PPS-43

Sudaev PPS-43 submachine gun.
Sudaev PPS-43 submachine gun.

 

 

 

Characteristics

Caliber: 7,62×25 mm TT
Weight: 3,67 kg loaded, 3,04 kg empty
Length (stock closed/open): 615 / 831 mm
Barrel length: 250 mm
Rate of fire: 500-600 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 35 rounds
Effective range: 200 meters

 

The PPS-43 (Pistolet-Pulemet Sudaeva, model 1943 = Sudaev SMG) was created to answer the need for a more compact and mobile weapon than the PPSh-41, at that time in use by Soviet Army. The PPSh-41 was a little too long to be used by tank crews, mobile recon groups and paratroopers.

Late in 1941 the Red Army issued a request for a new, more compact SMG. The designer Sudaev initially designed his new weapon in 1942. It was adopted under the designation of PPS-42. The next year he refined the design and thus the final model was designated as PPS-43.

This SMG was manufactured in significant numbers (nearly 2 million PPS-43’s were manufactured between 1943 and 1946). The PPS-43 is often referred to as the best SMG of World War 2. Not only was it very simple and cheap to manufacture, extremely efficient in design, but it was also controllable and comfortable to shoot. Ironically, a seemingly cheap and low end weapon is comparitively excellent among its peers. After WW2, it was widely exported to pro-Soviet regimes around the world and has been widely copied.

Technically, the PPS is a fully automatic only weapon, based on the simple blowback principle, and is fired from the open bolt. The safety is located at the front of the triggerguard. The receiver and barrel shroud are made from what appears to be stamped steel, in actuality it is just bent by hand over a mandrel. The rear sight is an L-shaped flip type and is marked for 100 and 200 meters distance. The front sight is of the fixed blade type.

The barrel is equipped with a simple muzzle brake. The folding stock is made from steel and folds up and over the top of the receiver. It is copied from the MP40 folding stock, but innovative, in that the flat base of the stock flips 180° to tuck the whole apparatus nicely away around the rear sight. The barrel was chrome-lined and thus very durable – average barrel life was approximately 20 000 rounds.

PPS-43 used only one type of magazines – proprietary curved box magazines, double stack, double feed which held 35 rounds. These magazines were externally similar to, but NOT compatible with the box magazines of PPSh-41.