DSA's RPDS: "semiautomatic-only machine gun" may be an oxymoron, but that's not stopping people from buying them. Kokalis says this is one of the most interesting of the breed.

DSA's RPDS: "semiautomatic-only machine gun" may be an
oxymoron, but that's not stopping people from buying them.
Kokalis says this is one of the most interesting of the breed.
machine guns represent among one of the most fascinating classes of
weaponry from each an historical and also mechanical design perspective.
Owning any registered, transferable automatic weapon may be for most an
exciting experience. Nevertheless unfortunately, for the factors along with chain of
events described below, device guns are now priced way beyond the means
of nearly all gun enthusiasts. How did this happen, as I bought my first
machine gun four decades in the past for only $140 in addition the $200 transfer tax?
Government control of machine guns and other so-called
"gangster" weapons commenced using enactment from the 73rd
Congress in the National Firearms Act (NFA) upon 26 June 1934, which
imposes the statutory excise tax about the manufacture and transfer of
certain certain forms of firearms and mandated the registration of
these weapons to the NFA logbook (or, much more accurately, the particular National
Firearms Registration and Transfer Record--NFRTR). Just About All transfers of
ownership involving registered NFA firearms has for you to be carried out by this NFA
registry.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Subsequent legislation offers further limited acquisition of
machine guns specifically generating your procedures for obtaining them
more difficult. the importation involving NFA firearms was banned through the Gun

Control Act associated with 1968 (GCA68), as simply firearms deemed by the BATFE to
have "legitimate sporting applications" might become imported for
civilian use.
However, the biggest blow to become able to civilian machine gun ownership
occurred together with passage in the "MeClure-Volkmer" Firearm Owners
Protection Act of 1986. the pertinent provision had been additional throughout an
amendment through Rep. William J. Hughes that offers been passed by simply method of a
suspicious voice vote in the really final minute.
The so-called "Hughes Amendment" successfully froze the
number involving "transferable" device guns inside the NFA logbook and
terminated the particular domestic manufacture of latest machine guns that will could be
purchased simply by civilians. Device guns legally registered just before the
date of enactment, 19 Might 1986, are generally nonetheless legal to be able to possess and transfer
to others by simply civilians wherever permitted simply by state law.
Based upon this legislation as well as the Bureau involving Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms along with Explosives' laws derived coming from their
interpretation with the legislation, there are at current as well as most likely into
the foreseeable future three classes of legally registered machine
guns: 1) transferable, 2) Pre-May 19, 1986 Dealers' samples along with 3)
Post-May 19, 1986 Dealers' Samples. only the really first class can be of

interest in order to nearly all of us.
This initial as well as largest class of device guns registered within the
National Firearms Registration along with Transfer Record, are usually called
"transferable device guns" amongst machine gun collectors, and
include only device guns registered ahead of 19 may 1986 as well as during the
registration amnesty permitted by GCA68 coming from 2 November 1968 in order to 1
December 1968.
Prior for the closing with the iron curtain upon 19 may 1986, hundreds
of Class 2 suppliers rushed for you to sign up 1000s of machine gun
receiver tubes along with sideplates, too as much thousands of serial
numbered machine gun sears as well as bolts of all kinds, many regarding that are
still being utilized to fabricate legal, "transferable" machine
guns.
As regarding 1995, there were more than 240,000 device guns upon the
National Firearms Registration as well as Transfer Record. It's purported
that merely concerning 50 % of they are owned by simply civilian collectors and also that
the remainder reside in police departments along together with other government
agencies.
If true, your inventory pool regarding regarding 120,000 device guns
potentially readily obtainable for transfer to individuals is fairly low. The
mystique of owning a completely automatic firearm continues to be sufficiently high
enough to trigger the actual demand to far exceed your supply, that is quite

likely to stay frozen to the foreseeable future.
For in regards to a decade after the passage with the Firearm Owners
Protection Act associated with 1986, the worth of your transferable pool associated with machine
guns escalated inside a slow, nevertheless steady linear manner. However, as the gun
owning public became aware, mainly as a consequence with the Internet,
that it was possible in order to legally own any device gun, your demand as well as thus
values began in order to escalate in an nearly asymptotic manner. Today, at the
high finish it is becoming a hobby of only the really wealthy, many of whom
have purchased device guns with regard to investment purposes only.
As a new immediate consequence of those events, a rather strange category
of firearms, peculiar simply towards the United States, has subsequently been
developed along with steadily grown inside the final decade. So-called
"Semiautomatic-only device guns," simply by definition an oxymoron,
i.e., the rhetorical figure where incongruous as well as contradictory terms
are combined, have got become an increasingly popular as well as actually more
numerous. The Actual extremely zenith regarding this concept must certainly be described as a belt-
fed,
semiautomatic-only machine gun, such as the fascinating RPDS (RPD Semiautomatic) recently
released by simply Dave Selvaggio of DSA, Inc. (Dept.
SGN, P.O. Box 370, Barrington, IL 60011-0370; phone: 847-277-7258; fax:
847-277-7259; e-mail: customerservice1@dsarms.com; website:
www.dsarms.com).

A registered, transferable, fully-automatic RPD can always be a extremely rare
machine gun indeed and also will cost anywhere from $30,000 to become able to $40,000. The
DSA RPDS, complete with almost all of the net gear and also accessories related with
it and the couple drum-type belt carriers using belts will cost you $2,100, the truly
significant cost differential. Let's look at the original RPD in
detail then the approach the DSA RPDS differs via it.
Ruchnoy Pulemet sistemi Degtyareva
Development in the Ruchnoy Pulemet sistemi Degtyareva (Degtyarev
Light Device Gun) commenced during the late phases associated with Globe War II
shortly right after adoption with the M43 7.62x39mm round. Referred to as the
RPD, it had been fielded within the early 1950s as well as had become the standard squad
automatic for the Soviet Army and its satellites.
It has been the really first belt-fed device gun chambered for that 7.62x39mm
(M43) intermediate-size cartridge. It had been manufactured within the
People's Republic regarding China since the Kind 56 and Kind 56-1 as well as by
North Korea since the Kind 62 light machine gun. Extended obsolete inside the
former Warsaw Pact armies, the actual RPD is nevertheless useful to a range of diploma or
another throughout the world.
The RPD ended up being through today's standards what precisely is called a
"SAW" (Squad Automatic Weapon). by definition its salient
features should be directed in order to maximizing its prospective pertaining to employment
at the particular squad level. to in which end, it will end up being effective at sustained fire,

which usually mandates belt feeding along along with a quick-change barrel.
Other desirable traits are generally modest weight, chambering to get a moderate
intermediate-size cartridge, compactness, a new sturdy bipod, high hit
probability, successful human engineering as well as performance in order to RAM-D
(Reliability, Availability, Maintainability-Durability) standards. How
well does the actual RPD conform to those criteria?
Gas-operated along with firing from open-bolt position, the actual RPD will be a
relatively simple, locked-breech design with a minimal number of parts.
The locking system is, within general, much like that of Degtyarev's
caliber 7.62x54R DP (Degtyareva Pekhotniy) light machine gun utilized by the
Red Army throughout Globe War II.
When the particular trigger is pulled, the actual slide, containing the particular piston and
bolt group as well as riding within slots milled to the receiver's inner
walls, moves forward below energy with the compressed recoil spring system
inside your buttstock to end up being able to push a new round out in the belt and in to the
chamber. Your extractor slips over the actual cartridge and also the bolt arrives to
rest.
Locking requires location as the slide continues forward plus a solid
wedge from its rear end drives between both flapper-shaped locking lugs
and forces these into the receiver's locking recesses inside the
sidewalk (These locking lugs are not attached towards the bolt head along with can
be easily lost in the wedding the RPD is disassembled in the field.)

The slide (or bolt carrier) carries on forward which wedge,
acting as being a hammer, strikes your firing pin, that is not spring-loaded.
Empty cases are generally deflected downward via a new port within the bolt carrier.
After your propellant continues in order to be ignited as well as the bullet passes down
the bore, any portion with the expanding gases passes by means of your fuel port,
and after delivering a clear rap towards the piston, disperse straight into the
atmosphere from your open up finish of the gas cylinder. While your piston and
slide commence their rearward motion, there's a short delay prior to the
bolt unlocks while the chamber pressure drops to some safe level.
Then the locking lugs, riding within cam slots cut in to the
slide's best face, are forced inward contrary in order to the facet of the bolt
body and also unlocking can be completed. Ejection http://www.yobt.com/bdsm.html is downward,
out the bottom of
the receiver.
The RPD features a telescoping recoil spring system. This had certainly not been new
technology even during the time frame with the RPD's development as
telescoping recoil spring systems were utilised within the German MP38/40

submachine gun (and subsequently many occasions since inside both pistols and
self-loading military rifles--such because the Swiss StGw 57).
Telescoping spring methods have generally been employed simply by designers
when any compressed envelope would always be a significant project parameter. Throughout this
instance the assembly consists of a mainspring using a guidebook rod attached
to its front end, the tube riding within the rear finish of the mainspring which
contains the particular smaller sized spring, along along with a brief manual rod for that smaller
spring to end up being able to which could be attached the buttstock retaining plug. Inside an
extremely real
sense a corner spring assembly serves as a new recoil buffer.
There is really a three-position gas regulator around the gas block with
settings marked '1', '2' as well as '3', either
of which is arranged by getting an index pin. The first is supposedly for
normal use, but in my own experience, the particular RPD will operate more
reliably if the quantity '2' position can be used.
To modify the particular regulator, you have got to loosen and just take away its retaining
nut on the left facet using the combination tool within the buttstock kit.
Then you've to press your regulator for the right in order to disengage it from
the index pin. That sounds easy, nevertheless in the area if the weapon will be hot
and your regulator can be fouled, you will be forced to drive it out along with a
mallet. Each the actual gasoline block and also cylinder tend to be pinned to the barrel.

The slide carries an actuator roller (similar to people in the M60
and FN MAG 58 GPMGs), mounted on the left side, that fits directly into the
spring-loaded feed rail under the top cover. Attached for the feed rail
is the feed slide, which in turn props up single, spring-loaded feed pawl.
When the actual feed pawl can be moved towards the right from the reciprocating
actuator roller, the particular feed slide moves towards the left. When the bolt moves
forward to always be able to chamber any round, the particular actuator roller travels down a
straight
portion of the feed rail, as the belt must remain stationary from this
time.

When the cartridge clears your belt, your roller pushes your feed rail
to the right and additionally the feed slide as well as its pawl transfer towards the left, out from
under the many notable cover. Any spring-loaded quit pawl on the feed tray prevents
the belt through being pulled to the left as the feed pawl rides more than the
next cartridge inside the belt. The Particular RPD feeds in the left as well as during the
recoil stroke the mechanism pulls the actual belt and furthermore the next round to the
right.
Testing through the U.S. Army through the Vietnam war, conducted at
Aberdeen Proving Ground, convinced these the RPD's power level
and the 7.62x39mm cartridge had been marginal within their capacity to move the
belt. I do not agree which conflicts with extensive tests conducted
by the particular Israel Protection Forces.
Even beneath conditions of the actual very adverse fouling, it has been my
personal encounter in which if one of the two higher fuel regulator
positions can be used, as well as simply clean along with undamaged belts, the particular RPD
will function using a higher level of reliability. Throughout my opinion, RPD bells
provide the greatest cause for feed associated stoppages.
RPD belts are generally of the non-disintegrating sort as well as each push-through
link is connected by means of a short, spiral steel spring. two types of links

have been fielded. 1 features a conventional tab, which in turn fits straight into the
cartridge case's extractor groove, inside the way of the MG34/42
link.
A later version, a lot more challenging to load rapidly through hand, offers a
right-angled projection that matches from the base of the cartridge.
Both types possess a front tab which rides over a new lip about the feed
tray's cartridge guide, situated at leading of the tray upon the
right side. This front hyperlink tab is all too frequently topic to
snapping off, in which case the whole belt should be discarded.
There are usually 3 forms of belts: 50-round starting belts with a
starter tab with regard to loading without lifting up the extremely best cover, 50-round
ending belts along with 25-round middle belts. RPD belts could be joined by
putting the conclusion link of just one (except for the ending belt) into the front
link of 1 other along with utilizing a cartridge for you to secure them.
One hundred rounds may be stored in the drum-type belt carrier, which
attaches towards the journal bracket. About earlier models, the location exactly where the bracket
is riveted towards the receiver, there's a separate, spring-loaded dust
cover for your belt feed port about the left side. on later on models, the
magazine bracket could be rotated upward in order to be the dust cover.
There is also a spring-loaded dust include about the right side more than the
port via which usually the particular empty belt passes. When locked within place, either

lifting the the majority of notable include or perhaps stress from the belt's beginning tab as
it can be passed beneath your closed best deal with will pop it open.
Barrel duration in the RPD is 20.5 inches (521mm). Chambers along with bores
are chrome-lined. The Actual bores get four-groove rifling using a 1:9.5
right-hand twist (240mm). Lacking quick-change capability, RPD barrels
are threaded towards the mill-finished, drop-forged receiver by interference
fit after which pinned.
Operator inability to change barrels can always be a main as well as legitimate
criticism regarding this weapon system. RPD manuals caution against firing more
than one hundred rounds the minute. in the actual heat involving battle, such admonitions are
usually ignored.
However, operators will surely know once they have got exceeded the
recommended charge of fire, as the wooden handguards, devoid regarding virtually any heat
shields, will invariably burst straight into flames. I get personally witnessed
this about numerous occasions.
Russian little arms authorities had been well mindful of this criticism
and countered it with several arguments. First, these people maintained that will a
spare barrel increased the weight in the weapon system, each since it
had to become held using the weapon and throughout addition because detachable-barrel
machine guns are generally by design needed being somewhat heavier than
fixed-barrel equivalents.

Further they maintained which firing short bursts elevated hit
probability. This latter statement is certainly true, yet requires fire
discipline on the part of the particular operator and this isn't necessarily any given,
especially with inexperienced personnel in the heat associated with battle.
East Germany produced plastic handguards (also without having heat shields)
for the actual RPD, although to end up being able to my knowledge they in no way manufactured the
actual weapon
itself. Oddly enough, RPD handguards tend to be shaped to carry your weapon
only. RPD grip panels along with buttstocks will additionally be produced of wood. The
buttstock's peculiar clubfoot configuration is actually derived in the DP
LMG and also had been continued if the RPK and also RPK-74 had been introduced. That was
designed for you to implement your European practice regarding grasping the actual underside of
the buttstock with just about all the assistance hand.
Rigid, D-shaped sling swivels are attached to the left attributes associated with the
piston tube's assistance bracket and in addition the buttstock. Slings are usually
web together with leather ends. The Majority Of models bring any tool resource inside the
buttstock
that consists of the combination wrench, broken case extractor, punch, jag
and eyelet-type cleaning rod tips, front sight wrench together with cross bar,
gas cylinder as well as fuel port reamers, and fairly often the spare extractor and
firing pin.
RPD sights are more than sufficient for that restricted selection of its

cartridge. Any conventional front sight post, adjustable with regard to elevation
zero by method of a wrench inside the instrument kit, is included with a protective hood that
is open up from the top pertaining to access through the adjustment wrench. There is a
knurled nut, retained by simply an easily broken flat-spring ratchet,
protecting your threads around the muzzle, presumably utilized to attach a BFA (Blank Firing
Attachment).
The rear sight assembly will be mounted for the leading include and also features a
protected, open up U-notch. Elevation adjustments, throughout 100-meter increments
from 100 in order to 1,000 meters, are generally through means of the sliding ramp. Windage is
adjusted by way of a knurled knob on the left or perhaps proper side, based upon the
model. The Particular ramp must be lifted up, away in the protective ears, to
turn your windage knob. in the actual Red Army, individual operators do not
usually adjust their particular weapon's sights for elevation or windage zero.
A sturdy, non-adjustable bipod can be mounted straight at the particular rear of the actual front
sight assembly. About very early versions, it supplies a command height (the
distance in the barrel's axis towards the ground's surface) of
13.5 inches, with no lateral rotation achievable plus it could be folded
under the barrel.
The trigger mechanism is each robust along with simple, as there is no

provision regarding semiautomatic fire. A New hook around the about the top end associated with
the
spring-loaded trigger enters a window within the sear. When the trigger is
pulled, the particular hook draws the sear downward out of engagement with the
slide. Your trigger's axis pin will sometimes fall from these
guns. In your event that lost in the field, your gun is going to be rendered completely
inoperative.
Rotating the actual safety lever forward (it's found on the right
side of the reduced receiver just above your trigger) locks the particular sear throughout the
upward position. The Particular safety could be engaged using the slide group either
forward or even retracted.
Most resources indicate the particular RPD's cyclic charge to become among 650
to 700 rpm. The idea is within fact considerably more than that. My tests
indicate that the cyclic rate of most RPDs, together with normal military ball
ammunition and additionally the gasoline regulator set for the No. '2' position,
is really among 850 to 900 rpm. Nevertheless, experienced operators
can easily fire three-shot bursts using this weapon.
Five versions with the RPD had been eventually fielded. The Particular first
variant, rarely encountered unmodified, stood a cup-type piston more than a
male gas spigot, simply no dust cover, any reciprocating retracting handle and also a
right-hand windage knob on the rear sight.
On the 2nd model, the particular windage knob had been moved to the left and the

piston altered into a plunger design using a female gasoline cylinder. Any dust
cover on the feed mechanism along with a non-reciprocating handle were extra to
the third model. The Actual fourth model (called the particular RPDM pertaining to Ruchnoi
Pulemet
Degtyareva Modernizirovanniy) were built using a more time gas cylinder, an extra
friction roller on the slide and a spring-loaded buffer in the buttstock
to reasonable felt recoil minimizing don around the recoiling parts. The
final variation offers most of the above improvements as well as a folding magazine
bracket/ejection port dust deal with plus a four-piece cleaning rod throughout the
buttstock.
Weighing simply 15.6 pounds (7.1kg) as well as measuring yet 40.8 inches
(1036mm) within all round length, the particular RPD had been each as well as every bit as excess
weight conscious
and compact because the most modern SAW Since regarding this, brief bursts can easily be
fired from a shoulder mount with this weapon.
However, squad automatics, regardless involving how lightweight, ought to almost
always be fired from the prone situation with the bipod as support,
behind deal with as well as concealment. Employed within this manner, operators can
expect higher hit probability with most the RPD, at the moderate ranges the
7.62x39mm cartridge was developed for you to cover.
Several million RPDs had been manufactured. My close pal and
colleague, Mikhail E. Dragunov, any senior designer in the Izhevsk
Mechanical Plant (aka Baikal) and the son of the late Evgeniy F.
Dragunov (1920-1991) which developed the actual SVD sniper rifle, has informed me

that Russian RPD device guns had been manufactured in the Kovrov little arms
factory in the town of the same name.
Construction regarding this factory commenced in 1916 from the Danish
company involving Dansk industry Syndicate for that production of Madsen Light
Machine Guns. Construction had been not complete by the particular time of the
October Revolution within 1917. Vladimir Fyodorov (the designer of the first
true assault rifle--Avtomat Fyodorova M1916) has been subsequently charged
with the particular business of device gun manufacture as regarding this facility after
its completion.
The Kovrov small arms factory produced just about all models of Degtyarev
machine guns starting with the DP M1927 up towards the RP46 (a belt fed
version in the pan-drum-fed DP) and the RPD. Production in the RPD
ceased by the finish in the 1950s when manufacture with the RPK commenced at
Vyatskye Polyany. Absolutely No open up supply production figures for your RPD are
available. Nowadays the Kovrov small arms factory produces the particular Kalashnikov
PK along with PKM GPMGs as well as the PKT (tank variation of the PKM).
DSA RPDS: Transformation of a Belt-fed Device Gun to

Semiautomatic-only
The original concept for any semiautomatic-only RPD ended up being developed by
Wise Lite Arms. The Actual design concept ended up being taken by simply Dave Selvaggio involving
DSA,
Inc. and effectively improved in in order to a high quality, robust and also reliable
firearm. The Particular wise Lite Arms "firing pin plunger," that is in
the striker block and impacts contrary to always be able to the cartridge primer broke easily
and has been redesigned by Selvaggio as well as changed in order to instrument steel with proper
deburring and also had been in addition equipped with a new spring design.
The RPDS sent for you to SHOTGUN NEWS pertaining to test and also evaluation ended up being
assembled
from any Polish parts kit (the top include is marked using the number
"11" throughout an oval) along along with a new barrel and also receiver. Your six-groove
barrel features a 1:9.5 correct hand twist (240mm), that is exactly that will of
the original selective-fire RPD, other than neither the bore or perhaps chamber
are chrome lined.
To meet BATFE regulations, your trigger mechanism may be altered.
When your RPD trigger can be pulled rearward, the particular sear rotates downward and
out involving engagement using the slide. The Actual sear remains down so long as the
trigger will be held towards the rear.
The RPDS trigger mechanism will be quite various and when your trigger

is pulled, the sear will rotate downward merely momentarily, permitting the
slide to visit forward, driven through the compressed recoil spring
assembly. Subsequently, through the slide's rearward journey in
recoil, the actual sear flies upward to always be able to as quickly as once more engage the actual
slide and also hold it
rearward, thus permitting just semiautomatic fire.
Another BATFE requirement regarding firearms regarding this type is often that they
must fire from the closed-bolt position. Since the actual original RPD, as
previously described, fires from the open-bolt position, any steel block,
called the actual "striker," ended up being installed facing the
reciprocating components (the slide as well as piston, bolt group as well as recoil
spring assembly).
The striker contains a new secondary firing pin, that DSA refers to as
the "firing pin plunger." Within addition, the bolt carrier was
shortened. Once the slide along with bolt occur forward, the wedge forces the
two flapper-shaped locking lugs in to be able to the receiver's locking
recesses around the side walls as in the full-auto version.
The slide (or bolt carrier) continues forward and this wedge,
acting like a hammer, strikes the firing pin, which can be not spring-loaded.
But now your firing pin, within turn, impacts contrary to be able to the rear end of the
striker, that is resting totally forward, and forces your spring-loaded

firing pin plunger to ignite the particular cartridge's primer as well as fire the
weapon from the needed closed-bolt position.
A rather straightforward remedy applied for you to a rather simple operating
mechanism has resulted in a rather simple, yet fairly brilliant,
oxymoron: an entirely dependable semiautomatic-only, belt-fed device gun.
The DSA RPDS comes total with almost all the original area deployment kit,
which consists of the gun, a couple of 100-round drum-type belt carriers together with belts
and web pouches, an internet hold bag for that weapon, sling, any one-piece
cleaning rod stored about the left side with the weapon, the complete
buttstock resource using a spare firing pin along with spring, a BFA (Blank
Firing Adapter) plus a hard case.
For those that haven't any interest in owning any semiautomatic-only RPD
that remains in the exact configuration with the original, from the spring
of 2011 DSA will introduce a brand new compact, lightweight, modernized model
with a amount of extremely unusual features. This kind of new and also totally redesigned RPDS
will feature a lightweight, aluminum-alloy lower receiver. This will
accept the particular US SAW grip, as well as an AR-15/M16 buffer tube for installation of
a Magpul or perhaps Troy Industries collapsible buttstock assembly and also will
feature the shortened and fluted barrel. the aluminum-alloy handguard
assembly will feature removable MIL-STD-1913 rail interfaces.
While this racy configuration will surely appeal in order to many, I will

continue to favor the particular RPDS that retains the actual original's
configuration along with appearance. Yet Another project about a way more distant horizon
will become an RPDS within caliber 5.56x45mm NATO.
Our test and evaluation in the DSA RPDS consisted regarding hundreds of
rounds involving assorted military ball ammunition from Yugoslavia, Russia and
the People's Republic involving China. We created absolutely no make an effort to fire this
weapon in the bench to obtain precise accuracy results, as no one
buying this is prone to use it as a precision match rifle. And, in
addition, the actual trigger pull excess weight is an extremely mushy 7.5 pounds.
Firing in the closed-bolt position, the particular accuracy potential
appears to become simply no far better or even worse in which the average rack-grade AK, about 3
to 4 moa, that is more than "good enough regarding government
work." Operation had been flawless, except to get a hardly any instances of
failure in order to ignite your primer.
Caliber 7.62x39mm military-issue ammunition often offers extremely hard
primers that need an extremely positive strike from the firing pin. A Amount Of of
the primers around the ammunition used in this test as well as evaluation could also
have been "dead" like a consequence regarding age. It's also
possible in which a further closed-bolt striker system sometimes produces
light hits on the primer. This is, during my opinion, the few zero real
consequence, as I recognize nobody whom promises to visit war with a
semiautomatic-only, belt-fed machine gun.

The DSA RPDS can become a brilliantly conceived semiautomatic-only version
of an infrequent and also fascinating machine gun in a fraction associated with the cost in which a
full-auto, transferable specimen would cost. It ought to interest a
substantial variety of military small arms collectors and also shooters
without sugar daddy bankrolls.
Disassembly procedures
Disassembly in the RPDS is actually straightforward along with poses few problems.
Remove your belt and clear the particular weapon. Pull your trigger along with permit the
slide to be able to go forward into battery, below control. Lift the really best protect by
pushing forward upon its spring-loaded locking latch. That could be removed
from the particular receiver through drifting its pivot pin towards the right.
Turn the butt trap protect at right perspectives to the buttstock. Using a
screwdriver, flip the particular recoil spring and also butter plug 1 quarter turn in
either direction. Carefully withdraw the particular recoil springs along with guidebook rod
(which rests before the massive mainspring).
Remove your threaded hex screw on the left facet as well as drift out the
butt retaining pin after your receiver towards the proper as well as slide the
pistol grip/trigger mechanism as well as buttstock off the actual receiver.
Pull your retracting handle for the rear and remove it. Withdraw both
the striker along with slide team in the rear in the receiver. Lift the particular bolt
and flapper-shaped locking lugs off your slide. the handguards can easily be

removed with a screwdriver. Disassembly with the gasoline system has already
been described.
After cleaning and also lubrication (keep lubricants out of the gas
system), reassemble in the reverse order, making certain the locking lugs
are correctly inserted into the slide's cam slots.
7.62x39mm Cartridge
We used a sizable assortment regarding military-issue ball ammunition inside the
SGN test along with evaluation in the RPDS. Much More compared to a pair of dozen countries
have
manufactured ammunition within this caliber. Ball ammunition is seen in two
configurations. most prevalent will end up being the 123-grain boattail bullet, which

usually consists of a copper-washed steel jacket, lead along with antimony sleeve, and a mild steel
core (Soviet Kind PS).
Serbian M67 ball ammunition in this caliber, too buy bondage gear as in which of
several additional countries, runs on the flat-based bullet regarding approximately the
same excess weight having a copper-alloy jacket and lead core. Muzzle velocity of
both types can be among 2330 and also 2400 fps.
The boattail bullet travels point-forward concerning 10 inches in soft
tissue just before significant yaw occurs. From that will point the bullet will yaw
to less than 90[degrees], then keep coming back as a result of a point-forward
position, last but not least yaw 180[degrees] and finish its travel in the base
forward position. Total penetration in living tissue is nearly 29
inches.
Abdominal shots typically exhibit no greater tissue disruption than
that produced with a .38 Spl. pistol bullet since, after ten inches of
travel without yawing, your bullet offers usually passed through the
abdominal cavity. Regarding course, this round will be able to inflicting such
damage from way higher ranges when in comparison to a handgun.
The lead-cored, flat-base bullet is somewhat more effective. It
commences its yaw cycle after only three in order to four inches involving penetration. This
bullet reaches its maximum penetration associated with 23 in order to 26 inches traveling
base-forward, somewhat flattened and also retaining just concerning all associated with its
original excess weight (two or 3 fragments are usually shed inside the region of maximum

cavitation).
Although the actual flat-based 7.62x39mm bullet is shorter (.930")
than the greater common boattail projectile (1.040 inches), it'll be
expected in order to cause much more damage to abdomen, liver, spleen or even pancreas
because the actual bullet passes by means of these organs with a large yaw angle.
Remember, if we've neither mushrooming nor fragmentation, yawing is
all that remains to increase tissue disruption as well as enhance the
bullet's performance--always provided and we don't sacrifice adequate
penetration.
ON THE COVER
The RPDS from DSA is actually Kokalis says, your highest kind of the
oxymoronic semi-auto device gun. He adds it's extremely dependable along with a
whole large quantity of fun for you to shoot. Photo simply by Mike Anschuetz.
Specifications DSA RPDS
Caliber: 7.62x39mm.
Operation: Gas-operated using three-position regulator. Locking
system similar to DP LMG with a pair of flapper-shaped lugs

in which engage recesses on the receiver's facet walls.
Fires semiautomatic-only in the closed-bolt
position.
Feed mechanism: Belt-fed having a single, spring-loaded feed pawl.
Designed to just accept non-disintegrating belts, with
push-through links connected with a short spiral steel
spring.
Weight, empty: 15.6 kilos (7.1kg).
Length, overall: 40.8 inches (1036mm).
Barrel length: 20.5 inches (521 mm).
Barrel: Air-cooled with out quick-change capability. Four
grooves using a right-hand twist of 1 flip inside 9.5
inches (240mm).
Sights: Front post-type with protective hood; adjustable for
each elevation and also windage zero. open U-notch rear
sight; elevation adjustments, within 100-meter increments
via 100 for you to 1000 meters, by simply means of a sliding ramp
and a knob in the rear pertaining to windage adjustments.
Furniture: Wood buttstock and pistol grip panels together with either

wood front handguards.
Finish: Black oxide (salt blued).
Accessories: Bipod permanently attached; sling, web pouches for
drum-type belt carriers along with gun along with buttstock
cleaning/tool kit.
Manufacturer: DSA, Inc., Dept. SGN, P.O. Box 370, Barrington, IL
60011-0370; phone: 847-277-7258; fax: 847-277-7259;
e-mail: customerservice1@dsarms.com; website:
www.dsarms.com.
Price: $2,100, total with the original field deployment
kit, including the particular gun, two 100-round, drum-type
belt carriers with belts and web pouches, an online carry
bag for the weapon, sling, a one-piece cleaning rod
stored around the left side in the weapon, the actual complete
buttstock resource having a spare firing pin and
spring, the BFA (Blank Firing Adapter) plus a difficult case.
TE summary: The brilliantly conceived semiautomatic-only model of
a rare and also fascinating device gun at a fraction of
the cost that the full-auto transferable specimen
would cost.
Text and photos by simply Peter G. Kokalis

COPYRIGHT 2011 InterMedia Outdoors, Inc.
Zero part informed could be reproduced without the express written permission in the copyright
holder.
Copyright 2011 Gale, Cengage Learning. Almost All legal rights reserved.

DSA's RPDS: "semiautomatic-only machine gun" may be an oxymoron, but that's not stopping people from buying them. Kokalis says this is one of the most interesting of the breed.

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DSA's RPDS: "semiautomatic-only machine gun" may be an oxymoron, but that's not stopping people from buying them. Kokalis says this is one of the most interesting of the breed.