PPD-40 is a Soviet-made submachine gun developed by Vasily Degtyarev in the 40s of the last century under a cartridge of 7.62 caliber. Being adopted in 1940, weapons were used in the Soviet-Finnish war and the first battles of the Second World War. Later he was replaced by a lighter and more technologically advanced Shpagin submachine gun. Today we will consider the history of the creation of the PPD-40 and its main characteristics.
Background
Before considering the characteristics of the PPD-40, the photo of which is familiar to all lovers of weapons, we will get acquainted with the prerequisites for creating such weapons. Submachine guns (PP) appeared during the First World War. Weapons of this type were designed to significantly increase the firepower of the infantry and provide an opportunity to get out of the "positional dead end" of the trench battle. At that time, machine guns proved to be a fairly effective defensive weapon, which can stop almost any enemy attack. However, with offensive actions, their effectiveness fell sharply.
Machine guns of those times had a solid weight and for the most part were easel. For example, the widely known Maxim machine gun without a machine weighed more than 20 kg. With the machine, its weight was completely unbearable 65 kg. The calculation of such machine guns consisted of 2-6 people. It is not surprising that soon the military leadership thought about the prospect of creating light quick-fire weapons that could be used and carried by one soldier. So three fundamentally new types of weapons appeared at once: an automatic rifle, a machine gun and a submachine gun firing pistol cartridges.
The first model of a submachine gun was created in 1915 in Italy. Later, other countries involved in the conflict took up the development of such weapons. The submachine guns did not have a significant impact on the course of the WWII, but the achievements of the designers created during this period became the basis for a number of successful models of such weapons.
The beginning of Soviet development
In the Soviet Union, work on the creation of PP began in the mid-1920s. Initially, it was planned that they would go into service with junior and middle officers, replacing revolvers and pistols. But the Soviet military leadership was very dismissive of such weapons. Due to the insufficiently high tactical and technical parameters, submachine guns gained fame as a “police” weapon, the pistol cartridge of which can only be effective except in close range combat.
In 1926, the Red Army artillery leadership approved the requirements for submachine guns. The ammunition for the new weapon was not immediately selected. Initially, it was supposed to use the Nagan cartridge (7.62 * 38 mm), but later the Mauser cartridge (7.63 * 25 mm), which is actively used in the weapons system of the Red Army, was chosen.
In 1930, tests began on the first samples of Soviet submachine guns. Three famous weapons designers demonstrated their samples: Tokarev, Degtyarev and Korovin. As a result, all three samples were rejected due to unsatisfactory performance characteristics. The fact is that, due to the low weight of the samples and their high rate of fire, the accuracy of fire was insufficient.
BPA recognition
Over the next few years, over ten new models of submachine guns were tested. Almost all the famous weapons designers of the Soviet Union joined the development of this area. As a result, the Degtyarev submachine gun was recognized as the best. The weapon received a relatively low rate of fire, which positively affected its accuracy and accuracy. In addition, PPD was much more technologically advanced and cheaper than the main competitors. A large number of cylindrical parts (barrel casing, receiver and back plate) could be made on a simple lathe.
Production
On June 9, 1935, after a number of improvements, the Degtyarev submachine gun was adopted under the name PPD-34. They planned to arm primarily the junior command of the RKKR. Serial production of PPD was established at the Kovrov plant number 2.
The next few years, the release of the submachine gun was advancing, to put it mildly, slowly. For the whole of 1935, only 23 weapons came off the assembly line, and in 1936, 911. By 1940, a little more than 5,000 units of the Degtyarev submachine gun were produced. For comparison: only for 1937-1938. More than three million magazine rifles rolled off the assembly line. Thus, the PPD for several years remained for the Soviet military a kind of curiosity, on which it was possible to work out the technological and tactical aspects.
First upgrade
On the basis of the experience gained when using the RPM in the troops, in 1938 a minor modernization took place. She touched on the design of the magazine mount and sight mount. The experience of several military conflicts (mainly the Spanish Civil War) forced the Soviet military leadership to change its attitude towards such weapons. Gradually, an opinion was formed that the volume of production of RPA for the Red Army should be significantly increased, and as soon as possible. However, turning it into reality was not so simple: Degtyarev's submachine gun was quite expensive and difficult for large-scale production. As a result, in 1939, the artillery department ordered the removal of the RPM from the production program to eliminate shortcomings and simplify the design. It turns out that the leadership of the Red Army recognized the effectiveness of submachine guns in general, but was not ready to produce the proposed model.
A little less than a year before the start of the Winter War, all RPMs were withdrawn from service and sent for storage. They never found a replacement. Many military historians believe that this decision was completely erroneous, however, the number of submachine guns that were manufactured at that time would hardly have significantly strengthened the Red Army in a large-scale conflict. There is also an opinion that the stoppage of PPD production was due to the fact that the SVT-38 automatic rifle was put into service.
Second upgrade
The experience gained during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 allowed to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of PP in a new way. The Finns were armed with Suomi submachine guns, which in many ways resembled the Degtyarev model. These weapons managed to make a huge impression on the command and officers of the Red Army, especially during the battles for the Mannerheim Line. Then everyone realized that a complete rejection of the software was a mistake. Letters were sent from the front asking them to equip with such weapons at least in the squad from each company.
Conclusions immediately followed, and the RPMs in storage were re-adopted and sent to the front line. A month after the start of the war, the serial production of weapons was restored. Soon, another modernization of the submachine gun was proposed, for the mass production of which the Kovrov plant even switched to a three-shift work schedule. She received the name PPD-40. The refinement was aimed at simplifying the design of the submachine gun and reducing the cost of its release. As a result, PPD was even cheaper than a hand gun.
The main differences of the PPD-40 from its predecessor:
- The bottom of the casing was made separately, after which it was pressed into the tube.
- The receiver was made in the form of a tube, with a separate block of sight.
- The bolt received a new design: the firing pin was fixed motionless, using a stud.
- The PPD-40 submachine gun received a new ejector equipped with a leaf spring.
- The box began to be made from stamped plywood.
- The trigger guard was made by stamping, rather than milling.
- PP Degtyareva received a new drum magazine with a capacity of 71 rounds. By design, reminiscent of the Suomi PP store.
Thus, the differences in PPD-34 and PPD-40 were very significant. Serial production of weapons was launched in the spring of 1940. In the first year, 81 thousand copies were produced. Due to the massive arming of Russian soldiers with submachine guns at the end of the Winter War, a legend arose that the RPM was copied from Suomi. Due to its excellent combat characteristics and simple disassembly, the PPD-40 quickly gained recognition among the soldiers.
The Great Patriotic War
The PPD-40 submachine gun was also used in the initial stages of the Second World War. Later, it was replaced by a cheaper and more technologically advanced PPSh, the production of which could be easily installed at the capacities of any industrial enterprise. Until 1942, the PPD-40 was carried out in besieged Leningrad and was put into service with the soldiers of the Leningrad Front. Among the German military, these weapons also had a good reputation. In numerous photographs of Hitler’s soldiers you can see how they hold captured PPD-40 submachine guns, the characteristics of which we will discuss below.
Design
In terms of design and operating principle, the popular weapon in the computer game "Heroes and Generals" PPD-40 is a typical representative of the 1st generation submachine guns, created mainly on the basis of the German versions of MP18, MP19 and MP28. The action of automation is based on the use of energy received from the release of a free shutter. The main parts of the software, as well as all analogues of those times, were performed on metal-cutting machines. The latter fact led to low manufacturability and the high cost of their production.
Barrel and receiver
The barrel of the PPD-40, the description of which we are considering today, is rifled, with four rifling, which curl from left to right. The distance between the opposite edges of the rifling (caliber) is 7.62 mm. In the breech, the internal bore is equipped with a smooth-walled chamber. It contains an annular protrusion and thread for attaching the receiver, as well as a notch for the ejector tooth. Outside, the trunk has a smooth, slightly conical surface.
The receiver serves as a connecting element for different parts of the weapon. In front of it is attached a trunk casing. It is necessary so that when firing a shooter does not burn his hands on a heated barrel. In addition, the casing protects the barrel itself from damage during falls and bumps.
Gate
The shutter consists of the following elements: the skeleton, the handle, the drummer with the axis, the firing pin, the ejector with a spring and the fuse combined with the handle. The skeleton of the shutter has a shape close to cylindrical. In front, below it has cutouts for passage of shop sponges. In addition to them, the bolt is equipped with: a cup under the cap of the sleeve; grooves for the ejector and its spring; hole for the output of the striker; drummer socket; holes for the axes of the drummer; figured recess for the passage of the store above the receiver; a groove for the passage of the reflector; a groove whose back surface plays the role of a combat platoon; bevel on the back wall, necessary to facilitate backward movement; a hole for the handle pin; a groove under the shutter handle; and finally, with guiding nimbuses. The return of the bolt group to the extreme position is provided by the return mechanism. It consists of a reciprocating spring and a recoil pad equipped with a guide rod. The recoil pad is screwed onto the rear cut of the receiver.
Trigger and strike mechanisms
The trigger mechanism of the submachine gun (which many mistakenly call a submachine gun) PPD-40, is located in the trigger box, the rear of which is put on the ledge of the box during assembly of the weapon and mounted on it with a pin. It allows you to fire in bursts or single shots. The corresponding translator is responsible for switching the shooting modes, which is a flag located in front of the trigger guard. On the one hand, you can see the designations “1” or “one” on it for firing single shells, and on the other hand, “71” or “non.” For automatic firing.
On the main number of issued submachine guns, the cartridge capsule was broken by a percussion mechanism, which was separately installed in the bolt. The drummer worked at the moment when the shutter came to its extreme forward position. The fuse in the Degtyarev submachine gun (PPD-40) is located on the cocking handle and is a sliding chip. By changing its position, you can lock the shutter in the rear (cocked) or forward position. Despite the fact that the reliability of such a fuse left much to be desired, especially in worn-out weapons, it was also used at a later PPSh. In addition, a similar design solution was used on some instances of the German MP-40.
Score
Ammunition of the first samples of PPD was made from a removable sector store containing only 25 rounds. When shooting it could be used as a hilt. Samples 1934-1938 years of production received a drum store containing 73 cartridges. Well, and PPD-40, the review of which became the topic of today's conversation, was equipped with a similar store, but with 71 rounds.
Aiming fixtures
When firing from this weapon, aiming was carried out using a sector sight and front sight. Theoretically, these devices were designed to fire from a distance of 50-500 meters. In reality, the last figure was frankly overstated, which was common in the PP of those times. Thanks to the use of a relatively powerful cartridge and successful ballistic parameters of a small-caliber bullet, an experienced shooter could hit an enemy at a distance of 300 meters with a single fire from the PPD-40. In automatic mode, this indicator decreased by another 100 m.
Affiliation
Each Degtyarev submachine gun was supplied with accessories. It consisted of: a ramrod with a handle and a pair of parts with rubbing, a punch, a screwdriver, a brush and an oiler, divided into two compartments - for oil and alkaline composition.
Battle efficiency
Unlike the game "Heroes and Generals", improvements in the PPD-40 in real life were not possible. Therefore, the soldiers were content with what was. Fire PPD-40 was recognized as effective at a distance of 100-300 meters, depending on the shooting mode. If the enemy was at a distance of more than 300 meters, then a reliable defeat could only be ensured by concentrated fire from several APs at once. The destructive power of bullets fired from this weapon was preserved even at a distance of 800 m.
Thus, the main mode of fire was shooting in short bursts. From a distance of less than 100 meters, in critical cases, continuous fire was allowed, but shooting more than 4 magazines in a row was forbidden, as this could lead to overheating of the weapon. Today, the photo of the PPD-40 does not look very intimidating, but for the rest of the PP of those years, created under the Parabellum cartridge, which has the worst ballistic and power parameters, the range of fire of this weapon was unbearable.
Combat use
PDPs were used in such battles:
- All battles involving the USSR of those times.
- The war in Spain. After the outbreak of hostilities, in 1936, the Soviet Union transferred a certain amount of PPD-34 to the government of the Spanish Republic.
- Soviet-Finnish War. 173 RPD release 1934-1938 were captured by the Finnish army and directed against the USSR.
- WWII. The captured RPDs were armed with soldiers of the Third Reich and satellites of Nazi Germany. Versions of 1934-38 were called by the Germans Maschinenpistole 715 (r), and PPD-40 - Maschinenpistole 716 (r). In addition, during the Second World War, the USSR transferred to the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia more than five thousand PPD-40.
- A number of submachine guns were used by the military units of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in its military operations.
- Military operations in the east of Ukraine. In 2014, a small number of PPD-40s were noted among fighters fighting in the Donetsk region. Machine gun (mainly AK-74) today is the main weapon for infantry combat, however, submachine guns are also popular.