RPD (machine gun)
| RPD | |
|---|---|
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| general information | |
| Military designation: | Degtjarjow RPD light machine gun, 56-R-327 ( GRAU index ) |
| Country of operation: | Soviet Union |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Wassili Alexejewitsch Degtjarjow / Degtjarjowwerk |
| Manufacturer country: | Soviet Union |
| Production time: | 1944 to 1960 |
| Model variants: | RPD, RPDM |
| Weapon Category: | Machine gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1037 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 7.5 kg |
| Barrel length : | 520 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 7.62 × 39 mm |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 100 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Ammunition belt in belt drum |
| Cadence : | 650 rounds / min |
| Number of trains : | 4th |
| Twist : | right |
| Visor : | open sights |
| Closure : | Support flap lock |
| Charging principle: | Gas pressure charger |
| Lists on the subject | |
The RPD ( Russian ручной пулемёт Дегтярёва , Rutschnoi Pulemjot Degtjarjowa , literally: hand machine gun Degtjarjows) is a light Soviet machine gun (LMG) for use at group level , which was standard machine guns from the 1950s to the end of the 1960s the Soviet Army and the Warsaw Pact . It was replaced by the RPK at the end of the 1960s .
development
During the Second World War , the Red Army was armed with the light machine gun DP and its variants. Although a reliable weapon in the improved version DPM, it showed various shortcomings. After the M43 medium cartridge had been available since 1943 , the development of a successor model began in 1944. Vasily Alexejewitsch Degtjarjow's design was finally accepted, and series production began in 1944 in the instrument factory No. 2 in Kovrov .
technology
The RPD is a gas pressure loader with a support flap lock and has a foldable bipod . The ammunition is fed from the left through a metal endurance belt. The belt is located in a belt drum made of sheet steel, which is attached under the gas duct. The cartridge cases are ejected downwards. The piston and handguard of the RPD are made of wood, the rest of steel. The closing spring is located in the piston.
Versions
The RPD has been continuously developed without any new names being introduced for the respective versions. Five versions can be identified:
- The first version of the RPD did not have a dust flap on the feed and a button on the right side of the rear sight to adjust the crosswind .
- Like the first version, the second did not have a dust cover on the feed, but the button for adjusting the crosswind was on the left side of the rear sight.
- The third version had a dust cover over the feeder.
- The fourth version has the same improvements as the third and has a longer gas duct; the piston also has a padding. Sometimes this version is also referred to as RPDM.
- The fifth version is like the fourth, but with an additional flap over the feed and a multi-part cleaning rod in the piston.
The RPD was also manufactured under license in other countries:
- Type 62 : Copy of the RPD from North Korea
- MG Suez : until today built and exported under license in Egypt
In most armies, the RPD has been replaced by the RPK or similar machine guns. In some third world countries , the RPD is still used today.
literature
- Ilya Shaydurov: Russian firearms types. Technology. Data. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 978-3-613-03187-6 .
- Philip Peterson (Ed.): Standard Catalog of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide, Gun Digest Books, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4402-1451-6
- John Walter: Rifles of the World. Krause Publications, Wisconsin, IO 2006, ISBN 978-0-89689-241-5 .
Web links
- Maxim Popenker: Degtyarov RPD. In: Modern Firearms. world.guns.ru, accessed on March 23, 2016 (English).