The ‘Papasha’ is the daddy of Soviet submachine guns
SUMMARY
In the bloody battlegrounds of WWII, Russian officials had to call upon any and every available man to fight against the massive force of German troops as they advanced. The men that were recruited weren't too well-educated, so training the incoming troops on sophisticated weapon systems was considered too time consuming.
A durable and inexpensive weapon that any troop could effectively operate was in order and Soviet gun manufacturers answered the call.
What they came up with this time around was the "pistolet-pulemyot shpagina," lovingly called "pa-pa-sha" by Red Army troops. That's how the "papasha" — Russian for "daddy" — of Soviet small arms was born.
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Designed by Georgy Shpagin in the early 1940s, the PPSh-41 weighs eight pounds (3.63 kg), fires a 7.62 x 25mm bullet, and is capable of firing 900 rounds per minute.
Due to its weight and medium recoil, this short range submachine gun allows the operator to have tight groupings when fired.
The PPSh-41 in action. (Image via Giphy)This weapon proved to be just what the Soviets needed as the PPSh-41's stamping style of manufacturing increased the weapon's strength, allowing it to be fired in weather conditions as low as 60 degrees below zero and while it was extremely filthy."Because it's stamped out, the tolerances in this machine gun are very loose," Dr. William Atwater explains. "You can abuse this — and Russian troops did."
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Check out Lightning War 1941's video below to see PPSh-41 impressive characteristics for yourself.
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