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PPS-43

The PPS submachine gun was developed by the Soviet designer-gunsmith Alexey Ivanovich Sudaev in 1942 and was produced at the Sestroretsk Arms Factory to supply the troops of the Leningrad Front. During the design of this weapon, the famous PPSH-41 was in service with the Red Army, which proved to be effective in combat and technologically advanced in production. But the PPSH had not only advantages, but also disadvantages, such as large dimensions and weight, which made it much more difficult to use these weapons in conditions of narrow trenches and cramped rooms in urban battles, as well as by scouts, paratroopers and crews of combat vehicles. The drum magazine used in the PPSH, although it had a large volume, in practice turned out to be the most unreliable and difficult part to manufacture. In addition, in wartime conditions, it was necessary to reduce the cost of mass production of submachine guns.

As a result, in 1942, a competition was announced for a lighter, compact and cheaper submachine gun in production, but not inferior in characteristics to the Shpagin design submachine gun. The competition was attended by such famous designers as V. A. Degtyarev, G. S. Shpagin, N. V. Rukavishnikov, S. A. Korovin. The victory was won by the weapon of Alexey Ivanovich Sudaev.

The PPS submachine gun is designed on the basis of a compilation of the project of A. I. Sudaev and the project of the technician-lieutenant I. K. Bezruchko-Vysotsky (the design of the shutter and return system). While food supplies for Leningrad residents were going to the besieged city along the road of life, not only refugees, but also new weapons were being taken out of the city.

The first submachine guns were field tested on June 6-13, 1942 in parts of the Leningrad Front, after which their serial production was started at the Sestroretsk Arms Factory. At the end of 1942, the submachine gun was adopted under the name PPS-42. The produced PPS immediately got to the front, thanks to which it was possible to quickly take into account and eliminate the identified shortcomings during operation. Already in the following year, 1943, an improved design called the PPS-43 was adopted (the barrel and butt were shortened, the cocking handle, the safety flag and the shoulder stop latch were changed, the barrel casing and receiver were combined into one part). Already in 1943, 175,174 PPS-43s were produced.

In total , 46,572 units were produced at Leningrad factories before the blockade was completely lifted in January 1944 . PPS of both modifications. The Sudaev submachine gun mod. 1943 was produced in the USSR from 1943 to 1945. In total, approximately 500 thousand units of the PPS of both modifications were produced.

In the early 1950s, the PPS was removed from service with the Soviet Army and gradually replaced by the Kalashnikov assault rifle (although the last Soviet manual on PPS was issued in 1955), it remained in service with rear and auxiliary units, units of internal troops and railway troops for a little longer. Armed with separate units of paramilitary security, the PPS was, at least until the end of the 1980s.