Gun Glove? These Are Some of the Sneaky Spy Weapons Used By the KGB

During the height of the Cold War, the premiere Soviet intelligence service-- the KGB-- was feared around the globe for its ruthlessness and treachery, and today many of its sinister spy trade tools have come to light.

The site EnglishRussia* has posted a number of these espionage tools for the public to peruse. While they look like something out of a James Bond movie, many of these devices were used for deadly purposes.

1) The Gun Glove

This contraption gives new meaning to the term "firm handshake." Capable of firing a small bullet with the movement of a finger, the KGB gun glove was a low-tech, but highly effective means of concealing gun in public.

It gave the wearer the ability to get within point blank range before firing a lethal shot. Oddjob would be proud.

2) The Lipstick Gun

Spy games aren't just for the gentlemen. As this lipstick gun makes clear, lady spies were often used behind the Iron Curtain as well. Capable of delivering a single 4.5 mm round into a target, this little cosmetic aid could easily deliver a kiss of death.

3) Pipe Gun

Noticing a pattern here, folks? The Russky spies had an obvious affinity for concealing small-caliber firearms and other projectile devices in everyday items.

While pipe-smoking is less popular now than it was during the heigh of our worldwide standoff with the evil Soviet Empire, back in the day it would have been a very effective concealment option. Apparently, smoking really does kill.

4) Cyanide Gun

This nasty device combines rudimentary firearms and  bio-weapons science to fire a poisoned pellet into victims. According to Wired:

"a gas gun similar to this one was used by KGB officer Bogdan Stashinsky to assassinate two Ukrainian dissidents — Lev Rebet and Stepan Bandera — in Germany in 1957 and 1959. The gun, which Stashinsky concealed in a rolled-up newspaper, exploded hydrogen from a crushed cyanide capsule into the victim's face, causing him to go into cardiac arrest. Stashinsky later defected to Germany and confessed to the crimes."

5) The Briefcase AK

This one needs little explanation. The timeless symbol of Soviet munitions-- the AK-47-- comes in all sorts of variants and configurations, including this compact version that fits in a briefcase.

If a KGB officer couldn't get the job done with the gun glove or cyanide shooter, this was certainly one final option with a lot more firepower.

You can See even more spy gadgets here, courtesy of EnglishRussia and Wired.

(h/t Gizmodo)

*Editor's note: we cannot vouch for all the content on the EnglishRussia site. For example, there are some provocative images at the bottom of that site's story on the KGB gadgets. With that said, here is the link to the source material.