Soviet PPS-43 Submachine Gun

The Pistolet Pulemyot Sudayeva submachine gun, abbreviated PPS, was designed in response to the Red Army's call for a submachine gun that was lighter, more compact, and (most importantly) cheaper than the PPSh-41, in 1942.While prototypes were developed throughout the year, the first significant production of the PPS occurred during the Siege of Leningrad within the city itself. The initial variant, dubbed the PPS-42, saw around 45,000 units produced from 1942 to 1943. In 1943 the improved PPS-43 was developed with several major improvements, such as: a slightly shortened barrel and stock, an improved safety and stock locking mechanism, and relocation of the casing ejector. Approximately two million would be produced from 1943 to 1946. Copies were also produced on a large scale in China and Poland, and in smaller quantities throughout the Warsaw Pact.