The Spider (Pauk)

DVD Cover (with both preliminary title Goznak
and release title Pauk)

Country	Russia
Language	Russian
Creator	Evgeniy Zvezdakov
Broadcast	2015
No. of Seasons	1
No. of Episodes	8

Main Cast
Character	Actor

Militsiya Maj. Ivan Petrovich Tcherkasov	Andrey Smolyakov
Militsiya Lt. Sonya Timofeeva	Marina Aleksandrova
KGB Lt. Col. Robert Mikhailovich Lebedev	Sergey Ugryumov
Georgiy Chikovani	Sergey Godin
David Chikovani	Mark Bogatyryov
Regina Oleneva	Karolina Gruszka
Michael Cottam	Andris Lielais
Militsiya Maj. Nikita Pozhidaev	Yuriy Tarasov
Militsiya Col. Fyodor Grigoryevich Sablin	Vadim Andreev
Militsiya Sr. Lt. Aleksey Garkusha	Aleksey Bardukov

The Spider (Pauk; until the release the title was Goznak) is a 2015 Russian detective TV series. The plot is set in Moscow in 1967. Militsiya Maj. Ivan Petrovich Tcherkasov (Andrey Smolyakov) and his team investigate several murders of fashion models. At the same time a grand theft at the Goznak currency printing facility happens (hence the first title of the series). Tcherkasov comes to the conclusion that these crimes are connected.

The plot is partially inspired by the real events of the major theft in the State Bank of Armenian SSR in Yerevan in 1977.

Pauk is the third installment in the TV series about detective Ivan Tcherkasov.

The following weapons were used in the television series The Spider (Pauk):

Pistols

Makarov PM (IZh-79)

Most Makarov PM pistols in the series turn out to be IZh-79 gas-firing version (or some other similar looking non-lethal version of PM). They are used by Militsiya personnel, including Maj. Ivan Petrovich Tcherkasov (Andrey Smolyakov) and Lt. Vasiliy Ivantsov (Filipp Gurevich), and by KGB Lt. Col. Robert Mikhailovich Lebedev (Sergey Ugryumov). Sergey Sergeevich Skuratov (Rodion Nahapetov), the head of the personnel department of the All-Union Fashion House, owns an award PM pistol.

IZh-79-8, a non-lethal gas firing version of Makarov PM - 8mm PA

Tcherkasov holds his pistol during the visit in the apartments of a suspect. The shape of the trigger guard matches non-lethal versions of the PM.

Ivantsov (at the right) holds his PM in the same scene.

Another view of Tcherkasov's PM.

A Militsiya operative guards Sonya Timofeeva in hospital but misses Tcherkasov's visit.

Lebedev fires at Chikovani brothers who make escape from custody.

A close-up of Skuratov's pistol. This gun is definitly an IZh-79-8.

Skuratov fires at Chikovani brothers...

...but his pistol is loaded with blanks.

Makarov PM

In the flashback scene showing Tcherkasov replacing live ammunition in Skuratov's PM to the blank one, the pistol in general and the award inscription in particular look different from the gun that is seen in Skuratov's hands. The trigger guard and the slide stop match original PM rather than non-lethal versions.

Makarov PM - 9x18mm Makarov

Tcherkasov takes Skuratov's pistol.

He reloads the gun. The magazine with live ammunition is seen on the nightstand.

Makarov PM (air gun)

In one scene Maj. Ivan Petrovich Tcherkasov (Andrey Smolyakov), Sr. Lt. Aleksey Garkusha (Aleksey Bardukov), and Lt. Vasiliy Ivantsov (Filipp Gurevich) hold PM pistols that turn out to be air guns, supposedly of several different models that have different visible bore size (these are mockup muzzles, the real caliber of all these air guns is .177).

For comparison: MP-654K, early version - .177. Note the lack of the external extractor. Late version of MP-654K have the extractor on place.

Tcherkasov with an air PM.

Ivantsov with an air PM. This pistol has a larger bore than Tcherkasov's gun.

Garkusha's pistol lacks the external extractor; the slide even seems to be a single detail with the frame.

The muzzle of Garkusha's pistol. It also has a large bore.

Another view of Tcherkasov's pistol. The screw hole in place of a magazine well allows to identify this pistol as a CO2 gun.

The trio with pistols. In this scene Tcherkasov holds a pistol with large bore. Supposedly his and Garkusha's pistols switches to each other due to a continuity error.

Unidentified (toy?) pistols

During the raid on the illegal gambling house, two of the Militsiya operatives holds pistols that look more like plastic toys than any kind of real guns. One of these guns is a compact pistol, another is a longer M1911-style and has a noticeably protruding barrel.