The Degtyarev submachine gun became the first representative of this type of weapon adopted by the Red Army. And, in general, it cannot be said that the first automatic “pancake” came out lumpy, although at the very beginning of the Great Patriotic War he had to give way to more modern models.

The question of the gradual transition of the Red Army to automatic weapons was raised in 1925, when the last flashes of the Civil War died out and one could calmly think in which direction the army should be reformed.

He was the first

The Artillery Committee responsible for armament was more interested in self-loading automatic rifles - since back in 1913 the first such model was created by Vladimir Fedorov. Fedorov's student, the Tula gunsmith Vasily Degtyarev, eventually set off on an independent voyage, focusing specifically on submachine guns, or, as they were more commonly called, machine guns.

True, at first, work in this direction did not go well with Degtyarev - perhaps because Artkom initially formulated the terms of reference incorrectly, prescribing that machine guns be designed for Naganov cartridges. In any case, according to the test results of 1930, both Tokarev's "light carbine" and the Degtyarev machine gun, designed on the basis of his successful light machine gun, were rejected.

Things went well when they decided to switch to the cartridge of the popular Mauser pistol, the bottle shape of which increased the reliability of feeding from the magazine. In addition, the transition to this caliber gave significant savings, since it was possible to use rejected three-line barrels.

For the next tests of 1932-1933, Degtyarev proposed a new modification with a free shutter designed by Tokarev, Korovin, Prilutsky and Karelin.

However, this model also had to be finalized before it was accepted into service in 1935 as a 7.62-millimeter submachine gun of the 1934 model of the Degtyarev system (PPD). They decided to produce it at the Kovrov plant No. 2 in the Vladimir region.

However, the pace of production was not impressive: in 1934, only 44 copies were produced, and by 1940, a little more than 5 thousand. Since a fair number of machine guns were sent to the Spanish Republicans, it can be said that the presence of the PPD was not very much noticed in the Red Army. Machine guns were generally treated as "police" weapons, preferring to arm the Red Army with self-loading and automatic rifles.

The brainchild of Degtyarev was issued to "certain categories of soldiers of the Red Army, the border guards of the NKVD, machine-gun and gun crews." In essence, one could talk about tests carried out on an army scale, during which the technological parameters of the weapon were tested, and the tactics of its use were tested.

Degtyar vs Sveta

Designing the PPD, Degtyarev focused on the German samples MP18, MP28 and Rheinmetall MP19.

The action of automation was based on the use of the recoil energy of the free shutter.

The barrel had four rifling going from left to top to right. In front of the receiver, a perforated barrel casing was attached to the thread, protecting the shooter's hands from burns.

The shutter consisted of a handle, a drummer with an axis, a striker and an ejector with a spring, combined with a fuse handle. The return mechanism is made of a return spring and a butt plate with a guide rod. The trigger mechanism was housed in a separate box, secured with a pin, and was designed to fire in bursts and single shots.

The fuse was located on the cocking handle, and its design turned out to be so successful that it later switched to the Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh).

The weight of the weapon without a magazine was 3.36 kg, length - 788 mm, rate of fire - about 1000 rounds per minute.

Sights were designed for distances from 50 to 500 m. lethal range 800 m to shoot at the enemy even from a distance of half a kilometer did not make sense. However, it was quite realistic to hit an enemy at a distance of 300 m with a single shot, which was superior to other machine guns of that time.

In 1938-1939, the PPD was modernized, increasing the reliability of the magazine fastening and christening the resulting product as the "submachine gun of the 1934-1938 model of the Degtyarev system", or the "second sample". True, the biography of this second sample was short.

The main argument against PPD was its high cost. In the prices of 1939, one copy cost 900 rubles, while another well-known brainchild of Degtyarev - light machine gun- cost only 150 rubles more.

However, as such, the PPD was not removed from service. It was simply removed from the production program, and the copies available in the troops (except for the border and escort units) were confiscated and sent to warehouses, where, however, they were ordered to “keep in order”, providing “an appropriate amount of ammunition”.

Almost simultaneously, the Tokarev self-loading rifle - SVT, also known as affectionate name"Sveta".

"Blockade", which reached Berlin

However, at the end of the year, the fate of the PPD took a new sharp turn, which was explained by the sad experience gained during winter war with Finland.

The Suomi assault rifles used by the Finns made a huge impression on the Red Army, although the scale of their use was not so large (only a few percent of the total number of Finnish small arms).

Requests flew from the combat units to the headquarters: to send more submachine guns in order to equip "at least one squad per company."

The warehouses were again devastated, something was confiscated from the border guards, and most importantly, from January 1940, an urgently improved PPD was put into service, transferring the enterprises producing it to a three-shift mode of operation. The busiest was the Sestro-Retsk Tool Plant closest to the front, which accounted for most of the production. The new model, which retained the 34/38 index, was radically different from the first two samples even in its appearance.

The receiver began to be made from a tubular billet instead of a milled one.

The number of holes on the barrel casing was reduced from 55 short to 15 long. A separate drummer on the axis replaced the striker fixed in the bolt cup.

The ejector with a leaf spring, stock, trigger guard, fuse were simplified, which, accordingly, reduced the cost.

In addition to the sector store designed for 25 rounds, a drum magazine for 73 rounds was introduced, which looked like a Suomi magazine, but differed from it in the mounting design. The design, however, was not very reliable, but the large capacity became important factor in close combat conditions.

As soon as the new model went into series, Degtyarev introduced another modification with a more reliable magazine mount, although with a drum capacity of four rounds less.

It was this variant that was re-approved as a regular weapon as a "submachine gun of the 1940 model of the Degtyarev system." It is known that by the end of the year the factories produced more than 80 thousand copies, which made this weapon really massive.

The Great Patriotic War brought down the statistics, because by the end of 1941 the command decided to switch to a more reliable and technologically advanced Shpagin submachine gun. However, the transition took some time. For example, at the Kovrov plant, even switching to PPSh, about five thousand pieces of PPD were manually assembled from the remaining parts.

At the Sestroretsky plant evacuated to Leningrad, they did not break the technology at all, so the circulation of the “blockade issue” amounted to an impressive figure: 42,870 copies. They differed from their counterparts released in “peaceful” conditions by a simplified folding (instead of a sector) sight and a fuse shape.

In general, the PPD turned out to be a good weapon. It is significant that captured machine guns were used in units of the Wehrmacht and their allies, and more than five thousand copies were supplied by the USSR to Tito's partisans in 1944, and even at the end of the war they were in service with the Yugoslav People's Army.

Yes, and in the Red Army, many walked with this machine gun to Berlin.

PPD34

The development of submachine guns began in the Soviet Union already in the mid-twenties, but the Red Army received this type of weapon in an acceptable amount only in 1939-1940. In Soviet literature, the delay in arming the infantry with submachine guns is critically assessed. This situation is explained by the slowness of the military command in resolving the issue of the significance, expediency and necessity of using this weapon. In this connection, the merits of designers are emphasized, who closely followed the development military equipment in this area and consistently sought the recognition of submachine guns despite the resistance.
Despite the restrained attitude of some of the generals to this problem, the Soviet infantry was armed with submachine guns earlier than the armies of many other major European countries. This can be assessed as a great achievement, especially since for many years the military command was concerned about somehow adequately arming the army, police and other paramilitary formations of the young Soviet Republic who fought on the fronts of the civil war. The industry was poorly developed, the factories were overloaded with orders for the manufacture and repair of weapons inherited from the time of the October Revolution.
When in 1921 a design bureau for the development of automatic small arms was created at the arms factory in Kovrov, its employees initially focused on the creation of machine guns. Under the leadership of a prominent specialist Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov and his assistant Vasily Aleksandrovich Degtyarev, many effective machine guns were designed. In the end, Degtyarev took up the creation of submachine guns. The first samples appeared already in 1929.
However, the very first soviet submachine gun already two years earlier, another designer, Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev, at that time the technical director of the Tula Arms Plant, who later became famous for creating the TT 1933 automatic pistol, as well as the SVT1938 and SVT1940 self-loading rifles, presented it. The Tokarev submachine gun of the 1927 model was produced in small numbers as an experimental model, but after several tests it was rejected and not mass-produced.
About this experimental sample, some interesting details. The Tokarev submachine gun was equipped with a blowback and an unusual magazine, in which the front surface was made in the form of a handle to make it more convenient to hold the weapon in your hands. As reported in Soviet literature. the designer used two triggers, of which the first served for continuous fire, and the second for a single one. However, in the available photographs of the 1927 Tokarev submachine gun, only one hook is visible. Regarding the aiming range of fire, there are also differences of opinion. According to some sources, it was 200 m, and according to others, the adjustable sight was designed for distances of 100 and 150 m.



PPD 40 with sector sight

The theoretical rate of fire ranged from 1100 to 1200 rds/min, the practical rate of fire with a single fire was 40 rds/min, and when firing in short bursts of 5 rounds it was about 100. starting speed bullets about 300 m / s. The magazine held 21 rounds of 7.62x39 R. This was not the original revolver cartridge of the 1895 model, but a slightly heavier modification with a modified case welt, specially made for a submachine gun to ensure uninterrupted feeding during constant firing.
As was customary at that time, the designer supplied the submachine gun with a wooden butt and handguards. The forearm was quite long and left about a third of the barrel free. In this form, the submachine gun looked like
on a carbine and therefore it was called - a light carbine. The mass of the opp sample was 2,8 kg without a magazine, and 3,3 kg with a full magazine. The submachine gun was disassembled into 33 separate parts.
The Tokarev sample was tested in November 1927 (in comparison with the German Volmer-Erma submachine gun). A total of 1100 shots were fired at various distances from both clean and contaminated weapons. Bullet penetration was quite high, but there were failures in the supply of cartridges. Nevertheless, according to the commission, the Soviet submachine gun showed better results than the German one.
The Tokarev submachine gun was manufactured at the Tula Arms Plant in the amount of 10 pieces for military trials. The first 5 samples had different length barrel and stock shape (made in June 1928). With regard to the remaining samples, a requirement was put forward to remake them under the Mauser cartridge 7.63x25 type M 1896. In addition. Tokarev increased the magazine capacity to 22 rounds and changed the barrel pads and stock. The results of the shooting did not justify the hopes placed on the submachine gun either in modifications with revolvers. not with Mauser cartridges.
A year later, Degtyarev presented his first sample of a submachine gun. designed for single and automatic fire. It was reloaded by using the recoil force, the bolt had lugs retracting to the sides. The barrel was placed in a metal casing with slots for cooling. The submachine gun had a wooden stock and a front grip. The supply of ammunition (Tokarev M 1930 7.62x25 cartridges) was carried out from above from a flat disk magazine that held 22 rounds. The effective firing range was 200 m. The sample weighed about 3.33 kg. The rate of fire was no less than that of the Tokarev submachine gun.
Approximately the same data are typical for the prototype submachine gun presented at the beginning of 1930 by Korovin, the creator of the TK pocket pistols. It also fired Tokarev rounds housed in a 30-round double row box magazine. Its effective range was 500 m. Weight 2.74 kg. Such designers as I. N. Kolesnikov and S. A. Prilutsky did not succeed with submachine guns. In the literature, they are noted as the creators of prototypes of submachine guns, but these samples are not described. Only in 1932-1933, 14 samples were tested, including the models of Tokarev and Degtyarev.
In 1934, the prototype of the first submachine gun of the Degtyarev system suitable for mass production was finally created. Shooting from it was carried out with standard pistol cartridges of the Tokarev model of 7.62 mm caliber. The submachine gun was reloaded due to the recoil force, had a free bolt and was similar to the German model Schmeiser 28/2, from which Degtyarev borrowed a number of structural details (first of all, the bolt system, however, he designed the barrel cover, sight, cartridge feed mechanism and shop).
The store was slightly curved and inserted from below. The sector sight could be set at a distance of 50 to 500 m. Theoretical
the rate of fire was 900 rds / min. The wooden butt looked very massive. The barrel was surrounded by a metal casing with large holes for cooling.
The 25-round magazine was too small. Together with Irizarkh Andreevich Komaritsky, Degtyarev designed a disk magazine that had almost 3 times the capacity. It was very similar to the magazine for the Finnish Suomi 1931 submachine gun, but was equipped with an elongated neck included in the bolt box. In addition, the sight was improved and a more compact barrel casing with four rows of slightly smaller slots was created.
Changes imperceptible from the outside included an upgraded striker mechanism, as well as specially treated internal surfaces of the barrel and chamber. The drummer was actuated by a lever, which, just before locking the barrel, hit the body of the submachine gun and transmitted the impact impulse to the drummer. The inner surfaces of the barrel and chamber were made chrome-plated.
The submachine gun, called PPD 1934/38, was produced in three versions.
The first of these was equipped with a 73-round disk magazine, but a direct 25-round rod magazine could also be used. The fire translator, located in front of the trigger, could be installed in two positions: forward for a single fire and rear for a permanent one. In this modification, the trigger guard was made one-piece, and the hole for ejection of the cartridges was very narrow.
The second version is considered standard. It was equipped with a slightly smaller disc magazine: 71 cartridges instead of 73. The magazine was attached to the body using a special device. The trigger guard consisted of two welded parts. The shutter was made of blued steel, and the ejection window was slightly wider.
For the third version, Degtyarev also chose a disk magazine for 71 rounds. Instead of four rows of small cooling slots, three rows of large holes appeared in the barrel casing. As for other details, the submachine guns of the third version, apparently, are completely the same as the first. They even claim that this also applies to the capacity of the store, but this is not entirely true. Although submachine guns made later could use a 73-round magazine, but it was produced only for the first modification.

As already mentioned, arming the infantry with submachine guns was very slow. Like the generals of many others European countries, the Soviet military command could not come to a consensus regarding mass use this type of weapon. Its production was not given enough attention. Although the Degtyarev submachine gun on July 9, 1935 was recognized as a standard weapon for command personnel, the decree of January 23 was still in effect, limiting its production to a series of only 300 units.


Shutter PPD

It is known from numerous foreign sources that leading Soviet military leaders spoke out against these weapons. They not only expressed dissatisfaction with the insufficient firing range, but also generally doubted the advisability of using submachine guns and objected to their widespread use. According to Soviet specialists, these fluctuations were far-reaching. Negative consequences. The situation changed only at the end of 1939, when the soldiers of the Red Army during the Soviet Finnish war, which lasted from November 1939 to March 1940, collided with Suomi 1931 submachine guns.
In early 1939, a group of Soviet generals discussed the prospects combat use submachine guns. Publications in the closed press indicated the expediency and even the necessity of this type of weapon and demanded an early
and comprehensive armament of the infantry and other branches of the armed forces. At the same time, evidence was provided that the shortcomings of submachine guns, which had already been eliminated by that time, swinging, in particular, the magazine mounts and the possibility of its quick replacement, were due to design flaws, and were not at all typical for this type of weapon.
Despite this, a few days later, a resolution of a completely opposite content appeared. In February 1939, the production of Degtyarev submachine guns was not only stopped, but samples that had already entered the army were returned to warehouses. This was argued by the fact that the multi-shot rifles of the Mosin system have the best fighting qualities. It is known from Soviet sources that a group of experienced designers turned to the political leadership of the country and eventually achieved the cancellation of the wrong decision, the resumption of mass production and the introduction of submachine guns into the armament structure. Mass production began at the end of December 1939, and the order to adopt the submachine gun into service in all infantry units was received on January 6, 1940.
Up to this point, no more than 5 thousand units of PPD have been manufactured. In 1934, when their production began, 44 pieces were produced, for next year- only 23. in 1937 - 1291, in 1938 -1115, and in 1939 -1700 pieces. Data for 1936 is not available. In 1940, large-scale serial production began and, according to Soviet data, 81,118 weapons were manufactured.
These included the PPD 1934/38 and PPD 1940 submachine guns. The designer introduced this modernized model on February 15, 1940. After 6 days, the approval of the prototype took place, and in early March, its mass production began. Thus, modernized submachine guns made in Tula and Sestroretsk. time to the Finnish front.
PPD submachine guns were baptized in the snow, in forests and swamps, and have proven themselves well in the most difficult combat conditions on the Karelian Isthmus, in rocky terrain where large-scale operations of infantry and tanks are impossible. The soldiers were especially satisfied with the large ammunition. At the same time, the mass of a submachine gun with a full magazine was more than 5 kg.
Despite the further improvement of this model, especially in terms of reducing the cost of its production, from time to time technical shortcomings were revealed that did not allow reaching a given output volume. Due to the rather complex technology, this weapon could not go into mass production. Some parts had to be made by hand, which took a lot of time, others required special machines. Thus, the volume of production was limited. Already at the end of 1940, a decision was made in favor of a new submachine gun of the Shpagin system, which was tested in September of the same year and later called PPSh 1941.
Although the PPD 1940 was largely identical to the PPD 1934/38 model, it had a number of external and internal differences. This applies, first of all, to the stock and fastening of the magazine. If the fore-end of the old model was solid and with a hole for the magazine, then in the new one it consisted of two parts, connected by means of the magazine fastening. The disk magazine mount itself has also changed. He now sunk deeper into the nest. The elongated neck has been replaced with a coupler. Only one feeder spring remained in the store.
The bolt and barrel of both models are very similar to each other, but not interchangeable. However, it is possible to change the bolt box with a screw cap and the trigger mechanism.
Submachine gun PPD 1940. like the already mentioned models of Soviet designers, reloaded at the expense of energy
recoil, has a fixed barrel and a free shutter. It is designed for single and continuous fire. The cartridge ignites even before the barrel is completely locked. The practical rate of fire when firing bursts is from 100 to 120 rds / min. The fire translator is located in the trigger guard. The barrel has a chrome-plated inner surface.
The submachine gun is loaded both in the cocked and uncocked state. To set the fuse, the shooter turns the flag to the left. In this position, the shutter is locked. To remove the safety lock, the flag is rotated to the right. The store is unfastened by pressing the latch.
Dismantling the submachine gun for cleaning is very simple. The shooter unscrews the bolt box cap and removes it along with the return spring and bolt. To re-insert the shutter, you must press the trigger.

Features: Tokarev submachine gun (prototype 1927)

Muzzle velocity (Vq), m/s .............................................. .....300
Weapon length, mm .............................................. ..............805
Rate of fire, rds/min....................................... .........1100*
Ammunition supply ......... double-row straight rod
magazine for 21 rounds
Mass in a charged state, kg .............................. 3.30
Weight with empty magazine, kg .............................................. .......2.80
Cartridge................................................. ...............................7.62x39 R**
Sighting range, m .................................... 200 ***

* According to other sources, 1200 rds / min.
** Modified cartridge.
*** According to other sources, 150 m.
Features: PPD1934/38 submachine gun
Caliber, mm ............................................... ......................................7.62
Muzzle velocity (Vq), m/s .............................................. ....490
Weapon length, mm .............................................. ...............................779
Rate of fire, rds/min....................................... ..............800

for 71 or 73 rounds*
Mass in the charged state, kg......................................=5.20
Weight without magazine, kg ............................................... .................3.73

Barrel length, mm......................:................. ...............................269



* A carob magazine for 25 rounds was also used.
Characteristics: submachine gun PPD 1934
Caliber, mm ............................................... ...............................................7.62
muzzle velocity
(Vq), m/s.............................................. ................................................. .480
Weapon length, mm .............................................. ...............................785
Rate of fire, rds/min....................................... ..............900
Supply of ammunition ............................... carob magazine
for 25 rounds
Weight without magazine, kg ............................................... .................3.45
Cartridge................................................. ......................................7.62x25
Barrel length, mm ............................................... ...............................260
Grooves/Direction ............................................................... ....................4/p
Sighting range, m .............................................. 500
Effective firing range, m .............................................. 200
Features: PPD 1940 submachine gun
Caliber, mm ............................................... ...............................................7.62
Muzzle velocity (Vq), m/s .............................................. ....480
Weapon length, mm .............................................. ...............................788
Rate of fire, rds/min....................................... ...........1000
Ammunition supply ......................................... disc magazine
for 25 rounds
Mass in a charged state, kg .............................................. 5.40
Mass of a full magazine, kg .............................................. ........1.80
Cartridge................................................. ......................................7.62x25
Barrel length, mm ............................................... ......................244*
Grooves/Direction ............................................................... ...................4/p
Sighting range, m .............................................. 500
Effective firing range, m.......................................200


PPD, contrary to the legends, is not at all copied from the Finnish "Suomi"

In 2010, there are two significant anniversaries at once: 75 years ago, the submachine gun of the system of V. A. Degtyarev was adopted and 70 years ago, the submachine gun of the system of G. S. Shpagin. The fate of the PPD and PPSh reflected the dramatic nature of this type of domestic production on the eve of the Great Patriotic War and its exceptional role in the confrontation on the Soviet-German front.

Submachine guns began to enter infantry units during the First World War. The use of a pistol cartridge made it possible to create new type automatic small arms, quite compact in size and relatively small mass, from which it was possible to conduct dense fire in close combat. True, outside the "near" ranges, the performance indicators of submachine guns turned out to be quite modest. This largely determined the attitude towards the new weapon in a number of armies, including the Red Army, as a kind of auxiliary means.

NOT ONLY FOR GANGSTERS AND COPS

However, the widespread opinion about the "neglect" of the Soviet military leadership for submachine guns, to put it mildly, is greatly exaggerated. As early as October 27, 1925, the Commission on Armaments of the Red Army noted: "... it is necessary to re-equip the junior and middle command personnel with an automatic submachine gun, leaving the Nagant in service with the senior and senior command personnel." On December 28, 1926, the Artillery Committee of the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army approved the technical specifications for the manufacture of submachine guns.

Not much time passed, and already in 1927, F.V. Tokarev, who at that time worked in the design bureau of the First Tula Arms Plants, presented his own model of a submachine gun - the so-called light carbine. However, it was made under the then most accessible 7.62-mm revolver cartridge "revolver", which was poorly suited for automatic weapons. Meanwhile, work was already underway in the Soviet Union on a self-loading pistol, and on July 7, 1928, the Artillery Committee proposed using a 7.63-mm Mauser cartridge for pistols and submachine guns.

The Report of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR of December 1929 stated: “The adopted system of infantry weapons of the Red Army provides for the introduction in the near future of a semi-automatic self-loading rifle ... a self-loading pistol ... a submachine gun as a powerful automatic melee weapon (there are samples, a store on 20-25 rounds, range - 400-500 meters). The main weapon was to be a rifle chambered for a powerful rifle cartridge, the auxiliary weapon was a submachine gun chambered for pistol cartridge. In 1930, a 7.62 mm pistol cartridge (7.62x25) was adopted - a domestic version of the 7.63 mm Mauser cartridge. Under it, the development of submachine guns began.

Already in June-July 1930, by order of the Deputy People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs I.P. Uborevich, a commission headed by division commander V.F. These were samples developed by F. V. Tokarev under the revolver cartridge "revolver", V. A. Degtyarev (he then headed the design bureau of the Kovrov plant No. 2, later the State Union Plant No. 2 named after K. O. Kirkizh) and S A. Korovin - under a pistol cartridge. Simultaneously undergo a similar practical test foreign pistols and submachine guns.

In general, the test results of the first domestic submachine guns were unsatisfactory. Among the reasons for the failures was the discrepancy between the power of the pistol cartridge, the high rate of fire and the too limited weight of the samples, which did not allow achieving acceptable accuracy of fire.

At the same time, submachine guns were still treated ambiguously. For example, at the plenum of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Artillery Directorate on December 14, 1930, it was emphasized: “Submachine guns are currently used mainly in the police and internal security forces. For combat purposes, the Germans and Americans do not recognize them as perfect enough. This opinion was confirmed due to the fact that in Weimar Germany police units were supplied with MP.18 and MP.28 submachine guns. And the American Thompson submachine gun, which, although it was created as an army weapon, “became famous” mainly during gangster raids and showdowns, as well as operations of law enforcement officers. Even the following point of view was expressed: they say, in the armament system of the Red Army, "the submachine gun appeared not from the requirements, but due to the fact that such a sample was made and they tried to apply it to this system." But these conclusions did not interrupt the work of Soviet designers.

In 1932-1933, 14 samples of 7.62-mm submachine guns, presented, among others, by F. V. Tokarev, V. A. Degtyarev, S. A. Korovin, S. A. Prilutsky, I. N Kolesnikov. The “brainchildren” of Degtyarev and Tokarev were recognized as the most successful. In January 1934, the Artillery Directorate noted the Degtyarev submachine gun as the best in terms of combat and operational qualities. He did not have a high rate of fire, but stood out for greater accuracy and manufacturability. Characteristic is the use of a significant number of cylindrical parts (barrel, receiver, barrel casing, bolt, butt plate) manufactured on universal lathes.

On June 9, 1935, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, the “7.62-mm Degtyarev submachine gun mod. 1934 (PPD-34)". First of all, they intended to supply the command staff of the Red Army.

UPGRADE REQUIRED

PPD-34 belonged to the samples of the classic "carbine" layout, given by the German MP.18 / I, with a wooden stock and a cylindrical perforated barrel casing. The automation of the submachine gun operated at the expense of the recoil energy of the free shutter. The PPD trigger mechanism, made by a separate assembly, allowed automatic and single fire, the flag translator was located in front of the trigger guard. The shot was fired from the rear sear, that is, with the shutter open. A non-automatic fuse in the form of a latch was located on the bolt handle and blocked it in the forward or rear position. A detachable box-shaped magazine of a sector shape was attached from below. The sector sight was notched at a distance of 50 to 500 m. The distance of aimed fire, which was so high for submachine guns, would be abandoned only during the Great Patriotic War.

In 1934, Kovrov Plant No. 2 produced 44 PPDs, in 1935 - only 23, in 1936 - 911, in 1937 - 1291, in 1938 - 1115, in 1939 - 1700. If for 1937 and 1938 produced 3,085,000 magazine rifles (excluding sniper rifles), then PPD - 4106. This allows us to judge the place that was assigned to the submachine gun in the Red Army weapon system.

Along the way, the refinement of the PPD continued, and already in 1939 the Artillery Committee of the Artillery Directorate approved the changes prepared by plant No. 2 in the drawings of the submachine gun. The weapon received the designation "submachine gun model 1934/38". In the PPD of this sample, they strengthened the magazine mount by installing an additional neck for its fastening, worked out the interchangeability of magazines, and strengthened the landing of the sight. At the same time, the Artillery Committee indicated that “it is necessary to introduce it into service with certain categories of soldiers of the Red Army, the NKVD border guard, machine-gun and gun crews, some specialists, airborne troops, car drivers, etc.”

There were reasons for that. During the war of 1932-1935 between Bolivia and Paraguay, submachine guns were used quite widely for the first time. various systems, and not without success. They were also used in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Soon, the soldiers of the Red Army had an unpleasant acquaintance with the Finnish "Suomi" m / 1931. This happened during the three-month "unfamous" campaign of 1939-1940.

However, it was in 1939 that the fate of the PPD was in question. At the initiative of the People's Commissariat of Defense, the issue of ending the production of submachine guns was discussed. And nine months before the start of the Soviet-Finnish war, they were withdrawn from the units of the Red Army and transferred to storage and to the border troops of the NKVD. Often they try to explain this by the "tyranny" of the head of the Artillery Directorate, First Deputy People's Commissar of Defense G. I. Kulik. But at the same time, one cannot but pay attention to the report on the production of automatic small arms at the enterprises of the People's Commissariat for Armaments for 1939. This document stated that the manufacture of PPDs should "stop until the noted shortcomings are eliminated and the design is simplified." And it was proposed: "... the development of a new type of automatic weapon for a pistol cartridge should be continued for a possible replacement of the outdated PPD design."

In the same 1939, the most authoritative specialist V. G. Fedorov (monograph "The Evolution of Small Arms") pointed to the "huge future" of the submachine gun as "a powerful, relatively light and at the same time simple weapon in its design", however, " subject to some improvements. Fedorov also wrote about "the rapprochement of two types, namely the assault rifle and the submachine gun" based on the creation of a cartridge "with a reduced aiming range for rifles and an increased aiming range for submachine guns." However, by the beginning of World War II, such a cartridge had not yet appeared. It is not surprising that submachine guns began to be called submachine guns during the Finnish campaign in the Red Army - such a name would last until the end of the 40s.

The successful use by the enemy in the battles of "Suomi" forced to urgently return to the units of the Red army PPD. Demands came from the front to equip with submachine guns modeled on the Finns "at least one squad per company." The available PPDs were urgently transferred to units in Karelia, and at the end of December 1939 - a month after the start of the war - at the direction of the Main Military Council, mass production of Degtyarev submachine guns began.

On January 6, 1940, by a decision of the Defense Committee, the improved PPD was adopted by the Red Army.

THIRD MODIFICATION

Kovrov Plant No. 2 received a special government assignment - to set up the production of PPD. To help in its implementation, a team of specialists was sent there under the leadership of Deputy People's Commissar for Armaments I. A. Barsukov. The production of submachine gun parts was distributed to almost all workshops, but already in January 1940, a workshop designed for the production of submachine guns was launched at the plant. The workshops of the tool department were engaged only in the manufacture of technological equipment and tools necessary for the production of PPD.

To reduce the time for the production of one submachine gun, a number of changes were made to its design:

The number of windows in the casing decreased from 55 to 15; the bottom of the casing was made separately and pressed into the pipe;

The bolt box was made of a pipe, the sight block was made separately;

A separate drummer with an axis was eliminated in the shutter, the striker was fixedly fixed in the shutter with a pin;

Installed a simplified leaf spring ejector.

Moreover, PPD, like Suomi, was equipped with a drum magazine. However, Degtyarev suggested a simpler way out - increasing the capacity of the box magazine to 30 rounds and simplifying its change. Although this option, which required significantly lower costs, was supported by the leadership of the People's Commissariat for Armaments, it was decided to complete the PPD with drum magazines (“discs”).

I. A. Komaritsky, E. V. Chernko, V. I. Shelkov and V. A. Degtyarev constructed a drum magazine in almost a week. It was supplemented with a neck that was inserted into the PPD guide clip. As a result, it was possible to do without alterations to the submachine gun. In addition, thanks to this, the magazine capacity was 73 rounds - two more than that of the Finnish prototype. This is how the third modification of the PPD appeared, which retained the designation “submachine gun mod. 1934/38". The submachine gun also received a front sight fuse.

On January 22, 1940, all workshops and departments engaged in the production of PPD were transferred to three-shift work. A sharp increase in the production of a submachine gun could not pass without problems. According to B. L. Vannikov, “ready-made machine guns repeatedly returned from shooting to correction. There were days when more people worked on fixing than on assembly.” But gradually production entered a normal rhythm, and the troops began to receive more PPD. True, the submachine gun, designed for the technological equipment of factories in the early 30s, was a little expensive. Its cost can be judged by the following figures - one PPD with a set of spare parts, like the Simonov automatic rifle, cost the state budget 900 rubles (in 1939 prices), and a DP light machine gun with spare parts - 1150 rubles (although here we must take into account the already established production rifles and machine guns).

At this time, the first divisions of submachine gunners were formed, including skiing - an experience that was very useful during the Great Patriotic War. Reconnaissance and assault groups, detachments of skiers tried to supply more abundantly automatic weapons, among which the submachine gun showed great reliability. P. Shilov, who was a reconnaissance officer of the 17th separate ski battalion in the Soviet-Finnish war, recalled one battle: “Our SVT did not shoot ... After the first shots, the scouts no longer fired, but the machine guns of the platoon commander and the platoon commander were in order, and they fired at the Finns to the last bullet.

On February 15, 1940, V. A. Degtyarev presented a modernized PPD model, developed with the participation of designers S. N. Kalygin, P. E. Ivanov, N. N. Lopukhovsky, E. K. Aleksandrovich, V. A. Vvedensky (later the names these people will be encountered more than once in a number of Kovrov systems), which was distinguished by the following changes:

Up to 71 cartridges, the magazine capacity has decreased due to the replacement of its neck with a receiver, the feeder has become more reliable;

On the bolt box, the front and rear stops of the magazine are placed, the stock is made split, with a separate forearm - an extension in front of the magazine;

The shutter is equipped with a fixed striker.

On February 21, the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR approved these changes, and in early March they were put into production. This is how the “7.62-mm submachine gun of the Degtyarev system arr. 1940 (PPD-40)". He could have either an open front sight or a front sight with a fuse.

However, tests of a submachine gun with a fixed bolt head showed a large percentage of delays, and therefore the Artillery Directorate of Small Arms insisted on returning to the previous drummer scheme. That is why, from April 1, 1940, a variant with the same separate drummer went into production. In total, 81,118 PPDs were produced in 1940, so the fourth serial modification of the Degtyarev submachine gun, the PPD-40, turned out to be the most massive.

The massive appearance of submachine guns in the troops at the end of the Soviet-Finnish war and the adoption in 1940 of the PPD-40 with a magazine for 71 cartridges contributed to the birth of the legend that Degtyarev copied his development from A. Lahti's Suomi system. Meanwhile, it is quite easy to incomplete disassembly of these two samples, belonging to the same generation of submachine guns, to see that the relationship between PPD and Suomi is very distant. But the first drum shop really received from the second, albeit with alterations.

The trophy "Suomi" was later used by the Red Army, and sometimes even played a role ... PPD in Soviet films during the war - for example, in the films "Actress" in 1943 or "Invasion" in 1945.

PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PPD OBR. 1934

Cartridge 7.62x25 TT
Mass of weapons with cartridges 3.66 kg
Weapon length 778 mm
Barrel length 278 mm

Rate of fire 750-900 rds / min
Combat rate of fire, single / author. 30/100 rds/min
Sighting range 500 m
Magazine capacity 25 rounds

"MADE IN LENINGRAD"

In 1940, the attitude towards the submachine gun changed. It was still considered an auxiliary weapon, but the degree of saturation of the troops with it increased. Characteristic, for example, is the indication in the speech of the Inspector General of the Infantry, Lieutenant General A.K. Smirnov at a meeting of the top leadership of the Red Army in December 1940, that "when dividing our (rifle) squad into two units" they would include " and automatic rifles, and submachine guns. At the same meeting, the head of the Combat Training Directorate of the Red Army, Lieutenant-General V.N. infantry division): “Our advancing corps will have 72 platoons, 2880 bayonets, 288 light machine guns, 576 PPDs in the first attacking echelon ... On average, there will be 2888 attacking people against 78 defense people, machine guns and submachine guns - 100 against 26..."

At the last pre-war May Day parade in 1941, a unit of fighters armed with PPD-40s marched across Red Square. However, the PPD has already been replaced by the G.S. Shpagin submachine gun ...

IN initial period During the Great Patriotic War, PPD production was restored in Leningrad. In Kovrov, in the experimental workshop of the department of the chief designer, about 5000 PPDs were assembled from the remaining backlog of parts. And in the city on the Neva, on the basis of the equipment exported there by the Sestroretsk Tool Plant named after S.P. Voskov, the production of PPD-40 was re-deployed, leading it almost manually. In December 1941, when Leningrad was already surrounded, the plant named after A. A. Kulakov joined this work. In total, in 1941-1942, 42,870 PPD-40s were manufactured in the northern capital, which were used by the troops of the Leningrad and Karelian fronts. One of these PPD-40 is stored in the Artillery Museum. On the butt of the submachine gun there is a sign: “Made in Leningrad during the enemy blockade. 1942". Many PPDs of Leningrad production had a simplified folding sight instead of a sector sight.

By the way, the factories named after Voskov and Kulakov served as a good basis for organizing the mass production of another submachine gun - PPS.

PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PPD OBR. 1940

Cartridge 7.62x25 TT
Mass of weapons with cartridges 5.4 kg
Weapon length 778 mm
Barrel length 278 mm
Muzzle velocity 500 m/s
Rate of fire 900-1100 rds / min
Combat rate of fire, single / author. 30/100-120 rds/min
Sighting range 500 m
Magazine capacity 71 rounds

PPD-40 is a Soviet-made submachine gun developed by Vasily Degtyarev in the 40s of the last century chambered for 7.62 caliber. Being put into service in 1940, the weapon was used in the Soviet-Finnish war and the first battles of the Second World War. Later, he was replaced by a lighter and more technologically advanced Shpagin submachine gun. Today we will consider the history of the creation of PPD-40 and its main characteristics.

background

Before considering the characteristics of the PPD-40, the photo of which is familiar to all weapon lovers, let's get acquainted with the prerequisites for creating such weapons. Submachine guns (PP) appeared during the First World War. Weapons of this type were designed to greatly increase firepower infantry and provide an opportunity to get out of the "positional impasse" of the trench battle. At that time, machine guns have established themselves as a fairly effective defensive weapon, which can stop almost any enemy attack. However, during offensive operations, their effectiveness dropped sharply.

The machine guns of those times had a solid weight and for the most part were easel. For example, the Maxim machine gun, which gained wide popularity without a machine tool, weighed more than 20 kg. With the machine, its weight was completely unbearable 65 kg. The calculation of such machine guns consisted of 2-6 people. It is not at all surprising that soon the military leadership thought about the prospect of creating a light, rapid-fire weapon that could be used and carried by one soldier. Thus, three fundamentally new types of weapons appeared at once: an automatic rifle, a light machine gun and a submachine gun that fires pistol cartridges.

The first sample of a submachine gun was created in 1915 in Italy. Later, other countries participating in the conflict also took up the development of such weapons. Submachine guns did not have a significant impact on the course of WWI, however, the developments of designers created during this period became the basis for a number of successful examples of such weapons.

In the Soviet Union, work on the creation of software began in the mid-1920s. It was originally planned that they would go into service with junior and middle officers, replacing revolvers and pistols. But the Soviet military leadership was very dismissive of such weapons. Due to the insufficiently high tactical and technical parameters, submachine guns gained the fame of a “police” weapon, the pistol cartridge of which can only be effective in close range combat.

In 1926, the Artillery leadership of the Red Army approved the requirements for submachine guns. The ammunition for the new weapon was not immediately chosen. Initially, it was supposed to use the Nagant cartridge (7.62 * 38 mm), but later the choice fell on the Mauser cartridge (7.63 * 25 mm), which is actively used in the weapon system of the Red Army.

In 1930, tests began on the first samples of Soviet submachine guns. Three famous weapons designers demonstrated their samples: Tokarev, Degtyarev and Korovin. As a result, all three samples were rejected due to unsatisfactory performance characteristics. The fact is that due to the low weight of the samples and their high rate of fire, the accuracy of fire was insufficient.

Recognition of PPD

Over the next few years, more than ten new models of submachine guns were tested. Almost all well-known weapons designers have joined the development of this direction. As a result, the Degtyarev submachine gun was recognized as the best. The weapon received a relatively low rate of fire, which had a positive effect on its accuracy and accuracy. In addition, PPD was much more technologically advanced and cheaper than its main competitors. A large number of cylindrical parts (barrel shroud, receiver and butt plate) could be made on a simple lathe.

Production

On June 9, 1935, after a series of improvements, the Degtyarev submachine gun was adopted under the name PPD-34. It was planned to equip them first of all with the junior command of the RKKR. Serial production of PPD was established at the Kovrov Plant No. 2.

The next few years, the release of the submachine gun moved, to put it mildly, slowly. For the whole of 1935, only 23 weapons left the assembly line, and for 1936 - 911 copies. By 1940, a little over 5,000 units of the Degtyarev submachine gun had been produced. For comparison: only for 1937-1938. more than three million magazine rifles rolled off the assembly line. Thus, for several years, the PPD remained for the Soviet military a kind of curiosity on which it was possible to work out technological and tactical aspects.

First modernization

Based on the experience gained when using PPD in the troops, a minor modernization took place in 1938. She touched on the design of the magazine mount and the sight mount. The experience of several military conflicts (mainly the Spanish Civil War) forced the Soviet military leadership to change its attitude towards such weapons. Gradually, the opinion was formed that the volume of production of PPD for the Red Army should be significantly increased, and as soon as possible. However, it turned out to be not so easy to bring this to life: the Degtyarev submachine gun was quite expensive and difficult for large-scale production. As a result, in 1939, the artillery department ordered the removal of the PPD from the production program to eliminate deficiencies and simplify the design. It turns out that the leadership of the Red Army recognized the effectiveness of submachine guns in general, but was not ready to produce the proposed model.

A little less than a year before the start of the Winter War, all PPDs were removed from service and sent to storage. They never found a replacement. Many military historians believe that this decision was completely wrong, however, the number of submachine guns that were manufactured at that time would hardly have been able to significantly strengthen the Red Army in a large-scale conflict. There is also an opinion that the stoppage of PPD production was due to the fact that the SVT-38 automatic rifle entered service.

Second modernization

The experience gained during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 made it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of PP in a new way. The Finns were armed with Suomi submachine guns, which in many ways resembled the Degtyarev model. This weapon managed to make a huge impression on the command and officers Red Army, especially during the battles for Then everyone realized that the complete rejection of the PP was a mistake. Letters were sent from the front, with a request to arm at least one squad from each company with such weapons.

The conclusions followed immediately, and the PPD, which were in storage, were again taken into service and sent to the front line. A month after the start of the war, the serial production of weapons was restored. Soon, another modernization of the submachine gun was proposed, for the mass production of which the plant in Kovrov even switched to a three-shift work schedule. She received the name PPD-40. The revision was aimed at simplifying the design of the submachine gun and reducing the cost of its production. As a result, the PPD turned out to be even cheaper than a hand gun.

The main differences between PPD-40 and its predecessor:

  1. The bottom of the casing was made separately, after which it was pressed into the tube.
  2. The receiver was made in the form of a tube, with a separate sight block.
  3. shutter received new design: the striker was fixed motionless, with the help of a hairpin.
  4. The PPD-40 submachine gun received a new ejector equipped with a leaf spring.
  5. The stock began to be made from stamped plywood.
  6. The trigger guard was made by stamping, not milling.
  7. PP Degtyarev received a new drum magazine with a capacity of 71 rounds. The design is reminiscent of the store PP "Suomi".

Thus, the differences between PPD-34 and PPD-40 were very significant. Serial production of weapons was launched in the spring of 1940. During the first year, 81 thousand copies were produced. Because of mass armament Russian soldiers submachine guns at the end of the Winter War, a legend arose that the PPD was copied from the Suomi. Thanks to its excellent combat performance and easy disassembly, the PPD-40 quickly gained recognition among the soldiers.

The Great Patriotic War

The PPD-40 submachine gun was also used on initial stages WWII. Later, it was replaced by a cheaper and more technologically advanced PPSh, the production of which could be easily arranged at the facilities of any industrial enterprise. Until 1942, the PPD-40 was produced in besieged Leningrad and was supplied to the armament of the soldiers of the Leningrad Front. Among the German military also had a good reputation. In numerous photographs of Nazi soldiers, you can see how they hold captured PPD-40 submachine guns, the characteristics of which we will consider below.

Design

In terms of design and operation, popular weapons in computer game"Heroes and Generals" PPD-40 is a typical representative of the 1st generation submachine guns, created mainly on the model of the German versions MP18, MP19 and MP28. The action of automation is based on the use of energy received from the recoil of the free shutter. The main parts of the software, like all analogues of those times, were carried out on metal-cutting machines. Last fact and caused low manufacturability and high cost of their production.

Barrel and receiver

The barrel of the PPD-40, the description of which we are considering today, is rifled, with four grooves that curl from left to right. The distance between opposite edges of the rifling (caliber) is 7.62 mm. In the breech, the inner bore of the barrel is equipped with a smooth-walled chamber. It contains an annular protrusion and a thread for attaching the receiver, as well as a recess for the ejector tooth. Outside, the trunk has a smooth, slightly tapered surface.

The receiver serves as a kind of connecting element for different parts of the weapon. The barrel casing is attached to it in front. It is necessary so that when firing, the shooter does not burn his hands on the heated barrel. In addition, the casing protects the barrel itself from damage during falls and impacts.

Gate

The shutter consists of the following elements: a frame, a handle, a drummer with an axis, a striker, an ejector with a spring and a fuse combined with a handle. The shutter frame has a shape close to cylindrical. On the front, at the bottom, it has cutouts for the passage of the magazine jaws. In addition to them, the shutter is equipped with: a cup under the cap of the sleeve; grooves for the ejector and its spring; hole for the exit of the striker; socket for drummer; holes for the axes of the drummer; curly recess for the passage of the store above the receiver; a groove for the passage of the reflector; a groove, the back surface of which plays the role of a combat platoon; a bevel on the back wall, necessary to facilitate backward movement; hole for the handle pin; groove under the shutter handle; and finally, guide whisks. The return of the bolt group to the extreme position is provided by a return mechanism. It consists of a reciprocating mainspring and a butt plate equipped with a guide rod. The butt plate is screwed onto the rear section of the receiver.

Trigger and impact mechanisms

The trigger mechanism of the PPD-40 submachine gun (which many people mistakenly call automatic) is located in the trigger box, rear end which, during the assembly of the weapon, is put on the ledge of the box and fastened to it with a pin. It allows you to fire bursts or single shots. For switching firing modes, the corresponding translator is responsible, which is a flag located in front of the trigger guard. On the one hand, you can see the designations "1" or "one" on it for firing single shells, and on the other - "71" or "cont.", for firing in automatic mode.

On the main number of submachine guns produced, the cartridge primer was broken by a percussion mechanism, which was separately installed in the bolt. The drummer worked at the moment when the shutter came to the extreme forward position. The fuse in the Degtyarev submachine gun (PPD-40) is located on the cocking handle and is a sliding chip. By changing its position, you can lock the bolt in the rear (cocked) or forward position. Despite the fact that the reliability of such a fuse left much to be desired, especially in worn-out weapons, it was also used on later PPSh. In addition, a similar design solution was used on some copies of the German MP-40.

Shop

Ammunition for the first samples of PPD was made from a removable sector magazine that could hold only 25 rounds. When shooting, it could be used as a handle. Samples of 1934-1938 years of release received a drum magazine with a capacity of 73 rounds. Well, the PPD-40, the review of which became the topic of today's conversation, was equipped with a similar magazine, but for 71 rounds.

Aiming fixture

When firing from this weapon, aiming was carried out using a sector sight and a front sight. Theoretically, these devices were designed for shooting from a distance of 50-500 meters. In reality, the last figure was frankly overestimated, which was a common occurrence in the PP of those times. Thanks to the use of a relatively powerful cartridge and the successful ballistic parameters of a small-caliber bullet, an experienced shooter could hit an enemy located at a distance of 300 meters with a single fire from the PPD-40. In automatic mode, this indicator decreased by another 100 m.

Affiliation

Each Degtyarev submachine gun was supplied with accessories. It consisted of: a ramrod with a handle and a pair of links with a wipe, a drift, a screwdriver, a brush and an oiler, divided into two compartments - for oil and alkaline composition.

Combat efficiency

Unlike the game "Heroes and Generals", the PPD-40 improvements in real life didn't seem possible. Therefore, the soldiers were content with what they had. PPD-40 fire was recognized as effective at a distance of 100-300 meters, depending on the firing mode. If the enemy was at a distance of more than 300 meters, then a reliable defeat could only be ensured by concentrated fire from several PPs at once. The lethal force of the bullets fired from this weapon was maintained even at a distance of 800 m.

Thus, the main mode of fire was firing in short bursts. From a distance of less than 100 meters, in critical cases, continuous fire was allowed, but firing more than 4 magazines in a row was prohibited, as this could lead to overheating of the weapon. Today, the photo of the PPD-40 does not look very intimidating, but for the rest of the PPs of those years, created under the Parabellum cartridge, which has the worst ballistic and power parameters, the range of fire of this weapon was unbearable.

Combat use

PPDs were used in such battles:

  1. All battles with the participation of the USSR of those times.
  2. War in Spain. After the outbreak of hostilities, in 1936, the Soviet Union transferred a certain amount of PPD-34 to the government of the Spanish Republic.
  3. Soviet-Finnish war. 173 PPDs issued in 1934-1938 were captured by the Finnish army and directed against the USSR.
  4. WWII. Captured PPDs were armed with soldiers of the Third Reich and satellites Nazi Germany. Versions of 1934-38 were called by the Germans Maschinenpistole 715(r), and PPD-40 - Maschinenpistole 716(r). In addition, during the Second World War, the USSR handed over more than five thousand PPD-40s to the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia.
  5. A number of submachine guns were used by military units of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in its combat operations.
  6. Military operations in the east of Ukraine. In 2014, the fighters fighting in the Donetsk region were noted to have a small amount of PPD-40. The assault rifle (mainly the AK-74) is the main weapon for infantry combat today, however, submachine guns are also popular.

Submachine gun PPD-40 (USSR)

Submachine gun PPD-40 Photo (c) Jakes

On February 15, 1940, Degtyarev presented a modernized version of his submachine gun, designed with the participation of the designers of the Kovrov plant P.E. Ivanova, S.N. Kalygina, E.K. Aleksandrovich, N.N. Lopukhovsky and V.A. Vvedensky. The new weapon had a split stock in two parts, located before and after the store. These parts were equipped with metal guide stops intended for attaching the magazine, which allowed the use of a drum magazine without a protruding neck. The capacity of such a store was reduced to 71 rounds. However, the reliability of feeding cartridges has increased significantly. The use of sector box magazines, also called "horns", in the new submachine gun in the 1934 model submachine gun became impossible. They returned to the box-shaped "horns" only during the Second World War, thanks to the combat experience of operating the PPSh-41 troops, which showed the excess capacity of the drum magazine and its too large mass. New option The Degtyarev submachine gun was approved by the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars in production on February 21, 1940 and adopted as the "Degtyarev system submachine gun of the 1940 model" - PPD-40. Production of PPD-40 began in March of the same year.

In total, 81118 PPD-40 submachine guns were produced for the entire 1940 year. As a result, the 1940 model is the most massive in terms of the number of copies produced. In addition, the armed forces received a fairly significant amount of PPD. The PPD-40 submachine gun was used at the very beginning of the war, but this type of weapon was still greatly lacking in the troops, and compared to the enemy, the Red Army was significantly inferior to the Wehrmacht in terms of the number of submachine guns available. Already at the end of 1941, the PPD-40 was replaced by a much more technologically advanced and cheaper to manufacture, more reliable Shpagin PPSh-41 submachine gun, designed in 1940. The huge advantage of the PPSh-41 was that this weapon was originally developed with mass production in mind at any industrial enterprise having low-power press equipment. This circumstance proved to be extremely important during the war years.

But at first, while the production of PPSh-41 had not yet acquired the proper scale, in the initial period of the war, the production of PPD-40 was temporarily restored at the Sestroretsk Tool Plant named after S.P. Voskov in Leningrad. Since December 1941, PPD-40 began to be manufactured at the plant. A.A. Kulakov. At the Kovrov plant, about 5,000 PPD-40 submachine guns were assembled from the available parts. In total, for 1941-1942. in Leningrad, 42870 PPD-40s were produced, which entered service with the troops of the Leningrad and Karelian fronts. Many PPD-40s of Leningrad production, instead of a sector sight, were equipped with a simplified folding, as well as a simplified configuration fuse. Later, using the same production facilities, the production of a much more technologically advanced Sudayev submachine gun was carried out. PPD-40 fire was recognized as effective up to 300 m when firing single shots, up to 200 - when firing in short bursts and up to 100 - in a continuous burst. The lethal force of the bullet was maintained at distances up to 800 m. The main type of fire was fire in short bursts. At distances of less than 100 m, continuous fire was allowed at a critical moment, however, in order to avoid overheating, no more than 4 stores in a row.

Specifications

Caliber: 7.62×25

Weapon length: 788 mm

Barrel length: 267 mm

Weight without cartridges: 3.6 kg.

Rate of fire: 800 rds / min

Magazine capacity: 71 rounds

Submachine guns

  • Austria