PPD-34
Soviet State Arsenals · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1935
Also known as: Pistolet-Pulemyot Degtyaryova, PPD
Overview
The PPD-34 (Pistolet-Pulemyot Degtyaryova obraztsa 1934 goda) was the first Soviet submachine gun adopted into service. Designed by Vasily Degtyaryov and chambered in 7.62x25mm Tokarev, it featured a wooden stock with ventilated barrel jacket, blowback open-bolt operation, selective fire capability, and originally fed from 25-round box or 71-round drum magazines. It was issued primarily to NCOs and junior officers as a personal defense weapon.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3200 g (112.9 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 3660 g (129.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 788 mm (31.02") |
| Barrel Length | 273 mm (10.75") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 25 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 488 m/s (1601 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 655 J (483 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 800 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x25mm Tokarev · primary — also known as 7.62mm Tokarev, 7.62x25mm TT, 7.62mm TT
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Drum Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Fire Selector
- Features: Open Bolt, Selective Fire, Wooden Stock, Iron Sights, Ventilated Barrel Jacket
Variants
Service history
Operators
- Red Army · adopted 1935
- NKVD Border Troops
Conflicts
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- Battles of Khalkhin Gol (1939)
- Winter War (1939-1940)
- World War II (1941-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 5,000 · Production years: 1934-1939
Production figures by year: 911 (1936), 1,291 (1937), 1,115 (1938), 1,700 (1939). Most surviving examples were rebuilt or destroyed during WWII.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: Vasily Degtyaryov
Discontinued: 1939
Notes
Production was extremely limited - only about 5,000 units were built between 1934 and 1939 due to Red Army leadership's skepticism toward submachine guns. The Winter War with Finland (1939-1940) and the devastating effectiveness of the Finnish Suomi KP/-31 forced a rapid reassessment that led to the improved PPD-40 and ultimately the mass-produced PPSh-41.
Background
The PPD-34 nearly died in committee - Soviet doctrine viewed submachine guns as 'police weapons' unsuitable for proper soldiers. It took the bloody Winter War, where Finnish troops armed with Suomi SMGs decimated Soviet infantry in the forests around Suomussalmi, to convince Stalin's high command that the SMG was a frontline weapon. Production was hastily restarted as the PPD-40, then quickly superseded by Shpagin's stamped-steel PPSh-41 - the gun that would actually arm the Red Army.