The history of the submachine gun as a type of weapon began during the Great Patriotic War. The Shpagin submachine gun (PPSh-41), effective in combat and very easy to produce, was in service with the Red Army since 1941. However, due to its large size and weight, soldiers in narrow trenches and small quarters during urban warfare could not effectively use it. The PPSh-41 was too cumbersome for scouts, paratroopers, and tank crews.
In 1942, the People’s Commissariat of Armament of the USSR announced a competition to design a lighter, more compact, and cheaper submachine gun, but with the same characteristics as the Shpagin one. The prototype designed by Alexey Sudayev won the contest. By the end of that year, it was accepted into service and put into production at the Sestroretsk weapons factory in Leningrad under the name ‘Sudayev submachine gun of 1942’ (the PPS-42). In 1943, an upgraded version — the PPS-43, lighter and more compact — went into production.
The Sudayev submachine gun consisted of a riffled barrel, a stamped steel receiver welded to the barrel shroud, a grip, and a shoulder stock. It came with a 35-cartridge box magazine. The weight of the PPS-43 with full ammunition — six loaded cartridge boxes — was 6.72 kilograms.
The Sudayev submachine gun is an automatic blowback-operated weapon that fires from an open bolt. The trigger was designed to fire in burst only, but at a low rate of fire, it was possible to fire single shots or in quick bursts of 2-3 shots in a row. The bullet fired from the PPS-43 was still lethal at ranges of up to 800 meters. It was possible to aim at a distance of up to 300 meters.
The Sudayev submachine gun was produced in the USSR from 1943 to 1945, but it was significantly inferior to the PPSh-41. Many factories had already set up mass production of the Shpagin submachine gun, and it was very expensive to change the technological processes. In just two years about 500,000 units of PPS-43 were produced.
The displayed PPS-43 was made in 1944. In 2014, the museum acquired its mass-dimensional model in 2014 as part of the ‘Russian weaponry makers’ museum project. It is deactivated.
In 1942, the People’s Commissariat of Armament of the USSR announced a competition to design a lighter, more compact, and cheaper submachine gun, but with the same characteristics as the Shpagin one. The prototype designed by Alexey Sudayev won the contest. By the end of that year, it was accepted into service and put into production at the Sestroretsk weapons factory in Leningrad under the name ‘Sudayev submachine gun of 1942’ (the PPS-42). In 1943, an upgraded version — the PPS-43, lighter and more compact — went into production.
The Sudayev submachine gun consisted of a riffled barrel, a stamped steel receiver welded to the barrel shroud, a grip, and a shoulder stock. It came with a 35-cartridge box magazine. The weight of the PPS-43 with full ammunition — six loaded cartridge boxes — was 6.72 kilograms.
The Sudayev submachine gun is an automatic blowback-operated weapon that fires from an open bolt. The trigger was designed to fire in burst only, but at a low rate of fire, it was possible to fire single shots or in quick bursts of 2-3 shots in a row. The bullet fired from the PPS-43 was still lethal at ranges of up to 800 meters. It was possible to aim at a distance of up to 300 meters.
The Sudayev submachine gun was produced in the USSR from 1943 to 1945, but it was significantly inferior to the PPSh-41. Many factories had already set up mass production of the Shpagin submachine gun, and it was very expensive to change the technological processes. In just two years about 500,000 units of PPS-43 were produced.
The displayed PPS-43 was made in 1944. In 2014, the museum acquired its mass-dimensional model in 2014 as part of the ‘Russian weaponry makers’ museum project. It is deactivated.
