[1] The designers were tasked with resolving the difficulty of controlling recoil in full-auto mode present in the Stechkin APS pistol and simplifying it for combat deployment.

The new pistol has a "square" shape, which is simpler (and less expensive) to manufacture and has a novel operating principle that increases controllability and reduces recoil.

To further reduce felt recoil and compensate for muzzle rise during firing, some propellant gases are diverted into a ported slide cavity that acts as a muzzle brake and compensator, deflecting the gases upward to stabilize the barrel.

The weapon is aimed using iron sights that consist of an adjustable rear notch and fixed forward blade.

A folding metal shoulder stock can be screwed onto a point at the base of the grip in order to alleviate problems aiming the weapon while firing in fully automatic mode.