Silverback VKS Vykhlop Silenced Sniper Rifle — Black

The real VKS is a Russian 12.7x55mm suppressed rifle built for the FSB, and the thing that defines it is the enormous integral suppressor that gives it its project name — Vykhlop, meaning exhaust. Silverback have not tried to make a one-to-one copy. They have taken the silhouette and the layout and built an airsoft platform inside it, which is the right call, because what makes the shape work on a real rifle also happens to work very well for a quiet airsoft gun.

The layout is the point. A bullpup puts the cylinder behind the trigger, so the rifle keeps the full 41cc of usable air volume that the SRS and the TAC-41 run while staying far shorter than a conventional rifle with the same internals. The inner barrel is a relatively short 350mm, and the space that frees up at the front is given over to the suppressor rather than to barrel length.

That suppressor is a real fibreglass body lined with dense noise-damping foam, and on its own it accounts for 981g of the rifle. A large volume around a short barrel is the arrangement that actually makes a shot quiet, as opposed to a slim can on a long barrel that mostly looks the part. Silverback’s own position is that this is probably one of the quietest spring platforms in airsoft, which is a manufacturer claim rather than a lab measurement, but the engineering behind it is straightforward enough to follow.

The action is a straight pull rather than a turn-bolt. A two-piece relay lets the bolt ride on the tracks of the charging handle, so the stroke is a clean 92mm back and forward with nothing to rotate. Silverback’s own manual confirms the cylinder, the piston and the spring guide are shared with the SRS, so a technician who knows those rifles already knows most of this one.

Feeding is where it borrows from the TAC-41 instead. The magazine holds 63 rounds, and a self-capture feed tube keeps another five in the rifle so BBs do not spill out of the chamber on a reload — 68 in total. The magazine goes in front-first and rotates up at the rear to lock, which takes about one game to get used to and then becomes second nature.

Specifications

What fits it, and what does not

The short version: the air system is familiar Silverback, and everything you can see from the outside is not. If you are planning an upgrade path off the back of SRS parts you already own, message us with the part numbers before you order anything — some of it crosses over and some of it needs a VKS-specific adapter.

Good to know before you buy

It is a heavy rifle. At 4,408g before a scope, a bipod or a magazine, this is a deliberate, static shooting position rather than something you carry all day on a flank. The flip side is that the weight and the bullpup balance make it very steady once you are down behind it.

Nothing is included beyond the rifle and its magazine, so a scope, mount and bipod are all separate. Heavy BBs are not optional either — the barrel and hop are set up around 0.40g to 0.48g and it will not show you what it can do on 0.25g. See the rest of our sniper rifles if you are still choosing a platform.

Frequently asked questions

How quiet is it really?
Quieter than any conventional sniper rifle with a slim suppressor, because the volume around the barrel is doing the work rather than the length of the can. Silverback describe it as probably one of the quietest spring platforms in airsoft. That is their claim rather than an independent measurement, so treat it as a strong indication rather than a certified figure.

What muzzle energy does it come at?
Energy on a spring rifle depends on the spring fitted, and we would rather chrono the actual gun than quote you a number off a spec sheet. Tell us your site limit and we will set it and chrono it before it ships.

Is it a straight pull or a normal bolt?
Straight pull. There is no rotating bolt handle — you pull back about 92mm and push forward, and a two-piece relay runs the bolt on the charging handle tracks to keep it smooth.

Will my SRS parts fit?
The air system will, to a degree: the cylinder, piston and spring guide are shared and the barrel and bucking are AEG spec. Magazines and every external part will not. Ask us before buying.

How many BBs does it actually hold?
Sixty-three in the magazine and five more in the feed tube, so 68 in the rifle. The feed tube is there so BBs stop falling out of the chamber when you change magazines.

Do I need UKARA to buy it?
Yes. A black sniper rifle counts as a realistic imitation firearm in the UK, so you will need a UKARA number against your account or another valid defence. We check that at checkout, and the box below explains how to register if you have not already.

Does the suppressor come off?
It unscrews, but screw it clockwise only until it reaches its stop and do not force it past that. Silverback call this out specifically in the manual.