Ownership experience PPSH41

[Nome Nomad]

Who here has shot or specifically owned a transferable PPSH41? I've wanted one of these things since I was a kid in the early 00s playing Call of Duty World at War on the PS2 and watching WW2 movies where it was featured. Seems like parts/ mags are quite available and relatively cheap. I've never shot or even held one being in rural Alaska, but that's been the case with most other mgs I own (UZI, M10, FAL, ect). Do you guys like yours? Fun to shoot reliable? Easy to convert to 9mm? I'd like to hear it all.

 

[Slowmo]

If you don't get any answers on here, I think Rekraps on the Machinegunboards sister site has one (or maybe two?).

 

[brenbuilds]

My friend had a C&R PPSh-41 for years. They are fun guns. Crude, but robust.
the recoil is manageable at 900 rpm due to milled receiver and forward weight of the barrel shroud. Parts are available and some will interchange between the PPS-43 and PPSh-41. The main issue is ammo. 7.62x25 surplus has dried up. The other issue is these guns are prone to corrosion with surplus 7.62x25 because they use larger berdan primers in a short case that, thus corrosive salts will form on your bolt, barrel, shroud etc. So cleaning thoroughly is important.

You can convert these guns to 9x19 parabellum with some modification, however they will run more slowly. Drums will be a bit more unreliable when shooting 9mm.

I've not shot 9mm in the PPSh-41, but when I was an 07/02 I built a PPS43 with a 9mm Pioneer Arms barrel and it was very fun.

 

[Deerhurst]

I've built PPS43 and PPSh and I have been unable to find any parts the swap between the two. Maybe a FCG pin? They are very different guns.

9mm conversion is simply a barrel swap. It's not difficult. Just punch the pivot pin out and the barrel falls out. your choice of your want to get to space the magazine. I wouldn't bother if everything works fine.

Drums have gotten expensive. I don't see barrels much outside of builder communities anymore.


The SA PPS43 has a different barrel journal diameter than the FA guns. I'd also argue barrels are more difficult to swap out than the PPSh but not by much.


My semi isn't real reliable and early on it loved going FA. That's been fixed for a long time. My issue is the receiver I built of off barely looked like a PPSh and all the dimms are incorrect. Never again, CSS, never again.


PPSh kit prices were $180 a decade ago. Now I've seen them north of $800. It's nuts!

 

[APEXgunparts]

I have a PPsH-41 that I purchased from the son of the USAF navigator that brought it back from Korea and amnesty registered the gun.
It is an all matching numbered gun, except the drum. That drum is really beat as the gent I bought it from played with it a lot as a child.
I have spent some time getting the dents out of that drum, and restoring the function, I just need to try it on the range.
My friend Jeff has one that he bought from an estate thru GunBroker.
They are both Russian WW2 manufactured SMG's.
They both are in the original 7.62X25, run well and are fun to shoot.
The PPsH-41 is rather heavy, and design details harken back to SMG's of the 1930's.
APEX has sold a LOT of the original sears, disconnectors and recoil buffer pads.
I know the buffer pads break down fairly quickly with use, and I think the other parts must wear out, based on the sales numbers.
Having handled a lot of the parts you can see a lot of hand fitting was done, and they tend to be roughly made.
Early in the war it was a grim time for the Russians, workers starved to death on the production line, conditions were horrendous, there was bombing and in some cases fighting close to the factories. The PPsH-41 was faster / cheaper to produce than the PPD, and the PPs-43 was even better for mass production.

Richard

 

[Deerhurst]

That's a beauty you have there sir!

 

[APEXgunparts]

That's a beauty you have there sir!

Thank you.
I will do my best to be a good caretaker of this PPSh while it is in my possession.

Richard