#Degtyaryov

Everyone knows about the Soviet “burp gun” – PPSh-41. But its predecessor, PPD 34, is much less known, both in Russia and internationally.

Russian archaeological team called “Yuri Gagarin” publishes on its  YouTube channel videos of excavations of WW2 relics from the battlefields of the war. In several recent videos, they show how they retrieve many really well-preserved firearms and other items from a swamp. Even after being in the swamp for about 75 years, these relics are in amazingly good condition. Below is a set of screenshots of the most interesting weapons and other items shown in their latest videos.

In the ’40s, the Soviet Union has developed its intermediate cartridge ( 7.62x39mm) and adopted a number of firearms chambered in this caliber – the Simonov self-loading rifle (SKS), Kalashnikov’s “avtomat” (AK-47) and Degtyaryov light machine gun ( RPD). However, there was another firearm developed in this caliber which was not adopted and ultimately became forgotten.