Russia Restarts SR-2M Production to Sustain Compact Armor-Piercing Firepower.

Kalashnikov Group announced on February 6, 2026, that TsNIITochMash has begun fulfilling a new government contract for modernized SR.2M 9x21 mm submachine guns. The move signals a sustainment decision, keeping a niche but armor-defeating close-quarters weapon in serial production rather than introducing a new platform.

Kalashnikov Group disclosed on 6 February 2026 that TsNIITochMash has started executing a new government contract to produce modernized 9 mm SR.2M submachine guns, keeping in motion a compact weapons line that has served Russian security units for more than two decades. The announcement reads less like a breakthrough and more like a deliberate sustainment move: preserve a proven, high-penetration personal defense weapon in serial output while tightening the design details that shape daily carry, safe handling, and the speed at which an operator can bring the gun from transport posture to a first accurate burst.
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Modernized 9 mm SR.2M submachine gun with folding metal stock and improved lock, firing high-penetration 9x21 mm rounds from 20- or 30-round magazines for compact close-quarters use out to 200 m, optimized for rapid deployment in vehicles, urban fighting, and protective security missions (Picture source: Kalashnikov Group).

The SR.2M sits closer to the “PDW” concept than to classic 9x19 submachine guns built around simple blowback actions. Open technical documentation describes the weapon as gas-operated with a rotating bolt, a choice more common in compact carbines than pistol-caliber SMGs, and one intended to manage the pressures and impulse of the 9x21 mm class of ammunition. In practical terms, that architecture supports reliable automatic fire in a very short overall package, with the magazine housed in the pistol grip to keep the center of gravity tight to the shooter during dynamic movement.

The SR.2M is chambered for Russian 9x21 mm loads such as SP-10 and SP-11, with the armor-piercing SP-10 often cited in open sources as being optimized for defeating soft body armor at short-to-medium ranges. That focus matters because many real-world encounters for security units occur inside the envelope where pistol rounds struggle against modern vests. In that niche, a compact automatic weapon that can still threaten protected targets out to 100-200 m offers a different tactical option than a sidearm, without the bulk and signature of an assault rifle.

Kalashnikov Group’s release highlights modernization that is deliberately practical: a folding metal stock to reduce bulk during carry, paired with an improved locking mechanism to hold the stock securely when folded and enable a faster transition from transport to firing. This may sound incremental, but it targets a persistent friction point for compact weapons used around vehicles, stairwells, and tight corridors: stocks that snag, unlock unintentionally, or add seconds to shouldering under stress. The SR.2M’s baseline dimensions underline why these small changes matter. The weapon is listed at 367 mm with the stock folded and 605 mm extended, with a weight of 1.55 kg without a magazine, and a stated sighting range of 200 m.

Compared with early SR-2 family configurations, the SR.2M package is generally presented in open descriptions as more “hands-on” for close-quarters work, commonly associated with a forward grip area and updated external controls intended to improve weapon retention and rapid target transitions. In other words, the modernization is not about pushing range or raw firepower; it is about making a compact PDW safer to run hard, faster to shoulder, and easier to carry in the kinds of constrained environments where these systems earn their keep.

The SR.2M’s value proposition is to provide a compact automatic weapon for personnel who may not be able to carry a full-length rifle at all times, but who still need credible stopping power against threats wearing contemporary protective gear. That makes it relevant for protective security details, special response teams, high-risk arrest units, convoy security inside vehicles, and facility defense where corridors, elevators, and doorways dominate engagement geometry. The weapon’s listed temperature operating range, from +50°C to -50°C, also signals an intent for wide geographic deployment without extensive reconfiguration.

On a battlefield, the SR.2M class of weapon is considered as a close fight specialist, not a general-purpose infantry arm. It is suited to urban clearing, subterranean or industrial infrastructure, trench lines where engagement distances compress, and rapid reaction tasks where concealability and speed of presentation matter more than sustained precision. Its 20- and 30-round magazines support short, aggressive bursts rather than long strings of fire, and the 200 m sighting range aligns with overwatch across streets, courtyards, and small compounds.

The new contract underscores a broader reality in small-arms procurement: many agencies continue to invest in niche weapons that solve specific tactical problems, even as more modular 9x19 SMGs and short-barreled carbines dominate international catalogs. The SR.2M’s strengths are tied to a specialized ammunition ecosystem and a compact PDW layout, which can complicate logistics and interoperability outside its primary user base, while still offering a clear performance rationale for teams that prioritize armor defeat in tight spaces. The same Kalashnikov Group messaging also situates TsNIITochMash as a continuing developer of pistols and compact arms, including systems such as the Udav and the SR1 and SR1M family, reinforcing that this SR.2M production restart is part of a broader, steady-state industrial posture rather than a single headline-grabbing leap.