PPD-40
Vasily Degtyaryov unveiled his submachine gun design in 1934. The weapon chambered the new Soviet 7.62×25mm Tokarev pistol cartridge. This ammunition type derived from the 7.63×25mm Mauser cartridge used in the Mauser C96 pistol. The PPD featured a conventional wooden stock and fired from an open bolt mechanism. It offered selective fire capabilities for its operators. Official military service began with the Red Army in 1935 under the designation PPD-34. Production numbers remained critically low during those initial years. Only 44 units rolled off assembly lines in 1934 alone. Just 23 more were manufactured throughout all of 1935. These figures reflected severe manufacturing bottlenecks that plagued early output.
Factory orders faced cancellation following a directive from the People's Commissariat of Defence Industry in 1939. The decision to decommission the entire line threatened the program's survival. Vasily Degtyaryov intervened personally with Joseph Stalin to reverse the order. He maintained a good personal relationship with the Soviet leader. Production finally picked up significantly in 1937 when 1,291 units were made. Another 1,115 followed in 1938 and 1,700 arrived in 1939. An acute lack of individual automatic weapons led to the reintroduction of Fedorov Avtomats into service during the Winter War. This shortage occurred even as the PPD struggled to meet basic demand levels.
Modified versions designated PPD-34/38 appeared in 1938 and 1940 respectively. These models introduced minor changes aimed at simplifying manufacture. Mass production began in earnest during 1940 with 81,118 units produced that year. Despite this surge, the weapon remained too labor-intensive for large-scale economic production. Most metal components required expensive milling processes rather than stamping. The design retained these milled parts despite efforts to streamline assembly. Factory output dropped sharply again by 1941 when only 5,868 units were manufactured. This decline signaled the approaching obsolescence of the complex manufacturing method.
The superior and cheaper PPSh-41 officially replaced the PPD by the end of 1941. Shpagin's innovation involved the large-scale introduction of stamped metal parts. This technique particularly applied to receivers which reduced material costs significantly. The PPSh also featured a muzzle climb compensator improving accuracy over the PPD. Production figures illustrate the shift clearly. In 1941 alone, 98,644 PPSh units were made compared to just 5,868 PPDs. The following year saw almost 1.5 million PPSh weapons produced. Economic necessity drove the decision to abandon the older design entirely.
Soviet forces utilized the weapon during the Winter War against Finland. It also saw action in the Continuation War with Finnish troops. Sailors of the Baltic Fleet carried PPD-40 models into battle. These sailors appeared alongside users of the newer PPSh-41 in May 1943. The weapon served with NKVD internal forces as well as border guards. An acute lack of automatic weapons led to the reintroduction of Fedorov Avtomats during the conflict. Despite these deployments, the PPD could not match the production volume required for total war needs.
Finnish forces issued captured PPDs to coastal and home guard troops. These weapons remained in reserve until approximately 1960. The Wehrmacht designated captured PPD-34/38s as MP.715(r) and PPD-40s as MP.716(r). Gunsmiths among hundreds of thousands of Soviet partisans manufactured semi-artisanal versions. These partisan guns used milling because metal stamping required large industrial facilities unavailable to them. At least six partisan gunsmiths produced their own model series. One known maker created 28 such sub-machine guns over approximately two years. No firm numbers exist regarding total partisan production output.
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Common questions
Who designed the PPD-40 submachine gun?
Vasily Degtyaryov unveiled his submachine gun design in 1934. The weapon chambered the new Soviet 7.62×25mm Tokarev pistol cartridge.
When did official military service begin for the PPD-40?
Official military service began with the Red Army in 1935 under the designation PPD-34. Production numbers remained critically low during those initial years with only 44 units rolled off assembly lines in 1934 alone.
Why was the PPD-40 replaced by the PPSh-41?
The superior and cheaper PPSh-41 officially replaced the PPD by the end of 1941. Shpagin's innovation involved the large-scale introduction of stamped metal parts which reduced material costs significantly compared to the milled components required by the older design.
How many PPD-40 units were produced in 1940?
Mass production began in earnest during 1940 with 81,118 units produced that year. Factory output dropped sharply again by 1941 when only 5,868 units were manufactured due to the approaching obsolescence of the complex manufacturing method.
Which Soviet forces utilized the PPD-40 during World War II?
Soviet forces utilized the weapon during the Winter War against Finland and also saw action in the Continuation War with Finnish troops. Sailors of the Baltic Fleet carried PPD-40 models into battle alongside users of the newer PPSh-41 in May 1943.