PPSh weapon characteristics. Shpagin system submachine gun: Drum roll of the Red Army

PPSh-41 is a Shpagin system submachine gun chambered for 7.62 mm, developed and adopted by the Red Army at the end of 1940. It was distinguished by high reliability and rate of fire. The simplicity of the design made it possible to produce it at non-core enterprises. This PP became the most popular automatic weapon during the Great Patriotic War (WWII) in the ranks of the armed forces of the USSR.

Captured PPSh were used in German units, converted. And it was sometimes called drum roll because of the very high volume of the shot.

Reasons and process of creation

Drawing conclusions from the Soviet-Finnish War (1939 - 1940), the leadership of the USSR gave the order to develop a modern and technologically advanced submachine gun (PP). The new weapon was supposed to match the combat characteristics of the PPD-34/40 (Degtyarev PP), but be easier to manufacture.

By the fall of 1940, G. Shpagin and B. Shpitalny presented their projects to the commission of the People's Commissariat of Armaments.

At the end of November, the Shpagin design bureau produced 25 products, the Shpitalny design bureau produced 15 units intended for testing tactical and technical characteristics. Along with the presented samples, PPD-40 also took part in the tests.

The tests included testing for structural strength, accuracy of fire, combat rate of fire and weight-dimensional characteristics.

By the end of the tests, the commission concluded that the Shpagin submachine gun was more suitable for the needs of the Soviet armed forces. Since it has better reliability, its parts are less susceptible to wear, with a mass equal to the PPD, it is easier to manufacture, and is not much inferior to the Shpitalny PP in accuracy and magazine capacity (but it weighs 1.5 kg more).

As a result, in December 1940, a decree was signed on the adoption of Shpagin PP and the start of its production. The project presented by Shpitalny was sent for revision, citing the low reliability of the automation.

Description and performance characteristics

The operating principle of the automatic Shpagin machine gun is based on a free-moving bolt and the use of recoil energy. The mainspring is cocked and activated when the trigger is pressed. Afterwards it straightens, which leads to the bolt moving forward and puncturing the cartridge case.

After the shot, the bolt, due to the powder gases, moves back to its original position.

The spent cartridge case flies out and a new charge takes its place. The ammunition is fed from a drum and sector type magazine. Hook type fuse. Around the barrel is a metal casing with oval holes and a bevel at the end. This innovation by Shpagin protected the fighter’s hands from burns and at the same time worked as a recoil compensator.

Looking at the large-scale cutaway plan of the PPSh submachine gun of the 1941 model, you can notice that the parts depicted on it are extremely simple and reliable.

Such design features allow it to be assembled on non-core production lines. For example, in tractor factories. The entire structure is made of steel, the butt is wooden (mostly birch). Parts are made by cold stamping and electric welding.

PP Shpagina has the following technical parameters:

Weight: Without magazine – 3.6 kg. With a drum-type magazine - 5.3. With sector – 4.15 kg;
Length: total product – 84.3 centimeters, barrel – 26.9 cm;
Ammunition used: 7.62x25 mm TT, pistol;
Caliber: 7.62 mm;
Firing speed: up to 1000 rpm;
Initial bullet speed: 500 m/s;
Firing mode: automatic, semi-automatic;
Firing distance max/effective: 500 m / 200 – 300 meters;
Power type: drum (71 cartridges) and sector (35 cartridges);
Sights: static, open type at 100 m and equipped with a folding line - 200 m.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Like most types of weapons designed before and during the Great Patriotic War, the PPSh was extremely simple and effective. This weapon was appreciated not only Soviet fighters, but also soldiers of the Allied countries and even in the Wehrmacht.

The Shpagin machine gun also had shortcomings, some of which were corrected already in 1942.

Briefly about the advantages

Ease of production. The PPSh was assembled from spare parts made by cold stamping and spot welding. This did not require manual modification and saved time on machine hours. PPSh were even assembled by Belarusian partisans from parts made at home, without drawings;
High rate of fire. The drum magazine was fired in ten seconds, which made it possible to create a high density of fire at a short distance, filling the enemy with hot lead. SMGs were mainly used in conditions of dagger combat: clearing trenches during tank landings, urban battles. In particular, for battles in urban areas, the PPSh-41 with a sector magazine was used, which increased the mobility of the serviceman.

Briefly about the disadvantages

High weight and inconvenience. The simple design of the PPSh has a serious drawback - heavy weight. It weighed 5.3 kg with a drum magazine loaded. In addition, the fighter carried with him more ammunition and 2 spare clips. The problem was partly solved by introducing a smaller sector magazine. It had less mass and took up much less space;
The drums of one PPSh did not fit the other. Cold stamping, although it gave fast pace release of products, but made each sample unique. In particular, this concerned cartridge power elements. If it was lost, it was extremely difficult to find a replacement, and given that only 3 magazines were produced with each barrel, this created a real problem;
The high rate of fire led to quickly running out of ammunition. In fact, the fighter carried with him 3 equipped drums. A total of 223 rounds. With a rate of fire of 1000 rounds per minute, the ammunition was consumed very quickly. After which the soldier had to begin equipping the clip with new ammunition. In the conditions of current fire contact, this is very difficult. The problem of equipping the magazine with cartridges also aggravated the situation. It was difficult and if even one cartridge was misaligned, I had to start all over again.
Some design flaws: a crossbow when dropped, the magazine falling out of the mount;
Ease of manufacture did not mean high wear resistance of parts; this led to a loss of reliability of the machine. In battle conditions this was a lot important factor. The battles took place in urban conditions, on rough terrain, and in trenches. All these places were not clean. This claim mainly applies to non-core factories.

Why not PPD

The Soviet command never took the PP seriously. It was considered a weapon for the police and gendarmes. However, some Soviet designers proactively developed projects for their submachine guns.

One of these people was Degtyarev. Its PPD-34 was mass-produced and mainly served in the ranks of the NKVD border service.

After Winter War with the Finns, who massively used the Suomi PP. Leadership of the Red Army urgently instructed Degtyarev to finalize the PPD-34.

And in the winter of 1940, he presented a new modification of his project - PPD-40.

By the beginning of the Second World War, about 90 thousand copies of it were produced.

At the same time, Stalin ordered the involvement of the best gunsmiths in the creation of a new PP, which would be easier to produce, but retain the combat qualities of the PPD-40. He himself is complicated. To create it, you need high-precision equipment and manual grinding.

History of PPSh during World War II

The Shpagin submachine gun, also known as PPSh-41, became the most common automatic personal weapon of soldiers of the Red Army (Workers' and Peasants' Red Army).

Was distributed in various kinds troops: infantry, guards units, airborne groups. It was also actively used by partisans operating in German-occupied territory.

Even German soldiers willingly used it instead of the MP-38/40.

The ROA also had its own PPSh (Russian Liberation Army) Vlasova.

Ease of use made it possible to reduce the training period for recruits. And this is important in conditions of military operations.

Taking advantage of the high rate of fire, they suppressed enemy soldiers with fire, which left them no chance to survive.

He performed well in urban battles. The baptism of fire of this weapon can be called Battle of Stalingrad. The fierce battle for the city took place in densely built conditions and numerous confined spaces.

In this kind of battle, the main thing is the rate of fire and the ability to suppress the enemy with continuous fire. The same thing happened in Kharkov and in the spring of 1945 in Berlin.

Options and modifications

During its long existence, the PPSh was modified more than once, and a huge number of types of this machine gun spread throughout the world.

It is impossible to list all of them due to the widespread and uncontrolled movement of this PP.

Officially, it was supplied to countries such as China, Vietnam, Poland and Cuba.

PPSh-41 arr. 1941 – first sample. It was equipped only with a drum magazine and a sight designed for shooting at a distance of up to 500 m.
PPSh-41 arr. 1942 – differs from the ’41 model by a chrome-plated bore (Increases wear resistance), more reliable fastening of the clip and the elimination of an involuntary shot when falling. It was equipped with an aiming device for shooting at 100 - 200 meters. A sector magazine made of steel 0.5 mm thick (Later – 1 mm);
PPSh-2. In 1943, a competition was announced for the development of a new submachine gun, which was supposed to be a replacement for the PPSh. The main requirements were maintaining combat qualities, reducing weight and dimensions. The product presented by Shpagin, although it was further simplified in production, did not meet the requirements. The choice fell on the project of the gunsmith Sudakov.

Handicraft and semi-handicraft models:

“Product No. 86” - were manufactured in Kandalaksha on the territory of plant number 310. Before receiving the drawings, 100 products were produced. All of them were made by hand and their parts were not interchangeable. Like production models, the machine gun was equipped with a drum magazine;
Many samples of the Shpagin submachine gun were made in various workshops partisan detachments operating on the territory of Belarus;
Jelen - Croatian semi-handicraft modification, which was actively used in the wars on the Balkan Peninsula.

In the ranks of the Third Reich:

MP.41(r) – captured PPSh-41 converted to the 9x19 “Parabellum” pistol cartridge, common among the Germans. The weapon had a replacement barrel and a receiver for clips from the MP-38/40. In total, about 10,000 pieces were converted.

During the Second World War and after its end, PPSh was produced in many countries. Among them were China, Yugoslavia, Iran, Croatia, Vietnam, Hungary, North Korea etc.

Basically it was an ordinary Shpagin submachine gun. Only in rare cases were minor modifications made to suit the realities of local industrial potential.

Conversion options

PPS-50 – Manufactured by Pletta. Uses small caliber ammunition - .22 LR;
SR-41 Semi-Auto Rifle – Produced by the American arms company “Inter-Ordnance of America”. There is a modification chambered for 7.62x25 and 9x19 mm. Has an increased barrel length. American weapons connoisseurs have always spoken highly of the PPSh-41.
SKL-41 – developed for the 9x19 cartridge. Start of production 2003
PPSH 41 SemiAuto – self-loading modification, using the 7.62x25 cartridge. The key feature is an extended barrel (up to 16 inches), a casing without specific and recognizable oval holes. Shooting occurs with the shutter closed. Manufactured by the American company “Allied Armament”;
VPO-135 – Cartridge 7.62x25. System: self-loading carbine. Date of development: 2013. Produced by the Molot plant;
PPSh-O – Cartridge 7.62x25. System: self-loading carbine. Date of development: 2013. Produced by the Kovrov plant named after Degtyarev;
MR-562K “PPSh” is a pneumatic version developed at the Izhevsk plant. Shoots 4.5 mm metal balls. Can fire in bursts.

Myths and legends about PPSh

Around each weapon there is a huge number of myths associated with it or the people who created it. The Shpagin assault rifle is no exception.

Here is just a small part of these legends:

PPSh copy Finnish machine gun"Suomi". This is wrong. Although it is observed external resemblance, but only external. The internal mechanism is different;
Lack of automatic weapons among Soviet soldiers and vice versa large number The Germans have such weapons. The same myth “one rifle for five soldiers.” The Germans often used captured SMGs, precisely because of their lack of weapons of this class;
PPSh-41 – best gun Great Patriotic machine gun. The truth is that he was like this before graduation;
The last country to remove the PPSh-41 from service is Belarus. This happened in 2003.

During World War II, Soviet Union there was a lack of good weapons, at least at the very beginning. When Hitler's troops used the latest devices at that time, our soldiers had a hard time. In addition, there was a poor supply of food and weapons, for example, cartridges for machine guns. Trained and well-prepared soldiers fought on the side of the Nazis, who captured almost all of Europe. In general, we can say that the USSR was not ready for war.

Weapon

However, Soviet designers came up with new mechanisms, invented various types weapons even before the war. Stalin foresaw that the Nazis would soon invade the country. And during the Second World War, new types of equipment were created and small arms, which directly influenced the course of the war, it is enough to recall the famous BM-13 or “Katyusha”, which frightened enemy soldiers with its fire. There were also other weapons that remained in the memory of those who fought and their descendants, for example the T-34 tank. One of these can be called the Shpagin submachine gun, or, as it was also called, it was one of the most revealing at that time.

Story

In 1940, it was already clear to many that a war was coming that would claim the lives of many Soviet residents. However, many believed in the indestructibility of the Red Army. Unfortunately, this was not entirely true. The Germans were more prepared for war. Of course, their army was considered stronger at that time. An automatic machine that was better than its analogues was simply necessary. He had to behave with dignity on the battlefield, not break down in bad situations. weather conditions, in general, to be universal. Today, on the battlefields, samples of PPSh are mainly found. They end up in museums.

G. S. Shpagin was born in 1897, died in 1952. It was he who became the designer of the legendary submachine gun, named in his honor. In 1940 it was adopted for service PPSh assault rifle. Specifications corresponded to the standards of that time, so it quickly spread throughout the army, becoming one of the most beloved among the troops. To describe its popularity, it is enough to simply say how many copies were presented. More than 6,000,000 machines. This is one of the most sought after in history. It is also worth noting that in some countries the PPSh has been in service until the present time, that is, more than seventy years from the date of its creation. This means that the submachine gun was really good. Next, the PPSh device will be presented - description, history, characteristics.

Famous designer legendary weapons G.S. Shpagin was born in a village in the Vladimir region. With production and invention various weapons he met in the army, which he joined in 1916. After the First World War he began working as a gunsmith. After leaving the army, he worked as a mechanic at an arms factory, where he met his future teacher V. A. Degtyarev.

During the war with Finland, which was interrupted due to the Second World War, it was noticed that submachine guns performed very well in battle. Therefore, Shpagin and Shpitalny, who was also a designer, presented their versions of weapons to the government. As you might guess, Shpagin's sample was chosen. Interestingly, both submachine guns were almost equal in combat performance. The designer’s goal was to simplify and reduce the cost of the PPD-40, which Degtyarev created, as much as possible. But Shpagin’s main dream was to create a stamp-welding machine. This manufacturing method greatly speeded up production.

It is worth paying attention to the interesting design solutions in the PPSh (Shpagin submachine gun). An overview is presented below. All the experts of that time were both surprised and annoyed that no one had come up with this before. The oblique cut of the casing also played the role of a compensator. Thus, the problem with recoil, throwing the weapon up and the weight of the machine gun was solved in the easiest way. Shpagin improved the creation of his teacher, surpassing him. The PPSh was much more accurate and stable than the PPD. We can say that this was one of the first representatives of such machines that everyone was used to seeing.

Fire could be fired in single shots or in bursts. Shpagin achieved his goal: the World War II PPSh-41 assault rifle was twice as easy to produce as the PPD.

Why not PPD

Shpagin's PP was much more versatile and had better technical characteristics than PPD. But why was the latter even handed over to the designers for revision? The complexity of manufacturing PP significantly slowed down production, which was very bad during the war. Besides, the parts cost big money, and during a crisis this is unacceptable. In this regard, the government made a request to improve the PPD or create a new machine gun. And the PPSh, in turn, on the contrary, had a simple design. If necessary, any machine-building plant could switch to creating this submachine gun.

If in terms of performance the Shpagin and Shpitalny assault rifles were almost equal, then in the test at the training ground the first one showed itself much better. It was manufacturability and versatility that brought the PPSh-41 assault rifle to first place, the technical characteristics of which were also high.

Reward

The name of Shpagin is immortalized in the very But in addition, the great designer was awarded the Stalin Prize of the first degree and the high awards were well deserved. Shpagin made a huge contribution to the victory over the fascist invaders. The 1941 model, called PPSh-41, was used in military operations. It was this that was produced in the USSR in quantities of more than 6,000,000 pieces.

Advantages

PPSh-41 was good weapon. Shpagin wanted to make a software that would take little time and money to create. He succeeded. All parts, excluding the barrel, could be made using cold stamping from a sheet of steel. Spot and arc electric welding and various rivets were also used. To create the barrel, it was necessary to resort to mechanical processing, which noticeably slowed down all the work. Very simple wooden parts also increased the speed of production of the machine as a whole. Of course, another advantage was the ability to assemble and disassemble the submachine gun without a screwdriver. Therefore, the PPSh was easy to repair or clean even in combat conditions. In general, the machine was simpler to manufacture and design than others, was easy to repair and cost little money.

Ammo

Initially, the PPSh-41 was equipped with a disk magazine, the same as that of the PPD-40. Its capacity was 71 rounds. This was almost the most expensive part of Shpagin’s submachine gun. It consisted of a magazine box, a drum and a snail. In combat, it is not possible to carry a disk magazine in your hands, so for this purpose a special eyelet was created, which helped attach it to the belt. The cartridges were placed in two rows or streams inside and outside the snail. Thanks to the spring, it rotated. After the outer row of cartridges ran out, the inner row was squeezed out using a feeder.

The downside was the long process of loading the magazine, which was impossible in combat conditions, which is why the soldiers carried spare magazines. Then, however, box-shaped ones began to be used, which were more convenient and cheaper, but only since 1944. Such stores had only 35 rounds, but were supplied with new ones much faster. The caliber of the cartridges was either 7.62 mm or 7.62x25 mm.

Aim

Although the PPSh-41 was a very convenient machine gun, extremely simple and cheap to produce, it was constantly improved. This is exactly what happened with the sight. Initially, an open-type sector sight was installed, which allowed firing at a distance of up to 500 meters. Then it was rejected as inconvenient in combat conditions and a simpler rear sight was installed; it could only be used to shoot at a distance of 100-200 meters, depending on the installation. You might think that range is a priority, but the PPSh-41, although it had a high accuracy of fire for this type of weapon, could not be 100% accurate at 500 meters. The experience of the Second World War showed that the rear sight only improves the quality of the PP.

Improvement

PCA was constantly subject to changes and improvements. In addition to the above, it can be noted that in 1944, in order to save time and money, the magazine began to be manufactured with a thickness of only 1 mm. The barrel bore was also chrome-plated, which ensured the safety of the PP even in the absence of cleaning for a long time. That is why the tactical and technical characteristics of the PPSh-41 have become so high.

Other characteristics

The characteristics of the PPSh-41 (Shpagin submachine gun) are described in detail below. The fire was carried out with bullets of the 1930 model, either single or in bursts, which, in turn, could be either short (3-6) or long (15-20). The PP was intended primarily for combat on short distances. The bullet retained its destructive power up to 800 meters. A initial speed was about 500 m/s. These are good indicators for submachine guns of that time. The rate of fire was also pleasing, as much as 1000 rounds per minute. However, in battle conditions it is necessary to use targeted fire and change magazines, so the pace noticeably decreased.

The PPSh assault rifle was very easy to use. The technical specifications also included the barrel length, which was 842 mm. The weight of the Shpagin submachine gun was 3.5 kg, with a disc magazine - 5.3, with a box magazine - 4.1. The weight of the machine made it possible to fire without much effort, which was only a plus.

Flaws

Although the Shpagin PP was a leader in many respects, it was still intended primarily for infantry. For the rest of the troops, the designers invented other, more convenient for them, machine guns.

The Shpagin submachine gun was a real find for the Soviet army at that time. War was approaching, and a weapon was needed that was easy to use and versatile, had high performance, low cost and ease of production. The PPSh assault rifle turned out to be just like that. Its technical performance was excellent, and it did not require special equipment or knowledge when creating it. That is why as many as 6 million copies ended up in use by the Red Army. Even the Nazis appreciated the PPSh assault rifle. They could not ignore the technical characteristics. Weapons were the most coveted trophies on the battlefield. Interestingly, the Nazis preferred a disk magazine.

Characteristics

Caliber: 7.62×25 mm TT
Weight: 5.45 kg with a 71-round drum; 4.3 kg with 35-round horn; 3.63 kg without magazine
Length: 843 mm
Barrel length: 269 mm
Rate of fire: 900 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 71 rounds in a drum magazine or 35 rounds in a horn (box) magazine
Effective range: 200 meters

PPSh-41 (Submachine Gun designed by Shpagin) was created in 1941 to replace the expensive Degtyarev PPD-40 submachine gun. In the same year it was adopted by the Red Army. The PPSh-41 was a simple and cheap to manufacture wartime weapon, and was produced in significant quantities - in total, about 5 or 6 million PPSh-41s were produced during the war years. Shortly after the war, the PPSh-41 was withdrawn from service Soviet Army, however, it was widely exported to pro-Soviet developing countries, and could be seen in Africa even in the 1980s.

Technically, the PPSh is an automatic weapon that operates on the blowback principle. The fire is fired from the rear sear (from the open bolt). The firing pin is fixedly mounted on the shutter mirror. The fire mode switch (single / automatic) is located inside the trigger guard, in front of the trigger, the safety is made in the form of a slider on the cocking handle and locks the bolt in the front or rear position. The bolt box and barrel casing are stamped from steel, the front part of the barrel casing protrudes forward behind the muzzle and serves as a muzzle brake-compensator. The stock is wooden, most often made of birch.
Sights initially included a sector sight and a fixed front sight, later a reversible L-shaped rear sight with settings for 100 and 200 meters. Early PPSh were equipped with drum magazines for 71 cartridges from PPD-40, but drum magazines were complex and expensive to manufacture, and not very reliable and convenient, and also required an individual fit to the weapon, so in 1942, carob (box) magazines with 35 rounds were developed.

The advantages of PPSh include high effective firing range, simplicity and low cost. Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting the significant weight and dimensions, high tempo shooting, as well as a tendency to involuntary shots when falling on a hard surface.

Well, having dealt with the most stupid inventions, we can safely move on to comparison. Let's start, as expected, with the performance characteristics - the tactical and technical characteristics, outlined here briefly.

As can be seen even from a quick glance at the parameters given below, our submachine gun had a large sighting and maximum firing range. This is due, first of all, to the difference in the cartridges used - the German Parabellum 9x19 mm (Pistolenpatrone 08) was much weaker than our 7.62x25 mm TT, the “ancestor” of which, by the way, was the 7.63x25 Mauser cartridge - those same Mausers -pistols, which were so loved by the revolutionary sailors and the first security officers. Soviet cartridge gave better flatness, and as a result, the PPSh was superior to its “competitor” in range, accuracy and accuracy of fire.

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Cartridge: 9x19mm Parabellum

Caliber: 9 mm

Weight without cartridges: 4.18 kg. 3.97 kg.

Weight with cartridges: 4.85 kg. 4.7 kg.

Length: 833 (with stock folded 630) mm

Barrel length: 248 mm

Operating principle: Blowback

Rate of fire: 400 rounds/min 500 rounds/min

Type of fire: automatic; machine.

Sight: Front sight and non-adjustable open sight at 100 m, with folding post at 200 m

Effective range: 100m

Sighting range: 200 m

Initial bullet speed: 390 m/s

Number of rounds: 32

Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh)

Cartridge 7.62×25 mm TT

Caliber, mm: 7.62

Weight with cartridges: 5.3 kg (with equipped drum magazine); 4.15 kg (with equipped sector magazine)

Weight without cartridges: 3.63 kg

Length 843 mm

Barrel length 269 mm

Operating principle: blowback

Rate of fire: approximately 1000 rounds/min

Type of fire: automatic; single

Sight: non-adjustable, open, at 100 m, with a folding stand at 200 m

Sighting range: 200-300 m

Maximum range: 400 m

Initial bullet speed: 500 m/s

Type of ammunition: Detachable magazine

Number of rounds: 71 (disc magazine) or 35 (horn magazine)

Cartridges for PPSh and their “precursors” - Mauser

The PPSh could fire single shots. For people who understand (and have experienced first-hand what it means to “run out of ammo”), this is a significant plus. And a single shot is more accurate by definition

The PPSh had twice as much ammunition. In a fast-paced battle with limited ammunition and reloading capabilities, this is a factor that may well become a matter of life and death. Over time, however, the drum magazine was nevertheless replaced by a sector one - as it was more reliable and less heavy, but many soldiers until the end of the war preferred round “cans” with 71 rounds. The stock, as you know... does not suit the pocket. Even more so in battle.

PPSh with disk and sector magazine

The German PP was definitely lighter and more compact. This is a plus. However, in hand-to-hand combat it automatically turned into a minus - and here the PPSh clearly won. The massive butt (usually made of birch) broke bones and crushed helmets like a sledgehammer. There were plenty of heroes in the Red Army who could valiantly take out Aryan brains with one blow from the butt of a PPSh.

And one more, extremely important detail, which, however, is already outside the technical characteristics. Our submachine gun was amazingly technologically advanced. PPSh-41 consisted of 87 parts; the production of one product took only 5.6 machine hours. The PPSh-41 only required precision processing of the barrel and part of the bolt; all other elements were made using stamping.

The MP 40 was also quite technologically advanced for its time. An American wartime report about this submachine gun noted:

“...the weapon is perfectly adapted to mass production, the number of operations requiring machining is reduced to a minimum. The structure is assembled from a large number of subassemblies, which makes it possible to involve a large number of subcontractors in production.”

And yet...

It is impossible to compare the conditions in which I worked military industry The Third Reich (until 1945) with the feat of our women, children and old people, who at the beginning of the war were often in unheated, a quick fix“sour cream” workshops mass-produced PPSh, which then mowed down the fascist horde that had come to our land.

They are simple workers of the home front, they defeated the Nazis on this front too! Let me once again remind you of the ratio of PPs released in Germany and the USSR during the Great Patriotic War - about six million of ours, against a little over a million of German ones (see previous publication).

Assembly of PPSh-41 in Moscow at the plant named after. Stalin

The main role here, of course, was played by the selfless work of everyone Soviet people However, a considerable share of the credit also belongs to the developers of the PPSh, who managed to create weapons that could be produced in mass quantities and in excellent quality even by people who came to military factories “from the street” and who actually did not undergo special training.

May their feat be glorified for centuries!

To be continued

Alexander Neukropny specially for Planet Today

Among the many types of small arms used during the Great Patriotic War, the Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh-41) is the most famous. This weapon can easily be called one of the symbols of that war, just like the T-34 or Katyusha tank. PPSh appeared on the very eve Great War and became one of the most mass species small arms of the Red Army. He walked along with Soviet soldier the entire war and ended it in Berlin, and its simplicity and manufacturability allowed as soon as possible arm millions of fighters, which played a vital role during the war.

History of creation

Submachine guns (we sometimes call them machine guns) appeared during the First World War, along with tanks, chemical weapons and machine guns. And if the machine gun was the ideal defensive weapon of that time, the submachine gun was developed as an offensive weapon.

The first drawings of rapid-fire weapons chambered for a pistol cartridge appeared back in 1915. According to the developers, this weapon should be useful to advancing troops due to its high rate of fire and portability. Machine guns of that time had impressive dimensions and weight; it was not easy to move them along with the advancing troops.

Designs for a new type of weapon were developed in many countries: Italy, Germany, the USA and Russia, and the period between the two world wars became the heyday of these small arms.

There were two concepts for the design of machines. According to the first, the submachine gun was a smaller and lighter analogue of a conventional machine gun. It was often equipped with a bipod, a long replaceable barrel, and sights that allowed it to shoot at several hundred meters. A typical example of such use was the Finnish Suomi assault rifle, which was effectively used by the Finnish army in the war with the USSR.

Another concept was to arm auxiliary units, second-line soldiers, and officers with submachine guns, that is, machine guns were considered as an auxiliary weapon, an option to replace a pistol.

The USSR adhered to the second point of view. The development of submachine guns began in the mid-20s. The chosen cartridge for the future assault rifle was 7.63×25 Mauser, with a bottle-shaped cartridge case. In 1929, a competition was announced to develop a new weapon. The best designers of the country began to prepare drawings, among them was Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev, whose submachine gun was adopted for service in 1934.

They began to produce it in relatively small quantities, since the Soviet military leadership of that time considered machine guns to be exclusively auxiliary, police weapons.

This opinion began to change after the unsuccessful Finnish campaign, in which Finnish troops successfully used submachine guns. The rugged terrain was perfect for using automatic weapons. Made a great impression on Soviet military leaders Finnish submachine gun"Suomi".

The military leadership of the USSR took into account the experience Finnish war and decided to create a modern submachine gun chambered for the aforementioned Mauser cartridge. The development was entrusted to several designers, including Shpagin. The designers had to create a weapon no worse than the Degtyarev assault rifle, but at the same time much more technologically advanced, simpler and cheaper. After state tests, the Shpagin assault rifle was recognized as maximally satisfying all requirements.

From the first days of the war it turned out that this weapon was very effective, especially in close combat. Large-scale production of the PPSh-41 was launched at several factories at once, and only by the end of 1941 more than 90 thousand units were produced, and during the war years another 6 million machines of this type were produced.

The simplicity of the design and the abundance of stamped parts made the PPSh-41 cheap and easy to manufacture. This weapon was very effective, had a high rate of fire, good accuracy and high reliability.

The 7.62 mm caliber cartridge had high speed and excellent penetration abilities. In addition, the PPSh-41 was incredibly durable: more than 30 thousand bullets could be fired from it.

But the most important factor in wartime conditions was the manufacturability of the assembly of these weapons. PPSh-41 consisted of 87 parts; the production of one product took only 5.6 machine hours. Only the barrel and part of the bolt required precision processing; all other elements were made using stamping.

Device

The Shpagin submachine gun is chambered for a 7.62 mm caliber cartridge. The weapon's automatic operation operates according to the "blowback" scheme. At the moment of firing, the bolt is in the rearmost position, then it moves forward, sending the cartridge into the chamber, piercing the primer.

The impact mechanism allows you to fire both single shots and bursts. The fuse is on the bolt.

The receiver merges with the barrel casing, which has a very interesting design. It has characteristic rectangular holes that serve to cool the barrel; in addition, the front oblique cut of the casing is covered with a diaphragm, which makes it a muzzle brake-compensator. It prevents the barrel from lifting up when firing and reduces recoil.

The receiver contains a massive bolt and a recoil spring.

At first, the sights consisted of a sector sight, then it was replaced with a reversible sight with two values: 100 and 200 meters.

For a considerable time, the PPSh-41 was equipped with a drum magazine with a capacity of 71 rounds. It was completely similar to the magazine of the PPD-34 assault rifle. However, this store has not proven itself with the most the best side. It was heavy, difficult to manufacture, but most importantly, unreliable. Each drum magazine was fitted only to a specific machine gun, the cartridges often jammed, and if water got into the magazine, it would freeze tightly in the cold. And equipping it was quite difficult, especially in combat conditions. Later it was decided to replace it with a horn magazine with a capacity of 35 rounds.

The machine's stock was made of wood, most often birch was used.

A version of the Shpagin submachine gun chambered for a 9 mm caliber cartridge (9x19 Parabellum) was also developed. To do this, in the PPSh-41 it was enough to replace the barrel and magazine receiver.

Advantages and disadvantages of PPSh-41

Disputes about the advantages and disadvantages of this machine continue to this day. The PPSh-41 has both undeniable advantages and disadvantages, which the front-line soldiers themselves often spoke about. Let's try to list both.

Advantages:

Simplicity of design, manufacturability and low cost of production
Reliability and unpretentiousness
Amazing efficiency: at its rate of fire, the PPSh-41 fired up to 15-20 bullets per second (this is more reminiscent of a volley of buckshot). In close combat conditions, the PPSh-41 was a truly deadly weapon; it was not for nothing that the soldiers called it a “trench broom”
High bullet penetration. A powerful Mauser cartridge can even penetrate class B1 body armor even today
The highest bullet speed and effective range among weapons of this class
Quite high accuracy and accuracy (for this type of weapon). This was achieved through muzzle brake and the significant weight of the machine itself.

Flaws:

High probability of spontaneous discharge when the weapon is dropped (a common problem with blowback weapons)
Weak stopping effect of a bullet
Too high rate of fire, leading to rapid consumption of ammunition
Difficulties associated with the drum magazine
Frequent misalignment of the cartridge, leading to jamming of the weapon. The reason for this was the cartridge with a “bottle” sleeve. It was because of this shape that the cartridge often skewed, especially in the store.

Myths associated with PCA

A huge number of different myths have formed around this weapon. We will try to dispel the most common of them:

PPSh-41 was a complete copy of the Finnish Suomi assault rifle. This is not true. Externally they are really similar, but the internal design is quite different. We can add that many submachine guns of that time are very similar to each other
U Soviet troops There were few machine guns, and the Nazis were all armed with MP-38/40. This is also not true. The main weapon of Hitler's troops was the Mauser K98k carbine. Submachine gun staffing table there was one per platoon, then they began to be issued to squad commanders (five people per platoon). The Germans massively equipped paratroopers, tank crews and auxiliary units with machine guns
PPSh-41 is the best submachine gun of World War II. This statement is also untrue. The PPS-43 (Sudaev submachine gun) was recognized as the best assault rifle of that war.