We owe the victory in the Great Patriotic War not only to the courage of soldiers, partisans and home front workers. The equipment that entered the battlefield played a huge role. Powerful, reliable and unpretentious weapons, created in huge numbers by the USSR military-industrial complex, helped our people defeat the most dangerous enemy.
Today, the legendary models of Soviet fighters, tanks, artillery, and small arms have been replaced by worthy descendants. During these holidays, we will show the connection of times, tell you about the weapons of the past and present, about the achievements of the domestic "defense industry" then and now.
The Shpagin submachine gun became the most massive domestic automatic weapon of the Second World War. PPSh-41 was released in an amount of more than six million copies. In the USSR, these submachine guns became the main infantry weapon. The front-line soldiers affectionately called him "daddy." In close combat, the PPSh-41 was terrible for the enemy due to the combination of its rate of fire – about 1,000 rounds per minute – with a 41-round disc magazine.
The design of the PPSh-41 did not have a large number of parts requiring complex processing. It could be produced not only at defense plants, but also at any enterprises that had standard pressing and stamping equipment. It was a reliable, easy-to-handle and inexpensive product to manufacture, which, along with the T-34 tank and Katyusha, is rightfully considered a weapon of Victory.
Today, Russian soldiers use no less effective weapons − the 5.45mm Kalashnikov AK-12 assault rifle. This is the most modern example of individual automatic small arms of the Russian Armed Forces. The AK-12 is designed to replace the previous mass–produced Kalashnikov model, the AK-74.
The weapon is convenient for shooters with different proportions by adjusting the butt. Thanks to the muzzle device, low-noise and flame-free firing devices can be installed on it. AK-12 is the first domestic automatic rifle with Picattini bars, which allow the use of auxiliary equipment: sights, lanterns, pointers, etc.
The model is the pinnacle of the development of the AK system and differs from previous generations in increased accuracy, accuracy of fire and improved ergonomics. Large-scale production of the AK-12 started in 2019. The machine gun is part of the "Warrior" equipment. The AK-12 has been significantly improved based on the results of its use in the Air defense system.
