RPD

Summary

Country	🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
Category	Light machine gun
Manufacturer	Degtyarev

Technical specifications

RPD
Fire Rate	650 rounds/min.
Caliber	7,62 x 39 mm
Magazine	belt of 100 rounds
Length	1037 mm (40.8 in)
Weight	7.4 kg (16.3 lb)
Range	600 m (1969 ft)

Description

The RPD (Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyaryova) is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun developed in the Soviet Union by Vasily Degtyaryov. It was designed to utilize the 7.62×39mm M43 intermediate cartridge, replacing the DP machine gun chambered for the 7.62×54mmR round, and served as a precursor to many squad automatic weapons. Development began in 1943, with designs submitted by Degtyaryov, Sergei Simonov, and Alexei Sudayev. Degtyaryov's prototype was superior and accepted into service as the 7.62 mm PПД (RPD) model 1944. Mass production was ready by the final stages of World War II, and the weapon was officially adopted in 1948, with large scale deliveries beginning in 1953. It was later succeeded in Soviet service by weapons such as the RPK and PK machine guns introduced in the 1960s.

The RPD operates using a gas-operated long-stroke piston system with a locking mechanism adapted from previous Degtyaryov designs, featuring hinged flaps that lock into receiver recesses, controlled by angled surfaces on the bolt carrier. It fires from an open bolt with a hammer integrated into the rear of the bolt carrier, which strikes a free-floating firing pin. The trigger mechanism is limited to fully automatic fire, and cartridge cases are ejected downwards. A lever-type safety mechanism is manually operated, and the return spring is located inside the butt. The chamber and bore are chrome-lined. The weapon features a non-removable barrel with a three-position adjustable gas valve, an integral folding bipod, and wooden furniture, including a shoulder stock, foregrip, and pistol grip. It is fed from the left side using metallic, open-link, non-disintegrating belts, typically holding 100 rounds stored in a drum attached to the receiver, using a "push through" feeding design. Three variants of the RPD belt were produced in 50-round segments (Russian, Hungarian) and 25-round segments (Chinese), which are connectable using a round of ammunition. Sights are open-type iron sights, with an adjustable front post for elevation and windage and a tangent rear sight adjustable for windage and elevation up to 1,000 meters, marked in 100-meter increments. Windage adjustments on the front sight require partial disassembly. Some RPDs were fitted with a side rail for an NSP-2 night vision sight. Standard accessories included a sling, extra drums and belts, oil bottle, cleaning rod, cleaning kit stored in the stock, and drop case.

Several modernizations were implemented during its service life. Initial changes included modifying the gas block and relocating the rear sight windage adjustment knob. Later versions featured a non-reciprocating cocking handle and a dust cover on the feed port that served as a feeding ramp. A further variant, sometimes referred to as the RPDM, incorporated an extended gas cylinder and a recoil buffer. Late production variants removed the fixed drum attachment, instead suspending the ammunition container from the feed port cover, and had a folding cleaning rod stored in the butt, as seen in variants like the Chinese Type 56-1. American manufacturer DS Arms produces semi-auto and full-auto variants, including a modernized RPD Carbine with a fluted barrel, rail-equipped handguard, and M4-style stock components. Civilian semi-auto variants are constructed from de-milled full-auto parts kits, requiring significant machining modifications to comply with regulations, such as narrower receiver slots and removal of full-auto components on the bolt carrier. These variants must fire from a closed bolt and require the addition of a striker mechanism.

The RPD saw extensive operational use after its introduction, serving as the standard light machine gun for the Viet Cong and the People's Army of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. After being superseded by newer Kalashnikov-pattern support weapons in first-tier units of the former Warsaw Pact, it continued active service in numerous African and Asian nations.

Users of the RPD include:

• Soviet Union (former user)

• China (as the Type 56 and Type 56-1, formerly produced by Norinco)

• East Germany (former user, designated lMG D)

• Finland (no longer in use, designated 7.62 kk 54 RPD)

• Georgia (used by armed groups in the 1990s, out of service)

Additional users include Israel, Rhodesia, and the People's Movement for the Liberation of Azawad as a non-state user.