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The Soviet Union Adopts an SMG: Degtyarev's PPD-34/38 (Ad-free)
🕑 Added 2022-10-21 13:00:10 +0000 UTCThe Soviet Union adopted its first submachine gun in 1935 after trials of some 14 different design in 1932/33. The winner of the trials was Vasily Degtyarev, once of the Soviet Union’s most prolific firearms designers. His model 1934 was a simple blowback gun reminiscent of the MP-28,II albeit with different trigger and magazine systems. The PPD34 und a 25-round box magazine, chambered for 7.62x25mm Tokarev. It was put into slow production, with just 3,300 or so produced by the end of 1938. During that time, Degtyarev made a number of small improvements to the gun, smoothing out the teething problems that are always found in new production systems. This improved version was designated the PPD34-38.
During the time, the submachine gun was not considered a priority by the Red Army. The leading generals did not see the value in the class of arms, and actually pulled all the PPDs from service in 1939 and had them put into storage. Only a few months later, the Red Army would be given a grim demonstration of SMG effectiveness when they closed the border into Finland and encountered determined Finnish resistance with kp/31 Suomi SMGs.
Some Suomis were captured by Soviet troops, and were very well liked - for obvious reasons. The inevitable inquiry into why the Red Army did not have such a weapon led to a frantic re-issuing of PPDs and production of as many as possible. At Stalin’s direction, the Suomi drum magazine was copied and adapted to the PPD34-38 as well. This required the addition of a short feed tower to fit the magazine well initially deigned for a standard box magazine. While PPD34-38 production continued, the PPD40 was quickly designed and put into production alongside the older model. Eventually, both were replaced in service by the PPSh-41, which was truly deigned for mass industrial production.
Comments
Guido Schriewer
commie chain of command at its worst. (like more recent events.) I really like woodstocked subguns.
Lance Thundercock
Probably a real long shot, but if you're ever in Finland again, do you think you could find if anyone is willing to allow you to shoot a couple of magazines with a Fedorov? I don't think ANY live firing footage exists of one, barring a very short little crusty clip recorded in some trench back in WW1.
adam
Thanks! I think you had a very early video of one being disassembled? I still remember what a frankenstein it looked like.
Forgotten Weapons
Whether they were taken out of storage or still being issued to specific mall units, I'm not sure. But there were Federovs used in the Winter War; I've seen Finnish Army captured ones.
Forgotten Weapons
I would prefer the Suomi to this. it' a bit heavier, but feels more stable when firing.
adam
Speaking of the winter war, is it true that the Soviets pulled some Fedorov Avtomats out of storage to issue them, during that debacle?
ViejoLobo
How does this stack up against the Suomi--weight, length, reliability, sure--but intangibles like handling and handiness? Is it "alive" as opposed to, say, the Thompson? Which would you grab out of a ready rack for close and dirty work, this or the Suomi?
Steven E
Another awesome video, I really like sub-guns I wish the Hughes Amendment never was so collecting them would not require you to be a billionaire. Looking forward to the video tomorrow. If interested I have an interesting, a WWII variant of a more common sub-gun built for China.
