Firearms / Sub machine guns / PPSh-41
PPSh-41
General Facts
- TYPE
Sub machine gun - ORIGIN
USSR - NICKNAMES
Type 50 (Chinese production)
Type 49 (North Korean production) - DESIGNED
1941 - DESIGNER
George S. Shpagin - PRODUCTION
1942 - late 1940's - PRODUCERS
China
North Korea
USSR
Vietnam - QUANTITY
Over 6 million - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Large magazine capacity
Very rugged and reliable
Very high rate of fire
Limited accuracy
Introduction
The PPSh-41 is a World War 2 era sub machine gun of Soviet origin. It was developed during World War 2 as a simpler and cheaper alternative to the PPD-40. Later during the war it was supplemented by the even cheaper PPS-43. The PPSh-41 was widely used by Soviet troops during World War 2 and has become an iconic firearm.
Design
The PPSh-41 is a blowback operated weapon that fires from an open bolt position. The weapon consists of a wooden stock and metal barrel assembly with large barrel shroud. A pin makes the barrel assembly pivot forwards, allowing the weapon to be cleaned. A bolt buffer is fitted at the rear of the receiver to reduce recoil stress due to the high rate of fire.
Firepower
The PPSh-41 fires the 7.62x25mm round that is also used in the Tokarev pistol. It uses 71 round drum magazines and 35 round curved box magazines. The PPSh-41 is a select-fire weapon with a cyclic rate of fire of 900 rpm. Combined with the drum magazine this ensures a large volume of fire. The accuracy is low due to limited production quality of the weapon and ammunition and its open bolt design. The maximum effective range is 200 meters.
Users
The PPSh-41 was one of the major issue firearms used by the Soviets during World War 2. After World War 2 it was replaced by the AK-47. Many obsolete units have been provided to Soviet allies in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
PPSh-41
The PPSh-41 is a sub machine gun that fires the 7.62x25mm round from 35 round box or 71 round drum magazines. Early production models feature a tangent rear sight and later models a simpler flip up sight. Chinese Type 50 and North Korean Type 49 are direct copies of the Soviet model.
- Specifications:
- PPSh-41
| Type | Sub machine gun |
|---|---|
| Caliber | 7.62x25mm Tokarev |
| Magazine | 35 round box, 71 round drum |
| Operation | Blowback, open bolt |
| Fire selector | 0-1-F |
| Rate of fire | 900 rpm |
| Barrel length | 270 mm |
|---|---|
| Rifling | 4 grooves, 240 mm right hand twist |
| Muzzle velocity | 490 m/s |
| Stock | Fixed |
| Length | 840 mm |
| Width | ? |
| Height | ? |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3.63 kg empty, 4.31 kg loaded with box, 5.45 kg loaded with drum |
| Sights | Iron sights, post front and tangent notch rear, 50 to 500 m gradations, 391 mm sight radius (early models), post front and flip-up rear, 100 and 200 m gradations (late models) |
| Remarks | - |
K-50M
The K-50M is a Vietnamese modification of the Chinese Type 50. The K-50M is a much more compact weapon as the barrel shroud has been shortened and the wooden stock has been removed. These changes required a new front sight and pistol grip to be installed. The internal mechanism is similar to the Type 50. The bolt is slightly heavier and results in a lower rate of fire. The K-50M is only capable of fully automatic fire since the fire selector has been removed.
- Specifications:
- K-50M
| Type | Sub machine gun |
|---|---|
| Caliber | 7.62x25mm Tokarev |
| Magazine | 35 round box |
| Operation | Blowback, open bolt |
| Fire selector | 0-F |
| Rate of fire | 700 rpm |
| Barrel length | 269 mm |
|---|---|
| Rifling | 4 grooves, 241 mm right hand twist |
| Muzzle velocity | 488 m/s |
| Stock | Retractable |
| Length | 756 mm / 571 mm |
| Width | ? |
| Height | ? |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3.4 kg empty, 4.09 kg empty |
| Sights | Iron sights, post front and flip notch rear, 100 and 200 m gradations, 356 mm sight radius |
| Remarks | - |
PPS-43
The PPS-43 was developed as a cheaper and simpler to produce alternative to the PPSh-41.
