According to most gunsmiths,This is the best submachine gun created during the years of the Second World War. PPP is an automaton that until now has no equal in terms of "efficiency-cost-simplicity-reliability." Only the objective conditions of military production and the end of the war did not allow him to become the most massive weapon of the Soviet Army and bypass the PPSH by this indicator.
Background and history of creation
Despite the excellent fighting qualities,Submachine gun Shpagin (PPSH) had a number of significant drawbacks. It was complex and expensive to manufacture, which also required specialized enterprises. Also, the military was not satisfied with the size and weight for the submachine gun too large. Difficult and inconvenient to maintain disk store did not have sufficient reliability. The disc from one machine could not be used for another. In addition, it was believed that the PCA has excessive rate of fire and a large dispersion when firing bursts. The competition for a new sample of a submachine gun for the Red Army was held several times, but it was not until 1942 that the PPS, an automatic machine designed by A.I. Sudaeva.
Manufacturability and fighting qualities
Created in the conditions of besieged Leningrad,Soudaevsky PP had unprecedented simplicity and adaptability while maintaining the best fighting qualities of the Shpagin submachine gun. For comparison: the production of one PPS took about 14 kg of metal and seven and a half working hours, and the automatic PPS only 6.2 kg and two and a half hours, respectively. In addition, the amount of high grade metal used was significantly reduced. With the exception of individual parts, the entire structure was made by stamping from three millimeter sheets of steel.
In circulation, PPP was also more convenient and simple.compared to its predecessor. Incomplete disassembly was carried out literally in several movements, and the weight and dimensions of the weapon were almost two times less than that of the PPSh (3.6 kg versus 5.3 kg in the curb state). The excessive rate of fire was also reduced (1000 rounds per minute for the PPSh), which led to the aimless consumption of cartridges and overheating of the barrel. PPS is a machine gun with the optimal rate of fire for this type of weapon: 600 rounds per minute. Such a rate of fire is the golden mean between accuracy and the density of fire at a short distance and allows firing single shots without an interpreter of fire. Currently, almost all modern submachine guns and assault rifles are designed for a similar rate of fire. No less outstanding in the PPP were fighting characteristics. A powerful cartridge and a relatively long barrel made it possible to confidently hit targets with a target fire at a distance of more than two hundred meters, which was an impossible task for all the machine guns of that time produced abroad without exception.
Automatic PPS-43
After the experience of using the troops were madechanges in the design of the submachine gun. Since 1943, it began to be produced its upgraded version under the designation "PPS-43". The changes were generally minor and affected only the appearance of the weapon. The shape of the handle and the fuse was changed, as well as the barrel and butt, which also received a new mount, were somewhat shortened. The only change in the internal design was the use of the spring guide rod as an extractor instead of the usual reflector.
Conclusion
ППС - автомат, получивший заслуженное признание worldwide. Only the inexpediency of the transition to a new type of weapon in the conditions of war did not allow to start its mass production. Meanwhile, this machine was in service until the nineties and was copied many times. The sound of his lines now can be heard in many hot spots of the world.
