In Russia, rail rides you! This ‘Bizon-2’ subgun has a more extensive rail network than the entire United Kingdom. Never heard of the PP-19 Bizon before? You’re not alone . . .

The ‘Bison’ was first developed in the early 1990s from the Kalashnikov platform of the AKS-74. The PP-19 is a true Kalashnikov design, and not just a knockoff, since it was actually developed by Mikhail’s son Viktor Kalashnikov.

Unlike the AKS-74, the Bizon is a true subgun. It was originally chambered in 9×18 Makarov, and has also been offered in 9X19, .380 ACP (huh?) and 7.62 Tokarev.

This video shows perhaps its most interesting feature, a 64-round helical drum magazine reminiscent of the Calico pistols and carbines of the late 1980s. Modern versions utilize twin 32-round detachable box magazines like those shown at the top of the article.

The Bizon has not, to my knowledge, been imported for civilian sale in the United States. It would be pretty neat to own Russia’s home-grown counterpart to the H&K MP5, but we probably never will.

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73 COMMENTS

    • ya same here. not to sound like an immature nerd but i have only heard of the bison through video games.

    • Decent game for guns…unless you have any real life experience with them.
      They pissed me off with how difficult it was to use them. And an ultimak 100 (minus stock) somehow outclasses a damned PKM in potential damage?

  3. 7.62×25. Awesome. And in an AK platform. Double awsome. Shits and Giggles would be the order of the day. That’s a range toy I’d like.

      • Seconded. The tokarev round has speed, penetration, and high capacity. Still don’t understand why we don’t have any double stack pistols for this round.

        • Me too neither.

          ‘Course, it’s a Russian thing, so maybe noone else wants to build a firearm around it.

          Pity, though; at the high end, it’s as powerful as a low-to-medium .357 magnum, which is one reason why I just love my TT-33.

        • I, for one, have had this somewhat perverse desire to see the 7.62×25 round offered in an MP-44 clone. But yes, a double stack pistol in that chambering would be awesome. Heck, I would even welcome a hi-cap 1911 as a natural progression to the Tokarev. After all, they were, more or less attributable to the same man.

      • I agree. I would like a modern high capacity polymer pistol with rail in 7.62×25. Also a carbine, maybe an inexpensive Bullpup

        • A CZ SP-01 in 7.62 Tokarev with 20 round mags would be a dream.

          Too bad the only way to shoot that caliber in Norway is if you reload (or import ammo).

  4. I wonder why the drum mag was ditched. It looked more compact than that 32-rounder along with having double the capacity. TTAG reviewed the Calico and reported problems with its helical drum so maybe a mag design like that is just not sufficiently soldier-proof.

    • It may be that using the helical mag preempted using a vertical foregrip/flashlight combo or something similar.

    • Flat pan feed magazines, drum mags, helical mags, hopper feed all seem to be more complicated and prone to problems than plain old stick mags. If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.

    • Firstly, the magazines fail a lot more. Helical springs get jammed out and wear quickly. They are also a lot harder to load as the mag gets.

      I think the biggest was how hard it was to keep them on your person in a mag carrier. In the space that one 64 round mag takes up, you could fit 3 30 round mags. They’re just, for lack of a better phrase, less dense.

    • My step-mother sold of my mega-Lionel set while I was at my mother’s for the summer. The lesson was worth more than two years of college, and I thanked her for it. Briefly.

  8. I Don’t think that’s a PP-19 that ay be a Grozna SMG. I do love the Bison wish they make a PCC in 9x18mm and be fun to use for 3 gun matches. but no importation yet.

    • The standard amount of rail today reminds me of the time Standard Oil Company gave free oil lamps to Chinese peasants. “Got to fill up my rails!” “Well of course you do, Joe.”

    • Top rails blocking the front sight. And wheres the read sight? I think thats the face the russian operator is making: “how the f do I aim this pos?”

    • Didn’t you hear? The Russian government has declared that “operating” shall now be called “Putining”.

      Also, Putinors are required to Putin bare chested.

      FOR THE MOTHERLAND!

    • All of Russia is Putin operating. First Putin condemned homosexuality, and forbid the queens of Moscow from appearing in drag on pain of prison. Then four months later he publicly urged Russia not to remain behind the French with their Train à Grande Vitesse. So the bureaucrats quickly produced lots of high-speed low-drag rail. Is bureaucracy. Is normal.

  15. i like how it has enough rails to start a freight train company but i only see iron sights. no fancy eotech or acog.

    • Good observation. And Russian guys all want German or US weapons with actual Holosights and Zeiss Victory scopes. It’s like signs for porn stores. In NYC they say “Swedish Sex Shop!”. In Stockholm, Sweden, they say “New York Sex Shop!” The only thing in Russia that interests me is blond and has a built-in caviar plate.

  17. I always thought that in a less restrictive world, an ultra high capacity full auto suppressed .25 or .32 would make an ideal home defense weapon. Say, 1200+ rounds per minute, and a 300 round magazine loaded with .25, a serial shotgun, basically. The helical magazine would be a way to get that capacity without absurd bulk.

  20. Y’know, that looks like a respectable li’l machine. I’d own one, happily.

    The one in the vid looked a little less like an advert for rails.ru, too.

    I like it; it’s about as unpretentious as a 1970 Chevy truck.

    • EDIT: The next vid in the chain is far more extensive, and includes footage with a very effective can.

      Mewants!

      • Yes, do watch! Really cool. Now THAT is a home defense gun, better than any SBR AR any day. And the can–all you hear is the action cycling. Awesome!

  23. ” It would be pretty neat to own Russia’s home-grown counterpart to the H&K MP5, but we probably never will.”

    SOMEBODY has never been to an AK build party…..

  25. It seems to me that given the purpose of this weapon (PDW, CQB, Entry, EP etc) having rails everywhere anyone might wish to mount something is actually useful. If you like a light on the left, laser on the right and a holo-dot on top while I like a light on the bottom, laser on the right, vertical fore grip and a red dot with fold down iron back ups we can both be happy as can be with one of these.

    These aren’t really designed with plinking in mind and as such being configurable on a mission/operator need basis is a nice thing.

  28. I do not believe that is a pp 19 bizon. That my actually be the pp-19-01 vityaz, a submachine gun based on the aks-74u platform. according to world.guns.ru, the smg is chambered in both 9 mm parabellum and the russian 9×19 mm 7N21 armor piercing round.

  29. The hell do you mean, nobody heard of the Bizon? I’ve heard of it since the late 1990s… Also, I certify Phil is correct, it’s the Vityaz. The Bizon, while box mags were made for it, is typically not as rail covered as it is, and is usually fed with 9x18mm Mak 64-round helical magazines, though if I recall correctly, 7.62 Tok and 9×19 versions exist.

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