Submachine gun of the Second World War. Weapons of the Second World War (Germans)

During the Second World War, many interesting types of weapons were created in Germany. German products are regularly ranked among the "best" in their class. The legendary MG 42 “bone cutter” machine gun was no exception. A weapon that terrified the infantrymen of all fronts and naturally was one of the most beloved trophies.

History of appearance

At the beginning of the Second World War, the Wehrmacht used the MG 34, which was created in the early 30s of the XX century, as the main machine gun. For all its many advantages, this weapon had two significant disadvantages. First, the machine gun proved to be very sensitive to contamination. Secondly, its production was labor intensive and costly. The latter did not allow adequately satisfying the significantly increased demand German army against the backdrop of unfolding events.

The MG 42 machine gun model was born thanks to the then little-known enterprise of Johannes Grosfuss in Döbeln under the name "Metall-und Lackwarenfabrik Johannes Großfuß". The new machine gun was put into service in 1942. It turned out to be so successful that it was released in quantities from 360 to 400 thousand copies.

Design and features

The MG 42 machine gun fully met the requirements of the army: simple, reliable, with high firepower and very cheap to manufacture. Machine gun parts were made by milling, welding and stamping. The total number of parts in the MG 42 was about 30% less than in the MG 34 and amounted to 200 pieces. At the same time, the metal consumption of weapons fell by 50%.

This "machine of death" works on the principle of barrel recoil (short stroke). The weapon consists of a barrel with a receiver, a bipod, a casing, a recoil pad with a butt, a feeding, locking and trigger mechanism. The latter has a striker type and is located in the gate. The MG 42 machine gun could only fire continuously. The mechanisms for switching fire modes were abandoned in favor of the idea of ​​​​reducing the cost of production. An important feature was the ability to combine two or more machine-gun belts into one.

One more interesting feature machine gun can be considered its cooling system. Like the MG 34, the muzzle of the new machine gun was carried out by replacing it. Depending on the experience of the machine gunner, this procedure took from 20 to 30 seconds.
The effective range of the weapon is 1000 meters. The machine gun can be adapted to different calibers, but 7.92 × 57 mm is considered “canonical”. The total length of the machine gun is 1220 mm, and the weapon weighs 11.58 kg. The rate of fire, depending on the shutter used, can be 1200-1550 rounds per minute.

Legendary weapon

The German machine gun MG 42 was recognized as one of the best examples of a single weapon for the army in principle. It is important that here we are talking not only about the history of the Second World War, but also in the context of modern military affairs. For its high efficiency in combat among Soviet soldiers and the Allied MG 42 soldier earned a dismal reputation. What are the nicknames invented for this machine gun worth: “Widowmaker”, “Bone Cutter”, “Hitler's Saw”, “Emga”, “Cross”.

It is important to say that the production of MG 42 was closed in 1945. Despite this, the machine gun continues to appear in armed conflicts around the world. Moreover, since the 1960s, the German army has been armed with a single MG 3 machine gun, which is a modification of the legend of the Second World War.

The sound every WW2 infantryman knew:

Shooting from a machine gun:

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Georgy Shpagin and Alexei Sudayev gave the Soviet soldier a simple and reliable weapon

Throughout Russia and Eastern Europe there are monuments to Soviet soldiers. And if this is a monumental figure of a soldier, then in his hands he almost always has. This weapon, which has become one of the symbols of Victory, is easily recognizable thanks to the disk magazine. And although most experts recognize the PPS designed by Sudaev as the best submachine gun of the Second World War, the Great Patriotic War is associated precisely with the massive, charismatic, very Russian Shpagin assault rifle.

THE THORNY WAY OF AUTOMATION

First World War showed that in the collision of huge masses of armed people, the density of fire is a more important factor than the accuracy of shooting. It required a rapid-fire, compact weapon with a large portable ammunition, convenient both in the offensive and in defense, in the limited space of the trench and the street. Thus, a machine gun and an automatic (self-loading) pistol were combined in one sample. By the end of the war, in some warring countries they even managed to be adopted.

In Russia, in 1916, a submachine gun designed by Vladimir Fedorov chambered for 6.5 mm was adopted, which was soon renamed into an automatic rifle.

Since then, we have called all automatic weapons chambered less than a rifle. The first machines were produced in small quantities and were quite capricious. Until 1925, 3200 of them were produced, and in 1928 they were removed from service. The reason is the need to make a special 6.5 mm cartridge. But most importantly, a 7.62-mm light infantry machine gun of the Degtyarev system of the 1927 model of the year (DP27) appeared.

Directly, submachine guns in the Soviet Union began to be created from the mid-1920s. The command of the Red Army came to the conclusion that the revolver is only suitable for self-defense, and for active combat operations, all junior and middle command personnel should be re-equipped with submachine guns. The first PP of the Tokarev system of the 1927 model of the year was created for a revolver cartridge. But then it was recognized that the cartridge should be the same for an automatic pistol and a submachine gun, that is, a Mauser cartridge of 7.62 mm caliber, which has been loved since the Civil War.

In parallel, the design of a self-loading (automatic) rifle (carbine) for the personnel of the Red Army was going on. In 1936, the Simonov automatic rifle (ABC-36) was adopted. But two years later, it was replaced by the Tokarev self-loading rifle (SVT-38). After the Soviet-Finnish war, its modernized version of the SVT-40 appeared. They wanted to equip the entire Soviet army with it.

SVT-38

There is still an opinion that SVT turned out to be bad weapon with a lot of flaws, did not justify itself and was discontinued with the outbreak of war. Just as unsuccessful was the attempt to make her sniper rifle. Due to poor accuracy in October 1942, its production was stopped, returning to the good old "mosinka", which he only switched to. optical sight PU designed for SVT.

However, the ballistics of the Tokarev self-loading was quite decent, and famous sniper Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko, who destroyed 309 Nazis, hunted with the SVT-40. The simple and reliable design of the rifle failed only with poor maintenance and improper operation. But for the not very literate peasants, who formed the basis of the personnel of the Red Army, this turned out to be beyond understanding.

Another thing is the Germans, who highly valued this weapon. They even officially adopted the captured SVT under the index 258 (r) - SVT-38 and 259 (r) - SVT-40. They also used the sniper version. They had no complaints about the rifle. Moreover, according to her model, they tried to make their G-43 (W). And the famous designer Hugo Schmeisser borrowed from Tokarev a gas-operated reloading system for his Sturmgever. After the war, the Belgians used the SVT locking system in the design of the FN FAL automatic rifle, which is still in service in a number of countries.

G-43

She used SVT until the end of the war and did not express any complaints. Claims to the reliability of the rifle appeared at the end of 1941, when the quality of all products generally fell, and older soldiers were drafted into the army. In 1941, 1,031,861 copies of the SVT were produced, in 1942 - only 264,148. In October 1942, the sniper SVT was discontinued. But in the usual version they continued to produce, albeit in small quantities. Moreover, an automatic version of the AVT rifle was launched into the series.

AWT

But according to the operating rules, automatic firing from this light rifle could only be carried out in short bursts in rare cases: "with a lack of light machine guns and in exceptional moments of the battle." The soldiers did not follow this rule. Moreover, proper care of the rifle mechanism was not provided. And the troops stopped receiving high-quality lubricant, without which the automation began to fail, stick in the cold, etc. So this very good weapon was compromised.

The history of the SVT has shown that a weapon for our soldier should be extremely simple, durable, unpretentious in operation and extremely reliable.

The production of SVT and AVT continued until 1945, since the need for rapid fire weapons remained high until the end of the war. Only on January 3, 1945, by a decree of the State Defense Committee of the USSR, SVT and AVT were discontinued. Two weeks later, the production of the Mosin rifle was terminated by the same decree. Immediately after the war, Tokarevsky rifles were withdrawn from the troops and handed over to warehouses. But part of the SVT was then transferred to hunters-traders. Some are still in operation and do not cause any complaints, since hunters treat their weapons responsibly.

In Finland, SVT is highly valued and is considered an excellent weapon with high combat qualities. Local experts simply do not perceive criticism against her and are surprised that in Russia this weapon is so compromised. The Finns, with their cult of weapons, are very sensitive to the rules for handling weapons, so they simply do not know the weaknesses of the SVT.

SVT-40

The main reasons for the decline in the production of SVT during the war were its high cost and complexity of manufacture. All parts were produced on metalworking machines, a large consumption of metal, including alloy steel, was required. To understand this, it is enough to compare the selling price of SVT in the official price list of 1939 - 2000 rubles with the price of some machine guns: "Maxim" without a machine tool with spare parts - 1760 rubles, a DP machine gun with spare parts - 1150 rubles, a ShKAS winged aircraft machine gun - 1650 rub. At the same time, the rifle mod. 1891/30 cost only 166 rubles, and its sniper version with a scope - 245 rubles.

Since the beginning of the war, it was necessary to equip tens of millions of people at the front and in the rear with small arms. Therefore, the production of a cheap and simple Mosin rifle was restored. Its production soon reached 10-12 thousand pieces per day. That is, a whole division was armed daily. Therefore, there was no shortage of weapons. One rifle for three was only in the construction battalion in the initial period of the war.

BIRTH OF PPSh

Shpagina became another reason for abandoning the mass production of SVT. On the vacated production areas, large-scale production of PPSh began.

The submachine gun in the Red Army at first did not find recognition. In 1930, it was noted that it was declared unfit for military operations in Germany and the USA, it is used only by the police and internal security. However, the head of armaments of the Red Army, Ieronim Uborevich, petitioned for a competition and the production of a trial batch of PP. In 1932-1933, 14 different samples of the submachine gun passed state tests. On January 23, 1935, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense, the Degtyarev submachine gun mod. 1934 (PPD).

PPD-34

However, PPD was made almost piece by piece. The "cavalrymen" from the People's Commissariat of Defense considered the PP unnecessary, if not harmful. Even the improvement of the PPD did not help. However, the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army insisted on the widespread introduction of the submachine gun.

PPD-38/40

In 1939, it was noted that it was advisable to introduce a submachine gun into service. certain categories fighters of the Red Army, the border guard of the NKVD, machine-gun and gun crews, airborne troops, drivers, etc. However, in February 1939, the PPD was withdrawn from service, withdrawn from the troops and handed over to warehouses. The persecution of the submachine gun was also facilitated by the repressions against its supporters - Tukhachevsky, Uborevich and others. The people of Voroshilov who came to their place were opponents of the new. PPD has been discontinued.

Meanwhile, the war in Spain proved the need for a submachine gun in the army. The Germans have already tested their MP-38 in battle,

took into account the identified flaws and modernized in the MP-40. And the war with Finland clearly showed that in the conditions of wooded and rough terrain, a submachine gun is a necessary fire weapon for close combat.

The Finns effectively used their Suomi PP, arming them with maneuverable groups of skiers and individual soldiers acting independently. And now the failures in Karelia began to be explained by the absence of ... submachine guns in the troops.

At the end of December 1939, the PPD was again put into service, already in the PPD-40 variant, and production was urgently restored. At the request of Stalin, who really liked the capacious round store "Suomi", the same drum is being developed for the PPD-40. In 1940, they manage to produce 81,118 submachine guns.

The talented self-taught gunsmith Georgy Semenovich Shpagin (1897-1952) at the beginning of 1940 began to develop his own version of a submachine gun. He set the task of maintaining the high tactical and technical data of the PPD, but making his weapon easier to manufacture. He was well aware that on the basis of labor-intensive machine tools mass army it is impossible to rearm. This is how the idea of ​​a stamp-welded design was born.

This idea did not meet with the support of colleagues, only doubts. But Shpagin was convinced of the correctness of his thoughts. By that time, new technologies of hot stamping and cold pressing of high precision and purity of processing had already been introduced in mechanical engineering. Electricity appeared. Georgy Shpagin, who graduated from only a three-year school, but was closely familiar with production, proved to be a true innovator. He not only created the design, but also developed the basics of the technology for its mass production. It was a revolutionary approach to design small arms.

Already in August 1940, Shpagin personally made the first sample of a submachine gun. It was a blowback system. Relatively speaking, after the shot, the recoil threw the bolt - a steel "blank" weighing about 800 g. The bolt captured and ejected the spent cartridge case. Then a powerful return spring sent it back. Along the way, the bolt captured the cartridge supplied from the disk magazine, drove it into the barrel and pricked the primer with a striker. A shot was fired, and the entire cycle of shutter movements was repeated. If at this time the trigger was released, the shutter was fixed in the cocked state. If the hook remained pressed, the magazine with a capacity of 71 rounds was completely emptied in about five seconds.

During disassembly, the machine opened into only five parts. It didn't require any tool. A fiber shock absorber, later made of leather, dampened the blows of a massive bolt in the rearmost position, which significantly lengthened the service life of the weapon. The original muzzle brake, which also served as a compensator, improved stability and increased the accuracy of fire by 70% relative to the RPM.

At the end of August 1940, ground tests of the Shpagin submachine gun began. The survivability of the structure was tested by 30 thousand shots. The PCA worked flawlessly. A full check showed that the machine passed the test, no damage was found in the details. Moreover, after such loads, he showed quite satisfactory results in the accuracy of firing bursts. Shooting was carried out with thick lubrication and dustiness and, conversely, after washing all moving parts with kerosene and a dry compound. 5000 shots were fired without cleaning the weapon. Of these, half - single, half - continuous fire. It should be noted that the parts were mostly stamped.

At the end of November, comparative tests of the Degtyarev submachine guns taken from the gross production, Shpagin and Shpitalny took place. In the end, Shpagin won. Here it will be useful to provide some data. Number of parts: PPD and Shpitalny - 95, PPSh - 87. The number of machine hours required for processing parts: PPD - 13.7; Spiral - 25.3; PCA - 5.6 hours. Number of threaded places: PPD - 7; Shpitalny - 11, PPSh - 2. New technology production gave great savings in metal and significantly accelerated production. Alloy steel was not required.

On December 21, 1940, the Defense Committee under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution on the adoption by the Red Army of the Shpagin submachine gun of the 1941 model. Before the start of the Great Patriotic War only six months left.

Serial production of PPSh began only in September 1941. Prior to that, it was necessary to prepare documentation, develop technical processes, manufacture tooling, simply allocate production facilities and premises. For the whole of 1941, 98,644 submachine guns were manufactured, of which 5,868 were PPDs. In 1942, 16 times more submachine guns were produced - 1,499,269 pieces. Moreover, the production of PPSh could be established at any mechanical enterprise with suitable stamping equipment.

In the autumn of 1941, Stalin personally distributed the new machine guns. By January 1, 1942, the active army had 55,147 submachine guns of all systems. By July 1, 1942 - 298,276; by January 1, 1943 - 678,068; by January 1, 1944 - 1,427,085 pieces. This made it possible to have a platoon of machine gunners in each rifle company, and a company in each battalion. There were also battalions entirely armed with PPSh.

The most expensive and difficult to manufacture part of the PPSh was a disk (drum) magazine. Each machine was equipped with two spare magazines. The magazine consists of a magazine box with a lid, a drum with a spring and a feeder, and a rotating disk with a spiral comb - a snail. On the side of the body of the store there is an eyelet that serves to carry stores on the belt in the absence of bags. The cartridges in the store were located in two streams along the outer and inner sides spiral comb of the cochlea. There were 39 rounds in the outer stream, 32 in the inner stream.

The process of filling the drum with cartridges required some effort. The first step was to remove the drum cover. Then, with a special key, it wound up two turns. After filling the snail with cartridges, the drum mechanism was removed from the stopper, the lid was closed.

Therefore, in 1942, Shpagin developed a box-shaped sector magazine with a capacity of 35 rounds for the PPSh. This dramatically simplified loading, and the machine became less cumbersome. The soldiers usually preferred the sector store.

During the war, about 6.5 million PPSh were manufactured. Since 1942, it was produced even in Iran specifically for the USSR. On these samples there is a special stamp - the image of the crown.

Hundreds of thousands of front-line PPSh consumed a huge amount of pistol cartridges. Especially for them, it was necessary to urgently develop cartridges with new types of bullets, since the submachine gun performs other tasks than just a pistol. This is how armor-piercing incendiary and tracer bullets appeared. At the end of the war, a cartridge with a bullet with a stamped steel core went into production, which increased the penetrating effect and saved lead. At the same time, the production of cartridges in a bimetallic (coated with tombac) and steel sleeve without any coating began.

SUDAEV'S DESIGN

The Shpagin submachine gun, which quite satisfied the infantrymen, turned out to be too bulky for tankmen, scouts, sappers, signalmen and many others. In conditions of mass production, it was also required to reduce the metal consumption of weapons and simplify their production. In 1942, the task was to create a submachine gun that was lighter and easier to manufacture, while being reliable. Its mass should not exceed 3 kg, and the rate of fire should be 400-500 rounds per minute (PPSh - 900 rounds / min.). The bulk of the parts had to be made of sheet steel with a thickness of 2-3 mm without subsequent machining.

Aleksey Ivanovich Sudayev (1912-1946) won the competition among designers. As noted in the conclusion of the competition commission, his teaching staff "has no other equivalent competitors." For the production of one copy, 6.2 kg of metal and 2.7 machine hours were required. The mechanics of the PPS worked, like that of the PPSh, due to the recoil of the free shutter.

The production of a new submachine gun was launched in besieged Leningrad at the Sestroretsk Tool Plant. Voskov under the leadership of Sudayev. The first samples were made in December 1942. Serial production began in 1943. During the year, 46,572 PPS were manufactured for parts of the Leningrad Front. After the elimination of certain identified shortcomings and their elimination, the new machine was put into service under the name “Sudayev submachine gun arr. 1943".

In the troops of the teaching staff, he immediately received a high rating. It was in no way inferior to PPD and PPSh, it was lighter and more compact. However, its production was transferred to enterprises not adapted for the mass production of weapons. It was decided not to touch the established production of PPSh. It is for this reason that the Sudaevsky submachine gun is not as famous as the PPSh. The famous gunsmith Mikhail Kalashnikov assessed the teaching staff as follows: “It can be said with all responsibility that the submachine gun A.I. Not a single foreign sample could compare with it in terms of simplicity of device, reliability, non-failure operation, and ease of use. For high tactical and technical and combat properties Sudaevsky weapons, combined with their small dimensions and weight, were very fond of paratroopers, tankers, scouts, partisans, and skiers.

PPS weight without magazine - 3.04 kg. Weight with six equipped magazines - 6.72 kg. The bullet retains its lethal force at a distance of up to 800 m. During the war, approximately half a million copies of the PPS were produced. Rate of fire - 700 rds / min. The initial speed of the bullet is 500 m / s. For comparison: starting speed bullets of the German MP-40 - 380 m / s. Shop German submachine gun for 32 cartridges, it was recommended to fill only up to 27 pieces, because when fully loaded, the spring began to release, and this led to delays in firing. The advantage of the German design was a lower rate of fire. But effective range limited to 50-100 meters. The effective fire of the MP-40 did not actually exceed 200 meters. A steel sheet 2 mm thick was not pierced by a bullet even with close range leaving only a dent.

The quality of the weapon is also indicated by its, so to speak, “copy coefficient”. In Finland, in 1944, they adopted the M-44 submachine gun - a copy of the PPS under the 9-mm parabellum cartridge. They were produced about 10 thousand pieces, which is not so small for Finland. Finnish peacekeepers in the Sinai in 1957-1958 were armed with these submachine guns.

In Poland, PPS was produced under license, and on its basis, a WZ 43/52 sample with a wooden butt was developed in 1952. In China, it was produced at several enterprises with slight differences under the single name "sample 43", then - "Type 54". In Germany, already copied from the Finnish M-44, in 1953 it was adopted by the gendarmerie and border guards under the symbol DUX 53, later modified into DUX 59.

In Hungary, they generally tried to combine PPS and PPSh in the 53M design, which was produced in small batches, since it turned out to be not very successful.

Over six million submachine guns of various models were produced in the Soviet Union during the war years. This is four times more than in Germany.

Victor Myasnikov

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I bring to your attention an overview of machine guns of the Second World War

Machine guns "Bred"

The machine gun of the 1930 model of the year was among those weapons that, to put it mildly, can be classified as unsuccessful. Outwardly, it consisted of corners of ledges, and therefore it was a real torment for the machine gunner to carry it, because all these ledges clung to clothing and equipment. In addition, designers have developed new system power supply using 20 charging clips, fragile and brittle. These clips were inserted into a folding magazine that had a very delicate mount, and if the magazine or mount was damaged, the machine gun could not be used.

Finally, the extraction of the spent cartridge case became a real problem, which forced the installation of an oil pump to lubricate and facilitate the extraction of cartridge cases. Theoretically, this should have worked, but the oil, mixing with dust and dirt, especially in North Africa, finally clogged the mechanism. Against this background, the lack of a handle for changing the barrel seems to be a minor nuisance. Since no other machine guns were produced, this one had to be treated with indulgence, even its modification of the 1938 model of the year chambered for 7.5 mm appeared.

Heavy machine gun

The company's large-caliber machine gun was designated the Breda machine gun of the 1937 model. In general, it was a good weapon, but its use was difficult to use. unusual system power supply - a flat 20-round tray that passed through the receiver and received spent cartridges. Today it is difficult to explain what the designers did when they introduced such an impractical scheme: after all, spent cartridges had to be removed from the tray in order to use it again.

The extraction of the sleeves was carried out using an oil pump from the 1930 model of the year, which led to the inheritance of old problems. Thus, the machine gun of the 1937 model of the year did not become a discovery, although it was adopted as a single heavy machine gun of the Italian army. A modification of the machine gun for installation on tanks was produced under the name Breda machine gun of the 1938 model.

Breda machine guns characteristics:

• Model 1930 machine gun
• Caliber: 6.5mm
• Weight: 10.32 kg
• Overall length: 1232 mm
• Barrel length: 520 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 629 m/s
• Rate of fire: 450 - 500 rounds /min
• Food: clip, 20 rounds

Model 1937 machine gun

• Caliber: 8 mm
• Weight: 19.4 kg: machine tool 18.7 kg
• Overall length: 1270 mm
• Barrel length: 740 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 790 m/s
• Rate of fire: 450-500 rds / min
• Food: tray, 20 cartridges

Japan

The Type 11 entered service in 1922 and remained in service until 1945. The authorship officially belongs to General Kijiro Nambu, and it was under the name "Nambu" that he gained fame.

This machine gun used a unique power system, which was not used in any other model. The idea was that the receiving device on the left side of the receiver was filled with cartridges, both single and in standard five-round clips, which did not require the creation of special magazines or cartridge belts.

But in practice, this advantage was overshadowed by the fact that the internal mechanism turned out to be too fragile and complex, often it could not withstand the intense firing of a conventional rifle cartridge. In addition, the same cartridge lubrication system added problems. which, as usual, in dusty conditions significantly hampered the operation of mechanisms.

Only automatic firing machine gun TYPE 11

The Type 11 machine gun could only fire automatically, and when fired, the cartridge funnel made the whole system unbalanced and uncomfortable. A special modification was developed - tank machine gun"type 91" with a funnel for 50 rounds for installation on armored vehicles. Weak spots Type 11 machine guns emerged soon enough during the first battles in China in the 1930s, and in 1936 a new Type 96 light machine gun appeared.

Although the Type 96 was a significant improvement over its predecessor, it did not completely replace it, as the Japanese arms industry was unable to produce the required number of weapons of any type. The Type 96 was a combination of elements from the Hotchkiss machine gun and the Czechoslovakian ZB vz. 26.

From the latter, he took a store with an upper location, but the cartridge lubrication system remained, so the problem of “clogging” the mechanisms with dirt remained. At the same time, the process of changing the barrel was noticeably facilitated by installing a telescopic sight. However, soon such a sight began to be installed only by order, however, they left a convenient device for equipping the store. One of the features of the Type 96 machine gun was the bayonet mount.

Light machine guns "type 11" and "type 96" characteristics:

• Light machine gun "type 11"
• Caliber: 6.5mm
• Weight: 10.2 kg
• Overall length: 1105 mm
• Barrel length: 483 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 700 m/s
• Rate of fire: 500 rounds / min
• Store: 30 rounds

Light machine gun "type 96"

• Caliber: 6.5mm
• Weight: 9.07 kg
• Overall length: 1054 mm
• Barrel length: 552 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 730 m/s
• Rate of fire: 550 rounds / min
• Store: box-shaped, 30 rounds

USA

M1919 Browning machine gun

M1919A4 was produced mainly for the infantry and proved to be a first-class machine gun, with a high rate of fire and without any complaints or problems. The tank version was designated M1919A5, and the M2 modification was developed for the Air Force (it was installed both on fighters and on bombers - on turrets).

The US Navy received the AN-M2 machine gun, developed on the basis of the M1919A4. Thus, over a long period of production, many modifications and production changes appeared, but the basic design of the M1919 remained unchanged. The supply of cartridges was carried out using a cloth or metal tape. In the infantry, a machine gun was usually mounted on a simple tripod mount, but there were a great many mounts, including quite complex ones for anti-aircraft installations and the simplest mounts for installation on various types wheeled vehicles.

light machine gun

Perhaps the strangest modification of the M1919 was the M1919A6. It was created as a light machine gun to increase the firepower of the squad instead of the BAR machine gun. This model was introduced in 1943 and was an M191A4 with a strange shoulder rest, bipod, carrying handle and a lightweight barrel. The result is a machine gun that is quite heavy for a handgun, but easy to manufacture.

The disadvantages were the general clumsiness of the weapon and the need to use gloves to change the barrel. Despite this, the M1919 was produced in large numbers (a total of 43,479 units were produced). The troops were forced to use it, realizing that it copes with its task better than BAR. The main value of all models of this machine gun was reliability: they remained operational even in the most adverse conditions, when almost all other samples (except, perhaps, the Vickers) failed.

Browning machine gun M1919 specifications:

• Browning machine gun М1919А4
• Caliber - 7.62 mm
• Weight: 14.06 kg
• Overall length: 1041 mm
• Barrel length: 610 mm
• Rate of fire: 400 - 500 rds / min

Browning machine gun М1919А6

• Caliber: 7.62mm
• Weight: 14.74 kg
• Overall length: 1346 mm
• Barrel length: 610 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 854 m/s
• Rate of fire: 400 - 500 rounds /min
• Food: cloth or metal tape, 250 rounds

Great Britain

Bren light machine gun

The machine gun was designed for a 7.92 mm cartridge, so the British decided to remake it for their outdated 7.7 mm cartridge with a cordite charge and an uncomfortable rimmed cartridge case. Thus, a series of samples began with vz. 27, then vz 30 and transition model vz 32. After that, vz was created. 33, and it was on its basis that the designers of the small arms factory in the city of Enfield Lock created a prototype machine gun, which became known as the “Bren” (“Bren” is an abbreviation for the cities of Brno and Enfield Lock).

As a result of improvements in 1937, the first serial machine gun "Bren" Mk1 was presented. By 1940, about 30,000 machine guns were produced, and this model firmly took its place in the troops, but after the events in Dunkirk, a significant number of these machine guns fell into the hands of the Germans (the Wehrmacht assigned them the designation leichte MG 138 (e) and ammunition, which led to the need for the urgent release of new machine guns to compensate for their losses in the British army.

Simplified design

To simplify production, the original design was modified, and new production lines were soon opened. The mechanism created by the Czechs (using the energy of powder gases) was preserved, as well as the locking system and appearance. However, the new model "Bren" Mk 2 lacked a complex drum sight and additional details such as a handle under the butt.

The design of the bipod was simplified at the same time it was decided to use a sector magazine for 7.7 mm cartridges. Over time, the design was further simplified (Bren Mk 3 with a shortened barrel and Bren Mk 4 with a modified butt). There were even machine guns under the 7.92 mm cartridge, which were produced in Canada for China. The machine gun was produced in Enfield and at other factories after 1945.

Light machine gun "Bren" characteristics:

• Light machine gun "Bren" Mk 1
• Caliber: 7.7 mm
• Weight: 10.03 kg
• Overall length: 1156 mm
• Barrel length: 635 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 744 m/s
• Maximum rate of fire: 500 shots /min
• Shop: box sector, 20 rounds

Germany

Single machine gun MG 34

Under the terms of the Versailles Agreement, Germany was prohibited from having many types of weapons, including machine guns. However, this ban in the early 1920s could easily bypass the Rheinmetall-Borsig arms concern - it created a subsidiary in the city of Solothurn, located in Switzerland, which was not subject to restrictions.

Work on the creation of an air-cooled machine gun led to the appearance of a weapon under the name "Solothurn" model 1929 - at that time a very modern design. The company received a number of orders, but the Germans continued their research. As a result, based on the 1929 model of the year, the Rheinmetall MG15 aircraft machine gun was created, which was produced for the Luftwaffe for a long time.

The first single machine gun

The designers of the Mauser company in Oberndorf used the Rheinmetall Model 1929 and MG15 as the starting point for a new type of weapon - a single machine gun. They created "Maschinen-gewehr 34", or MG 34, is considered to be one of the best machine guns in the world. It could be easily carried, when firing from a bipod it was powerful weapon infantry squad, and when installed on a heavy machine, the effectiveness of fire increased even more.

Shooting mode selection

The barrel and butt of the machine gun lay on the same line. The barrel was made quick-detachable, the supply of cartridges was made either from a side magazine for 75 rounds, inherited from the MG 15, or from a tape. In addition to all the technical innovations, the machine gun had a high rate of fire and could be used to combat low-flying air targets. The MG 34 machine gun was one of the first weapons with a choice of firing mode.

By clicking on upper part trigger firing was carried out with single shots, when you press the bottom - in automatic mode. MG 34 showed excellent results in tests and was put into production for the German army and police. The needs of the Wehrmacht for this machine gun were not satisfied until 1945, as too many different variants were produced, which slowed down production.

Many machine tools and samples of twin installations were created, there was even a periscope sight for firing from trenches. However, the main reason was that the production of the MG 34 was too laborious, expensive and time consuming. The result was a magnificent weapon with virtually no flaws, but fighting it was like using a Rolls-Royce as a taxi - the price was too high.

Single machine gun MG 42

So, the MG 34 machine gun was too good to fight with it, because it was expensive and difficult to manufacture. Even mass mass production only slightly reduced the cost, so by 1940 the designers of the Mauser company began work on a new simplified model.

Manufacturers of the 9mm MP 40 submachine gun have shown what can be done to simplify production and reduce its cost. Following this example, the Mauser designers decided to apply new production methods, using as little expensive machining as possible, and also improve the design.

Hybrid

New components and mechanisms were frankly borrowed, Polish and Czech specialists were involved in the work - employees of weapons factories captured at the beginning of World War II. Thanks to the new power and locking systems they proposed, a new design appeared - MG 39/41. After a series of tests and subsequent improvements, the MG 42 was created - one of the most effective and flawless examples of small arms in the history of mankind.

The MG 42 made extensive use of mass production technology. The machine gun immediately began to enjoy success among the troops. Forged parts were used in the manufacture of the receiver and barrel shroud equipped with a quick change device. The ability to easily and quickly change the barrel proved to be vital for the MG 42, as its rate of fire was 1400 rounds. / min, which was almost twice as much as any other machine gun of that time.

rate of fire

This was the result of using a new locking mechanism, which was proposed by Polish and Czech designers and was distinguished by its simplicity and reliability. The result was a very effective single machine gun that could be installed on various types of machines and mounts.

The machine gun received its baptism of fire in 1942, appearing simultaneously on the Eastern Front against the USSR and in North Africa. It was mainly used in forward units, and although it was intended to replace the MG 34, in fact it only supplemented it. Encouraged by the success, the Mauser designers continued to develop, and shortly before the end of the war, the MG 45 appeared with an even higher rate of fire.

Single machine gun MG 42 characteristics:

• MG42
• Caliber: 7.92mm
• Single machine gun MG 42
• Weight: with bipod 11.5 kg
• Overall length: 1220 mm
• Barrel length: 533 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 755 m/s
• Maximum rate of fire: up to 1550 rds. /min
• Food: tape, 50 rounds
• Sighting range: 600 m
• Maximum firing range: 3000 m

USSR

Machine guns DShK 1938, SG-43

In many respects similar to the 12.7-mm Browning M2 machine gun, the DShK 1938/46 model is still in service with the armies of some states. As a result, the Soviet heavy machine gun turned out to be even slightly lighter than the 12.7 mm Browning machine gun designed in the USA. Shooting from it was also carried out with a 12.7-mm cartridge, the machine gun turned out to be really multi-purpose. DShK machine gun 1938 (Degtyarev - Shpagin machine gun, large-caliber model 1938) proved to be so successful that it remained in production for a long time, although after the war they began to produce its modernized version DShK 1938/46. This weapon is still widely used in various countries of the world.

massive machine

If the DShK 1938 itself was lighter than the Browning machine gun, the same cannot be said about its machine. In the basic modification, the designer retained the wheel machine from the Maxim machine gun, although a special anti-aircraft machine also existed and was used. The machine gun was installed on most Soviet tanks, beginning with heavy tank IS-2. In Czecho-Slovakia, quad anti-aircraft guns were produced. There was also a special version of the machine gun for installation on armored trains.

The smaller SG-43 heavy machine gun was adopted in 1943 to replace pre-existing 7.62mm machine guns, including the venerable Maxim machine gun. During the German offensive of the first period of the war, the USSR lost a significant part material resources, including machine guns. While deploying new production facilities in the Urals to make up for losses, the Soviet leadership simultaneously set the task of developing a modern machine gun. This is how the Goryunov heavy machine gun of the 1943 model appeared.

For the operation of automation, the energy of powder gases was used, the cooling was air, some previously applied solutions were used in the design of the machine gun (including those developed by Browning), but in general the machine gun became very original and showed itself very well. The SG 43 was produced in large quantities, and even now its modernized version of the SGM is still in service with the armies of a number of countries.

Automation machine guns SG 43 and DShK 1938 used the same principle of operation. The number of moving parts was kept to a minimum, and maintenance of the machine gun consisted mainly of regular cleaning. Both machine guns were able to work at different temperatures, not susceptible to contamination. In other words, machine guns were ideally suited for the conditions for which they were created.

Machine guns DShK 1938, SG-43 characteristics:

• SG-43
• Caliber: 7.62mm
• Weight: 13.8 kg
• Overall length: 1120 mm
• Barrel length: 719 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 863 m/s
• Rate of fire: 500 - 640 shots /min
• Power supply: metal tape
• chained with a capacity of 50 rounds

DShK 1938

• Caliber: 12.7mm
• Weight: 33.3 kg
• Overall length: 1602 mm
• Barrel length: 1002 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 843 m/s
• Rate of fire: 550 - 600 rounds /min
• Feed: 50-round metal chained belt

Light machine guns DP, DPM, DT, DTM

In 1922, Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev began work on creating a tribe of his own design, which was destined to become the first completely Russian machine gun. Two years of testing lasted before the Degtyarev infantry light machine gun, or DP, was adopted in 1026.

The design of the weapon was simple but reliable. Despite the fact that there were 65 parts in it, only 6 of them moved. There were some shortcomings in the machine gun, the most noticeable of which were susceptibility to pollution and overheating (the latter is the most significant).

On the first machine guns, the barrel was made corrugated to cope with this problem, but it was never completely solved. The machine gun was used in civil war in Spain in 1936-1939 and then, on the basis of the combat experience gained, underwent modifications.

Machine gun automation works on the principle of using the energy of powder gases. The locking system is made somewhat unusual: on each side of the bolt there is a movable combat ledge, each included in its own cutout. When the front edge of the bolt is firmly pressed against the bottom of the cartridge case in the chamber, the bolt stops. But the piston, connected to the bolt carrier with the drummer, continues to move forward.

In the final phase of the movement, the drummer pushes the lugs of the bolt into the cutouts in the side walls of the receiver, the bolt is locked at the very moment of the shot.

disk store

The ammo supply system turned out to be quite good. Ledge-case cartridges often caused delays in firing box-magazine weapons. A large flat single-row disk magazine with a spring feed eliminated the double feed of the cartridge. The magazine originally had a capacity of 49 rounds, then this was reduced to 47 to reduce the chance of misalignment.

In 1944, a modernized version appeared - the PDM with an interchangeable barrel, which could be removed with a special screwdriver. The recoil spring was placed in a tube under the barrel to reduce the chance of it overheating, which had previously weakened it.

Tank modifications of the DP and DPM machine guns received the designations DT and DTM, respectively. Despite their age, DP and PDM machine guns can still be found in some parts of the world.

Light machine guns DP, DTM characteristics:

DTM

• Caliber: 7.62mm
• Weight: 12.9 kg
• Overall length: 1181 mm
• Barrel length: 597 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 840 m/s
• Maximum rate of fire: 600 rds / min
• Food: 60-round disk magazine

DP

• Caliber: 7.62mm
• Weight: 11.9 kg
• Overall length: 1265 mm
• Barrel length: 605 mm
• Muzzle velocity: 845 m/s
• Rate of fire: 520 - 580 rds / min
• Food: disk magazine, 47 rounds

By the end of 1941, the role of automatic weapons both in parts of the Wehrmacht and in the Red Army increased significantly. In close combat, especially in settlements and trenches, a submachine gun was more convenient than a rifle and a carbine. The high density of fire of this weapon provided him with a clear advantage over magazine and self-loading rifles.

At the beginning of 1942 in german army The MP-38 and MP-40 submachine guns began to enter the armament of the infantry en masse. If at the beginning of the war German infantry armed mainly with Mauser rifles and carbines, and only tank crews were armed with submachine guns, landing units and commanders of rifle platoons (in total, at the beginning of the war, the Germans had only 8772 MP-38s), then a year later their number in the German army increased fivefold. During the course of the war, submachine guns began to be used to solve various problems.

Simplicity and reliability, high mobility, a large portable supply of ammunition finally secured the primacy of the MP-38 over other types of melee weapons. The high demand for troops automatic weapons, as well as the developed tactics for using this type of weapon in close combat conditions, led to the emergence of a more modernized MP-38, which received the designation MP-40.

Already in the spring of 1940, the German company Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (ERMA) began production of the MP-40. German designers managed to develop a submachine gun, distinguished by its simple design, high strength and high survivability of the automation system, as well as ease of maintenance in the field. At the beginning of the 40th year, by order of the General Staff ground forces Nazi Germany, new models were adopted for arming the infantry of the Wehrmacht (from fourteen to sixteen MP-40s in infantry company), cavalry, automobile, tank units and reconnaissance and sabotage units, as well as staff officers. MP-40 has become one of the most common types of German small arms.

By the beginning of the war, the Soviet units were armed with submachine guns PPD-40 and PPSh-41. However, their number was extremely limited. When they entered the troops, they fell primarily into the hands of the foremen of the companies and adjutants of the highest command staff. PPD-40 was difficult to manufacture and had low combat qualities. PPSh, in turn, had fairly good tactical and technical data. It was manufactured according to the most advanced technology of stamping and welding structures at that time and could be produced by any enterprise.

However, a large mass (PPD - 5.4 kg, PPSh - more than 5.3 kg, and with full ammunition, the weight of these submachine guns could be 9 kg) and a significant length due to the wooden stock (PPD - 788 mm, PPSh - 842 mm ) made it difficult to use in the landing, tank, sapper and reconnaissance units.

The test results and the combat use of captured MP-38 and MP-40 assault rifles by reconnaissance and sabotage groups prompted the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army at the beginning of the 42nd year to announce a competition for the development of a more modern submachine gun chambered for a standard 7.62 × 25 mm pistol cartridge.

The main requirements for the new product were compactness, improved tactical and technical characteristics compared to PPD and PPSh, ease of production, reduction in labor costs in the manufacture of components and parts, and reduction in their cost.

The main requirements of the competition were the mass of the future submachine gun (without a magazine it should not exceed 3 kg). The length with the butt was set no more than 750 mm, and with the butt folded - 600 mm. The supply of cartridges was supposed to be carried out from a box-type magazine.

By mid-February 1942, several dozen experimental barrels were already ready for field testing. These were the designs of both well-known designers and novice gunsmiths, including front-line soldiers - students and employees of the Artillery Academy, as well as employees of the Scientific Research Range for Small Arms (NIP SVO).

Despite the originality of individual systems, in all projects there was a tendency to "bind" to the design of the German MP-38/40. All the samples submitted for testing, in one way or another, repeated the principle of operation, the general layout, the supply of cartridges from a box magazine, the folding metal butt of submachine guns of German designers.

From the end of February to the beginning of March 1942, competitive tests were carried out at the NIP SVO. Of all the samples submitted, only seven submachine guns were selected for further testing. These were two samples of famous designers Degtyarev (PPD-42) and Shpagin (PPSh-2), four samples of young developers Bezruchko-Vysotsky, Menshikov, Zaitsev (two models differed mainly only in the design of the butt) and one sample of the collective creativity of army craftsmen.

The PPD-42 and the Bezruchko-Vysotsky submachine gun were recognized as the best of those tested. At the same time, the development of the latter had the best manufacturability. When assembling it, spot and seam welding, cold stamping were used. However, despite the originality, the features of the MP-40 were visible in the design of Bezruchko-Vysotsky: the barrel did not have a solid safety cover, a bracket-stop for firing from the side or through the loopholes of armored vehicles, a stock that folded down, safety cutouts of the receiver, a flip rear sight at a distance 100 meters and 200 meters, a cylindrical bolt, the cocking handle of which was located on the left, a pistol grip for controlling fire, a method of locking the bore with a “roll-out” of the bolt, a method of connecting the receiver and trigger boxes, a box magazine. True, the latter, thanks to the bottle shape of the cartridge case 7.62 × 25, was a curved "sector" shape, like the PPD and PPSh-41.

The control samples during the tests were the German MP-40 and the Soviet PPSh-41. The PPD-42 and the Bezruchko-Vysotsky submachine gun were equal in accuracy and accuracy of fire to the MP-40, but inferior to the PPSh-41. In terms of reliability, the Bezruchko-Vysotsky submachine gun was inferior to PPD-42 and control samples.

In addition, during intensive shooting, the short protective casing of the barrel did not completely protect the shooter's hands from burns. During the tests, Bezruchko-Vysotsky did not succeed in completely eliminating the causes of delays in firing.

At the direction of the head of the NIP SVO, military engineer A.I. Sudaev. However, instead of helping Bezruchko-Vysotsky, a month later he submitted his sample for testing. Despite the similarity of the layout of his submachine gun with the Bezruchko-Vysotsky submachine gun, there were differences: Sudayev simplified the design of the receiver, improved its manufacturability, the barrel was completely covered with a casing to protect the shooter's hands from burns. Also, the shutter has undergone changes, in which the hole for the guide rod of the return-action spring was made with an offset to the left, and the guide rod itself simultaneously served as a reflector for the spent cartridge case. The safety box that locks the bolt in the forward and cocked position was located next to trigger guard. A frame-type muzzle brake-compensator was installed on the front of the barrel casing, as a result of which the accuracy of fire increased. The metal butt folded over the receiver. The shutter handle was located with right side. Thanks to the elongated receiver, the rate of fire of the submachine gun was 700-600 rds / min. (for PPD and PPSh, the rate of fire was about 1000 rds / min.), Which allowed the shooter to save cartridges and by briefly pressing the trigger to fire single shots.

A prototype of Sudayev's design was tested on April 4, 1942. After two weeks of factory tests, it was handed over with a positive response to field tests, which took place from April 26 to May 12, 1942. Samples were tested by V.A. Degtyareva, S.A. Korovina, N. G. Rukavishnikova, I.K. Bezruchko-Vysotsky, A.S. Ogorodnikova, A.A. Zaitseva, A.I. Sudayev. The most compact and easy to handle were the samples of Sudayev, as well as Bezruchko-Vysotsky, who presented a modernized model of a submachine gun for competitive testing. On which a muzzle brake-compensator was installed, like in PPS, which increased the accuracy of fire. To reduce weight, the bracket-stop was removed from the barrel. At the bottom of the bolt, to the left of the cartridge rammer, a longitudinal groove was made, in which an elongated guide rod of a return-combat spring was placed, which served as a reflector for a spent cartridge case. The cocking handle was located on the right. A fuse was placed along it in a milled groove in the form of a bar moving perpendicular to the receiver (similar in design to the fuse of the PPSh submachine gun).

According to their results, the sample of Bezruchko-Vysotsky did not pass the tests due to the low reliability of the automation and delays in firing. Based on the results of the tests, the commission concluded that prototype submachine gun Sudaev completely withstood the special program of the competition and has no other competitors.

In terms of combat and tactical and technical data, the PPS surpassed the PPSh-41, so it was decided to urgently send the PPS into mass production. In addition, Sudayev was recommended to reduce the dimensions of the barrel casing for more convenient use of PPS in combat vehicles. To increase the strength of the receiver and improve the stability of the PPS when firing, increase the mass of the weapon by using thicker steel sheets for the manufacture of the receiver (2 mm instead of 1.5 mm). To reduce the rate of fire - increase the length of the shutter stroke, to prevent the spent cartridges from touching the wall of the receiver window during extraction - increase its length, provide for the placement of a ramrod. By the end of testing submachine guns Sudaev and Bezruchko-Vysotsky G.S. Shpagin finished refining his PPSh-2, which did not pass the first tests of submachine guns. In this regard, the GAU leadership decided to conduct comparative tests of PPS and PPSh-2. These tests took place from 17 to 21 July 1942. Based on the test results, the commission determined that the PPS surpasses the PPSh-2 in terms of reliability of firing in conditions of heavy pollution, accuracy of fire, ease of firing, wear, action in trenches, dugouts, when moving to the battlefield and other combat characteristics. Since the PPS turned out to be the best of all the samples developed by the summer of 1942, a week after the completion of the competitive tests, it was recommended by the USSR State Defense Committee for serial production.

The Moscow Machine-Building Plant named after V. D. Kalmykov, which was producing PPSh at that time, immediately began production of PPS, and by November 1, 1942, the first batch of 30 Sudayev submachine guns was produced.

It was completed with 6 stores, which were placed in two pouches. There were also accessories for cleaning and lubricating weapons. In terms of the simplicity of the device, compactness, convenience and high reliability when operating in difficult conditions, the PPS significantly exceeded the standard PPD and PPSh.

The total weight of the PPS with full ammunition (210 rounds in six stores) was 6.82 kg. A fairly small mass of weapons provided machine gunners with good maneuverability in battle. At the same time, the initial speed and lethal range of the bullet, as well as the practical rate of fire, were the same with the PPSh.

The teaching staff was also distinguished by high production and economic characteristics. The design of the submachine gun allowed the production of 50% of the parts by cold stamping, as well as the use of spot and electric arc welding. Compared to PPSh-41, the production of PPS required only 6.2 kg of metal and 2.7 machine-hours, which is 2 and 3 times less than for the Shpagin submachine gun (respectively 13.9 kg and 8.1 machine hours).

The Soviet state needed in large numbers similar weapons, and therefore, by the decision of the GKO, already in December 1942, the defense enterprises of besieged Leningrad, including the Sestroretsk Tool Plant named after S.P. Voskov, the plant named after A.A. Kulakov and the plant (artel) "Primus". At the end of December 1942, Sudayev was sent to the plant named after A. A. Kulakov to organize the release of his teaching staff. Despite the difficulties in organizing production, the bombing and shelling of the city, the lack of the required number of machine tools, tools and equipment, from February 1943 to December 1944, 187912 PPS were produced.

In January 1943, the artillery department finally approved the technical documentation for the production of PPS-42. The Moscow plant named after V. D. Kalmykov became the main enterprise for the development of technical documentation and the submachine gun itself. Engineers and technologists of the plant constantly made improvements to its design, working out both individual units and entire assemblies, and refined the technical documentation. In less than two years, they made “918 various changes and additions, 413 of which were introduced into production as of March 15, 1944. There were 21 major design changes made to the drawings.” During the production of PPS and its operation in parts, some design flaws were revealed. The result was further changes made to PPS-42 both by the author and by engineers and technologists of manufacturing plants. They were aimed at improving the functioning of weapons in any, including the most difficult conditions, on the non-failure operation and improvement of manufacturing technology.

So, in the course of hostilities using PPS, such a drawback appeared as delays in firing caused by incomplete sending of the next cartridge into the chamber due to contamination of the latter with powder soot. The reason for this was a relatively light shutter for this type of weapon (with inertial locking of the bore). So, the PPSh shutter had a weight greater than that of the PPS, by about 200 g, and without problems sent a cartridge even into a smoked barrel chamber. Sudayev solved this problem in his own way. Together with the technologists of the Leningrad plant named after A. A. Kulakov, he decided to increase the diameter of the chamber by 0.01 mm. It would seem a negligible change in the size of the chamber, but it had a great effect, reducing the number of delays to 0.03%, which was 20 times less than the norm allowed by the specifications. In addition, instead of a hole for the guide rod of the reciprocating mainspring, Sudayev made a longitudinal milled groove on the bolt, like the second model of the Bezruchko-Vysotsky submachine gun, which simplified the manufacture of the bolt. Also, in the modernized version, the bolt box was strengthened by using 2 mm steel sheet instead of 1.5 mm for its manufacture, the mass of the bolt was reduced to 550 g, the shape of the fuse was changed, a stop was introduced into the design of the guide rod of the reciprocating mainspring, which simplified the assembly and disassembly of the weapon, the length of the weapon was somewhat reduced.

By a decree of the GKO dated May 20, 1943, the modernized model was given the name “7.62-mm submachine gun designed by Sudayev mod. 1943 (PPS-43)". From the same year, this weapon became known as a machine gun. This submachine gun has become truly the most best weapon this class. Already in the middle of 1943 at the Moscow Machine-Building Plant named after V.D. Kalmykov daily produced up to 1000 units of PPS-43. In total, from October 1942 to July 1, 1945, the plant produced 531,359 copies of the teaching staff. In total, in 1942-1945, 765373 PPS-42 and PPS-43 were sent to the army.

Automation PPS-43 worked on the basis of the use of free shutter recoil energy. The barrel bore was locked by the mass of the shutter, preloaded by a reciprocating mainspring.

Shooting was carried out "from the rear sear" - this was the most common design of automatic submachine guns. The shutter had a striker fixed in the shutter cup.

A feature of the PPS device in comparison with PPD and PPSh was the eccentric placement of a reciprocating mainspring with a guide rod, the front part of which simultaneously served as a reflector for a spent cartridge case, as well as a pistol fire control handle. The fire mode was only automatic, but with a smooth pull on the trigger, it was also possible to conduct a single fire. PPS-43 was equipped with a non-automatic fuse. The fuse provided locking the bolt in the forward and cocked position. The exceptional simplicity of the design ensured the high reliability of the submachine gun. The PPS was equipped with a folding metal butt, which, for ease of carrying, folded over the receiver. In the combat position, the butt leaned back. The front of the receiver was a casing that served to protect the barrel from damage and the shooter's hands from burns when firing. Holes were made on the casing to cool the barrel. A muzzle brake-compensator was welded to the front of the casing, due to which the accuracy of fire was increased.

Fire from PPS was fired in short bursts of 3-6 shots, long bursts of 15-20 shots and continuous fire. An open-type sight with a swiveling whole was designed for firing at 100 m and 200 m. The best results in short bursts were possible at a distance of up to 200 m, and in long bursts up to 100 m. The lethal force of the bullet was maintained up to 800 meters. The high initial speed ensured good flatness of the trajectory. The long sighting line and acceptable stability of the PPS ensured good accuracy and accuracy of fire.

The stability of the PPS during firing was ensured by a recoil force compensator, a folding butt, and also a small mass of the shutter. Reduce the mass of the shutter to 550 gr. allowed the use of his "roll-out": the shot occurred when the shutter had not yet reached its final forward position. The neck of the trigger box with an inserted magazine was used as an additional handle and provided the convenience of holding the weapon. By efficiency combat use it was 1.5 times superior to MP-38/40 and 1.3 times PPSh.

In addition to undeniable advantages, PPP had some disadvantages. For example, an insufficiently reliable fuse. Even a slight wear on the cutout for the bolt handle or the figured cutout of the fuse led to its spontaneous shutdown. The short butt increased the effect of accommodation, which made it difficult to aim at the maximum range even at dusk. Sudayev's submachine gun was capricious when dirt got inside the receiver and the lubricant thickened, resulting in delays in firing. It was convenient to cock the shutter only right hand. He was also not fit to hand-to-hand combat. IN Soviet army Sudayev's submachine gun was in service until the mid-1950s. During the Second World War, the PPS design was repeated by gunsmiths in other countries.

In 1944, the Finns adopted an almost exact copy of the PPS-43 under the name "9-mm Suomi M.1944 submachine gun" - under the 9 × 19 Parabellum pistol cartridge, with magazines from Suomi ML 931 submachine guns ( box-shaped with a capacity of 20 and 40 rounds and disk for 71 rounds). It differs from PPS only in the store receiver, which allowed the installation of a disk store. At the end of the 40s, the PPS was produced under license in Poland in two versions: with a folding metal butt wz.43 - for the Airborne Forces, tank crews, signalmen and others - and a wooden butt wz.43 / 52. In the 50s, PPS began to be produced in China under the name "type 43". It was widely used by North Korean troops and Chinese volunteers in the Korean War (1950–1953). In 1953, in Germany, the gendarmerie and border guards adopted the DUX-53 submachine gun, which was an exact copy Finnish "Suomi M.1944". After a slight modernization in 1959 under the index DUX-59, the submachine gun was in service before the adoption of the MP-5 submachine gun. law enforcement and border guards.

Hello dear.
Well, today we will finish talking with you about submachine guns of the Second World War. Today we are talking about Germany. There are many many options here.
Let's start, perhaps.

MP18
In fact, this is a submachine gun from the end of the First World War. MP-18/1 (Maschinenpistole18/1) was originally designed to equip special assault squads and police. It was patented in December 1917 by the designer Hugo Schmeiser, who was financially supported in the development of his new submachine gun by Theodor Bergmann.

From the date the submachine gun was adopted by Germany in 1918, mass production of the MP-18/1 was launched at the Waffenfabrik Theodor Bergmann plant. MP-18/1 were armed with special assault squads, each squad consisted of two people. One of them was armed with an MP-18/1, the second was armed with a Mauser 98 rifle and carried a supply of ammunition.
Due to the defeat of Germany in the First World War, under the terms of the Versailles Treaty of November 11, 1918, the production of certain types of weapons in Germany was prohibited. The MP-18 / 1 was also included in this list, but it was produced until 1920 as a weapon for the police, the production of which was not so significant restrictions.
After 1920, the production of MP-18 / 1 under license continued in Switzerland, at the Swiss Industrial Company (SIG) plant in Newhausen.
The automation of the MP-18/1 works due to the free shutter. The bore when fired is locked by a spring-loaded bolt. The barrel is completely covered with a round steel casing with ventilation holes. The trigger mechanism of the striker type allows only automatic fire. There is no fuse, but the cocking handle is inserted into the slot in the receiver, where it is fixed, leaving the bolt in open position. The magazine receiver is located on the left side.


Cartridges were fed either from direct box magazines for 20 rounds, or from a disk magazine of the Leer system for 32 rounds from an artillery model of the Luger-Parabellum P08 pistol. A drum-type magazine of the TM-08 sample of the Bloom system for 32 rounds was used, which is attached to the left in a long neck. The stock and butt of the pistol - the MP-18/1 machine gun are wooden, rifle type.

Weight, kg: 4.18 (without magazine); 5.26 (equipped)
Length, mm: 815
Barrel length, mm: 200
Principles of operation: free shutter
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 380
Caliber, mm: 9
Cartridge: 9×19 mm Parabellum
Sighting range, m: 200
Type of ammunition: disk magazine "snail" for 32
or 20-round straight box magazine
Rate of fire, shots / min: 450-500

submachine gun Schmeisser MP.28


MP.28, manufactured by C.G. Haenel, is an improved version of the MP.18 designed by Louis Schmeiser. Automation works according to the scheme with a free shutter. The trigger mechanism allows firing bursts and single shots from an open bolt. A cylindrical receiver with a perforated barrel shroud is attached to a wooden stock with a swivel joint.

The cocking handle is located on the right side of the weapon. The safety is the same handle, which can be placed in the L-shaped cutout of the receiver when the bolt is in the rear position. The fire mode translator, which is a horizontally moving button, is located above trigger. Cartridges are fed from box magazines with a two-row arrangement of cartridges. The store is attached to the weapon on the left, horizontally. Unlike the prototype, the MP.28 did not become the standard weapon of the German army, but was made mainly for export. For example, the Schmeisser MP.28 was adopted by the Belgian army under the name Mitrailette Modele 1934, and was also exported to Spain, China, South America and some African countries.

Main characteristics
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Bergmann-Bayard, 9mm Mauser Export, .45 ACP, 7.65mm Parabellum, 7.6325 Mauser
Weapon length: 810 mm
Barrel length: 200 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.1 kg.
Rate of fire: 600 rds / min

Submachine gun Bergmann MP-35
The MP-35, also abbreviated B.M.P. (from Bergmann Maschinen Pistole), designed by Emil Bergmann, the first operational example was made in 1932. The first sample received the designation B.M.P. 32. Its production was established by the Danish company Shulz & Larsen under the acquired license under the designation MP-32. The MP-32 submachine gun used the 9mm Bergmann-Bayard cartridge, and the weapon itself was supplied to the Danish armed forces. The improvement of Bergman's design did not stop there, it was soon ready new model, which received the designation Bergmann MP-34 (B.M.P. 34), appeared in 1934. The MP-34 was produced in several versions, with a barrel length of 200 and 308 mm. However, Bergmann did not have a production base sufficient for large-scale production, as a result of which the production was arranged by order at the famous German weapons Walther. In 1935, the next version was ready, more adapted for mass production in large volumes due to the simplification of the design, which received the designation MP-35.

Automation works according to the scheme with a free shutter. The trigger mechanism allows firing bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The fire mode is changed by the long stroke of the trigger. If the shooter squeezes the trigger completely, the weapon fires a burst, incomplete pressing - a single fire. The receiver and the perforated barrel casing with a compensator in the front part are made cylindrical. The cocking handle, which remains stationary during firing, is located in the rear of the receiver. This detail on the device and work is significantly different from other samples of this type of weapon. To cock the bolt, the handle is turned up at an angle of 90 °, then pulled back, after which it is returned to its original position.

That is, the cocking handle here works like a rotary bolt rifle. The fuse is located on the left side of the receiver, under the whole, it is made in the form of a slider moving along the axis of the weapon. Cartridges are fed from box magazines with a two-row arrangement of cartridges. The store joins the weapon to the right, horizontally. Most of Bergmann MP-35 was exported. So in Switzerland it was adopted under the designation Ksp m / 39, which used the standard cartridge of the Swiss army - 9mm Parabellum. With the outbreak of World War II, Walther's production facilities were busy fulfilling more important orders, as a result of which the MP-35 was contracted to Junker & Ruh, where about 40,000 copies were produced before the end of the war. Most of the Bergmann MP-35 produced by Junker & Ruh went to the SS troops and the police.

Main characteristics
Caliber: 9x19 (9mm Parabellum), 9x23 (9mm Bergmann-Bayard), 7.63x25 Mauser, 9x25 (9mm Mauser Export), .45 ACP
Weapon length: 810 mm
Barrel length: 200 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.1 kg.
Rate of fire: 600 rds / min
Magazine capacity: 20 or 32 rounds

Erma EMP 35 submachine gun
The EMP 35 was developed by German gunsmith Heinrich Vollmer, who had been designing submachine guns since 1925. In 1930, Vollmer developed an improved version of his system, which he continuously refined, introducing various changes. The 1930 model is equipped with a patented return mechanism system, in which the return spring was housed in a telescopic casing. Automation works according to the scheme with a free shutter. The trigger mechanism allows firing bursts and single shots from an open bolt. The cocking handle is located on the right side of the weapon, it also serves as a fuse when placed in the groove of the receiver when the bolt is in the rear position.


Various options were equipped with a separate manual fuse, located on the right side of the receiver, in front of the whole. Fire mode translator, located on the right side, above the trigger. The receiver and the perforated barrel casing are made cylindrical, the stock was made of wood in two versions - with a front handle, or without a handle with a rifle-type stock. The return spring is housed in its own telescopic housing. Cartridges are fed from box magazines with a two-row arrangement of cartridges. The store is attached to the weapon on the left, horizontally. Sights consist of a front sight and either a sector or flip rear sight.

However, Volmer himself did not have sufficient financial resources for the large-scale production of his weapons, as a result of which he sold the rights to manufacture a submachine gun of his design to the Erfurter Maschinenfabrik company, marketed under the Erma trademark. After that it started serial production Volmer's weapons in various versions, with different barrel lengths, different designs of fuses and sights, as well as in different calibers. This weapon was designated EMP (Erma Maschinen Pistole). Its main consumers were the SS troops, and the German police, in addition, EMP submachine guns were exported to France, Spain and the countries of South America.


Main characteristics
Caliber: 9x19 (9mm Parabellum), 9x23 (9mm Bergmann-Bayard), 7.63x25 Mauser, 7.65x22 (7.65mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 900 or 550 mm
Barrel length: 250 or 310 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.4 kg.
Rate of fire: 520 rds / min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds

Submachine gun MP.38
The MP.38 was designed by the German weapons designer Volmer, who worked for Erma, by order of the German armed forces. The MP.38 was adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1938. Initially, the main purpose of the MP.38 was to equip combat vehicle crews and paratroopers with a compact and light submachine gun. But later Volmer's weapons began to be supplied to the infantry units of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS. For shooting, 9mm Parabellum cartridges were used, both standard pistol and with an increased powder charge.

Automation works according to the scheme with a free shutter. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in bursts, from an open bolt. However, single shots could be fired by more or less experienced shooters with a short press and a quick release of the trigger. To reduce the rate of fire, a pneumatic recoil buffer was introduced into the design. A design feature is a cylindrical reciprocating mainspring located in a telescopic casing. The cocking handle is located on the left side of the weapon. Protection of the weapon from accidental shots is carried out by inserting the loading handle into the cutout of the receiver when the bolt is in the rear position. Late production MP.38 submachine guns and most MP.40s were equipped with a retractable cocking handle, with which you could lock the bolt in the forward position. The receiver is cylindrical in shape, the barrel has a lower protrusion in the muzzle for fixing weapons in the embrasures of combat vehicles. Cartridges are fed from double-row straight box magazines with cartridges exiting in one row. The metal stock is folding, folding down in the stowed position. Sights consist of a front sight protected by a namushnik and a flip rear sight, which allows aimed shooting at 100 and 200 meters. Although in practice, shooting was carried out, as a rule, no more than 50 - 70 meters. To reduce the cost of production, plastic was first used for the forearm and aluminum for the pistol grip body.

In practice, the MP.38 submachine gun, although it demonstrated high combat qualities in combination with ease of transportation and small size, was too expensive for mass production in wartime conditions, since many parts were made on milling equipment during manufacture. As a result, in 1940, the MP.38 was upgraded to reduce production costs, which was achieved by replacing milling with steel sheet stamping. In April 1940, Erma launched a new weapon under the designation MP.40 and the order general staff armed forces was adopted as a personal weapon of drivers Vehicle, infantry, cavalry, staff officers, tankers, signalmen and some other categories.
The advantages are the low rate of fire, due to which good controllability of the submachine gun was achieved during firing both single shots and bursts, the weapon was quite light, had small dimensions, as a result of which it was convenient to manipulate it during indoor combat, which was very relevant for the urban battles of World War II. But there were also significant drawbacks, such as the unsuccessful placement of the cocking handle on the left side of the weapon, which, when worn on a belt on the chest, significantly hit the owner in the ribs, there was no barrel cover, which led to burns of the hands and intense shooting. One of the main drawbacks of the MP.38 and MP.40 was the two-row magazine with the rearrangement of the cartridges at the exit into one row. To equip them with cartridges, it was necessary to use a special device, since the effort when manually sending cartridges to the store was excessive. In conditions of long-term lack of care for weapons and ingress of dirt or sand into the hull, the magazines worked extremely unreliably, causing frequent delays in firing. Instead of 32 rounds, the store was equipped with 27 rounds to prevent the feeder spring from settling, which was revealed during the operation of the weapon.

Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 833/630 mm
Barrel length: 251 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4.2 kg.
Rate of fire: 500 rds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds

MP.40 submachine gun
The MP.38, although it demonstrated high combat qualities combined with ease of transportation and small size, was too expensive for mass production in wartime conditions, since many parts were made on milling equipment during manufacture. As a result, in 1940, the MP.38 was upgraded to reduce production costs, which was achieved by replacing milling with steel sheet stamping. In April 1940, Erma launched a new weapon under the designation MP.40 and by order of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, it was adopted as a personal weapon for vehicle drivers, infantry, cavalry, staff officers, tankers, signalmen and some other categories. In the production of the MP.40, stamping and welding, spot welding, drawing were widely used, and in addition, they switched to lower quality steel. In 1940, the Austrian firm Steyr-Daimler-Puch was involved in the production of the MP.40 with excellent technological equipment and well-trained workers, and in 1941 production was also launched by C.G. haenel.

Automation works according to the scheme with a free shutter. The trigger mechanism allows firing only in bursts, from an open bolt. However, single shots could be fired by more or less experienced shooters with a short press and a quick release of the trigger. To reduce the rate of fire, a pneumatic recoil buffer was introduced into the design. A design feature is a cylindrical reciprocating mainspring located in a telescopic casing. The cocking handle is located on the left side of the weapon. Protection of the weapon from accidental shots is carried out by inserting the loading handle into the cutout of the receiver when the bolt is in the rear position. Late production MP.38 submachine guns and most MP.40s were equipped with a retractable cocking handle, with which you could lock the bolt in the forward position. The receiver is cylindrical in shape, the barrel has a lower protrusion in the muzzle for fixing weapons in the embrasures of combat vehicles.

Cartridges are fed from double-row straight box magazines with cartridges exiting in one row. However, during the war, in order to speed up reloading and increase firepower, two variants of the standard MP.40 were designed and produced in small volumes, equipped with a double magazine receiver with the possibility of transverse displacement. The shifting receiver for two magazines made it possible to quickly put the equipped magazine in place of the empty one. These variants, which received the designations MP.40-I and MP.40-II, were produced by the Austrian company Steyr, due to the identified design flaws, which gave frequent delays in difficult operating conditions, they did not receive further distribution. The metal stock is folding, folding down in the stowed position. Sights consist of a front sight protected by a namushnik and a flip rear sight, which allows aimed shooting at 100 and 200 meters. Although in practice, shooting was carried out, as a rule, no more than 50 - 70 meters. To reduce the cost of production, plastic was first used for the forearm and aluminum for the pistol grip body.
The set of each MP.40 included six stores and a lever device for their equipment. The large losses of the armed forces in submachine guns during the fighting forced them to switch to even more simplified production technologies and even cheaper materials. So in the autumn of 1943, Steyr began production of a simplified version of the MP.40 with a slightly modified design, which subsequently began to receive many complaints due to low reliability. The reasons for the complaints were corrected, and the cost of production of submachine guns decreased significantly, although the service life of the weapon also decreased. From the beginning of production until the end of World War II, about 1,200,000 copies of the MP.40 were made. After the war, these submachine guns were no longer in service in Germany, but were used for a long time in the armed forces of Norway and Austria.

Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 833/630 mm
Barrel length: 251 mm
Weight without cartridges: 4 kg.
Rate of fire: 500 rds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds

Submachine gun Schmeisser MP.41


The MP.41, as the name of the weapon suggests, was designed by Louis Schmeiser, the author of the MP.18 and MP.28 submachine guns, with the aim of creating the most suitable model for infantry based on the generally well-proven MP.40. Schmeiser did not make any significant changes, but simply provided the MP.40 with a firing mechanism and a wooden stock own design. Unlike the MP.40, the MP.41 submachine gun can fire single shots, not just bursts. Automation works according to the scheme with a free shutter. Cylindrical returnable mainspring is housed in its own casing. The trigger mechanism allows firing bursts and single shots from an open bolt.

The fire mode translator is a transversely moving button located above the trigger. The cocking handle is located on the left side of the weapon. Protection against accidental firing is carried out by inserting the cocking handle into a special shaped groove in the receiver when the bolt is in the rear position. The barrel is not equipped with an emphasis for firing from the embrasures of combat vehicles. Cartridges are fed from box magazines with a two-row arrangement of cartridges with their rearrangement at the exit in one row. The weapon has a wooden stock instead of a metal folding stock. The flip rear sight allows for aimed shooting at 100 and 200 meters. Serial production of the MP.41 was established by C.G. haenel. However, soon the company Erma, which produced the MP.40, with the help of a patent infringement lawsuit, achieved the termination of production of the MP.41. In total, about 26,000 copies of these weapons were produced, which went mainly to the Waffen SS and the police.

Main characteristics
Caliber: 9×19 (9mm Parabellum)
Weapon length: 860 mm
Barrel length: 251 mm
Weight without cartridges: 3.9 kg.
Rate of fire: 500 rds/min
Magazine capacity: 32 rounds

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