PPSh-41

The primary submachine gun was issued by the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) during the Second World War, With over 6,000,000 units manufactured, it was by far the most prevalent submachine gun on the Eastern Front.

Design

Developed as a more easily produced alternative to the earlier PPD series of submachine guns, the PPSh-41 is constructed mostly from sheet steel stampings to speed up construction and reduce the amount of materials used in the process. Chambered for the 7.62 x 25mm Tokarev round and firing at a rate of 900rpm, it had an effective range of 150m with iron sights adjustable to 100m and 200m increments. A fire selector switch in front of the trigger allows the user to choose between semi automatic and fully automatic fire. While the weapon itself was renowned for being robust, reliable, and lethal in close quarters, the 71-round drum magazines often suffered from feeding issues and were increasingly replaced in frontline service by the cheaper and more reliable 35-round box magazines.

Historical Context

During the Battle of Stalingrad and beyond, the PPSh-41 earned a fearsome reputation for its close-range firepower. The weapon was a favorite of Russian infantrymen and even some Wehrmacht soldiers, leading to the German military re-chambering and adopting captured examples under the designation MP717r. The weapon's compensator, heavy chrome barrel, and full wooden stock made it surprisingly controllable even when set to fire on full automatic. With entire Red Army assault platoons equipped with the PPSh-41, the Germans learned to respect the short-range firepower the weapon offered. One officer decried the Russian use of what he called "gangster tactics" in his diary, likening the fighting style of Russian submachine-gunners to that favored by Prohibition-era mobsters wielding the American drum-fed M1928 Thompson submachine gun. A decade later, American officers facing the PPSh-41 in Chinese hands would remark: "on full automatic it sprayed a lot of bullets and most of the killing in Korea was done at very close ranges and it was done quickly - a matter of who responded faster. In situations like that it outclassed and outgunned what we had. A close-in patrol fight was over very quickly and usually we lost because of it."

Gameplay

The PPSh-41 is one of the best close-quarters weapons in the game, combining high rate of fire, good stopping power, and high magazine capacity into a single, lethal package. While recoil, particularly when using the 35-round stick magazines, is rather high compared to the MP 40, it can be easily controlled by pulling the mouse downwards as the weapon is fired. The high recoil, however, can put the weapon at a disadvantage at medium range when facing the MP 40. The drum magazine is unlocked at Level 25, with the Selector Switch available at Level 50. The PPSh-41 is used by Squad Leaders, Commanders, Engineers, and Assault Troopers.

Red Orchestra 2 weapons
Type	Weapons
Bolt-action Rifles	Mauser Kar98k, M1891/30_Rifle
Sub-Machine Guns	MP 40, PPSh-41
Automatic and Assault Rifles	SVT-40, AVT-40, G 41(W), MKb 42(H)
Machine Guns and Anti-Tank Rifles	DP-28 LMG, MG 34 LMG, PTRS-1941, PZB 784(R)
Pistols	Mauser C96, TT-33 Pistol, P 38 Pistol, Nagant M1895
Grenades and Explosives	F-1 Frag Grenade, Model 24 Stielhandgranate, RPG40 AT-Grenade, HHL3 AT-Grenade, RDG1 Smoke-grenade, NG39 Smoke-grenade, Satchel Charges
Tanks	T-34/76, Panzerkampfwagen IV G