While working in Poland a few years ago, I had the opportunity to shoot a PPSH-41 at a range near Kraków. It felt heavier than it should have as compared to the Sterling SMG which was the only other of it’s type I had handled previously. What really impressed me was the ease of handling and shooting. The 7.62x25 round had very little kick, and although it had a very high rate of fire, the rounds hit the target in a surprisingly tight grouping. While I was there, a rather small framed Polish teenage girl could handle it like a pro with minimal training. I guess that’s where it really proves it’s worth. Quantity might have a quality of it’s own, but simplicity and ease of handling makes it effective.
It seems like that is the Russian doctrine for weapons design. Cheap, simple to use, and yet still reliably goes bang when the trigger is pulled. It might not be the most elegant or refined product, but it works for arming large numbers of people.
It’s the heft that makes it so easy to manage, also makes a handy club if you run out of ammo. Had the privilege of firing both the original as well as the folding stock versions. “Papa don’t take no mess!”
Incorrect. The Germn MP38, MP38/40 and MP40 series all used the 9MM x19MM P08 round, NOT the 7.62x25MM round. The Germans did produce a kit that converted the PPSH 41 to use the German P08 ammunition; it consisted of an MP40 magazine and a specially made barrel to replace the original barrel. I am told the relatively few conversion kits worked well. Mostly the Germans used the PPSH41 with captured Soviet ammunition.
It came with a magazine well conversion to take MP40 magazines, locks into the PPSH 41's mag well and has a push button on the side to release the MP40 mags. I picked up a replica years ago and should have picked up some MP40 mags to go with it since they've jumped up in price quite a bit! I plan on using it on a semi auto PPSH-41 build I'll get around to one day, thankfully with a little sanding cheap Vigeron mags will fit the MP40 mag conversion, should be a fun little build, and thankfully I picked up some 7.62x25 when it was MUCH cheaper than it is today!
Actually, unconverted PPSh-41s would shoot the 7.63x25 Mauser cartridge, and that's what the Germans (and the Finns) mostly used on captured PPSh-41s. However, they preferred captured Soviet ammo whenever it could be found, as it packed a bigger punch.
@@robertharper3754 Great comment !!! How many of us have seen that iconic picture of Stalingrad with the Kraut wielding the weapon that we are talking about 16:46
Soviet’s had only one drill 7,62 Rifle, smg, Mg even Nagant revolver. Mauser 7,63mm became Bolo Mauser just hot +P Mauser ammo 7,62mm in TT pistol/ PPD 34
The Germans botched their opportunity to deal with this weapon. Firstly the German Army HWA messed up the specification for the G.41 rifle leading to a bulky and unreliable weapon. By the time the G.43 was introduced in 1944 it was too late. Had the G.41 been a success by 1942-43 would have been available in numbers equipping whole squads or at least 2 designated marksmen able to take out the Russia PPsH squads at a distance at a higher rate of fire. Secondly the successful StG 44 was tested in 1942 as the MKB42(H) and was essentially perfected by early 1943. Dithering and Hitlers concerns meant it was roled out as the MP43 and MP44 to replace the MP40 instead of supplying the whole squad (including the MG42) . That meant only the Squad Leader and Maybe assistant would get one instead of the whole squad. Had there been less dithering on this much larger numbers could have been in service to deal with PPsH . The StG 44 could easily deal with the PPsH by virtue of much superior range and accuracy and its semiautomatic nature which allowed fire power at a distance. Full auto was possible at close range. German Army tests showed that the StG 44 firing the 7.92 x 33 Kurz round was more accurate at 600m than the full caliber 7.92mm Mauser round fired from a K98 by an average solider.
The Russians were slaughtered by the Finns with the Suomi submachinegun and it's 71 round drum magazine in the 1939 Winter War. This is Russia's take on the Suomi but the magazines were not necessarily interchangeable with other guns because of substandard workmanship. Hence they went to the stick mag.
The Chinese communist army keep using that PPsh 41 during 1950s/60s. But they stop using that drum magazine after the Korean war. Using solely the very reliable 35 rounds curved box magazine. In some old photos taken from the British side of Hong Kong, Chinese border guard was carrying Ppsh41 with curved magazine.
I had read once that it wasn't generally possible to pick up any magazine and fit it to any PPSH due to differences in manufacture and it's nice to hear this as fact. What I heard was that troops would find a couple of mags that would work with their weapon an hang on to them.
While I'm not a historian, I've heard of the technological, economical, and logistical problems with manufacturing and supplying multiple working magazines to individual soldiers in the early 20th century. That's probably why the average rifleman was expected to just keep loading the same magazine in their rifle with cheap mass produced clips holding the ammo together for loading into a magazine. However, once full auto comes into the mix, clips start showing their limitations much more than belts or detachable magazines.
@@squeakydolphin9615 correct yet here in Australia during WW@ our troops were issued with Smellies and they used stripper clips for reloading as you mention.
@@potrzebieneuman4702 The lee-enfield rifles had pretty advanced magazines in its day. 10 round double stacked detachable magazines were quite the boon in a time where 5 round non detachable magazines were common. I heard of some rifles having their magazines chained to the weapon to avoid being lost by soldiers. Even still, I imagine the detachable magazines were more so served to improve weapon maintenance than loading which was still largely done with clips.
Good Discussion On The P.P.S.H. 41! -Will You Come Out With Another Intriguing Weapon In The Soviet Arsenal? -Such As The T-34 Tank-Tuirreted B.K.A Or "Bronkrater" Armored Patrol Gunboat?
The double barreled Italian gun was made to be mounted on a plane. Soldiers repurposed it for infantry use. Theres a lot of misinformation in this video
The reason why no other army adopted the SMG only units was it was impracticable. These units were only effective at point blank range. To get into range the SMG units would suffer massive casualties. The Soviets were willing to suffer these casualties no other nation was. Except Japan which is curious that they never adopted them.
The heck was that the reason! The two real reasons were that at the time it wasn't so easy to develop an effective SMG, capable of mass production and that the pistol rounds in use by most world powers did have a limited range; the 45 ACP = 25-50 m, almost useless beyond this; the 9x19 mm = 50-100 m, at 100 m and beyond, the impact power of the round is insufficient. The 7.62x25 mm Tokarev retains both the power and precision at 150 m and to a degree even at 200 m.
I agree, a smg unit would not be able to cope with infantry beyond 200 or so meters, who could happily whittle them away, especially as they had squad machine guns.
@@matovicmmilan The limited effective range of pistol ammo is a point, but 25-50 m range you are talking about is from a hand held pistol. The Thompson and later the M3 greasegun used the same round and was regarded as effective.
Why they issued Lend and Lease Thompson Smg, and Colt 1911A1? And Tank’S fighter Plane’s , used US truck’s ? Germany = Europe made 1939-1945 less truck’s than US gave to USSR😂
Cheap, mass-producible, and virtually soldier-proof...what was not to like? The Germans were so impressed by it that unmodified weapons were supplied with either captured Tokarev 7.62 x25 mm rounds, or Mauser 7.63 mm (the action usually had loose enough tolerances that it was OK), this was designated MP 717(r). Some were modified to take 9 mm Parabellum rounds, these were designated MP41(r).
the ppsh41 was just plain sexy, there are some diggers on another channel I watch that dig battlefields looking for fallen soldiers from both sides and I have seen them find a few ppsh41's. I guess I like them because they look like a Soviet version of a Thompson. Cheers
The famous "STEN" SmGs maybe!?🤔 Brits were famous with "STEN" SUBMACHINEGUN which they geniously copied from germans famous SmGs... THE "MACHINENPISTOLE-MP40"..
If you are ignorant of Soviet military doctrine since 1934, then your understanding is limited to " quantity has a quality all of its own" ( This phrase also serves to discredit and devalue the" papasha," a familiar western mantra at every forum discussing anything Russian ), but if you are well versed in Soviet military doctrine like col. David Glantz or the US military studies institute, you will understand that Soviets understood that losses are inevitable and, therefore, need to be replaced and quickly. Also, to penetrate modern defenses like the Nazis you need large formations and those formations equipped. All lessons they, the Soviets learned in WW1 and the civil war . You can't meet those goals if the weapons are complicated and need more than the necessary parts and operations to make them. The so-called "Ubermenchen" never understood that and were never able to replace their losses in the long term. If quantity was all that was needed , wouldn't the USSR have won outright in 1941 when they were at its largest numerical superiority ?
You didn't mention the PPS-43 produced in Leningrad which it seems may have been cheaper and using a box magazine was more than equal to the PPSH-41. Sorry you just did. Considering most casualties are caused by artillery, I doubt that any infantry weapon would be a battle changer.
Soviet copy 🇫🇮design in 1934 model. Drum 40+70 and smg idea’s 🇫🇮kp-1926/7,65mm+ kp-31/9mm. 🚩PPD 34,34/38 after Winter War PPD 1940, then 1941 Ppsh. ⚖️🇫🇮kp-44 is just 9mm PpS😂 DUX West Germany 1950’s
Others have mentioned the nonsensical inaccuracies, but I could also do without the breathless hyper-dramatic commentary. Sounds like an excited 14 year old kid on a sugar rush!
The SKS is a 10-round semi automatic rifle, not a fully automatic weapon as discussed here. There was a Chinese variant however, called the Type 69 I think, which could fire full auto.
The PPS was very short range firepower. Great in cites but not on the open steps. The Germans had the Mg42. It was truly a very accurate buzz saw and was accurate to very long distances. The German infantry was built around it. The Americans had the semi auto and accurate Garand. A who different beast. Accurate at distance and firing a very heavy duty bullet. Not like the PPs short range, small caliber pistol caliber one. Btw Drum magazines are very difficult to reload. That's why the Germans, Americans, British, Italians and Japanese never used them.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong again. The MG 42 only really made an impact in '43 and after, and you only got one per ten men. The Germans re-used PPSH41 themselves, rechambered for 9mm. Most counties used drum mags in wwII, they just stopped using them for reasons of cost, and, yes, ease of reload. Oh, and no one has ever praised the '42 for it's long range accuracy. Because it wasn't. It was a volume of fire suppressive weapon, which it seems to have done very very well. But look, the ppsh is an SMG, it's for close in, up -personal combat. Not long range firefights. For what it's supposed to do, it's a very good SMG, and facing a whole company of maybe 100 tank-riders all armed with one, must have made your Mauser K98 seem very outdated indeed.
Get real. You never heard of the Thompson (that's where the term "Tommy Gun" comes from). True, they dropped the drum mag during the war and switched to box, but the American (and Brits) certainly used them. Also, there is nothing special about the Garand bullet: just a standard 7-something mm jacketed round as fired from most military rifles of the era.
@spaxes1 there wasn't.... they rechambered PPSH's to 9mm..... 7.63 mauser and 7.62 tokarev are dimensionally identical cartridges, you wouldn't have to rechamber it even if they did exists.
@marine4lyfe85 it's not .01 different.... Russians measure the diameter of their bullets differently to western countries. If yiu imagine the inside the barrel of a gun, it looks like a series of ridges and valleys because of the rifling. Western standard is to measure from the top of the groove, the russians measure from the valley floor. They're the exact same size bullet.
It is a Finnish designed before the 1st Winter war...1940. It was then captured and copied by the Ruski's just like the AK 47 was inspired by the Sturmgewer 44 invented by Germany WW 2...
@@GodOfWar109 He didn't say the AK47 was copied from the StuG44; I think he refers to the basic concept of the assault rifle that was adopted by the Soviets after observing its effectiveness in combat. Also, it was the German MP18 that was the true precursor of all those machine pistols, including the Finnish and Soviet models. The Soviet innovation was to use a high-velocity necked 7.62mm round instead of the standard 9mm Mauser pistol round. That may have been born of necessity: the narrator mentioned that many Soviet PPSh s were made using cut-down barrels from surplus Mosin-Nagant 7.62mm rifles.
Despite Their Problems, The Weapons The Soviets Made Worked And Served Their Purpose And Did Their Job Well. It Helped Raise An Army Lightning-Fast From A Massive Pool Of Peasant Farmers With Very Little-To-No Mechanical Experience To Face Up Against The Moscow-Bound Blitzkrieg Tsunami, Outlast It, And Did The Reverse All The Way To The Heart Of Berlin.
From WWII, To Korea, To Vietnam, To Yugoslavia, And All The Way To Today's Ukraine, This Deadly Chunk Of Metal And Wood Lives Full And Hard By An Adopted American Idiom: OLD GUYS RULE! (And You All Thought It Was A "Boomer" Thing!)
PPSh-44 was not "crude" nor "little", dude. It has a lot more parts than a Mauser and was way bigger than a Lugger. So, please, stop using stupid adjectives.
@@michaelrumfelt3106 - on the right side of the sh... , indeed. So much on the "right" they smell even today as decomposing sh....pretty much like your opinion, tough...
@@memirandawong it’s not Hollywood, it’s a documentary, and I don’t need your ignorant view on where I should involve moral - especially in relation to the events my family, including my father and mother, was deeply involved in.
Soviet soldiers going in to battle with nothing but ammo is from the movie Enemy at the Gates, 😂. Even soldiers going to battle just without a rufle, hoping to pick one up, is complete hogwash. You'd know this from ten seconds worth of research. The myth likely comes from the first days of Barbarossa, when the Germans witnessed desperate red army soldiers breaking out of encirclements, having left their equipment behind. I hope you'll be more diligent in the future, you don't want everything you say becoming suspect! I really enjoy your voice and editing, it puts many professional docs to shame.
I think it might have happened in WW1; Czarist Russia had a fraction of the industrial base of 1941. I blame Czar Nicholas for WW1, he had no business attacking Austria, had NO alliance with Servia, he alone brought the house crashing down. The decision led to so many millions of dead so much suffering I got no tears for what Bolsheviks did to him and his family of royal demigods in a starving dying country. Its one of the few FAFO moments for the royal blooded.
@@WalterWhiteFootballSharing What business did Austria have by keeping huge portions of South Slavic including Serbian territories under its occupation and then on top intending to invade Serbia in 1914. Serbian-Russian friendship existed for centuries prior the WW1. Besides, Austria-Hungary(with Germany and Italy) prevented the integration of the historically Serbian territories which Serbia & Montenegro liberated from the Ottoman occupation in 1912-1913 by establishing the state of Albania on them. Russia protested but Austria didn't listen.
@@WalterWhiteFootballSharing Franz Josef had no business attacking Serbia as the Serbs apologized for the shooting and tried to meet all the conditions demanded of Serbia. The Serbs defeated the Austrians and German troops were sent. Nicholas although a complete incompetent in everything declared war on Austria as it was Russia's duty to protect all Slavs. At least he had a conscience. However WW1 was catastrophic for Britain due to immense loss of life but brought Russia into the 20th. century and the five year plan but caused the civil war which greatly weakened it.
It's not a myth. Commissars herded political undesirables to their deaths unarmed into German gunfire, the Germans found many with bullets in the back. It's well reported and I know from my grandfather who was an MG34 gunner and aimed every burst and knew exactly what he hit that this is true. What is you next myth busting? That the Holodomor didn't happen?
@@WalterWhiteFootballSharing You should read Sean McMeekin's "The Russian Origins of the first World war". For me it was decisive. Russia engineered Ww1 because it wanted to destroy Turkey and Austria. To do this it needed to destroy Germany which supported both nations. The motivation was to eliminate the Ottoman Empire and to Get hold of Western Galacia (Ukraine under Austrian Empire). To do this they connived with the French who were full of Ukrainian and deceived the British. They spun the lie of "slavic unity" but at the time were suppressing the Ukrainia language something which the Austrians never did. They didn't care about Serbs, they used them.
And the Kalashnikov remains in service all over the world, today. Truly a landmark design, with the rugged simplicity that Soviet engineering was known for.
Probably 1 million, bit Russia has lost 3 to 5 million fleeing the mobilization, that's where it's gonna hurt because these are Russians with education and the money to leave!@@emiliog.4432
Partly. They really only copied the drum mag. Ppsh-41 was based on the PPD-34, which was a development of the Bergmann family of smg's The Suomi was also based of the Bergmann. Lahti fixed some issues by changing the bolt and feeding. Dektaryev made similar fixes to the PPD-34 As a Finn I was taught about the "stolen KP", and it was humbling to learn that it was a myth :(
@@VikingTeddy The lineage of these guns goes all the way back to the MP18. The winter war howewer convinced the soviets of the submachine guns effectiveness. Beforehand it was not taken seriously. The KP was significantly heavier than the PPSh, almost a kilogram. This led the finns to take inspiration from the PPS-43 and designed the KP/-44. That's how it goes in engineering, taking inspiration from existing designs and improving on it.
Soviet Spy Vilho Pentikäinen stole blueprints 40+70 🇫🇮drum . Soviet’s just copy it. Inferior not fit every gun.. had to test if it will fit or no Ppsh41 😂
Papa don’t take no mess..! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-X3PqDLkQg5c.htmlsi=bLta_uE4FSb9lrlm Like the great James Brown sang: _”Papa didn’t cuss, didn’t make a whole lot of fuss, but when we did wrong, _*_Papa beat the hell out of us…”_* ☠️😂
