pistol. In May 1944 it began mass production as SPSh-44 signal pistol.^[1]

Later it became the standard flare gun in all Warsaw Pact countries.

In the mid-1970s, experimental cartridges for immobilization of wild animals for SPSh-44 signal pistol were made and tested.^[4]

The SPSh-44 is a single-shot break-action smoothbore flare gun.^[1][2]

• OSSh-42 (ОСШ-42) - the first test prototype with 140mm barrel (1.09 kg)^[1]
• Pistolet sygnałowy wz. 1944 - copy of SPSh-44, made since 1948 by Zakłady Metalowe im. gen. "Waltera" in Polish People's Republic^[1][5]
• Type 57 - copy of SPSh-44, made in the People's Republic of China
• SPSh-26M KZ (СПШ-26М KZ) - copy of SPSh-44, made by Uralsk machine-building plant "Metallist" (in Uralsk, Kazakhstan).^[6]
• Keserű Muvek Rubber Protector - is a single-shot traumatic pistol manufactured by the Hungarian company " Keserű " by reworking the SPSh. It has separate loading with a 28-mm rubber bullet and a blank cartridge .380 Knall, and can be owned without license in Hungary^[7]

• Soviet Union^[1]
• Belarus^[2]
•  Poland^[5][1]
• Russian Federation^[1]
• Turkmenistan - Armed Forces of Turkmenistan^[8]
• Ukraine^[9]