PPSh-41

PPSh-41
General Historical Information
Place of origin	USSR
Designer	Georgy Shpagin
Manufacturer	Numerous
Produced In	1941
Type	Submachine gun
Effective range	150m
Rate of Fire	900rpm
Magazine	71rounds Drum Magazine 32 rounds Stick magazine
Ammunition	7.62×25mm Tokarev
General Ingame Information
Debut in FHSW	Debut in FH mod
Used by	USSR Germany Finland
Used in vehicles	War Horse SU-85 SU-100 SU-122 SU-152 T-44 Panther D

The Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina 41, or PPSh-41, is a Soviet submachinegun in FHSW. It replaced the PPD-40 as a less expensive option and was in turn partially replaced by the even cheaper and lighter PPS-43.

In game

The PPSh-41 is an effective, close-range submachine gun for Russian troops. It has low recoil and a short reload time, but not very good accuracy unless you crouch or prone when firing. The rate of fire is quite high. You get either drum magazines with 71 rounds or stick magazines with 35.

It can be found in certain crew seats on Soviet vehicles, like the SU-152 and T-44. The gun is a part of the vehicle and can only fire through one or sometimes two pistol ports. It is similar on the War Horse but the user has a wider field of fire and is also in full control of movement on top of wielding the weapon.

The less common german variant has a 32 rounds stick magazine. The german variant can only be picked up on certain maps with it. Sometimes the kit also has a Hafthohlladung which is a good combination for close range combat against both infantry and vehicles.

History

The Russian name is ППШ-41 or Пистолет-пулемёт Шпагина 41 and it was designed by Georgy Semyonovich Shpagin. The weapon was an effective, but somewhat crude, reliable weapon in combat but not without certain flaws. It was designed as a cheap and simple handweapon. It can fires 900 rpm with a range off 150metres. The first and the magazine with the highest capacity was a drum magazine with 71 rounds, similar to ones used in PPD-40, later models, from 1942, used a stock magazine with 35 rounds (32 rounds in-game), because reloading the magazine was faster. The submachine gun was one of the major submachine guns of the Soviet Army and it was also used by the Finnish army, who had captured the weapon.

More than 6 million PPSh-41 submachine guns were produced. Than sheer number of the them meant that whole squads could be armed with them, unlike german squads where most often only the NCO had a submachine gun. After the war ended, the Soviet took the weapon out of service. But other countries, like Vietnam, have taken the gun into service and later made their own variant of it. the K-50M. To this present day, the Soviets have used this weapon for more than 70 years.

MP-717(r)

MP-717(r) Maschinenpistole 717(r) MP-41 (r) (9x19mm Variant)
General Historical Information
Place of origin	USSR
Produced In	USSR
Magazine	32 Rounds 9x19mm
General Ingame Information
Used by	Germany Finland
Used in vehicles	Panther D

The Maschinenpistole 717(r) or MP-717(r) was the name of the PPSh-41 captured by the German troops in WW2. They were captured in huge numbers and used by troops until the end of the war in the Russian front. It was more appreciated by the German soldiers than the mass-produced MP-40. 

The 7.63x25mm Mauser cartridge that had been used for the Mauser C96 pistol could be loaded without issue into the soviet magazines. Which was good since stocks of 7.63x25mm was still plentiful which alleviated the ammo problem to a degree which is often an issue with captured firearms.

This gun was so well used by the germans that some captured guns were converted to be able to use MP 40 magazines. Those were then called MP-41 (r). Ingame these specific guns are called MP-717(r).

A 9mm barrel and magazine adapter were the only neccesary parts to convert the PPSh-41 to 9x19 mm Parabellum which was easier for the Wehrmacht to provide both in ammo and spare ammo. Altough loading the PPSh-41 with MP 40 magazines has one disadvantage especially in game in that it has the lowest magazine capacity of 32 rounds. Coupled with the high rate of fire means reloading has to be done often. The Finnish army also made their own prototype design to convert the PPSh-41 to use their Suomi KP/-31 magazines in 9 mm but it was not successful.

On the map Pavlov's House it can be found inside the contested building when it is under German control. It can also be found on pickup kits or gotten from the random MP/SMG kits on maps set late in the war.

On the map Earned in Blood the Panther D has an PPSh-41 with 71 round drum magazines instead of a MP 40.

PPSh-41 (Suppressed)

PPSh-41 (Suppressed) PPSh-41S
General Historical Information
Place of origin	USSR
Type	Suppressed SMG
Magazine	71 Rounds 7.62x25mm 35 Rounds 7.62x25mm
General Ingame Information
Used by	USSR

Fictious variant of the PPSh-41 featuring a suppressor since no production of suppressed PPSh-41 outside of prototypes has ever been done. The prototype version in 1942 was fitted with the BraMit suppressor. An issue was the limited length of life of the suppressor because of the high rate of fire and the design it had to be replaced with a new one after firing 70 rounds which is just less than what the drum magazine holds. While still offering good performance for a suppressed weapon the amount of modification needed meant that it never was issued.

On the ingame model the barrel, heatguard and stock has been drastically shortened and the front sight has been moved back for a hypothetical sight picture. Making it ideal for covert use and giving the space needed around the barrel to fit the suppressor. Although the suppressor adds length to the weapon.

It is available readily either in special pick-up kits with expacks or as part of "Satchel/Demolition Charge" kits on later maps, such as Alaska or Way to Paris. Just as with other suppressed weapons a player killed by them will not be certain what killed them.

Gallery

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