Degtyarev submachine gun (PPD): history of creation, description and characteristics. PPD submachine gun Photo. TTX. Video. Dimensions. Rate of fire. Bullet speed. Sighting range. Weight Pistol submachine gun Degtyarev model 1934 38

PPD, contrary to legends, was not at all copied from the Finnish “Suomi”

The year 2010 marks two significant anniversaries: 75 years ago the submachine gun of the V. A. Degtyarev system was adopted for service, and 70 years ago the submachine gun of the G. S. Shpagin system was adopted. The fate of PPD and PPSh reflected the dramatic nature of this type of domestic production on the eve of the Great Patriotic War and his exceptional role during the confrontation on the Soviet-German front.

Submachine guns began to appear in 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 light weight, from which it was possible to fire tightly in close combat. True, beyond the “short” ranges, the effectiveness indicators of submachine guns turned out to be quite modest. This largely determined the attitude towards new weapons in a number of armies, including the Red Army, as a kind of auxiliary means.

NOT JUST FOR GANGSTERS AND COPS

However, the widespread opinion about the “disdain” of the Soviet military leadership for submachine guns is, to put it mildly, greatly exaggerated. Back on October 27, 1925, the Red Army Armament Commission noted: “...it is considered necessary to re-equip junior and middle command personnel with an automatic submachine gun, leaving the Nagan in service with senior and senior command personnel.” On December 28, 1926, the Artillery Committee of the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army approved the technical conditions for the production of submachine guns.

Very little time passed, and already in 1927 F.V. Tokarev, who at that time worked in the design bureau of the First Tula Arms Factories, presented his model of a submachine gun - the so-called light carbine. However, it was chambered for the then most accessible 7.62-mm revolver cartridge, the 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 the 7.63 mm Mauser cartridge for pistols and submachine guns.

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

Already in June-July 1930, by order of the Deputy People's Commissar for Military and maritime affairs I. P. Uborevich, a commission headed by division chief V. F. Grushetsky conducts tests at the Scientific Testing Weapons Range self-loading pistols and experienced submachine guns. These were samples developed by F.V. Tokarev for the revolver cartridge “Nagant”, 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 - chambered for a pistol cartridge. At the same time, foreign pistols and submachine guns undergo a similar practical test.

In general, the test results of the first domestic submachine guns were unsatisfactory. Among the reasons for the failures were 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 by the police and internal security forces. They are not considered sufficiently advanced for combat purposes by the Germans and Americans.” This opinion was established due to the fact that in Weimar Germany police units were equipped 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 guardians of law and order. The following point of view was even expressed: they say that in the Red Army’s weapons system “the submachine gun appeared not from the requirements, but due to the fact that such a model 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 by F.V. Tokarev, V.A. Degtyarev, S.A. Korovin, S.A. Prilutsky, I.N. Kolesnikov. The “brainchildren” of Degtyarev and Tokarev were considered the most successful. In January 1934, the Artillery Directorate noted the Degtyarev submachine gun as the best in combat and operational qualities. It did not have a high rate of fire, but it stood out for its greater accuracy and manufacturability. It is typical to use 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 them to the command staff of the Red Army.

UPGRADES REQUIRED

PPD-34 belonged to the classic “carbine” layout, set by the German MP.18/I, with a wooden stock and a cylindrical perforated barrel casing. The automatic operation of the submachine gun operated due to the recoil energy of the free bolt. The PPD trigger mechanism, made as 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 safety catch in the form of a latch was placed on the bolt handle and blocked it in the front or rear position. A detachable sector-shaped box magazine was attached from below. The sector sight was notched at a range of 50 to 500 m. The aimed fire distance, 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 repeating rifles (excluding sniper rifles), then the PPD is 4106. This allows us to judge the place that was given to the submachine gun in the Red Army’s weapons system.

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

There were reasons for this. During the war of 1932-1935 between Bolivia and Paraguay, submachine guns of various systems were used quite widely for the first time, 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 "non-famous" campaign of 1939-1940.

However, it was in 1939 that the fate of the PPD came into question. At the initiative of the People's Commissariat of Defense, the issue of stopping the production of submachine guns was discussed. And nine months before the start of the Soviet-Finnish War, they were removed from the Red Army units and transferred to warehouse storage and to the NKVD border troops. 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 help but pay attention to the report on the production of automatic small arms at the enterprises of the People's Commissariat of Armaments for 1939. This document stated that the production of PPD should “be stopped until the noted deficiencies are eliminated and the design is simplified.” And it was proposed: “...the development of a new type of automatic weapon chambered for a pistol cartridge should be continued for the 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 “tremendous 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 machine gun and the submachine gun” based on the creation of a cartridge “with a reduced sighting range for rifles and an increased sighting range for submachine guns.” However, by the beginning of World War II, such a cartridge had not yet appeared. It is not surprising that during the Finnish campaign in the Red Army they began to call submachine guns as machine guns - this name would remain with them until the end of the 40s.

The enemy’s successful use of the Suomi in battles forced the urgent return of the PPD to the Red Army units. Demands came from the front to equip “at least one squad per company” with submachine guns modeled on the Finns. The existing PPD was 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, the mass production Degtyarev submachine guns.

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

THIRD MODIFICATION

Kovrov Plant No. 2 received a special government task - to organize the production of PPD. To assist in its implementation, a team of specialists was sent there under the leadership of Deputy People's Commissar of Armaments I. A. Barsukov. The production of submachine gun parts was distributed across almost all workshops, but already in January 1940, the plant opened a workshop intended for the production of submachine guns. 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 needed to produce one submachine gun, a number of changes were made to its design:

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

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

In the bolt, a separate firing pin with an axis was eliminated; the firing pin was fixedly fixed in the bolt with a pin;

A simplified ejector leaf spring was installed.

Moreover, the PPD, like the Suomi, was equipped with a drum magazine. However, Degtyarev proposed a simpler solution - 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 of Armaments, it was decided to equip the PPD with drum magazines (“discs”).

I. A. Komaritsky, E. V. Chernko, V. I. Shelkov and V. A. Degtyarev designed a drum magazine in almost a week. It was supplemented with a neck that was inserted into the PPD guide holder. 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 the Finnish prototype. This is how the third modification of the PPD appeared, retaining the designation “submachine gun mod. 1934/38." The submachine gun also received a front sight safety device.

From January 22, 1940, all workshops and departments involved in the production of PPD were transferred to three-shift work. The sharp increase in the production of the submachine gun could not pass without problems. According to B.L. Vannikov, “finished machine guns were repeatedly returned from shooting for repairs. There were days when there were more people working on fixes than on assembly.” But gradually production returned to a normal rhythm, and the troops began to receive more PPD. True, the submachine gun, designed for the technological equipment of factories of the early 30s, was a bit 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 light machine gun DP with spare parts - 1150 rubles (although here we must take into account the already established production of rifles and machine guns).

At this time, the first submachine gunner units were formed, including ski units - an experience that was very useful during the Great Patriotic War. They tried to supply reconnaissance and assault groups, and skier squads more abundantly with automatic weapons, among which the submachine gun showed greater reliability. P. Shilov, who was a scout in the 17th separate ski battalion during the Soviet-Finnish War, recalled one battle: “Our SVTs did not fire... 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 shot at the Finns to the last bullet.”

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

The magazine capacity was reduced to 71 rounds due to the replacement of its neck with a receiver, and the operation of the feeder became more reliable;

The bolt box has front and rear magazine stops, the stock is split, with a separate forend - an extension in front of the magazine;

The bolt 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 introduced into production. This is how the “7.62-mm submachine gun of the Degtyarev system mod. 1940 (PPD-40)." It could have either an open front sight or a front sight with a safety catch.

However, tests of a submachine gun with a fixed bolt striker showed a large percentage of delays, and therefore the Department small arms The artillery department insisted on returning to the previous drummer design. That is why, on April 1, 1940, a version with the same separate striker went into production. In total, 81,118 PPD were produced in 1940, so the fourth was the most widespread serial modification Degtyarev submachine gun - PPD-40.

The massive appearance of submachine guns in the army at the end of the Soviet-Finnish War and the adoption of the PPD-40 with a 71-round magazine in 1940 contributed to the birth of the legend that Degtyarev copied his design from the Suomi system of A. Lahti. Meanwhile, it is enough to simply carry out an incomplete disassembly of these two samples, which belonged to the same generation of submachine guns, to see that the relationship between the PPD and the Suomi is very distant. But the first one actually received the drum magazine from the second one, albeit with alterations.

Captured "Suomi" were 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" of 1943 or "Invasion" of 1945.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PPD REV. 1934

Cartridge 7.62x25 TT
Weapon weight with cartridges 3.66 kg
Weapon length 778 mm
Barrel length 278 mm

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

"MADE IN LENINGRAD"

In 1940, attitudes 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 Infantry, Lieutenant General A.K. Smirnov at a meeting of the senior leadership of the Red Army in December 1940, that “if our (infantry) department was divided into two units” they would consist of “ 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. Kurdyumov, gave calculations for an offensive battle (assuming an attack by the Soviet rifle corps on the defense of the German infantry division): “Our advancing corps will have 72 platoons in the first attacking echelon, 2880 bayonets, 288 light machine guns, 576 PPD... On average, on 1 km of the front there will be 2888 attacking people against 78 defense people, machine guns and submachine guns - 100 versus 26...”

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

In the initial period of the Great Patriotic War, production of PPD was restored in Leningrad. In Kovrov, in the experimental workshop of the chief designer’s department, about 5,000 PPDs were assembled from the remaining backlog of parts. And in the city on the Neva, on the basis of the equipment taken there from the Sestroretsk Tool Plant named after S.P. Voskov, the production of PPD-40 was re-launched, running 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 Artillery Museum. On the butt of the submachine gun there is a sign: “Made in Leningrad during the enemy blockade. 1942." Many Leningrad-made PPDs had a simplified folding sight instead of a sector one.

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

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PPD REV. 1940

Cartridge 7.62x25 TT
Weight of weapon with cartridges 5.4 kg
Weapon length 778 mm
Barrel length 278 mm
Initial bullet speed 500 m/s
Rate of fire 900-1100 rounds/min
Combat rate of fire, od./auto. 30/100-120 rounds/min
Sighting range 500 m
Magazine capacity 71 rounds

7.62-mm submachine guns of the 1934, 1934/38 and 1940 models of the Degtyarev system (GAU index - 56-A-133) - various modifications a submachine gun developed by Soviet gunsmith Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev in the early 1930s. The first submachine gun adopted by the Red Army.

Video PPD-40

The Degtyarev submachine gun was a fairly typical representative of the first generation of this type of weapon. It was used in the Soviet-Finnish War, as well as throughout the Great Patriotic War, in particular, it was supplied to partisan detachments as more reliable. The first work on the creation of submachine guns began in the USSR back in the mid-1920s. On October 27, 1925, the Red Army Armament Commission stipulated the desirability of arming junior and middle commanders with this type of weapon. On December 28, 1926, the Artillery Committee of the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army approved the technical conditions for the manufacture of the first submachine guns.

After a number of unsuccessful experiments using the 7.62x38 mm Nagant cartridge, on July 7, 1928, the Artillery Committee proposed adopting the 7.63x25 mm Mauser cartridge, used in the Mauser C96 pistol, popular in the USSR, for pistols and submachine guns. In addition to its high combat qualities, the choice of this cartridge was supported by the fact that the production of 7.62 mm barrels for both pistols and submachine guns could be carried out on the same technological equipment, and the unification along the barrel bore with the Mosin rifle made it possible to use existing equipment and even defective blanks of “three-line” rifle barrels. In addition, the bottle-shaped cartridge case increased the reliability of delivery from the magazine.

At the end of 1929, the Revolutionary Military Council decided that the submachine gun, which it assessed as a “powerful automatic close-combat weapon,” would in the near future be introduced into the Red Army’s weapons system. The main weapon of the Soviet infantry, according to the decision of the Revolutionary Military Council, was to be a modern self-loading rifle, and an auxiliary weapon along with it - a submachine gun. Also in 1929, an experimental 7.62 mm Degtyarev submachine gun appeared.

PPD - Degtyarev submachine gun model 1934/38. with disk magazine

In June-July 1930, a commission headed by division chief V.F. Grushetsky conducted tests of self-loading pistols and experimental submachine guns for new cartridges at the Scientific Testing Weapons Range (the so-called “1930 Competition”). The results of these tests turned out to be generally unsatisfactory, so that none of the samples presented for it was accepted for service. Nevertheless, its implementation helped to finally determine the requirements for a new type of weapon.

In 1931, the next version of the Degtyarev submachine gun appeared, with a semi-free bolt of a different type, in which slowing down the bolt's retreat was achieved not by redistributing energy between its two parts, but due to increased friction arising between the cocking handle of the bolt and the bevel in the front part of the cutout under it in the receiver, into which the handle fell after the bolt came to the extreme forward position, while the bolt itself turned to the right at a small angle. This sample had a round receiver, which was more technologically advanced, and the barrel was almost completely covered with wooden plates (instead of a casing).

PPD - Degtyarev submachine gun model 1934. with sector store

Finally, in 1932, an even more simplified version appeared, this time with a blowback shutter. In 1932-1933, a total of 14 samples of 7.62 mm submachine guns were developed and field tested, including converted Tokarev, Degtyarev and Korovin submachine guns, as well as newly developed Prilutsky and Kolesnikov. The Degtyarev and Tokarev systems were considered the most successful, but the PPD turned out to be a little more technologically advanced and had a relatively low rate of fire, which was advantageous for this type of weapon.

After revision, in which, in addition to Degtyarev, designers G.F. Kubynov, P.E. Ivanov and G.G. Markov participated, on January 23, 1935 it was approved by the State Agrarian University as a model for the production of a pilot batch (30 copies), and on July 9 - adopted by the Red Army under the name “7.62-mm submachine gun model 1934 of the Degtyarev system (PPD).” In the same year, production began at Kovrov Plant No. 2 (named after K. O. Kirkizh).

Most military experts of that time, both in the USSR and abroad, considered the submachine gun as a “police” weapon, and when used by the army, it was a purely auxiliary weapon. In accordance with these ideas, and also due to the rather low manufacturability and lack of development of the model itself in mass production, it was initially produced in small batches and entered mainly into service with the command staff of the Red Army as a replacement for revolvers and self-loading pistols (at about the same time, the rank and file began to be rearmed with another type automatic weapons - automatic and self-loading rifles). In 1934, Kovrov Plant No. 2 produced 44 copies of PPD, in 1935 - only 23, in 1936 - 911, in 1937 - 1,291, in 1938 - 1,115, in 1939 - 1,700 , in total - just over 5,000 copies.

As can be seen from the scale of production, the Degtyarev submachine gun in the first years of its production was still essentially prototype, where methods for the production and use of new weapons by troops were tested. In 1935-37, the PPD underwent extensive military tests, which revealed a number of shortcomings, and based on their results, in 1938-39, the weapon was modernized, receiving the designation “submachine gun model 1934/38.” Degtyarev's system. It was also sometimes designated as the "2nd model" and the 1934 model as the "1st model".

Meanwhile, when trying to increase the production of PPD, it became clear that it was quite complex structurally and technologically, which prevented the establishment of its mass production. By order of the Art Directorate dated February 10, 1939, the PPD was removed from the 1939 production program, orders to factories for its production were canceled, and the copies available in the Red Army were concentrated in warehouses for better preservation in the event of a military conflict, including submachine guns in storage it was ordered to “provide an appropriate amount of ammunition” and “keep it in order” (ibid.). A certain amount of PPD was used to arm border and convoy troops, and sometimes there are even reports that only a small amount of them were produced for these purposes.

Attitudes towards submachine guns changed dramatically during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940. Impressed by the actions of Finnish submachine gunners armed with Suomi submachine guns, the Red Army command not only used all the PPD-34 submachine guns stored in warehouses and Fedorov submachine guns manufactured back in the 20s, but also organized the delivery by plane to the front of submachine guns available at the border guards. The production of submachine guns was transferred to three-shift work with full use of all equipment.

Improvements in weapon design continued. On February 15, 1940, Degtyarev presented a modernized sample of the PPD, developed with the participation of the designers of the Kovrov plant S. N. Kalygin, P. E. Ivanov, N. N. Lopukhovsky, E. K. Aleksandrovich and V. A. Vvedensky.

This version was approved for production on February 21, 1940 by the Defense Committee of the Council of People's Commissars and adopted for service as the “1940 model submachine gun of the Degtyarev system.” Its release began in March of the same year. In total, 81,118 PPDs were produced in 1940, making its 1940 modification the most widespread. The army received significant quantities of this type of weapon.

The PPD was produced at the beginning of World War II, but already at the end of 1941 it was replaced by the more advanced, reliable and much more technologically advanced Shpagin submachine gun, the development of which began in parallel with the deployment of mass production of the PPD in 1940. PPSh was initially designed for the possibility of production at any industrial enterprise with low-power pressing equipment, which turned out to be very useful during the Great Patriotic War.

Meanwhile, the production of PPD in the initial period of the war was temporarily restored in Leningrad at the Sestroretsk Tool Plant named after S.P. Voskov and, from December 1941, at the plant named after. A. A. Kulakova. In addition, at the Kovrov plant in the pilot workshop, about 5,000 more PPDs were manually assembled from existing parts. In total, in 1941-1942, 42,870 PPDs were produced in Leningrad - the so-called “siege issue”, “blockade survivors”, they went into service with the troops of the Leningrad and Karelian fronts.

Subsequently, at the same production facilities, the production of a more advanced and technologically advanced Sudaev submachine gun was carried out.

Options and modifications

PPD-34- with a sector magazine for 25 rounds without a guide clip for the magazine, a bolt with a fixed firing pin.

PPD-34/38- with a sector magazine for 25 rounds or with a disk magazine for 73 rounds, which has a neck, and a guide clip to reduce the motion of the attached magazine, the magazines themselves have become interchangeable for various copies of the PP, the sight mount has been strengthened.

PPD-34/38- a bolt without a firing pin, with a fixed firing pin, part of the release had a ring-shaped muffle to protect the front sight. The number and shape of the ventilation holes in the barrel casing have also changed - 15 long instead of 55 short.

PPD-40- with a disc magazine without a neck, the box has front and rear magazine stops, a bolt with a movable striker, a receiver made of a tubular blank instead of a milled one (combined into one part with the sight deck) early models, a simplified ejector with a leaf spring, a simplified stock made up of stamped parts, a trigger guard instead of milled from a single piece, and a simplified safety. Barrel casing with 15 holes. Front sight both with and without a namushnik. Many Leningrad-made PPDs had a simplified folding, simplified-shaped fuse instead of a sector sight and a number of other minor differences.

Design and principle of operation

The submachine gun operates on the basis of automatic blowback action. The barrel bore is locked by the mass of the bolt, which is spring-loaded by a return spring. Shooting is carried out from the rear sear. The trigger mechanism ensures single and continuous fire. To switch the fire mode, the trigger mechanism has a corresponding translator, made in the form of a flag located in front of the trigger guard. On one side of the flag there is the number “1” or the inscription “one” - for single shooting, on the other - the number “71” or the inscription “continuous.” - for firing with automatic fire.

During most of the PPD release, the cartridge primer was broken by a striker-type striker-type impact mechanism installed separately in the bolt; the striker was fired after the bolt came to the extreme forward position. The fuse in the form of a slider is located on the bolt handle. When the safety is engaged, its tooth engages with the cutout of the receiver, blocking the bolt.

The receiver with the barrel casing is made of a piece of pipe in which the barrel is mounted on two fixed liners. Perforated casing. The stock of the 1940 model is made split to ensure the abutment of a disc magazine that does not have a neck.

The submachine gun has a sector sight with graduations of up to 500 m, the 1940 model of late production has a sight with a reversible rear sight, designed for firing at a range of up to 100 and up to 200 m.

Each submachine gun was supplied with an accessory consisting of: a cleaning rod with a handle and two links with rubbing, a screwdriver, a drift, a brush, an oiler with two compartments - for lubricating oil and an alkaline composition for cleaning barrels.

A German soldier fires from a captured PPD-40

Advantages

• High stopping and lethal effect of the bullet;
• A comfortable stock provides good grip and ease of aiming;
• The PPD has a relatively small size, which makes it more convenient, compared to a rifle and carbine, for firing from a vehicle, for operating in a trench, building, etc.;
• The capacity of the disk magazine allows you to create a high density of fire;
• The presence of a barrel casing prevents burns to the shooter’s hands during intense shooting;
• The submachine gun can be easily disassembled for cleaning and lubrication.

Flaws

• Large dimensions and weight;
• Despite the low cost of production, PPD was quite complex to manufacture;
• Weapons, especially models with a fixed firing pin, have low reliability (there are often delays when firing);
• The disk magazine is difficult to equip. Disc magazine arr. 1938 of extremely poor design. To push the last five rounds into the neck, a flexible pusher is used, which is constantly skewed in the magazine. As a result, with a burst length of 6-7 shots, delays occur due to skewed cartridges, to eliminate which you have to separate the magazine, remove 2-3 cartridges and shake it thoroughly . Such a procedure in a combat situation makes the owner of the PPD a potential dead man;
• The capacity of the box magazine is insufficient.
• It is inconvenient to switch the fire mode selector, especially with cold hands or gloves.

Soviet soldiers with PPD-40 in battle on the outskirts of Shlisselburg. January, 1942

Operation and combat use

USSR - PPD was most widely used at the initial stage of World War II.

Finland - 173 pcs. PPD-34 and PPD-34/38 were captured during the Soviet-Finnish war and were used in Finnish army under the name 7.63 mm kp M/venäl.

Third Reich - captured PPD-34/38 entered service with the Wehrmacht, SS and other paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany and its satellites under the name Maschinenpistole 715(r), and PPD-40 - under the name Maschinenpistole 716(r).

Yugoslavia - deliveries of PPD-40 to the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia began on May 15, 1944, until November 15, 1944, 5456 units were delivered, after the war it remained in service with the Yugoslav People's Army under the name Automat 7.62 mm PPD M40(s).

13-year-old scout Vova Egorov with his PPD-40. The son of the regiment has an RGD-33 grenade in his belt.

Performance characteristics of PPD-40

Years of operation: 1934-1943
- Adopted: 1935
- Constructor: Vasily Degtyarev
- Developed: 1934 (model 1934); 1938/39 (sample 1934/38); 1940 (model 1940)
- Years of production: from 1934 to December 1942.

2015 saw two anniversaries at once: the 80th anniversary of the adoption of the Degtyarev submachine gun and the 75th anniversary of the start of operation of the Shpagin submachine gun. Of course they historical meaning incommensurable: the legendary PPSh (“dad”, “Shpagin’s Cartridge Eater”) became the most popular submachine gun of the Great Patriotic War and firmly occupies an honorable place in the pantheon of Victory weapons. And Degtyarev’s brainchild was discontinued in 1942. In Russia, everyone knows the PPSh assault rifle, but Degtyarev’s product is known only to specialists and amateurs military history. But the PPD was the first Soviet submachine gun, and without it, most likely, Shpagin would not have developed his famous weapon.

The first modification of the Degtyarev submachine gun, the PPD-34, was put into service in 1935, after which the designer worked on improving it. In 1939, he developed the PPD model 1934/1938, and just before the start of the war, an improved model of 1940.

Degtyarev submachine guns took part in the Soviet-Finnish Winter War; they were actively used at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War. In 1942, this machine gun was discontinued, and its place was taken by a simple and cheap Shpagin submachine gun - an ideal wartime weapon.

There is a legend that Degtyarev copied his weapon from the Finnish Suomi submachine gun, developed in the early 30s. However, it is not true.

History of creation

Submachine guns, which we traditionally call machine guns, appeared during the First World War. This global conflict, in general, “gave” the world a lot of military “know-how,” one more inhumane than the other. One of the main inventions of WWII was the machine gun. These weapons, of course, were used earlier, but during the First World War the use of machine guns became truly widespread.

This led to a situation that was later called "positional deadlock". Defensive weapons were so powerful and deadly that they thwarted any attempts by the opposing sides to carry out active offensive operations. Any, even the most insignificant, advance had to be paid for with simply unimaginable sacrifices. The infantry needed offensive rapid-fire weapons. At the same time, machine guns of that time could not help their soldiers in the offensive. Most of them were easel and had more than serious weight and size. For example, Maxim’s machine gun weighed about 20 kg, and a massive forty-kilogram machine was also attached to it. Taking such an attack was simply unrealistic.

Therefore, the idea of ​​​​creating a light hand-held rapid-fire weapon chambered for a pistol cartridge was born. Its first sample appeared in Italy back in 1915. Almost all the main countries participating in the conflict were involved in the development of submachine guns. Russia also worked on creating light, rapid-fire small arms. The result was the Fedorov assault rifle, although it was designed for the 6.5x50mm Arisaka rifle cartridge.

In general, we can say that submachine guns did not have any impact significant influence At the end of the First World War, their combat use was limited. But after its completion, work on the creation of this weapon continued.

Contrary to popular belief, the attitude of Soviet military leaders towards the idea of ​​submachine guns was not so dismissive. Already in the mid-20s, the Red Army Armament Commission ordered that all junior and middle command personnel be armed with submachine guns. And at the end of the 20s, Tokarev created a prototype of this small weapon. But his machine gun was chambered for a 7.62-mm revolver cartridge, which is very poorly suited for automatic weapons.

In 1930, the 7.62x25 mm TT cartridge was adopted for service, and it was decided to develop submachine guns for it. In the same year, field tests took place, at which Tokarev, Degtyarev and Korovin presented their developments. Foreign samples of these weapons were also presented to the military leadership. The test results were considered unsatisfactory. The military was primarily not satisfied with the low accuracy of the presented samples.

It should be admitted that attitudes towards submachine guns in the 30s were indeed different. Part of the Soviet military leadership considered them to be purely “police” weapons, unsuitable for use in the army. At this time, Weimar Germany armed its law enforcement forces with MP.18 and MP.28 assault rifles, and the famous American Thompson, although it was designed for the army, earned its fame in shootouts between gangsters and the police. This became an additional argument for opponents of submachine guns. However, despite this, work on the creation of new models of these weapons in the USSR was not stopped.

Throughout 1932 and 1933, field tests were carried out on a whole group (14 units) of submachine guns developed for the 7.62x25 mm TT cartridge. The most famous Soviet gunsmith designers presented their developments: Tokarev, Korovin, Prilutsky, Degtyarev, Kolesnikov. The samples of Tokarev and Degtyarev were considered the most successful. As a result, the Degtyarev submachine gun was named the winner of the competition. The high combat and operational qualities of this weapon were noted. Its rate of fire was lower than that of its competitors, but thanks to this the submachine gun had high accuracy shooting. An additional advantage of the Degtyarev assault rifle was its high manufacturability: most of the structural elements were cylindrical in shape and could be made on conventional lathes.

In July 1935, after minor modifications, the Degtyarev submachine gun was put into service. Its production was launched at the Kovrov plant No. 2.

It should be noted that until 1939, only 5 thousand units of these weapons were produced, and initially their production was generally tens of units per year. For comparison, we can say that in just two years (1937 and 1938) more than 3 million repeating rifles entered the army. The command personnel were primarily armed with machine guns; around the same time, the rank and file began to receive another type of automatic weapon - self-loading rifles. Considering the volume of supplies of PPD to the troops, we can confidently say that throughout almost all pre-war years The submachine gun remained for the Red Army more of a curiosity and a prototype than a familiar weapon.

In 1938, taking into account operational experience among the troops, the 1934 model PPD was modernized. It can hardly be called large-scale. The design of the magazine and sight mounts has been changed. The modernized version of the weapon was called the PPD model 1934/38.

At the same time, the Artillery Department suddenly became concerned with submachine guns, ordering them to be equipped with border guards, paratroopers, and gun and machine gun crews. And there was every reason for this. In the early thirties, in distant South America, a conflict broke out between Bolivia and Paraguay, in which submachine guns were used en masse for the first time. The experience of their use was considered successful. Later, the high efficiency of machine guns was confirmed by the Spanish Civil War.

However, an attempt to significantly increase production encountered the significant complexity and high cost of the Degtyarev submachine gun. In a report from the People's Commissariat of Armaments, dated 1939, it was generally proposed to curtail the production of PPD “until its design is simplified” or to develop a new submachine gun for the same ammunition.

On February 10, 1939, an order from the Art Directorate appeared, according to which the production of PPD was stopped, and all submachine guns in the army should be sent to warehouses for “better preservation in the event of a military conflict.” Some domestic authors believe that such a decision - quite controversial, it must be said - was made as a result of the active rearmament of the army with another type of automatic weapon - the SVT self-loading rifle.

But at the end of 1939, the “unfamous” Winter War began, and it turned out that it was too early to write off submachine guns. The Finnish army was armed with a rather successful Suomi assault rifle, which spoiled a lot of blood for our soldiers in Karelian forests. There were persistent demands from the front to return the PPD to service, which was soon done. All stored Degtyarev submachine guns were sent to the active army. In addition, its production was resumed, so much so that workers stood at the machines in three shifts. At the same time, a new modernization of weapons began, aimed at simplifying and reducing their cost. As a result, a modification of the machine gun appeared, known as the Degtyarev submachine gun model 1940. It was officially put into service in February 1940. In 1940, more than 80 thousand units of this weapon were produced, which makes this modification the most widespread.

The 1940 model submachine gun had fewer holes in the barrel casing; its bottom was made separately. The receiver of the new submachine gun was made of a pipe, and the sight block was attached to it separately. It also received a new bolt design with a fixed striker. A new cartridge ejector with a leaf spring was installed on the PPD-40. In addition, the weapon stock was now made from pressed plywood. For the new modification of the PPD, a round drum magazine was developed, the same as that of the Suomi. It was redesigned several times, in the final version its capacity was 71 rounds.

The PPD was actively used in the initial period of the Great Patriotic War, its production continued, but already at the end of 1941 it began to be replaced by the cheaper and more technologically advanced Shpagin assault rifle. For some time, the production of PPD continued in besieged Leningrad at the Sestroretsk plant, but then it was replaced by the Sudaev submachine gun.

Description of design

The Degtyarev submachine gun is a typical representative of the first generation of this weapon. Its automation uses the recoil energy of the free shutter. The barrel of the weapon with four right-hand rifling is attached to the receiver via a threaded connection. On top it is closed with a metal casing with oval holes necessary for cooling. The main function of the casing is to protect the fighter’s hands from burns. On later modifications of the submachine gun, the number of holes in the casing was reduced.

The PPD bolt includes the following elements: a frame, a firing pin with an axis, a handle, a firing pin, an ejector and a fuse. The bolt group returns to its extreme position due to the return spring, which, together with the butt plate, is part of the return mechanism.

The trigger mechanism of the machine gun is placed in a separate box, which, during assembly, is attached to the ledge of the box and secured with a pin. It allows you to fire single and automatic fire from a weapon. The mode switch is located in front of the trigger and looks like a flag.

The weapon's safety is located on the cocking handle; it locks the bolt in the forward or rear position, preventing the shot from being fired. The design of the PPD fuse is not reliable, especially for worn weapons. At one time it caused a lot of criticism from the military, but, nevertheless, it was also used on the Shpagin submachine gun.

The 1934 model PPD had a sector double-row magazine with a capacity of 25 rounds. During the shooting, the fighter used it to hold the weapon. Already for the 1938 modification, a drum-type magazine was developed, which could hold 73 rounds; later it was slightly modified, and its capacity was reduced to 71 rounds.

The machine's sights consist of a sector sight with graduations up to 500 meters and a front sight. However, such a firing distance for this weapon is simply unrealistic. With a lot of luck, an experienced fighter could hit the enemy at a distance of 300 meters, but in general fire from the PPD was effective up to 200 meters. Although, it must be said that the use of the powerful TT cartridge favorably distinguished the Degtyarev submachine gun from most analogues of its time, chambered for the weak Parabellum cartridge, which also had rather unimportant ballistics.

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 acceptable quantities only in 1939-1940. Soviet literature critically evaluates the delay in arming infantry with submachine guns. This situation is explained by the slowness of the military command in resolving the issue of the meaning, feasibility and necessity of using of this weapon. In this connection, the merits of the designers who closely followed the development are emphasized military equipment in this area and consistently sought recognition of submachine guns despite the resistance.
Despite the restrained attitude of some of the generals towards this problem, the Soviet infantry was armed with submachine guns earlier than the armies of many others. large countries Europe. This can be assessed as a great achievement, especially since for many years the military command was concerned with somehow equipping the army, police and other paramilitary forces of the young Soviet Republic who fought on the fronts of the civil war. Industry was poorly developed, factories were overloaded with orders for the manufacture and repair of weapons inherited from the time of the October Revolution.
When a design bureau for the development of automatic small arms was created at the Kovrov arms factory in 1921, its employees initially focused on creating 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 began creating submachine guns. The first samples appeared already in 1929.
However, the very first Soviet submachine gun was presented two years earlier by another designer - Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev, at that time the technical director of the Tula Arms Plant, who later became famous for the creation of the TT 1933 automatic pistol, as well as the SVT1938 and SVT1940 self-loading rifles. The Model 1927 Tokarev submachine gun was produced in small quantities as a prototype, but after several tests it was rejected and was not mass-produced.
Some interesting details are known about this experimental sample. The Tokarev submachine gun was equipped with a blowback bolt and an unusual magazine, the front surface of which was shaped like a handle to make it more convenient to hold the weapon in your hands. As reported in Soviet literature. the designer used two triggers, the first of which was used for continuous fire, and the second for single fire. However, in the available photographs of the Tokarev submachine gun of the 1927 model, only one hook is visible. There are also differences of opinion regarding the target firing range. 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 was 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 approximately 100. The initial bullet speed was about 300 m/s. The magazine held 21 7.62x39 R cartridges. This was not the original revolver cartridge of the 1895 model, but a slightly heavier modification with a modified cartridge case, specially made for the submachine gun to ensure uninterrupted supply with constant shooting.
As was customary at that time, the designer equipped the submachine gun with a wooden butt and barrel linings. The forend was quite long and left about a third of the barrel free. In this form the submachine gun looked like
on a carbine and that’s why it was called a light carbine. The mass of the experimental 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 1,100 shots were fired at different distances from both clean and contaminated weapons. The bullet's penetration power turned out to be quite high, but there were failures in the supply of cartridges. However, according to the commission, the Soviet submachine gun showed top scores than German.
The Tokarev submachine gun was manufactured at the Tula Arms Plant in the amount of 10 pieces for military testing. The first 5 samples had different barrel lengths and stock shapes (manufactured in June 1928). With regard to the remaining samples, a requirement was put forward to convert them to the Mauser cartridge 7.63x25 type M 1896. In addition. Tokarev increased the magazine capacity to 22 rounds and changed the barrel linings and butt. The results of the shooting did not live up to the expectations placed on the submachine gun, neither 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 recoil force; the bolt had lugs extending 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 disc magazine that held 22 cartridges. The target 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 is typical for the prototype of the Korovin submachine gun, the creator of the TK pocket pistols, presented at the beginning of 1930. It also fired Tokarev cartridges housed in a 30-round double-stack box magazine. Its sighting range was 500 m. Its weight was 2.74 kg. Designers such as I. N. Kolesnikov and S. A. Prilutsky also did not achieve success with submachine guns. In the literature they are noted as the creators of prototypes of submachine guns, but these samples are not described. In 1932-1933 alone, 14 samples were tested, including models by Tokarev and Degtyarev.
In 1934, a prototype of the first Degtyarev system submachine gun suitable for mass production was finally created. It was fired with standard Tokarev model pistol cartridges of 7.62 mm caliber. The submachine gun was reloaded by recoil force, had a blowback bolt and was similar to the German model Schmeisser 28/2, from which Degtyarev borrowed a number of design details (primarily the bolt system, but he designed the barrel casing, sight, cartridge feed mechanism and shop).
The magazine was slightly curved and inserted from the bottom. The sector sight could be installed at a distance from 50 to 500 m. Theoretical
the rate of fire was 900 rounds/min. The wooden butt looked very massive. The barrel was surrounded by a metal casing with large holes for cooling.
The 25-round magazine turned out to be 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 that fit into the bolt box. In addition, the sight was improved and a more compact barrel housing was created with four rows of slightly smaller slots.
Changes not noticeable from the outside included a modernized firing pin mechanism, as well as specially treated internal surfaces of the barrel and chamber. The striker was driven by a lever, which, immediately before locking the barrel, hit the body of the submachine gun and transmitted the shock impulse to the striker. The internal surfaces of the barrel and chamber were chrome plated.
The submachine gun, called the PPD 1934/38, was produced in three modifications.
The first of them was equipped with a disk magazine for 73 rounds, but a direct rod magazine for 25 rounds could also be used. The fire switch, located in front of the trigger, could be installed in two positions: front for single fire and rear for constant fire. In this modification, the trigger guard was made solid, and the hole for ejecting cartridges was very narrow.
The second version is considered standard. It was equipped with a disk magazine of a slightly smaller capacity: 71 rounds instead of 73. The magazine was attached to the body using a special device. The trigger guard consisted of two welded parts. The bolt was made of blued steel, and the window for ejecting cartridges became slightly wider.
For the third version, Degtyarev also chose a 71-round disc magazine. Instead of four rows of small slots for cooling, three rows of large holes appeared in the barrel casing. As for other details, the submachine guns of the third version appear to be completely identical to the first. They even claim that this also applies to the magazine capacity, but this is not entirely true. Although submachine guns made later could use a 73-round magazine, it was only produced for the first modification.

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

PPD shutter

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 experts, these fluctuations were far-reaching. Negative consequences. The situation changed only at the end of 1939, when Red Army soldiers during Soviet-Finnish war, which lasted from November 1939 to March 1940, faced Suomi 1931 submachine guns.
At the beginning of 1939, a group of Soviet generals discussed the prospects combat use submachine guns. Publications in the closed press pointed to the expediency and even necessity of this type of weapon and demanded an early
and comprehensive armament of infantry and other types of troops. At the same time, evidence was given that the shortcomings of submachine guns that had already been eliminated by that time, in particular the swinging of the magazine mount and the ability to quickly replace it, were due to design flaws and were not at all typical for this type of weapon.
Despite this, a few days later a resolution with completely opposite content appeared. In February 1939, not only was the production of Degtyarev submachine guns stopped, but also the samples that had already entered the army were returned to warehouses. This was argued by the fact that repeating rifles of the Mosin system have better combat qualities. It is known from Soviet sources that a group of experienced designers turned to the political leadership of the country and ultimately achieved the reversal of the wrong decision, the resumption of mass production and the introduction of submachine guns into the armament structure. Serial production began at the end of December 1939, and the order to adopt the submachine gun into service in all infantry units entered on January 6, 1940.
Up to this point, no more than 5 thousand units of PPD were manufactured. In 1934, when their production began, 44 pieces were produced, the next year - only 23. In 1937 - 1291, in 1938 -1115, and in 1939 - 1700 pieces. Data for 1936 are not available. In 1940, large-scale mass 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 presented this modernized model on February 15, 1940. After 6 days, the prototype was approved, and its mass production began in early March. Thus, modernized submachine guns manufactured in Tula and Sestroretsk. We made it to the Finnish front in time.
PPD submachine guns received their baptism of fire in the snow, forests and swamps, and proved themselves well in the most difficult combat conditions on the Karelian Isthmus, in rocky terrain where large-scale operations by infantry and tanks are impossible. The soldiers were especially pleased with the large ammunition supply. At the same time, the weight of the 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, technical shortcomings were revealed from time to time that did not allow achieving the specified 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, while others required special machines. Thus, production volume 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 received the name PPSh 1941.
Although the PPD 1940 was in many ways 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 mounting of the gas gun. If the forend of the old model was solid and had a hole for the magazine, then in the new one it consisted of two parts, connected by means of a magazine mount. The disk magazine mount itself has also changed. He was now sinking deeper into the nest. The extended neck has been replaced with a coupling. There was only one feeder spring left in the store.
The bolt and barrel of both models are very similar to each other, but are not interchangeable. However, you can change the bolt box with a screw cap and the trigger mechanism.
The PPD 1940 submachine gun, like the already mentioned models of Soviet designers, is recharged using energy
recoil, has a fixed barrel and a blowback bolt. It is designed to conduct single and continuous fire. The cartridge ignites even before the barrel is completely locked. The practical rate of fire when firing in bursts is from 100 to 120 rounds/min. The fire translator is located in trigger guard. The barrel has a chrome-plated inner surface.
The submachine gun is loaded in both cocked and uncocked states. To engage the safety, the shooter turns the flag to the left. In this position the shutter is locked. To remove the safety lock, the flag is turned to the right. The magazine is released by pressing the latch.
Disassembling the submachine gun for cleaning is very simple. The shooter unscrews the cap of the bolt box and removes it along with the return spring and bolt. To reinsert the bolt, you must pull the trigger.

Characteristics: Tokarev submachine gun (prototype 1927)

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

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

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

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



* A 25-round horn magazine was also used.
Characteristics: PPD 1934 submachine gun
Caliber, mm........................................................ .....................................7.62
Initial bullet speed
(Vq), m/s................................................... ........................................................ .480
Weapon length, mm................................................... ...............................785
Rate of fire, rds/min.................................................... ...............900
Ammunition supply......................................horn magazine
25 rounds
Weight without magazine, kg................................................... ...............3.45
Cartridge................................................. ....................................7.62x25
Barrel length, mm................................................... ...............................260
Rifling/direction................................................... .....................4/p
Sighting firing range, m...................................500
Effective firing range, m...................................200
Characteristics: PPD 1940 submachine gun
Caliber, mm........................................................ .....................................7.62
Initial bullet speed (Vq), m/s............................................ ....480
Weapon length, mm................................................... ............................788
Rate of fire, rds/min.................................................... ..........1000
Ammunition supply........................................disc magazine
25 rounds
Weight when charged, kg...................................5.40
Weight of a full magazine, kg................................................... .......1.80
Cartridge................................................. ....................................7.62x25
Barrel length, mm................................................... ...........................244*
Rifling/direction................................................... ...................4/p
Sighting firing range, m...................................500
Effective firing range, m...................................200

The Degtyarev submachine gun (PPD) is a Soviet 7.62 mm submachine gun, developed by the talented gunsmith Vasily Degtyarev in the early 30s of the 20th century. The first modification of the Degtyarev submachine gun (PPD-34) was put into service in 1934, and the last (PPD-40) entered service in 1940.

The PPD became the first Soviet serial submachine gun. Its production continued until the end of 1942. This weapon was actively used during the Soviet-Finnish War, as well as at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Later it was replaced by the cheaper and more technologically advanced Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh).

History of creation

Submachine guns appeared during the First World War. This weapon was supposed to significantly increase the firepower of the infantry, making it possible to break the “positional deadlock” of trench warfare. By that time, machine guns had proven themselves to be very effective defensive weapons, capable of stopping any enemy attack. However, they were clearly not suitable for offensive operations. PMV machine guns had a very respectable weight and were mostly mounted. For example, the well-known Maxim machine gun weighed more than 20 kg (without water, cartridges and the machine), and together with the machine - more than 65 kg. Machine guns of the First World War had a crew of two to six people.

It is not surprising that the idea of ​​arming infantry with light, rapid-fire weapons that could be easily carried and used by one person soon appeared. It led to the emergence of three types of automatic weapons at once: an automatic rifle, a light machine gun and a submachine gun, which uses pistol cartridges for firing.

The first submachine gun appeared in Italy in 1915. Later, other countries participating in the conflict took up similar developments. Submachine guns had no effect great influence during WWII, however, the design developments made during this period were used to create a number of successful examples of these weapons.

In the USSR, work on the creation of new submachine guns began in the mid-20s. Initially, they planned to equip junior and mid-level officers with them, replacing pistols and revolvers. However, the attitude of the Soviet military leadership towards these weapons was somewhat dismissive. Due to their low tactical and technical characteristics, submachine guns were considered “police” weapons; the pistol cartridge had low power and was effective only in close combat.

In 1926, the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army approved the technical requirements for submachine guns. The ammunition for the new type of weapon was not immediately chosen. Initially, it was planned to produce submachine guns chambered for the 7.62x38 mm Nagant cartridge, but later preference was given to the 7.63x25 mm Mauser cartridge, which was actively used in the Red Army's weapons system.

In 1930, testing of prototypes of the first Soviet submachine guns began. Tokarev (chambered 7.62×38 mm Nagant) and Degtyarev and Korovin (chambered Mauser) presented their developments. The leadership of the Red Army rejected all three samples. The reason for this was unsatisfactory performance characteristics of the presented weapons: the low weight of the samples, together with the high rate of fire, gave a very low accuracy of fire.

Over the next few years, more than ten new types of submachine guns were tested. Almost all famous Soviet weapons designers worked on this topic. The submachine gun created by Degtyarev was recognized as the best.

This weapon had a relatively low rate of fire, which had a positive effect on its accuracy and accuracy. In addition, Degtyarev’s submachine gun was much cheaper and more technologically advanced than competitors’ samples. The future PPD had a large number of cylindrical parts (receiver, barrel casing, butt plate), which could be easily manufactured on conventional lathes.

After some modification, the Degtyarev submachine gun was put into service on June 9, 1935. First of all, they planned to arm the junior command staff of the Red Army with it as a replacement for revolvers and self-loading pistols. Serial production of weapons began at the Kovrov plant No. 2.

However, over the next few years, the production of PPD proceeded, to put it mildly, slowly: in 1935, only 23 weapons were manufactured, and in 1935 - 911 units. Until 1940, a little more than 5 thousand units of PPD rolled off the assembly line. For comparison: only in 1937-1938. More than 3 million repeating rifles were produced. From this it is clear that Degtyarev’s submachine gun is still for a long time remained for the Soviet army and industry, in fact, a kind of curiosity and a prototype on which production technology and tactics for using new weapons were tested.

Taking into account the experience of using PPD in the army, in 1938 a minor modernization of the submachine gun was carried out: the design of the magazine mount was changed, which significantly increased its reliability. The sight mount was also changed.

After modernization, the weapon received a new name: submachine gun of the Degtyarev system, samples 1934/38. At the same time, the opinion of Soviet military leaders about the role of submachine guns in modern conflict. The reason for this was the experience of several armed conflicts, including Civil War in Spain, in which the USSR took an active part.

Voices began to be heard that the number of submachine guns in the Red Army was clearly insufficient and that their production urgently needed to be increased. However, this turned out to be not so easy: PPD was quite complex and expensive for large-scale production. Therefore, at the beginning of 1939, an order appeared artillery control, according to which PPD was completely removed from the production program until “... eliminating the noted deficiencies and simplifying the design.”

Thus, the leadership of the Red Army already recognized the usefulness of submachine guns in general, but they were absolutely not satisfied with the quality and cost of the PPD. Nine months before the start Winter War all PPD were excluded from the Red Army's weapons system and transferred to warehouse storage. They were never offered a replacement.

Many historians call this decision erroneous, but it is unlikely that the number of manufactured PPD could seriously strengthen the Red Army in the event of a large-scale conflict. There is an opinion that the cessation of production of PPD was due to the adoption of the SVT-38 automatic rifle.

The experience of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 allowed us to evaluate the effectiveness of using submachine guns differently. The Finns were armed with the Suomi submachine gun (very similar to Degtyarev’s creation), which they used very effectively in the battles for the Mannerheim Line. This weapon made a great impression on the soldiers and command staff of the Red Army. The complete abandonment of submachine guns was considered a mistake. In letters from the front, the military asked to equip at least one squad per company with such weapons.

The necessary conclusions were drawn instantly: all PPD stored in warehouses were again put into service and sent to the front line, and a month after the start of hostilities, mass production of the submachine gun was launched again. Moreover, in January, the third modification of the PPD was put into service, and the plant in Kovrov, where submachine guns were manufactured, switched to a three-shift operating mode.

The modification was aimed at simplifying the weapon and reducing the cost of its production. For comparison: the price of one submachine gun was 900 rubles, and a light machine gun cost 1,150 rubles. The PPD-40 modification had the following differences:

• A smaller quantity in the barrel casing, the bottom of the casing was made separately and then pressed into the pipe.
• The receiver was made of a pipe with a separate sight block.
• The design of the bolt was changed: now the firing pin was fixed motionless with the help of a pin.
• A new ejector with a leaf spring was installed on the PPD-40.

In addition, the stock was simplified (now made from stamped plywood) and the trigger guard, which was now made by stamping instead of milling.

A drum magazine was developed for the new submachine gun (the same as that of the Suomi), its capacity was 71 rounds.

Serial production of the PPD-40 began in March 1940; more than 81 thousand units of this weapon were produced within a year. The massive appearance of the PPD-40 at the end of the Winter War gave rise to the legend that Degtyarev copied his machine gun from the Finnish Suomi.

PPD was also used at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War, but was later replaced by a cheaper and more technologically advanced PPSh, which could be produced at any industrial enterprise. Until 1942, PPDs were manufactured in besieged Leningrad; they were used by the soldiers of the Leningrad Front. Later, the release of the PPD was abandoned in favor of the simpler and cheaper Sudaev submachine gun.

By the way, the Germans did not disdain the PPD either. Many photographs of Nazi soldiers with captured Degtyarev submachine guns have been preserved.

Description of design

The Degtyarev submachine gun is a typical example of the first generation of this weapon. The PPD automation operates using the recoil energy of the free shutter.

The barrel of the weapon had four right-hand grooves; it was connected to the receiver using a thread. The top of the barrel was covered with a perforated casing, which protected it from mechanical damage, and the soldier’s hands from burns. The 1934 modification had a large number of holes on the barrel casing; on the 1938 version there were fewer of them, but the size of the holes increased.

PPD-34 did not have a fuse; it appeared only on subsequent modifications.

The PPD bolt consisted of several elements: a firing pin with an axis, a bolt handle, an ejector with a spring, and a firing pin. The bolt was returned to the front extreme position using a return mechanism, which included a return spring and a butt plate, which was screwed onto the cut of the receiver.

The trigger mechanism of the submachine gun was placed in a special trigger box, which was attached to the ledge of the box and secured with a pin. The PPD had a fire translator, which made it possible to fire both single shots and bursts. Impact mechanism PPD is a striker type, the striker performed its task in the extreme forward position of the bolt.

The PPD fuse blocked the bolt and was located on its cocking handle. This submachine gun assembly was not particularly reliable, especially on worn-out weapons. However, despite this, it was almost completely copied in the PPSh design.

Ammunition was supplied from a sector-type double-row magazine with a capacity of 25 rounds. During shooting, it was used as a handle. For the 1934/38 modification, a drum magazine with a capacity of 73 rounds was developed, and for the 1940 modification - for 71 rounds.

The PPD sighting devices consisted of a sector sight and a front sight, which theoretically allowed firing at 500 meters. However, only an experienced fighter with a lot of luck could hit the enemy with a PPD at a distance of 300 meters. Although, it should be noted that the 7.62x25 mm TT cartridge had excellent power and good ballistics. The bullet retained its destructive power at a distance of 800 meters.

The fighters were recommended to fire in short bursts; continuous fire could be carried out at short distances (less than 100 meters), no more than four magazines in a row to avoid overheating. At distances of more than 300 meters, reliable target destruction could be ensured by concentrated fire from several PPDs at once.

Characteristics

Below are the performance characteristics of the Degtyarev submachine gun:

• cartridge - 7.62x25 TT;
• weight (with cartridges) - 5.4 kg;
• length - 778 mm;
• initial bullet speed - 500 m/s;
• rate of fire - 900-1100 rds/min;
• sighting range - 500 m;
• Magazine capacity - 25 or 71 rounds.

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