The RPD (Russian: ручной пулемёт Дегтярёва, romanized: Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyaryova, English: Degtyaryov hand-held machine gun) is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun developed in the Soviet Union by Vasily Degtyaryov for the 7.62×39mm M43 intermediate cartridge.

Mar 20, 2023 · The RPD was an automatic machine gun featuring a gas-operated long-stroke piston system paired with the locking system of earlier small arms developed by Vasily Degtyaryov. Weighing just 16.31 pounds, it was considerably lighter than other machine guns from the time, such as the M60, Bren Gun and M14A1.

Dec 1, 2001 · The Rushnol Pulemet Degtyareva (RPD) was fielded in the early 1950s and would become the Red Army’s standard issue light machine gun and squad automatic weapon. An evolution of other designs by design engineer Vasily Alexseyevich Degtyarev, the RPD is a gas operated, open-bolt, locked-breech design.

Jan 31, 2023 · The RPD was a belt-fed 7.62x39mm adaptation of the basic Degtyarev action that drove the WWII-vintage Soviet DP pan-fed machine gun. The RPD fed from a pair of non-disintegrating 50-round belts that linked together to provide 100 rounds of onboard firepower, all packed into a sheet steel drum.

Feb 15, 2024 · RPD stands for Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyaryova, (Degtyarov Hand-Held Machine Gun). It was designed as a replacement for the DP Machinegun recognizable in WWII photos by its large pan magazine atop the weapon.

Apr 21, 2017 · The new 7.62 mm RPD was 10 pounds lighter than any machine gun then in service and used a round that inflicted far less recoil and was easier to feed into and eject from the firing chamber. Like the AK-47 assault rifle, the …

Feb 9, 2023 · Developed as a portable, squad-level light machine gun, the RPD ("Ruchnoy Pulemot Degtyaryova" - "Hand-Held Machine Gun of Degtyaryov") was a further evolution of the storied DP line introduced in 1928 by Vasily Degtyaryov.

Nov 21, 2018 · The RPD was the culmination of Soviet light machine gun designs that began with the DP-28 of pre-World War Two days, and ending with the RPD, or Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyaryova. It was a lightweight, belt-fed from a drum, gas operated machine gun chambered in the Soviet M43 7.62x39mm cartridge.

The RPD (Ruchnoy Pulemet Degtyarova -Degtyarov Light MG) was one of the first weapons designed to fire a new, intermediate cartridge 7.62x39mm. During its service life, the weapon was modernized several times. The weapon was in service with several armed forces, both regular and irregular, and it can be found in many countries in Asia and Africa.

The RPD is a gas-operated machine gun using a locking system recycled from most Degtyaryov small arms. The weapon is hammer-fired and fires from the open bolt only; the weapon does not have a quick change barrel unlike most machine guns of the time.