PPD-40 is a Soviet-made submachine gun developed by Vasily Degtyarev in the 40s of the last century chambered for caliber 7.62. Being put into service in 1940, the weapon was used in the Soviet-Finnish war and the first battles WWII. Later, he was replaced by a lighter and more technologically advanced Shpagin submachine gun. Today we will consider the history of the creation of PPD-40 and its main characteristics.
Backstory
Before considering the characteristics of the PPD-40, the photo of which is familiar to all lovers of weapons, let's get acquainted with the prerequisites for creating such weapons. Submachine guns (PP) appeared during the First World War. Weapons of this type were designed to greatly increase the firepower of the infantry and provide an opportunity to get out of the "positional impasse" of the trench battle. At that time, machine guns have established themselves as a fairly effective defensive weapon, which can stop almost any enemy attack. However, in offensive operations, their effectiveness dropped sharply.
Machine guns of those times had a solid weight and for the most part were easel. For example, having received a widethe popularity of the 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 at all surprising that soon the military leadership thought about the prospect of creating a light, rapid-fire weapon that could be used and carried by one soldier. So three fundamentally new types of weapons appeared at once: an automatic rifle, a light machine gun and a submachine gun that fires pistol cartridges.
The first submachine gun was created in 1915 in Italy. Later, other countries participating in the conflict also took up the development of such weapons. Submachine guns did not have a significant impact on the course of WWI, however, the developments of designers created during this period became the basis for a number of successful examples of such weapons.
Beginning of Soviet developments
In the Soviet Union, work on the creation of PP began in the mid-1920s. It was originally planned that they would go into service with junior and middle officers, replacing revolvers and pistols. But the Soviet military leadership was very dismissive of such weapons. Due to the insufficiently high tactical and technical parameters, submachine guns gained the fame of a "police" weapon, the pistol cartridge of which can only be effective in close range combat.
In 1926, the Artillery leadership of the Red Army approved the requirements for submachine guns. The ammunition for the new weapon was not immediately chosen. Initially, it was supposed to use the cartridge "Nagant" (7, 6238mm), but later the choice fell on the cartridge "Mauser" (7.6325 mm), actively used in the weapon system of the Red Army.
In 1930, tests of the first samples of Soviet submachine guns began. 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.
COIN recognition
Over the next few years, more than ten new models of submachine guns were tested. Almost all famous weapons designers of the Soviet Union joined the development of this direction. As a result, the Degtyarev submachine gun was recognized as the best. The weapon received a relatively low rate of fire, which had a positive effect on its accuracy and accuracy. In addition, PPD was much more technologically advanced and cheaper than its main competitors. A large number of cylindrical parts (barrel shroud, receiver and butt plate) could be made on a simple lathe.
Production
June 9, 1935, after a series of improvements, the Degtyarev submachine gun was adopted under the name PPD-34. It was planned to equip them first of all with the junior command of the RKKR. Serial production of PPD was launched at the Kovrov plant No. 2.
The next few years, the release of a submachine gunmoved slowly, to put it mildly. For the whole of 1935, only 23 weapons left the assembly line, and for 1936 - 911 copies. By 1940, a little over 5,000 units of the Degtyarev submachine gun had been produced. For comparison: only for 1937-1938. more than three million magazine rifles rolled off the assembly line. Thus, for several years, the PPD remained a kind of curiosity for the Soviet military, on which it was possible to work out technological and tactical aspects.
First upgrade
Based on the experience gained in the use of PPD in the troops, in 1938 a minor modernization took place. She touched on the design of the magazine mount and the sight mount. The experience of several military conflicts (mainly the Spanish Civil War) forced the Soviet military leadership to change its attitude towards such weapons. Gradually, the opinion was formed that the volume of production of PPD for the Red Army should be significantly increased, and as soon as possible. However, it turned out to be not so easy to bring this to life: the Degtyarev submachine gun was quite expensive and difficult for large-scale production. As a result, in 1939, the artillery department ordered the removal of the PPD from the production program to eliminate deficiencies and simplify the design. It turns out that the leadership of the Red Army recognized the effectiveness of submachine guns in general, but was not ready to produce the proposed model.
A little less than a year before the start of the Winter War, all PPDs were removed from service and sent to storage. They never found a replacement. Manymilitary historians believe that this decision was completely wrong, however, the number of submachine guns that were manufactured at that time would hardly have been able to significantly strengthen the Red Army in a large-scale conflict. There is also an opinion that the stoppage of PPD production was due to the fact that the SVT-38 automatic rifle entered service.
Second upgrade
The experience gained during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 allowed us to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of PP in a new way. The Finns were armed with Suomi submachine guns, which in many ways resembled the Degtyarev model. This weapon managed to make a huge impression on the command and officers of the Red Army, especially during the battles for the Mannerheim Line. Then everyone realized that the complete rejection of PP was a mistake. Letters were sent from the front, with a request to arm at least one squad from each company with such weapons.
Conclusions followed immediately, and the PPD, which were in storage, were again taken into service and sent to the front line. A month after the start of the war, the serial production of weapons was restored. Soon, another modernization of the submachine gun was proposed, for the mass production of which the plant in Kovrov even switched to a three-shift work schedule. She received the name PPD-40. The revision was aimed at simplifying the design of the submachine gun and reducing the cost of its production. As a result, the PPD turned out to be even cheaper than a hand gun.
Main differencesPPD-40 from 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 sight block.
- The shutter received a new design: the striker was fixed motionless, with a pin.
- The PPD-40 submachine gun received a new ejector equipped with a leaf spring.
- The stock has started to be made from stamped plywood.
- The trigger guard was stamped, not milled.
- PP Degtyarev received a new drum magazine with a capacity of 71 cartridges. The design is reminiscent of the store PP "Suomi".
Thus, the differences between PPD-34 and PPD-40 were very significant. Serial production of weapons was launched in the spring of 1940. During the first year, 81 thousand copies were produced. Due to the massive armament of Russian soldiers with submachine guns at the end of the Winter War, a legend arose that the PPD was copied from the Suomi. Thanks to its excellent combat characteristics and easy 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 arranged at the facilities of any industrial enterprise. Until 1942, the PPD-40 was produced in the besieged Leningrad and supplied to the armament of the soldiers of the Leningrad Front. Among the German military, this weapon also had a good reputation. In numerous photographs of Hitler'ssoldiers can be seen holding captured PPD-40 submachine guns, the characteristics of which we will discuss below.
Design
From the point of view of design and principle of operation, 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 model of the German versions MP18, MP19 and MP28. The action of automation is based on the use of energy received from the recoil of the free shutter. The main parts of the software, like all analogues of those times, were carried out on metal-cutting machines. The latter fact determined the low manufacturability and high cost of their production.
Barrel and receiver
The barrel of the PPD-40, the description of which we are considering today, is rifled, with four grooves that curl from left to right. The distance between the opposite edges of the rifling (caliber) is 7.62 mm. In the breech, the inner bore of the barrel is equipped with a smooth-walled chamber. It contains an annular protrusion and a thread for attaching the receiver, as well as a recess for the ejector tooth. Outside, the barrel has a smooth, slightly tapered surface.
The receiver serves as a kind of connecting element for different parts of the weapon. The barrel casing is attached to it in front. It is necessary so that when firing, the shooter does not burn his hands on the heated barrel. In addition, the casing protects the barrel itself from damage during falls and impacts.
Shutter
The shutter consists of the following elements:a frame, a handle, a drummer with an axis, a striker, an ejector with a spring and a fuse combined with a handle. The shutter frame has a shape close to cylindrical. On the front, at the bottom, it has cutouts for the passage of the magazine jaws. In addition to them, the shutter is equipped with: a cup under the cap of the sleeve; grooves for the ejector and its spring; hole for the exit of the striker; socket for drummer; holes for the axes of the drummer; curly recess for the passage of the store above the receiver; a groove for the passage of the reflector; a groove, the back surface of which plays the role of a combat platoon; a bevel on the back wall, necessary to facilitate backward movement; hole for the handle pin; groove under the shutter handle; and finally, guide whisks. The return of the bolt group to the extreme position is provided by a return mechanism. It consists of a reciprocating mainspring and a butt plate equipped with a guide rod. The butt plate is screwed onto the rear edge of the receiver.
Trigger and impact mechanisms
The trigger mechanism of the PPD-40 submachine gun (which many mistakenly call an automatic machine) is located in the trigger box, the back of which, during the assembly of the weapon, is put on the ledge of the box and attached to it with a pin. It allows you to fire bursts or single shots. For switching firing modes, the corresponding translator is responsible, which is a flag located in front of the trigger guard. On the one hand, you can see the designations "1" or "one" on it for firing single shells, and on the other - "71" or "cont.", for firing atautomatic mode.
On the main number of submachine guns produced, the cartridge primer was broken by a percussion mechanism, which was separately installed in the bolt. The drummer worked at the moment when the shutter came to the extreme forward position. The fuse in the Degtyarev submachine gun (PPD-40) is located on the cocking handle and is a sliding chip. By changing its position, you can lock the bolt in the rear (cocked) or forward position. Despite the fact that the reliability of such a fuse left much to be desired, especially in worn-out weapons, it was also used on later PPSh. In addition, a similar design solution was used on some copies of the German MP-40.
Shop
The first PPD samples were fed from a removable sector magazine that could hold only 25 rounds. When shooting, it could be used as a handle. Samples of 1934-1938 years of release received a drum magazine with a capacity of 73 rounds. Well, the PPD-40, the review of which became the topic of today's conversation, was equipped with a similar magazine, but for 71 cartridges.
Aiming fixture
When firing from this weapon, aiming was carried out using a sector sight and a front sight. Theoretically, these devices were designed for shooting from a distance of 50-500 meters. In reality, the last figure was frankly overestimated, which was a common occurrence in the PP of those times. Thanks to the use of a relatively powerful cartridge and the successful ballistic parameters of a small-caliber bullet, an experienced shooter could hitsingle fire from the PPD-40 of the enemy located at a distance of 300 meters. In automatic mode, this indicator decreased by another 100 m.
Affiliation
Each Degtyarev submachine gun was supplied with accessories. It consisted of: a ramrod with a handle and a pair of links with wiping, a drift, a screwdriver, a brush and an oiler, divided into two compartments - for oil and alkaline composition.
Combat efficiency
Unlike the game "Heroes and Generals", improvements to the PPD-40 in real life were not possible. Therefore, the soldiers were content with what they had. PPD-40 fire was recognized as effective at a distance of 100-300 meters, depending on the firing mode. If the enemy was at a distance of more than 300 meters, then a reliable defeat could only be ensured by concentrated fire from several PPs at once. The lethal force of the bullets fired from this weapon was maintained even at a distance of 800 m.
Thus, the main mode of fire was shooting in short bursts. From a distance of less than 100 meters, in critical cases, continuous fire was allowed, but firing more than 4 magazines in a row was prohibited, as this could lead to overheating of the weapon. Today, the photo of the PPD-40 does not look very intimidating, but for the rest of the PPs of those years, created under the Parabellum cartridge, which is distinguished by the worst ballistic and power parameters, the range of fire of this weapon was unbearable.
Combat use
PPDs were used in these battles:
- All battles involving the USSR of thosetimes.
- War in Spain. After the outbreak of hostilities, in 1936, the Soviet Union handed over a certain amount of PPD-34 to the government of the Spanish Republic.
- Soviet-Finnish war. 173 PPDs issued in 1934-1938 were captured by the Finnish army and directed against the USSR.
- WWII. Soldiers of the Third Reich and satellites of fascist Germany were armed with trophy PPDs. Versions of 1934-38 were called by the Germans Maschinenpistole 715(r), and PPD-40 - Maschinenpistole 716(r). In addition, during the Second World War, the USSR handed over more than five thousand PPD-40s to the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia.
- Some submachine guns were used by military units of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in its combat operations.
- Military actions in the east of Ukraine. In 2014, the fighters fighting in the Donetsk region were noted to have a small amount of PPD-40. The assault rifle (mainly the AK-74) is the main weapon for infantry combat today, however, submachine guns are also popular.
