9 mm version of PPD-40 and PPSh-41:
Finns captured a little over 4,000 Soviet 7.62 mm SMGs during WW2.The number was too small for adding Soviet 7.62 x 25 ammunition to the ammunition
supply used by Finnish front-line troops, but at the same time, there was also a constant demand for more SMGs.
PICTURE: PPSh-41 SMG modified to use 9 mm x 19 ammunition and Finnish SMG magazines.
Research was done to determine if Soviet SMGs could be modified to use 9 mm x 19 (Parabellum) ammunition and Finnish magazines.
During January of 1942, the Battle Equipment Department of Finnish Army HQ asked Tikkakoski Oy about this. Tikkakoski found out that the
PPD-40 and PPSh-41 were reasonably easy to modify, only a new barrel and a new magazine holder were needed. A series of 5 prototypes were made
during the Spring of 1943, all or most of these from PPSh-41. On July 5th, 1943, an order of 200 modified SMGs was made, but Tikkakoski was so
busy that no production was started. On the 14th of April 1945, the order got cancelled. The Germans also tried the same kind of modification to the
PPSh-41 SMG (designated MP41r) during WW2 , but it didn't lead to large scale production either.
Finnish use: Only by Finnish frontline-troops until running out of ammo and very small amounts were used by
Finnish home front troops 1942 - 1944.
Finnish troops captured their first PPSh-41 SMGs in 1942 and, by end of Continuation War, some 2,500 had been
captured. The PPSh-41 was one of the two captured SMGs that were considered to be modified for 9 mm x 19
ammunition and Finnish magazines around 1942 - 1943, but that project didn't go beyond prototype-stage, as
SMG M/44 production was seen as better alternative. This project lead to PPSh-41 SMGs being warehoused for
rest of the Continuation War, only a small amount was used by Finnish home-front troops. After WW2,
warehousing of these weapons continued, and during the 1950's they even went through a repair project. Then the situation
changed, the remaining PPSh-41 SMGs were deactivated and sold to military personnel between 1965 - 1971.
