The Russian PSM was developed as an ultra-concealable personal defense pistol for the KGB only 2/3″ thick, firing the odd and anemic 5.45×18 cartridge. The 5.45×18 could penetrate soft body armor, but with a miserable wound profile similar to that of a .25 ACP.

The PSM was popular with high-level military officers and Communist Party officials, where it was often heavily engraved as a status symbol.

These same pistols were often found at the scene of Communist Party member suicides during the turbulent 1990s… though whether or not the Party members had “help” with their suicides remains suspect.