Ppsh 41 with wooden hands. Submachine gun of the Shpagin system: Drumroll of the Red Army

Life is good if there is PCA!
Folk.

Foreword

It so happened historically that almost all models of pneumatic weapons cannot fire in bursts. Of course, if we are talking about the so-called "hard" pneumatics. In the case of "soft" pneumatics, the situation is much better, but it also has its drawbacks. Firstly, a good replica model with a metal case is not cheap, and secondly, if we consider models that do not work on an electric drive, but on compressed gas, then until recently they massively used their specific gases, which sometimes disappeared from sale even in major cities not to mention small towns. Models working on standard CO2 cylinders are much less common, and in combination with a metal case they are almost never found at all. Yes, and in weapons stores "soft" pneumatics are rarely found, but are mainly sold in specialized stores.

In any case, until recently, the only representative of "hard" pneumatics with a regular burst firing mode was MP-661K "Thrush". However, even before the official release of the series "Thrush", during the advertising of its prototype with an aluminum case and wooden lining (which cost ~ $ 400 at the beginning of sales), the first mention in my memory of a submachine gun of the Alexei Kryazhevsky system slipped through the gun press. It was an article "Hunting is more than bondage, but fishing too" in the magazine "Weapons" N4 2002 of the year.

If then this project could be launched - "Thrush" would have received an extremely serious rival, which he could only fight due to mass production and low prices. Because, unlike "Thrush" Kryazhevsky's submachine gun was based on a model of a real combat submachine gun, which in our country practically guarantees stable demand regardless of specifications. As an example, it suffices to recall MP-654K IzhMekha, which, with very mediocre characteristics, is a very good (though not exact) copy PM\PMM or the whole line similar to AK rifles: Juncker , Junker-2, Junker-3.

However, the project with the production of a submachine gun by Alexei Kryazhevsky based on the Kovrov submachine gun "Chestnut", unfortunately, was never implemented.

The next time I came across Kryazhevsky's work personally, in the summer of 2002, in St. Petersburg, in one of the shooting ranges. The so-called "Square", one of the experimental samples made in 2001, outwardly very vaguely reminiscent of the American "Ingram". In practice, of course, the similarity was very conditional and, in fact, outwardly it was a "hodgepodge" of parts from various weapons. However, it's not about looks. More importantly, this apparatus worked, allowed it to confidently hit not very small targets at short distances, and most importantly, it fired a burst and provided a very realistic return due to the moving shutter.

It was after that, having personally twisted the device in my hands and feeling the charm of automatic shooting with recoil, I began to look forward to the start of official mass production of at least some model of pneumatic weapons with Kryazhevsky's scheme inside.

We had to wait a long time. Only by the middle of 2006 did the weapons press mention the imminent start of production. "T-Rex"- a submachine gun according to the scheme of Kryazhevsky on the basis of a submachine gun produced in Zlatoust "Cedar". The quick start in practice was dragging on and on. At gun shows continued to demonstrate prototype and assured that it will be produced soon. In May 2007, information about certification and the imminent start of assembly appeared. PPSh-41PK- i.e. also a submachine gun according to the same scheme, but built into MMG PPSh. At some point in time the name was PPSh-41PK "Partizan", but then only PPSh-41PK, already without his own name, at least that's how he now appears in all documents. In the end, I still decided to order one of the first samples of this rifle for myself. Especially considering that "Cedar" in the form of a gas pistol PDT-9T "Esaul" I already had.

Unfortunately, production PPSh-41PK also dragged on, as a result, having ordered it in June 2007, I received an order only for new year holidays, in early 2008. In any case, the ordered device was received, studied, disassembled and tested. This description is the result of all this.

prototype

The prototype here is completely unambiguous - the PPSh silhouette is familiar to almost everyone who has ever seen films about the Second world war. By the end of the war, he became perhaps the most widespread weapon of the domestic infantry. A brief description of the PPSh is on the website of Maxim Popenker.

Design

Ideologically, the design of this submachine gun is similar to the design of a rifle Juncker. For in the case Juncker inside the body AK set the gun MP-651K(or Izh-671 in the first editions), and in the case PPSh-41PK inside the layout PPSh a completely self-sufficient firing device was installed (gas cylinder block BKG-07). Although it should be noted that the main disadvantages Juncker taken into account and, if possible, eliminated in PPSh-41PK. In particular, shooting in it is carried out through a barrel located in a regular place, and a gas cartridge and balls are easily replaced without the need for incomplete disassembly.

So, in the scope of delivery the rifle itself PPSh-41PK and a simple device for equipping the store in the form of a plastic tube glued to a steel adapter sleeve and a ramrod for pushing balls into the store through the tube. Everything, there is nothing more than documents. No box, no strap. Although the belt, judging by the documentation, can be supplied as an option. However, the lack of any packaging is disappointing. We need normal packaging, at least in order to calmly bring the purchased device to the house. For to carry wrapped even in opaque plastic bag PPSh somewhat inconvenient - the characteristic contours are still perfectly visible and there are plenty of reasons for the unnecessary interest of police officers. It is clear that the item is absolutely legal, but it still turns out very strange: in the product passport it is recommended not to appear in public places with this rifle without a case, and at the same time it is delivered simply wrapped in a bag. Although in fairness it should be noted that all options similar to AK rifles: Juncker , Junker-2, Junker-3 usually sold also in a bag, moreover, also transparent. Another thing is that when buying at a weapons store, you can usually buy a case on the spot, but here you had to carry a rifle in a bag from the post office to the house.

When you pick up a rifle, the first impression is extremely favorable. Because everything is based on MMG PPSh, then the bed is left native, all external parts too, even the controls function almost normally. It almost means that the shutter after the alteration passes less than half of the stroke it was supposed to in the original, and the fuse stopped working, although the documentation postulates that it should work. Also somewhat upsetting is the low quality of the layout used for the conversion - the numbers on the receiver cover, on the stock, on the magazine do not match. And the quality of the varnishing of the bed leaves much to be desired - there are numerous chips and damage to the coating. Also, the idea of ​​​​attaching the charger with high-quality adhesive tape to the bed did not go well. As a result, the adhesive tape was removed along with parts of the coating, further spoiling appearance lodges. It is clear that all the same it is still more of an air rifle, outwardly similar to PPSh, but not MMG PPSh, but I would still like to see a high-quality layout as a basis if possible.

After removing the cover, a completely empty drum is found, with a regular button and latch welded on, as well as a rectangular "pneumatic" magazine on the front cover of the drum.

The store is easily disassembled - by a slight skew, you can easily take out all the "offal" in detail past the side of the lid. Inside, a very original design is found.

The fact is that most magazines for balls in pneumatic weapons work according to one of two principles: either there are sponges on the neck of the magazine that allow the ball to go into the barrel of the weapon, but do not allow it to fly out of the magazine under the action of a spring, or a spring-loaded a holder that keeps the balls from flying out under the action of the feeder spring and moves away when the magazine is installed in the weapon. Here, there is neither one nor the other. In fact, this is a very original design of a double store, when the store itself, along with its neck, is spring-loaded and moves inside a steel rectangular box. To facilitate the movement of the neck, two studs are used, essentially working as bearing rollers.

The mechanism for fixing the balls is simply amazing. The ideology is simple: the diameter of the channel of the spring-loaded feeder is slightly larger than the diameter of the feeder itself (and the balls), and the hole in the neck almost completely matches the size of the feeder and the ball. As a result, all equipped balls successfully rest against the neck, with the exception of two or three that fit higher. However, when installing the magazine into the weapon, as well as simply when the neck is sunk, the balls successfully overcome it under the action of the feeder spring. In general, the design is very original and at the same time surprisingly stable.

Next, disassembly of the rifle itself. We must immediately make a reservation that its disassembly does not coincide with the disassembly of the original PPSh, although there are common points. Unfortunately, the disassembly technology in the product passport is spelled out very poorly and indistinctly (and there is not a word about disassembling the store at all), however, it is not difficult to guess what and how it is disassembled.

The first step is to knock out the axis connecting the receiver and the barrel with a cover. In the original, there is a "fracture" around this axis PPSh when not complete disassembly. Here, this axis will have to be knocked out. Attention! The axis is double, i.e. first, the inner part is knocked out, and then the outer sleeve. Moreover, they are knocked out in different directions. And you should not go to the "slot" at the end of the axis - it's just a cut to ensure elastic fixation of the axis, there is no thread, it's useless to unscrew.

Next, by pressing on the movable butt plate, you need to move it forward by 0.5-1 cm, releasing the latch on the back of the barrel cover. Attention! The stroke of the butt plate is very small, because the pneumatic block installed inside prevents its further advancement. BKG-07. So it’s not worth hitting the butt plate with a hammer or applying disproportionate efforts so as not to damage the above block. After the release of the latch, a small “fracture” is made with a shift up and forward, and the entire upper part of the rifle in the form of a cap, barrel casing and the entire “pneumatic filling” is separated from the stock and box.

Since the mechanism for switching from automatic to single fire remained attached to the stock, after splitting the rifle into two halves, it can be examined more closely. The design is simple - the slider moves the bar, which in the case of automatic fire (the front position of the slider) simply limits the trigger travel. As a result, the stroke is sufficient to lower the sear and release the bolt, but not enough to allow the hook to move further and release the sear again, as happens in automatic fire mode.

By the way, since we are talking about the trigger mechanism, it is worth noting that here it is the simplest: the trigger presses on the sear through the rod, forcing it to lower and skip the bolt forward, and then the rod breaks off the sear, which immediately returns to the top under the action of the spring .

Such a primitive mechanism sometimes provides the effect of firing bursts even when the fire switch is in single mode. The problem is simple: at some point, the trigger has already lowered the sear enough to release the shutter, but the sear has not yet been pulled off and it continues to remain lowered, without preventing the shutter from running back and forth in automatic fire mode. To avoid this, you have to put pressure on the hook quite sharply. Just the same, there is some kind of trend among pneumatic weapons with imitation of recoil: for this rifle, you need to sharply press the trigger to avoid automatic fire in single-shot mode, and, for example, Walther CP99 Compact you also have to sharply press the trigger in order to avoid the ball rolling out and blank firing.

And finally, the last step to remove the firing device from the depths of the layout PPSh. It is necessary to unscrew the nut at the muzzle, clearly visible on the . True, for this you need to get somewhere a screwdriver with a slot 15mm wide and 3mm thick. I don’t have such a screwdriver, so I had to use an interesting hybrid of a flat file and an adjustable wrench. By the way, it may make sense to loosen this nut at the very beginning of disassembly, when the firing device is held by the receiver. For if you do everything sequentially, then at this stage you will just have to keep the device from scrolling with your hands.

After unscrewing the nut, which freely falls out from the side of the muzzle, the entire firing device assembly is successfully removed from the side of the breech.

I repeat that even in this form it is a fully functional device, which lacks only a magazine with balls. It is likely that another apparatus from by Sagittarius - Submachine gun PP-2007PK. At least his appearance suggests just such thoughts.

Inset k also shows that the pins that hold the mounting frame for fastening the cylinder with the clamping screw are ground off with emery “to zero” on the left side. It is now after disassembly that the pins already stand out noticeably against the background of traces of emery, and before disassembly there was a solid, almost perfectly smooth surface. It was this moment that made me first assume the non-separability of this node. However, as it turned out, this assembly is disassembled without problems, and the worn pins, apparently, were simply adjusted in place, although in a good way they had to be knocked out, shortened and returned to their place.

Be that as it may, by knocking out two pins, you can easily separate the cylinder mounting frame and, accordingly, if necessary, change the over-balloon gasket. Moreover, if necessary, this can be done without completely disassembling the rifle. Just remove the drum and access the pins. At the same time, the replacement of the over-balloon gasket is apparently a typical problem for these rifles, at least at this stage. The gasket itself is made of black rubber and visually not of very high quality.

However, it was not possible to simply replace the over-balloon gasket. A similar gasket from the standard rifle repair kit Junker-2 no longer rubber, but made of transparent plastic. Moreover, it is somewhat thinner than the rubber gasket taken out of this rifle. Therefore, its direct installation did not give any result - the gas was vented immediately when the cylinder was installed. I had to make an interesting hybrid of "one and a half" thickness, after which the sealing became excellent.

It is also worth noting that the cylinder is pricked very well - the needle is wide and makes a large hole in the cylinder membrane, and not a small tear, as happens with some weapons on CO2 cylinders.

Further, having removed the cylinder mounting frame, it can be seen that its base is attached to the body with two screws for a Phillips screwdriver. They get out without problems, most importantly, it is undesirable to lose a thin sealing ring that seals the joint between the base and the body. In principle, it can also be replaced with a conventional over-balloon gasket, however, then you will have to pull the base with some effort, or the gasket will have to be made a little thinner.

Having removed the base of the cylinder mounting frame, you can finally move on to disassembling the main part of the pneumatic unit BKG-07.

Although, in fact, there is almost nothing to disassemble in it. It is enough to knock out just one pin in the front of the block, after which the table with the valve and the vent pipe can be easily pulled forward, leaving the box with the trigger and the shutter.

I did not begin to disassemble further, because there is no reason to disassemble the valve yet, but you can suffer with an unsuccessful installation of the valve gasket. Yes, and in a box with a shutter and a trigger mechanism, in fact, there is nothing particularly interesting. Is that a curious fact: on the shutter there is a cylindrical recess for the vent tube, which actually ensures the operation of automation, as well as a rigidly fixed drummer. The interest here is that the original PPSh the drummer was also rigidly fixed to the bolt.

In principle, if desired, you can knock out the pin at the rear of the block and remove the shutter itself. Although the reason for its breakdown is hard to imagine.

And finally, after carrying out all the above operations, we get the following set of parts:

The assembly is carried out in the reverse order and does not cause any difficulties, with the exception of two points. One has already been described above - it may make sense to carry out the final tightening of the muzzle nut at the final stage of assembly, so as not to look for the exact vertical for the correct installation of the firing block inside the barrel with a cover. The second moment is already purely technological.

Even when the rifle first fell into my hands, the bolt sometimes wedged when cocked. Not often, but it happened. After disassembly and assembly, at first it stopped returning to the front position at all under the action of the return spring, i.e. wedged constantly. A careful examination showed the reason for this behavior - the misalignment of the gas tube with the reciprocal groove in the shutter. Either the exact position of the front of the block is not ensured during installation and fixation with a pin, or simply in the process of knocking out the pins, a slight deformation of the body occurred and some misalignment formed. In any case, the method of correction turned out to be simple - to orient in the direction where the misalignment went, and from the opposite side lightly tap on the body with a hammer in the area of ​​​​the front pin. Plus, of course, lubricate the rubbing parts. After that, the problem with the shutter wedges went away.

Operating experience

First of all, I wanted to try out the unusual design of the store. Testing at first revealed a very "shamanistic" method of loading the balls into the magazine, which was then successfully corrected, but there were no complaints about the design of the magazine. The balls hold perfectly, they do not fly out even with rather sharp blows from the equipped magazines on hard objects. Perhaps, the only way to defuse the store yourself is to drown the movable neck inside, then all the balls fly out of it under the action of the feeder spring. For the same reason, it is not recommended to disconnect an incompletely fired magazine from a rifle - there will be a loss of several balls for sure. I usually managed to finish with the loss of two or three balls. In this sense, the effect is very similar to handling "soft" pneumatics in terms of disconnecting the loaded magazine from the drive - there is also usually a loss of several balls.

And now about the "shamanic" method of equipping the store. At first, there were attempts to act honestly in accordance with the documentation, i.e. fill the tube with balls, attach it to the magazine, drown the movable neck and try to push the balls into the magazine, then almost certainly nothing will work. At least for me, this method of equipment passed only a couple of times out of several dozen attempts. This usually ends up with two balls wedging in the charger hub as they try to sink the extended feeder back into the magazine. As a result, a rather complicated technique for equipping the store was developed in order to avoid such wedging.

However, as the operation progressed, a problem with such a non-trivial charge was discovered and fixed. It turned out that the adapter sleeve on the charger is too far advanced relative to the tube with balls (protrudes above the edge of the tube by about 8-9 mm). As a result, after attaching it to the store, firstly, the tube itself does not sink the feeder, and secondly, after the feeder is sunk by charged balls, the protruding sleeve forms a small cavity in which the rest of the balls are wedged. If, however, the shift of the sleeve relative to the tube is made small, only 2-3 mm, then the magazine equipment passes easily and unpretentiously, without the above-described "shamanic" technique, clearly and stably.

According to the passport, the magazine capacity is at least 20 balls. In practice, 20 balls enter there completely leaving under the movable neck, i.e. if you equip 20 balls, then the store can be turned over, shaken and not a single ball will fall out. If, however, it is planned to carefully install the equipped magazine into the rifle, then two more balls can be freely placed in the neck of the ball, thus bringing the number of balls in the magazine to 22. Of course, when the magazine is tilted or turned over, these two balls will easily roll out of the neck, so handle it this way equipped with a store should be carefully.

Installing a CO2 cartridge in a rifle does not cause any difficulties, except that it is recommended, as in RPSH before pricking the cylinder, cock the shutter so that it does not press on the valve and release all the gas into the atmosphere during installation.

And finally, the most enjoyable - shooting. Before the first shot, the bolt must be cocked (more precisely, it is usually already cocked when the cylinder is installed), and then the bolt usually cocks itself with each shot. The impressions are the most positive, because the rifle works very well both in single and automatic fire modes. Plus, a movable and rather massive shutter provides, although not realistic, but very tangible and pleasant feedback. At the same time, the cocking of the shutter is stably provided both with and without balls in the magazine. In principle, even without a magazine at all, the design also works successfully, depicting a shooter PPSh, except that the shells do not fly and do not smell of burnt gunpowder.

Problems are rare and mostly come down to three main options:

• Automatic fire in single position
• Automatic fire with fast power drop
• Non-cocking of the shutter during the next shot

The reasons for these problems are quite simple. In the first case, this is a feature of a simple trigger mechanism, which, as mentioned above, allows, by smoothly pressing the trigger, to find some intermediate position when the shutter no longer clings to the sear, but at the same time, the trigger still does not allow the sear to return up and block the next shot. In the second case, as the gas pressure in the system drops, the shutter simply does not reach the sear, therefore, it cannot catch on to it and returns back, hitting the valve every time weaker and weaker. The result is a short burst with a greatly decreasing energy of each subsequent shot. It usually manifests itself either when there is little gas left in the cylinder, or when the cylinder freezes over after a long queue. Well, the third situation is similar to the previous one, only instead of a short burst, either one weak shot occurs, or the shutter can sometimes wedge and not cock at all. After the bulkhead structure, wedging has not yet been observed.

As for sights, everything is fine with them. Since everything is native PPSh, then the rear sight is flip, two-position, and the front sight is fully adjustable, both horizontally and vertically. As a result, if desired, you can shoot a rifle at any point within a very wide range.

However, as the operation progressed, a very strange problem also emerged: if you shoot single shots, when you can clearly count the number of shots, you often find that several balls fly out in one shot. The quantity varies from one (regular) to 5 pieces. Probable Cause this behavior - similar to the same problem on some instances MP-654K. Probably, it is necessary to deepen the hole above the store so that the ball rests against it. Unfortunately, in the coming weeks I will not have time to do this, so for now I am posting the review as it is, without speed measurements. In any case, the power of the shot will be small - the certification limit is 3 J of muzzle energy, i.e. the ball departure speed is a maximum of 134 m / s (in fact, this is written in the passport: the speed is up to 130 m / s).

Technical data of the rifle PPSh-41PK

Inscriptions and stamps.

With this case, the rifle is doing quite well, because in the process of reworking from MMG no new labels were added. Those. all marks correspond to what was on MMG- "donor".

On the cover of the receiver:

• 1944 .
• 5575 .
• Factory stamp.
• MMG.

On the back of the receiver, next to the stock mounting screw:

• MMG.
• 6016 .

On the example:

• BA 6489.

On the drum

• MD 7400.
• MMG.

Thus, there are no clearly unmasking inscriptions, with the exception of those that were applied during production. MMG.

Conclusion.

So, a short subjective summary of the rifle PPSh-41PK.

• Very authentic remake MMG PPSh.
• The presence of a movable massive shutter and recoil when firing.
• Shooting both single and burst.
• One of the first serial rifles made according to the Kryazhevsky scheme.

• Fixed frame for CO2 bottle.
• Inherited from PPSh considerable weight and dimensions.
• Unstable workmanship.
• Extremely poor documentation.
• Fairly high price.

Unfortunately, the idea of ​​this rifle is very interesting, but the implementation is not very happy so far. In fact, at the moment it turns out to be a kind of constructor for more or less handy users, it’s most likely that it won’t work just to buy and shoot - certain flaws, assembly flaws, etc. will come out.

So for now this device is exclusively for fans of original designs or collectors. If you want to have something on hand that resembles PPSh, then at the moment, apparently, it is cheaper (both in terms of money and improvements) to purchase PPSh-M factory production Hammer. It costs one and a half times cheaper than PPK-41PK, and it shoots immediately after purchase, without requiring immediate fine-tuning. Although, of course, his characteristics are not high, he does not know how to shoot bursts, and he is also not equipped with a movable shutter. Therefore, I advise you to think again before purchasing whether there is a desire and a minimum ability to refine the problems of a design that has not yet been debugged to the end. If not, then either wait until stable and high-quality production is established, or take the above competitor.

I would still like to believe that intensive collection of feedback from users will allow firm Sagittarius to raise the level of manufacturing of their, of course, interesting designs to the proper level, so that the user does not have to "finish the purchased copy with a file." Considering the fact that it is possible to install a firing device in almost any weapon of suitable dimensions, this could be a very interesting solution, promoting a whole group of new models of air rifles (automatic rifles, submachine guns) to the Russian pneumatics market at once.

By 1940, it became obvious that the Red Army needed a submachine gun that was superior in performance and manufacturability to the PPD-34, PPD-34/38 and PPD-40 in service. To replace them, the Shpagin submachine gun and the Shpitalny infantry machine gun were developed and tested. Ironically, the names of both designers began with the letter "Sh", and the abbreviation of the sample adopted by the Red Army would have remained unchanged regardless of the test result. As a result, the Shpaginskiy PPSh-41 won the competition and went into production, and its competitor was forgotten. What is known about the Shpitalny infantry machine gun and in what way was it inferior to the Shpagin submachine gun?

Description of the Shpitalny infantry machine gun

In fact, the design of the OKB-15, which was led by B. G. Shpitalny, is a submachine gun, but everywhere in the documents it is referred to as an “infantry machine gun of 7.62 caliber”. The description says that this means of individual infantry weapons is intended for close combat in attack and defense, and in addition, it can be used with great efficiency as weapons for aviation, paratroopers, armored units, cavalry and border guards.

7.62 mm Shpitalny infantry machine gun (RGVA)

The basis of automation is the return of a free shutter and the removal of powder gases through a side hole in the wall of the fixed barrel channel. Structurally, Shpitalny's machine gun consisted of four main components: body, trigger, stock and magazine.

The firing mechanism is a striker type, actuated by a reciprocating mainspring. The design of the trigger mechanism allows both single and automatic fire. Switching is carried out with the help of an interpreter, which simultaneously performs the function of a fuse.

The trigger mechanism of the Shpitalny infantry machine gun (RGVA)

According to the description, food is supplied through a disk magazine for 97 or 100 rounds of 7.62 × 25 mm (the general view and drawing are only for a magazine for 97 rounds). The supply of cartridges is provided by a coil spring assembled inside the magazine. It is also possible to use a PPD magazine with a capacity of 71 cartridges.

The barrel is inside a casing that protects the shooter's hands from burns. Windows are cut in the casing to cool the barrel. Sector sight. A plate (platform) for an optical sight can be installed on the left side of the machine gun body.

General view of the store for the Shpitalny infantry machine gun (RGVA)

The walnut stock consists of two parts: the main stock and the front forearm, connected together by a bar. The butt is behind covered with a metal butt pad with a hinged lid. Opposite the opening of the butt plate in the butt, there is a channel for placing a folding ramrod.

The description of the design indicates that the main difference from existing systems are:

• a new principle of automation that ensures reliable operation in conditions of pollution and low temperatures;
• the machine gun does not require lubrication and is not afraid of temperature fluctuations;
• easy to manufacture and easy to use;
• due to the presence of a reactive muzzle brake, it has good combat stability during automatic firing and less recoil;
• due to the higher initial speed, it has a longer effective range compared to other samples.

Technical data of the Shpitalny infantry machine gun provided by OKB-15 (data from the Scientific Testing Ground small arms(NIPSVO) are somewhat different from them), looked like this:

• Caliber - 7.62 mm
• Weight - 3,890 kg
• Magazine weight with cartridges - 2,897 kg
• The weight of the machine gun under the PPD store - 3,960 kg
• The length of the machine gun from the muzzle brake to the back of the stock - 938 mm
• Barrel length - 350 mm
• The length of the rifled part of the barrel - 320 mm
• The number of rifling in the barrel - 4
• Cartridge type - 7.62 × 25 mm
• Rate of fire - 600-800 rounds per minute
• Sighting range - 1000 m
• Number of parts for complete disassembly - 14
• Number of factory parts - 87

Choosing the best submachine gun

The tests took place in the second half of November 1940 at the NIPSVO KA in Shchurovo, Moscow Region. During the tests, it was necessary to identify the advantages and disadvantages of prototypes of the Shpagin submachine gun and the Shpitalny infantry machine gun in comparison with the PPD-40 gross-production submachine gun, as well as to choose the best submachine gun in terms of combat and design qualities and give a conclusion on the feasibility of replacing the gross submachine gun.

Two PPD-40s (Nos. ZhYu-88, LF-839), three Shpagin submachine guns (Nos. 13,15 and 34) and three Shpitalny infantry machine guns (No. 16 with experimental magazines for 97 and 100 rounds) were submitted for testing. , No. 18 and 22 with 71 round magazines). Stores were equipped with 7.62-mm pistol cartridges, batches No. 20, 43 and 213 of plant No. 38. All samples of small arms and cartridges were produced in 1940. They were examined and pre-tested by shooting, after which all the samples were found to be safe and allowed for further testing.

The receiver of the Shpitalny infantry machine gun, markings on the body are visible (RGVA)

It was noted that the Shpitalny infantry machine gun has the following differences from the Degtyarev gross submachine gun:

• By the action of automation;
• The shutter with the stem is one whole piece in the form of a cylindrical rod with two transverse belts;
• A shock-absorbing mechanism is mounted in the butt plate, which, when the bolt strikes, has a rotational and forward movement;
• The barrel with its sleeve enters the rear opening of the casing of the body without pitching and strengthening with a latch, which is mounted in the body of the machine gun;
• A muzzle brake is mounted on the front end of the housing casing;
• The infantry machine gun No. 16 is distinguished by its power supply and magazine latch.

Magazine for 97 rounds for the Shpitalny infantry machine gun (RGVA)

Comparative characteristics of the samples submitted for testing (1 - PP Degtyarev, 2 - PP Shpagin, 3 - PP Shpitalny with a magazine for 97 and 100 rounds, 4 - PP Shpitalny with a magazine for 71 rounds):

The composition of the weapons was as follows:

• PP Degtyarev: ramrod, screwdriver, punch;
• PP Shpagina: ramrod, screwdriver, punch, fly key;
• PP Shpitalny: ramrod, screwdriver, punch, metal brush, metal ruff (bannik), belt.

Based on the test results, the following preliminary conclusions were drawn:

• PPD has an advantage over PP Shpagin and PP Shpitalny in total weight and length;
• PPD and PP Shpagin have an advantage over PP Shpitalny in total weight, length, metal utilization rate, number of factory parts;
• PP Shpitalny has an advantage over PPD and PP Shpagin in muzzle velocity, muzzle energy and rate of fire.

Shpitalny infantry machine gun breech frame (RGVA)

• The shutter recoil curve shows that the rollback of the PPD is smoother than that of the Shpagin PP. At the Shpitalny PP, the shutter rolls back jerkily.
• Max speed the rollback of the Shpagin PP is less than that of the PPD and the Shpitalny PP.
• The course of the mobile system at the Shpagin BCP is less than that of the PPD and the Shpitalny BCP.

Even before the start of tests for accuracy and accuracy of combat, it turned out that the Shpitalny PP had an inaccurate aiming block curve, which did not allow the PP to be brought to normal combat. However, the tests took place. It turned out that the Shpagin and Shpitalny PPs have less dispersion than the PPD. In terms of accuracy of battle at distances of 100 and 150 meters, both new systems turned out to be almost equivalent, at distances of 50 and 200 meters, the Shpitalny PP had an advantage.

Scheme of the lodge of the Shpitalny infantry machine gun (RGVA)

In terms of practical rate of fire, the Shpagin PP and the Shpitalny PP turned out to be equivalent, but the Shpagin PPD and PP had an advantage over the Shpitalny system in self-ignition of the cartridge in the chamber (there was a spontaneous shot after a long firing).

According to the results of tests for the reliability of automation, both new PPs turned out to be better than gross RPMs. When firing for survivability (up to 71650 rounds), a problem was revealed at the Shpitalny PP: the store was more polluted.

The butt plate of the receiver of the Shpitalny infantry machine gun (RGVA)

At the same time, the PPD had three breakdowns, the Shpagin PP had two, and the Shpitalny PP had eight! At the same time, one of the breakdowns of the Shpitalny PP could have sad consequences: “After 68,000 shots, the bottom of the butt plate cover broke in the Shpitalny PP ... During this breakdown, the bottom of the cover flew off and hit the shooter in the stomach, the buffer with the rod and its spring jumped back in the direction of the shooter and fell two meters from the weapon”.

After 70,000 shots, the barrel of the Shpagin PP showed greater survivability than the barrel of the Shpitalny PP. In addition, the latter revealed a number of "childish" problems associated with the selection of springs and general ergonomics. When identifying the maximum possible number of shots without cleaning, it was noted that the automation of all three systems worked well and gave a small number of delays (less than 0.06% for all systems).

Illustration of the dismantling of the Shpitalny infantry machine gun (RGVA)

Operational data have been determined:

Magazine for 71 cartridges for PPD-40 (RGVA)

It took 137 seconds to equip the Shpagin PPD and PP magazines, and 108 seconds to equip the experimental 97-round magazine of the Shpitalny PP. competitors.

With regard to shooting from some positions (kneeling, standing and from a tree), the Shpitalny PP turned out to be less convenient (it was heavier) than the other tested systems. In terms of heat fluxes (mirage), affecting a normal aimed shot, Shpagin's PPD and PP turned out to be equivalent. PP Shpitalny gave a large outflow of gases through the sleeve window of the receiver up, which interfered with the observation of the target.

Branch of the trigger mechanism of the Shpitalny infantry machine gun (RGVA)

The conclusion of the test site based on the results of all tests, signed on November 30, 1940, was as follows:

1. An experienced submachine gun of the Shpagin system for the operation of automation and reliability (resistance) of parts passed the test and can be recommended for service with the Red Army instead of PPD.
2. An experienced Shpitalny infantry machine gun, having a weight higher than the gross PPD, and which showed insufficient strength of parts during the test, did not pass the test.
3. PP Shpitalny needs to be improved in terms of strengthening parts and reducing weight, because. the principle of PP automation is of interest and deserves attention. In addition, the PP showed the ability to fail-safe operation of automation.

The Shpagin submachine gun won in a fair fight, but B. G. Shpitalny did not calm down: correspondence followed between him and the People's Commissariat of Defense, NIPSVO and GAU, in which he threatened the workers of the training ground with criminal prosecution and demanded additional tests. In this correspondence, he does not appear in the best light. But the reality is this: Shpitalny and his OKB-15 took too long to manufacture prototypes of their infantry machine gun, which disrupted the timing of military trials. In turn, this had an additional impact on the final decision on which of the submachine guns will be adopted by the Red Army.

The article is based on the documents of the RGVA

PPSh-41 submachine gun (USSR)

The PPSh-41 submachine gun was developed by Georgy Semenovich Shpagin in 1940 to replace the low-tech and expensive to manufacture Degtyarev PPD-40 submachine gun. On December 21, 1940, the Shpagin submachine gun was adopted by the Red Army. The PPSh-41 submachine gun (Shpagin's submachine gun) is reliable, easy to operate and maintain, technologically advanced and cheap to manufacture weapons. PPSh-41 became one of the most popular models of small arms of the Second World War, and in total from 1941 to 1945. about 6 million copies were made. During the war years, PPSh-41 was supplied to Soviet partisans and entered service with foreign military formations on the territory of the USSR. Captured PPSh-41 under the name Maschinenpistole 717 (r) were in service with the Wehrmacht, the SS and other paramilitary formations of the Third Reich and the countries of the Nazi "axis" bloc.

The People's Commissariat for Armaments in 1940 gave the terms of reference to gunsmith designers to create a submachine gun that would surpass the PPD-40 in its performance characteristics, but adapted for mass production, including on simple equipment of non-specialized machine-building enterprises, by unskilled workers. By the autumn of that year, G.S. submachine guns were submitted for consideration. Shpagin and B.G. Spital. On August 26, 1940, the first SHP was assembled. In October 1940, an experimental batch of 25 pieces was made. According to the results of field tests at the end of November 1940 and the technological assessment of the samples submitted for consideration, the Shpagin submachine gun was recommended for adoption. Under the name "7.62-mm submachine gun G.S. Shpagin mod. 1941" it was put into service at the end of December 1940. The Shpagin submachine gun was tested for survivability with 30,000 shots. After that, this sample demonstrated satisfactory accuracy of fire and good condition of parts. The reliability of automation was tested by firing at elevation and declination angles of 85 °, with an artificially dusty mechanism, in the complete absence of lubrication - all parts were washed with kerosene and wiped dry with rags, shooting 5000 rounds without cleaning the weapon. Shpagin's weapons proved to be extremely reliable along with high fighting qualities.

Automation works according to the scheme with a free shutter. The trigger mechanism allows firing bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The striker is placed motionless in the shutter mirror. The translator is located inside the trigger guard, in front of the trigger. The fuse is a slider located on the cocking handle. The fuse in the on state locks the shutter in the forward or rear position. The bolt box and barrel casing were made by stamping. The muzzle brake-compensator is a part of the barrel casing protruding forward beyond the muzzle. The stock was made of wood, mainly birch. Sights at first they consisted of a sector sight and a fixed front sight. Later, a flip-over L-shaped rear sight was introduced for firing at 100 and 200 meters. PPSh-41 was first equipped with drum magazines from PPD-40 with a capacity of 71 rounds. But since drum stores in combat conditions proved to be unreliable, unnecessarily heavy and expensive to manufacture, moreover, they required manual individual adjustment for each specific submachine gun, they were replaced by box-shaped curved magazines developed in 1942 with a capacity of 35 rounds.

The actual range of fire in bursts is about 200 m, while the aiming range of the early PPSh version was 500 m. Due to the use of the 7.62 × 25 TT cartridge, a significantly higher muzzle velocity was achieved - 490 m / s versus 380 m / s for the MP.40 caliber 9-mm Parabellum and 330 m / s for the Thompson submachine gun M1 caliber .45 AKP, and, accordingly, the flatness of its flight path. Thanks to this, the shooter could confidently hit a target with a single fire at distances up to 300 m. Shooting could also be carried out over a long distance, and a significant decrease in the accuracy of shooting was compensated by the concentrated fire of several shooters and a high rate of fire. The rate of fire of the PPSh-41 was 1000 rounds per minute, which is often assessed as unnecessarily high, since due to this rate there was a large consumption of ammunition and the barrel quickly overheated in a tense battle, but at the same time, a high rate of fire provided a high density of fire and an advantage in close combat.

The Shpagin PPSh-41 submachine gun has a high service life, especially with a box magazine. With proper care of weapons - timely cleaning and proper lubrication, as well as monitoring technical condition its components and mechanisms, PPSh-41 is an exceptionally reliable weapon. But like any weapon and mechanism in general, PPSh needs attention. So, a fixed striker causes delays in firing when the bolt cup is contaminated with soot or dust gets on thickened grease. Among the shortcomings, it should be noted a significant mass (5.3 kg with an equipped drum magazine) and length (843 mm), a very high rate of fire (1000 rounds / min), the difficulty of replacing and equipping a drum magazine, an insufficiently reliable fuse, the possibility of a spontaneous shot when dropped on a hard surface. The fiber shock absorber, softening the impact of the bolt on the receiver in the rear position, had a low survivability, which, after the wear of the shock absorber, the bolt broke the back of the box. Among the main advantages of the Shpagin PPSh-41 submachine gun is the large capacity of the drum magazine - 71 rounds. The box magazine, although it was lighter, much more compact, more convenient and reliable, caused inconvenience when it was equipped with cartridges, since this store had a single-row exit. Each cartridge was required to be sent with force in a downward and backward movement. However, to facilitate the equipment of the PPSh-41 box magazines, there was a special device.

Shpagin's submachine gun has become one of the symbols Soviet soldier times of war. This weapon can be seen in almost all domestic and foreign films about that war. After the end of the war, the PPSh-41 submachine gun was removed from service. Soviet army, but the combat career of this weapon did not end. It was massively supplied to developing countries friendly to the USSR and to the countries of the Warsaw Pact, as well as to China. At least until the 1980s, the PPSh-41 was used by paramilitary units in some African countries. The Shpagin submachine gun was used even during the 2003 Iraq war.

Specifications PPSh-41

• Caliber: 7.62×25
• Weapon length: 843 mm
• Barrel length: 269 mm
• Weight without cartridges: 3.6 kg.
• Rate of fire: 900 rds / min
• Magazine capacity: 35 or 71

MP41(r) - PPSh-41 submachine gun converted to 9mm Parabellum cartridge

Iraq, 82 Airborne Division

PPSh-41 Photo (c) Oleg Volk olegvolk.net

Submachine guns

submachine gun Soviet designer- gunsmith Georgy Semyonovich Shpagin entered service with the Soviet Army in 1941. Released in the amount of 6 million pieces, PPSh automatic is still used in the armies of states around the world. Simplicity and reliability guarantees 5000 shots without cleaning and disassembling the weapon. It is used with two types of magazines - sector for 35 and drum for 71 rounds. The firing speed and effective range are twice the German MP-40 and the English Thompson. Nowadays, a modification of the PPSh-41 is sold - a hunting carbine for single shooting.
It is interesting: the Shpagin submachine gun became a symbol of the Soviet soldier during the Great Patriotic War, the hero of many films and computer games. A single shot hit a target at a distance of 350 meters, which was an unattainable indicator for foreign analogues that time.

Characteristics of PPSh:
caliber - 7.62 mm, pistol cartridge length - 25 mm;
rate of fire - 900 rounds per minute;
the initial speed of the bullet - 500 m / s;
effective range aimed shooting- 300 m;
shooting bursts or single shots.

1. Before assembling, carefully read the enclosed instructions. Pay attention to the places where the glue is applied, the order of gluing and painting, to the parts that must remain movable.

2. Please note that the varnish and glue included in the kit are non-toxic and have a minimum drying time. If the varnish or glue is very thick, then dilute them with a little water and mix.

3. Coloring should be done in two or three thin layers, carefully smearing the varnish over the surface. Thus, the varnish will lay down more evenly. For convenience, you can use masking (paper) tape. Stick it along the border of the area to be painted, carefully smooth it, paint it, remove the adhesive tape after painting. Lacquer smudges after drying can be removed with a knife, needle file, skins. Before applying the second layer of varnish, you can lightly sand the part. Do not overdo it.

4. When gluing decorative veneer elements to a part (for example, decorative overlays for a pistol grip), apply glue to the veneer in an even thin layer. Connect the parts, align and squeeze with your fingers for one to two minutes. During this time, the glue under the fingers will grab slightly and the parts to be glued will no longer move. Then lay the part with the overlay on a flat surface and press down on top with a load, such as a stack of books. The pads will be glued evenly, firmly and neatly.

5. The elastic bands of the mechanisms in our models are quite tenacious, but they can also be torn. They change easily. You can use any elastic bands that are suitable in size: bank, for hair, for weaving, from bicycle tubes. Rings cut off from the valve fit well balloon. Elastic bands can be folded two or three times if necessary. The reason for the premature failure of rubber bands is the sharp edges of the parts and mechanisms on which they are stretched. Pay attention to this and round off all sharp edges well when assembling the model.

6. Many modellers prefer paint models in other colors. You can use any paints and varnishes for wood. When buying them, pay attention to the drying time of each layer, as well as the moisture resistance of the paint or varnish itself. After drying, the paint or varnish should not get dirty.

Express delivery
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Pickup points CDEK - from 190 rubles.
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Delivery across Russia

Courier delivery - from 300 rubles.
Delivery time 3-7 days after confirmation of the order by the store manager. The cost of delivery depends on the choice of your locality at checkout. CDEK couriers deliver goods from Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 10:00 to 18:00. On the day of delivery, the courier contacts the buyer to clarify a convenient delivery time.

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Soviet submachine gun, created in 1940 by designer G.S. Shpagin for 7.62x25 mm TT ammunition and adopted by the Red Army on December 21, 1940. PPSh was the main submachine gun of the Soviet armed forces in the Great Patriotic War.

After the end of the war, by the mid-1960s, the PPSh was withdrawn from service with the Soviet Army and gradually replaced by the Kalashnikov assault rifle, it remained in service with rear and auxiliary units, units for a little longer. internal troops and railway troops, right up to the very collapse of the USSR in 1991. It is still in service with paramilitary security units and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of a number of CIS countries.

Also in post-war period PPSh was supplied in significant quantities to countries friendly to the USSR, for a long time was in service with the armies of a number of states, was used by irregular formations, and throughout the 20th century was used in armed conflicts around the world.

At the moment, it is being sold to civilians as a hunting carbine for amateur shooting with minor modifications (the fire selector is fixed in the position for single shots, a limiter for 10 rounds is installed in the magazine, the muzzle and the bolt cup can be punched in the striker area).

Story

In 1940, the People's Commissariat of Armaments gave the terms of reference to gunsmiths to create a submachine gun that is similar or superior in performance to the PPD-34/40 submachine gun, but more technologically advanced and adapted to mass production (including at non-specialized machine-building enterprises).

By the autumn of 1940, the designs of submachine guns by G. S. Shpagin and B. G. Shpitalny were submitted for consideration.

The first PPSh was assembled on August 26, 1940, in October 1940 a test batch was made - 25 pieces.

At the end of November 1940, based on the results of field tests and technological evaluation of the PPSh samples submitted for consideration, it was recommended for adoption.

"The survivability of the sample designed by Shpagin was tested with 30,000 shots, after which the PP showed satisfactory accuracy of fire and good condition of the parts. The reliability of the automation was checked by firing at elevation and declination angles of 85 degrees, with an artificially dusty mechanism, in the complete absence of lubrication (all parts were washed kerosene and wiped dry with a rag), shooting without cleaning weapons 5000 rounds.All this allows us to judge the exceptional reliability and reliability of the weapon, along with high combat qualities.

D.N. Bolotin. "The History of Soviet Small Arms".

December 21, 1940 Shpagin submachine gun arr. 1941 was adopted by the Red Army. Until the end of 1941, more than 90,000 units were produced. In 1942, the front received 1.5 million submachine guns.

Design

PPSh is an automatic hand firearm designed for firing bursts and single shots.
Automation works according to the scheme of using recoil with a free shutter. Shooting is carried out from the rear sear (the shutter is in the rearmost position before the shot, after the descent it goes forward, sends the cartridge, the primer is pricked at the moment the filling is completed), the shutter is not fixed at the moment of the shot. A similar scheme is often used in the creation of submachine guns. For all its simplicity, such a solution requires the use of a massive shutter, which increases the total mass of the weapon. In addition, a weapon using such a reloading scheme can fire as a result of a strong impact (for example, when falling), if the bolt from the extreme forward (non-fixed) position rolls back along the guides further than the magazine’s cartridge supply window from the impact, or from the extreme rear it breaks off stopper.

The trigger mechanism allows firing bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The drummer is located motionless in the shutter mirror. The translator is located inside the trigger guard, in front of the trigger. The fuse is a slider located on the cocking handle. The fuse in the on state locks the shutter in the forward or rear position.

Like the PPD, the PPSh has a receiver fused with the barrel casing, a bolt with a fuse on the cocking handle, a fire translator in the trigger guard in front of the trigger, a flip sight and a wooden stock. But at the same time, PPSh is much more technologically advanced: only the barrel requires precise machining, the bolt was made on a lathe, followed by rough milling, and almost all other metal parts can be made by stamping.

The muzzle brake-compensator is a part of the barrel casing protruding forward beyond the muzzle (a beveled plate with a hole for the passage of a bullet, on the sides of which there are through windows in the casing). Due to the reactive action of the powder gases when fired, the muzzle brake-compensator significantly reduces recoil and “bullying” of the barrel upwards.

The stock was made of wood, mostly birch. Sights at first consisted of a sector sight (with a range of 50 to 500 m and a step of 50 m) and a fixed front sight. Later, a flip-over L-shaped rear sight was introduced for firing at 100 and 200 meters. PPSh-41 was first equipped with drum magazines from PPD-40 with a capacity of 71 rounds. But since drum magazines in combat conditions proved to be unreliable, unnecessarily heavy and expensive to manufacture, moreover, they required manual individual adjustment for each specific submachine gun, they were replaced by box-shaped curved magazines created in 1942 with a capacity of 35 rounds.

Trigger mechanism (USM)

Typical for mass submachine guns, a simple trigger with a reciprocating mainspring, the drummer is rigidly fixed in the bolt, the cocking is placed on the bolt. There is a translator that allows you to conduct single or automatic fire. The fuse blocks the movement of the shutter.

Characteristic

With an aiming range of 500 m (in the early version), the actual range of fire in bursts is about 200 m, an indicator that significantly exceeds the average level of weapons of this class. In addition, thanks to the use of 7.62x25 mm TT ammunition, in contrast to the 9x19 mm Parabellum or .45 ACP (operated in foreign PPs), as well as a relatively long barrel, a significantly higher muzzle velocity of the bullet was achieved (500 m / s versus 380 m / s for the MP-40 and 280-290 m / s for the Thompson submachine gun), which gave the best flatness of the trajectory, which allowed single fire to confidently hit the target at distances up to 200-250 m, as well as fire at more, up to 300 and more meters-distance, compensating for the decrease in accuracy with a higher rate of fire or concentrated fire from several shooters. The high rate of fire, on the one hand, led to a high consumption of ammunition (for which the PP received the nickname "watering can"), and the rapid overheating of the barrel, on the other hand, it provided a high density of fire, which gives an advantage in close combat.

The survivability of PPSh, especially with a box magazine, is very high. A clean and oiled PPSh is an extremely reliable weapon. A fixed striker causes delays in firing when the bolt cup is contaminated with soot or dust gets on thickened grease: according to the memoirs of veterans of the Great Patriotic War, when moving in open cars or on armor on dirty roads, they almost always tried to hide PPSh under a cape. The disadvantages include the relatively large size and weight, the difficulty of replacing and equipping the drum magazine, a not very reliable fuse, as well as the possibility of a spontaneous shot when falling on a hard surface, which often led to accidents; a fiber shock absorber had a low survivability, softening the impact of the bolt on the receiver in the rear position; after the shock absorber was worn out, the bolt could break the back of the box.

The advantages of the PPSh include the large capacity of the drum magazine (71 rounds) compared to the MP-40 (32 rounds), but on the other hand, a larger amount of ammunition significantly increased the weight and dimensions of the weapon, and the reliability of the drum magazine was rather low. The box magazine was lighter and much more reliable, however, loading it with cartridges was more difficult due to the rearrangement of the cartridges at the exit from two rows into one: the next cartridge had to be brought under the jaws in a downward and backward movement. On the other hand, for example, the Schmeisser system store, which was used in German and English submachine guns, also had a rearrangement of cartridges from two rows to one. To facilitate the equipment of PPSh box magazines, there was a special device.

Due to the presence of a muzzle brake-compensator, an adjacent shooter who finds himself at a distance of up to 2-3 m to the side of the muzzle may receive barotrauma or rupture of the eardrum. PPSh-41 is easy to identify by its high rate of fire, similar to the chirping of a sewing machine, and in the dark by three muzzle flames escaping from the top and side openings of the casing.

Modifications

USSR - PPSh model 1941, with a disk magazine for 71 rounds and a sector sight with ten divisions for shooting at a distance from 50 to 500 m. Release of the first batch of 400 pcs. at the plant number 367 started in November 1940, even before the official adoption of the submachine gun into service.

USSR - PPSh model 1942, with a box magazine for 35 rounds, a sight in the form of a rotary rear sight for firing at 100 and 200 m, a more reliable magazine latch, a chrome-plated surface of the barrel bore. The production of sector stores began on February 12, 1942, the first batches were made of sheet steel 0.5 mm thick, but the experience of operation in the army revealed their insufficient mechanical strength and later the stores were made from sheet steel 1 mm thick.

USSR - artisanal and semi-artisanal wartime PPSh variants:

- "product number 86" - submachine guns assembled at factory number 310 in Kandalaksha. The base was PPSh arr. 1941, the first submachine gun was assembled on January 25, 1941, a total of 100 pieces were produced. (due to the lack of drawings, the parts of submachine guns were adjusted manually and were not interchangeable). After receiving the technical documentation, the plant assembled another 5650 serial PPSh.
- in the summer of 1942, one PPSh submachine gun was manually assembled by master P.V. Chigrinov in the weapons workshop of the Razgrom partisan brigade operating in the Minsk region of Belarus;
-another submachine gun was restored from parts PPSh arr. 1941 partisan E. A. Martynyuk in the detachment. S. G. Lazo (as part of the partisan brigade named after V. M. Molotov, operating in the Pinsk region of Belarus) - the barrel, bolt and magazine were taken from a standard serial PPSh mod. 1941, and the barrel casing, receiver, trigger guard and wooden stock were made in a handicraft way;
- in the village of Zaozerye, in the weapons workshop of the Chekist partisan brigade, operating in the Mogilev region of Belarus, engineers L. N. Nikolaev and P. I. Scheslavsky collected ten PCA from March 30 to July 3, 1943, in total until July 1944 122 PPSh were manufactured here. In their production, parts of weapons that could not be restored were used (for example, the barrel of the "partisan PPSh" was made from part of a rifle barrel), the missing parts were made from structural steel

Third Reich - MP.41(r), a modification of the PPSh chambered for 9x19 mm "Parabellum", in which the barrel and magazine receiver were replaced, to use standard box magazines from the MP 38/40. Alteration started in 1944, about 10 thousand pieces were assembled in total.

Iran - since 1942 it was produced for the USSR at the Tehran Machine Gun Plant (under the name "model 22"), a total of several tens of thousands of units were produced, of which 9586 were actually delivered to the USSR by the end of 1944. Distinctive feature- crown stamp.

Socialist Republic of Romania - produced under the name PM PP S Md. 1952.

Hungarian People's Republic - in 1949-1955 it was produced under the name "7.62mm Geppisztoly 48.Minta".

PRC - after the end of World War II, it was produced under the name "Type 50". Minor changes were made to the design and production technology in connection with the adaptation to the characteristics of the Chinese industry.

North Korea - after the end of World War II, it was produced under the name "model 49".

Yugoslavia - in 1949-1992, the M49 submachine gun was produced, which had some design differences from the PPSh. Also produced versions of this submachine gun - M49 / 56 and M49 / 57.

Vietnam - during the Vietnam War of 1964-1973, a modification of the PPSh was assembled - the K-50 submachine gun.

Conversion samples

Self-loading version chambered for small-caliber cartridge .22 LR, manufactured by Pietta.

Self-loading version, produced since 2000 by Inter-Ordnance of America chambered in 7.62x25 mm and 9x19 mm. Features an elongated stem.

-SKL-41

Self-loading version chambered for 9x19 mm. Produced since 2008.

Self-loading version chambered for 7.62x25 mm, with a barrel lengthened to 16 inches (fully closed barrel casing) and design changes (shooting is carried out from a closed bolt). Produced by Allied Armament (USA).

Self-loading carbine chambered for 7.62x25 mm, created in 2013 by the Vyatka-Polyansky arms factory "Hammer".

Self-loading carbine chambered for 7.62x25 mm, created in 2013 by the Kovrovsky plant named after. V. A. Degtyareva.

Self-loading carbine chambered for 9x19 mm Luger, created in 2014 by the Kovrov plant named after A.I. V. A. Degtyareva. The barrel was replaced with a new one chambered for 9x19 mm. It visually differs from PPSh-O and VPO-135 in a slightly longer barrel, which is included in the front cutouts of the casing, forming a compensator.

4.5 mm gas-balloon pneumatic rifle, made with the use of the main parts of PPSh submachine guns (while maintaining all the technical marks). Created in 2007, produced since 2008 by the Vyatka-Polyansky arms factory "Molot"

4.5-mm air-operated gas-balloon rifle with the ability to fire bursts, manufactured by the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant.

Operation and combat use

During the Great Patriotic War

USSR - PPSh was the most massive submachine gun of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War. It was also supplied to Soviet partisans, allies and entered service with foreign military formations on the territory of the USSR.

Czechoslovakia - The 1st separate Czechoslovak infantry battalion under the command of L. Svoboda received PPSh in October 1942, later other units of the Czechoslovak Army Corps received them
-Poland - in 1943, the PPSh received the 1st Polish infantry division named after T. Kosciuszko, and later other Polish units;
-Socialist Republic of Romania - in 1944-1945. a certain amount of PPSh was transferred to service with the 1st Romanian infantry division them. Tudor Vladimirescu, after the end of the war, an additional amount was received from the USSR for the Romanian army. Used under the name PM Md. 1952.

Yugoslavia - in 1944, the PPSh received units of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia, after the war, the PPSh remained in service with the Yugoslav People's Army.
-Third Reich - captured PPSh under the name Maschinenpistole 717 (r) entered service with the Wehrmacht, the SS and other paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany and its satellites.

Finland - captured PPSh were operated in the Finnish army, there were also "alterations" under 9 mm.
-Bulgaria - in the period after September 9, 1944, the USSR transferred to the Bulgarian army a batch of PPSh, which were used during the hostilities of 1944-1945.

After the Great Patriotic War

After the war, PPSh were supplied in significant quantities abroad, mainly to the countries of the Warsaw Pact and other states friendly to the USSR. A significant amount was shipped to China.

PPSh was operated in all conflicts of the second half of the 20th century, and fights with dignity even at the beginning of the 21st:

A certain amount was transferred to the arsenal of the people's police and the army of the GDR, received the name MPi 41
-In 1950-1953, Soviet, Chinese and North Korean versions of the PPSh were in service with the Korean People's Army and were intensively exploited during the Korean War.
- In the early 1960s, a certain amount of PPSh was received by the Cuban government, in April 1961 they were used to repel the landing of the "2506 brigade" in the Bay of Pigs.
- In the early 1960s, PPSh were in service with the Vietnam People's Army, they were used in the initial period of the Vietnam War. Later, during the war, they were gradually withdrawn from service with regular army units and transferred to service with units of territorial defense forces.

As of November 1966, a number of PPSh were in service with the MPLA partisans in Angola
-As of 1968, a number of PPShs were in service with the Palestinian paramilitaries in Jordan, were used by fighters of local self-defense units in the battle of Karameh.
-Afghanistan signed an agreement with the USSR on the acquisition of a batch of Soviet small arms in August 1956, the first PPSh were received from the USSR in October 1956, later the PPSh was in service with army units at least until 1980, and then, in 1980- years, was operated by units of the people's militia of the DRA. Also, a large number of PPSh were in service with the student "revolution defense units", people's militias and territorial self-defense units that fought against the "dushmans" in 1981 and even in 1986.

In Nicaragua, a number of PPSh were in service with the territorial detachments of the Sandinista People's Militia ("milisianos"), at least until mid-1985.
- At least until the 1980s, PPSh were used by the army and paramilitary units in some African countries.
-As of July 14, 2005, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine had 350,000 units in storage. PPSh; as of August 15, 2011, 300,000 units remained in the storage of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. PPSh
-Applied by all parties to the armed conflict in the South-East of Ukraine in 2014-2015.
-Belarus: withdrawn from service in December 2005
-Croatia: Used Yugoslav version of PPSh Zastava M49

performance characteristics

Weight, kg: 3.6 (without cartridges); 5.3 (with equipped drum magazine); 4.15 (with equipped sector magazine)
- Length, mm: 843
- Barrel length, mm: 269
- Cartridge: 7.62x25 mm TT
- Caliber, mm: 7.62
- Principles of operation: free shutter
-Rate of fire, shots / min: approximately 1000
- Muzzle velocity, m/s: 500
-Sighting range, m: 200-300
-Maximum range, m: 400
- Type of ammunition: store: sector for 35 rounds, drum for 71 rounds
-Sight: unregulated, open, 100 m, with folding stand 200 m