CODE – 02-125-938

NAME – PPD-34/38

NAME (NATIVE) – Pistolet-Pulemyot Degtyareva obraztsa 1934/1938

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1938

CALIBER – 7.62x25mm Type P

OVERALL LENGTH – 77.8 cm (30.63 in)

BARREL LENGTH – 27.3 cm (10.75 in)

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 4 groove, Right-hand twist, 1 turn in 24 cm (9.45 in)

BULLET DIAMETER – 7.82 mm (0.308 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 5.64 g (87 grains)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 488 m/s (1600 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 671 j (495 ft/lb)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 3.29 kg (7 lb 4 oz)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 5.22 kg (11 lb 8 oz) with 71 round drum magazine

SIGHTS – Front – Stepped inverted “V”, Rear – Adjustable tangent type with square notch, graduated from 50 to 500 meters (55 to 547 yards) in 50 meter (55 yard) intervals

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 200 m (219 yds)

OPERATION – Blowback, fires from open bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Selective, semi and full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – Semi – 40 rpm, 100 rpm Full

CYCLIC ROF – 600 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 25 round box magazine, single column, single feed, 71 round drum magazine

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 25 round box – 0.23 kg (8 oz), 71 round drum 1.16 kg (2 lb 9 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 25 round box – 0.5 kg (1 lb 1.6 oz), 71 round drum 1.93 kg (4 lb 4 oz)

BASIC LOAD – 2 – 71 round drums (142 rounds)

LOAD WT – 3.86 kg (8 lb 8 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Sestioretsk Arsenal, Voslov, Soviet Union

STATUS – Obsolete

SERVICE – Soviet military and NKVD Border Guards

     Production of the PPD 34/38 was ceased in 1939 for no apparent reason. There are reports that it was the high-ranking military officers of the Soviet Military who considered the submachine gun nothing more than a “gangster weapons” and had no place in modern warfare. The Winter War with Finland beginning at the end of November, 1939 changed the minds of Soviet Command very quickly. The Finnish military, many troops operating on skis and armed with the Suomi KP/31 drum-fed submachinegun, decimated Soviet forces.

     The PPD 34/38 was immediately put back into production with an urgent modification requirement. Within days of receiving the order, Degtyarev had a drum design ready and samples produced. The new drum was based a great deal on that used by the Finns, but it utilized a feed tower so that it could be used without modifications to the weapon. The drums were of very slightly varying capacity, ranging from 69 to 73 rounds, but were generally considered to have a 71 round capacity. A small looped lug was attached to the side of the drum so that spares could be carried on a simple lanyard.

     Additional modifications to the 1938 model from that of the 1934 one was relatively slight and many intended to increase ease of production. The barrel was now internally hard chromed, one of the first submachine guns to have such a feature. The bolt had been simplified with the rocking piece for the firing pin removed. Now the weapon was a straightforward blowback design with a spring-loaded firing pin and later, an integral one. The barrel jacket was no longer a machined component but was a piece of drawn steel tubing. Later models of the PPD 34/38 had five rows of elongated slots on the barrel jacket rather than the earlier holes.

 

The specimen is of an earlier production model of the Model 1934/38. The cooling slots for air circulation on the barrel jacket make up 7 rows of 8 slots each, the slots being 7.9 mm (.031 in) wide and 23.6 mm (0.93 in) long. They are cut into the barrel jacket that is itself machined from solid stock. The bolt is in the forward position and locked in place. The safety on the PPD 34/38 is the sliding locking bar on the upper side of the cocking handle. It can be slipped into the square notch at the front or rear of the cocking handle slot, and lock the bolt in position. The rear (cocked) cocking handle slot can be seen on the upper side of the shot, above the trigger area. The flag-like lever in the front of the trigger is the fire selector lever, located on the right side of the weapon. The lever pivots on a pin at the front of the selector, as seen in this view. With the selector rotated to the rear, the weapon is set to fully automatic fire and the number 71 can be read on the right side of the flag. The number 73 was also used on some specimens. This weapon is loaded with the standard 71-round drum made for it. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY
The specimen is of an earlier production model of the Model 1934/38. The cooling slots for air circulation on the barrel jacket make up 7 rows of 8 slots each, the slots being 7.9 mm (.031 in) wide and 23.6 mm (0.93 in) long. They are cut into the barrel jacket that is itself machined from solid stock. The bolt is in the forward position and locked in place. The safety on the PPD 34/38 is the sliding locking bar on the upper side of the cocking handle. It can be slipped into the square notch at the front or rear of the cocking handle slot, and lock the bolt in position. The rear (cocked) cocking handle slot can be seen on the upper side of the shot, above the trigger area. The flag-like lever in the front of the trigger is the fire selector lever, located on the right side of the weapon. The lever pivots on a pin at the front of the selector, as seen in this view. With the selector rotated to the rear, the weapon is set to fully automatic fire and the number 71 can be read on the right side of the flag. The number 73 was also used on some specimens. This weapon is loaded with the standard 71-round drum made for it. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY
The left side of the PPD 34/38. The square hold in the front of the receiver, just behind the barrel jacket, is a gas escape hole in case a cartridge ruptured when fired. The magazine release is the small lever at the rear of the magazine, on the underside of the stock. The drum magazine had a tower built onto the top of the body so that the round could fit up through the magazine well and feed into the chamber properly. The selector lever “flag” is pointed to the rear, towards the trigger, indicating that the weapon is on fully automatic fire. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY
The left side of the PPD 34/38. The square hold in the front of the receiver, just behind the barrel jacket, is a gas escape hole in case a cartridge ruptured when fired. The magazine release is the small lever at the rear of the magazine, on the underside of the stock. The drum magazine had a tower built onto the top of the body so that the round could fit up through the magazine well and feed into the chamber properly. The selector lever “flag” is pointed to the rear, towards the trigger, indicating that the weapon is on fully automatic fire. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY
Parts of the stripped receivers, bolts, and trigger guards of three PPD 34/38 submachineguns manufactured at different times. Each weapon shows slight differences between each other. The top (#1) receiver is the earliest model. It has very few changes from the original PPD 34 weapon. The bolt has been polished but not blued and the weapon has a longer, narrower, ejection port from later production. There is no stop inside of the trigger guard loop for the selector lever. The trigger guard is also machined from a single piece of metal. The center (#2) receiver has the same 7 rows of 8 smaller slots as does the earlier model. But the ejection port has been enlarged. The bolt, shown underneath the barrel jacket, has been blued and the sliding bolt lock is smaller and rectangular, as different from the #1 specimen. The inside of the trigger guard has a small stop on the upper front side to act as a stop for the selector switch. The selector switch can be seen in front of the trigger on the receiver. The selector is rotated to the rear, towards the trigger, setting the weapon on fully automatic fire. The number “71” can be seen on the side of the selector “flag.” The front pivot pin can also be plainly seen as part of the selector switch. Above the trigger mechanism is the cocking lever slot cut into the receiver. On the top portion of the slot are the two square notches to accept the safety switch on the bolt handle. The bottom (#3) receiver is from later production of the PPD 34/38, shortly prior to the adoption of the PPD-1940. The slots in the barrel jacket are much larger and fewer (4 rows of 3 each) than the earlier specimens. The bolt has been polished but not blued. The ejection port has gone back to a slightly smaller port from that of Specimen #2, but not as small as that of the original manufacture (#1). The upper front side on the inside of the trigger guard has the small stop lug for the selector switch. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY
Parts of the stripped receivers, bolts, and trigger guards of three PPD 34/38 submachineguns manufactured at different times. Each weapon shows slight differences between each other. The top (#1) receiver is the earliest model. It has very few changes from the original PPD 34 weapon. The bolt has been polished but not blued and the weapon has a longer, narrower, ejection port from later production. There is no stop inside of the trigger guard loop for the selector lever. The trigger guard is also machined from a single piece of metal. The center (#2) receiver has the same 7 rows of 8 smaller slots as does the earlier model. But the ejection port has been enlarged. The bolt, shown underneath the barrel jacket, has been blued and the sliding bolt lock is smaller and rectangular, as different from the #1 specimen. The inside of the trigger guard has a small stop on the upper front side to act as a stop for the selector switch. The selector switch can be seen in front of the trigger on the receiver. The selector is rotated to the rear, towards the trigger, setting the weapon on fully automatic fire. The number “71” can be seen on the side of the selector “flag.” The front pivot pin can also be plainly seen as part of the selector switch. Above the trigger mechanism is the cocking lever slot cut into the receiver. On the top portion of the slot are the two square notches to accept the safety switch on the bolt handle. The bottom (#3) receiver is from later production of the PPD 34/38, shortly prior to the adoption of the PPD-1940. The slots in the barrel jacket are much larger and fewer (4 rows of 3 each) than the earlier specimens. The bolt has been polished but not blued. The ejection port has gone back to a slightly smaller port from that of Specimen #2, but not as small as that of the original manufacture (#1). The upper front side on the inside of the trigger guard has the small stop lug for the selector switch. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY
The right side of a late production PPD 34/38 submachinegun. At this stage the weapon greatly resembles the PPD-40 that will replace it, particularly with the 5 rows of 3 each elongated 9.4 mm (0.36 in) by 5 cm (1.97 in) slots cut into the barrel jacket. The weapon is produced primarily by machining and was still expensive to make. The ejection port is narrow, almost to being the same size as the first production model. The bolt retains the sliding lock on the bolt handle to act as the safety. The bolt is locked forward on Safe on this specimen and the rear square notch for the bolt handle slide can be seen on the top side of the bolt cocking lever slot behind the bolt. In the front of the trigger guard is the selector switch with the flag pointing back at the trigger and the number “71” showing. This indicates that the weapon is set for fully automatic fire. The small curved lever on the center bottom of the stock is the magazine catch for this unloaded weapon. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY
The right side of a late production PPD 34/38 submachinegun. At this stage the weapon greatly resembles the PPD-40 that will replace it, particularly with the 5 rows of 3 each elongated 9.4 mm (0.36 in) by 5 cm (1.97 in) slots cut into the barrel jacket. The weapon is produced primarily by machining and was still expensive to make. The ejection port is narrow, almost to being the same size as the first production model. The bolt retains the sliding lock on the bolt handle to act as the safety. The bolt is locked forward on Safe on this specimen and the rear square notch for the bolt handle slide can be seen on the top side of the bolt cocking lever slot behind the bolt. In the front of the trigger guard is the selector switch with the flag pointing back at the trigger and the number “71” showing. This indicates that the weapon is set for fully automatic fire. The small curved lever on the center bottom of the stock is the magazine catch for this unloaded weapon. PHOTO CREDIT: US ARMY