The light and simple PPSh41 submachine is capable of a high rate-of-fire and continues in production today in one form or another. By Staff Writer
The PPSh-41 became the staple of the Soviet Army soldier in the Second World War. The PPSh-41 was given a need to fill as a cheap to produce and mechanically simple submachine gun with a high rate of fire.
Designed by Georgii Shpagin, the lessons learned in battles throughout the forests of Finland and the masses of small arms lost to the advancing Germans precipitated a need for such a weapon. The PPSh-41 was designed to fire in a simplistic full automatic mode with an integrated compensator to help prevent climb during such operation. The weapon could be fitted with either a 35-round curved box magazine or a 71-round Suomi drum, the latter being the more recognizable fitting.
By 1945, a reported five million PPSh-41's were in circulation. Their simple manufacturing process made sure that the weapon would find its way into the hands of the millions of awaiting Red Army soldiers. The robust weapon would play its part in turning the tide of the West Front in the favor of the Soviets and send the German invaders packing back to Berlin.
PPSh-41's went on to be produced in other Soviet-supported countries as well, though their numbers were greatly diminished with the arrival of the equally important Kalashnikov Ak-47 assault rifles.
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Image Courtesy of the United States Department of Defense
1942
Designation:PPSh-41 Classification Type:Submachine Gun Manufacturer:State Factories - Soviet Union Country of Origin: Soviet Union
Operators: Albania; Benin; Cambodia; China; Cuba; Nazi Germany; Hungary; Laos; Morocco; Nicaragua; North Korea; Poland; Soviet Union; Vietnam; Mozambique; United States
Variants
PPSh-41 - Base Production Model Designation
Type 50 - Chinese license production copy of PPSh-41.
K-50M - Vietnamese production of Type 50.
SKL-41 - Automatic Version; chambered for 9mm Parabellum cartridge; accepts MP40 smg magazine.
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