Russian Trooper armed with RPD and AK-12 during trainings in 2026

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Red_Dawn_2012@reddit

WWII guns still getting some solid use

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Red_Dawn_2012@reddit

Check out the year it started production and get back to me, buddy

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It entered military trials in 1944, had a few pre-production models floating around after the war ended, it was finally adopted in 1948, and full scale production started in 1953. It didn't see actual fighting until Vietnam.

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Red_Dawn_2012@reddit

If it would soothe your autism, I could call it a WWII-era machine gun. It had already been selected for production in '44, and underwent further testing until the war's end.

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Maxxonry_Prime@reddit

It was still a prototype in 1944, it hadn't entered production yet, and even if you did call it a WWII-era gun, you'd still be wrong.

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Red_Dawn_2012@reddit

Do you have any proof that the production was significantly different than the RPDs being tested in 1945? Sounds to me that it is, in essence, a WWII-era machine gun.

Same as if you take the design for the M1891, make small tweaks, and start a new production run. It's still a weapon from the late 1800s.

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Maxxonry_Prime@reddit

Do you have any proof that the production was significantly different than the RPDs being tested in 1945? Sounds to me that it is, in essence, a WWII-era machine gun.

Nobody does, but that doesn't actually matter at all. It wasn't used for any fighting until nearly a decade after WWII.

Same as if you take the design for the M1891, make small tweaks, and start a new production run. It's still a weapon from the late 1800s.

That's like arguing a Wilson Combat 2011 is the same as a 1911 from WWI. It might be based on a gun from a hundred years ago, but "based on" does not equal "the same thing."

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Red_Dawn_2012@reddit

[I have no proof to support my argument, but I'm going to make a comparison with 100 years of gunsmithing advancements behind it]

Sure, bud.

Russian gun design, from the M1891 to the AK-47, focused on simplicity and reliability. Something that was designed during WWII is, in fact, a WWII-era design. That's not up for debate.

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Budwalt@reddit

You're an idiot. The design isn't quite even WWII era because major changes do happen during procurement, the Soviets actually even switched cartridges from 7.62x41 to 7.62x39, and that the RPD would very much arguably be more early cold war and hold more in common with the guns of the early cold war

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Red_Dawn_2012@reddit

Fuck off, dude.

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Budwalt@reddit

No counter whatsoever

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Red_Dawn_2012@reddit

No, I don't have a counter, because I didn't bother reading the rest of your post. You let me know in the opening that you're a loser, so the rest of your opinion means nothing to me.

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Budwalt@reddit

So you are an idiot and my point stands. You're proving my point

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Red_Dawn_2012@reddit

You're proving my point that you're not worth having a serious discussion with. You've probably never seen an RPD in your life, and you likely live on the complete opposite end of the planet where they were produced, yet you get worked up enough about it to insult strangers online. Get a hobby.

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Pratt_@reddit

"Prove me wrong !"

Gets proven wrong

"Well I'm not reading all of that, therefore I'm right"

There is no way you're older than 14.

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Red_Dawn_2012@reddit

There is no way you're older than 14.

Says the one that opens with a childish insult lmao. The gun was selected for production in 1944. WWII went on until 1945. The design is WWII-era. End of story.

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Pratt_@reddit

Fr, with that logic the Mk14 EBR is a WWII gun, and so is the FR-F2 as it's basée on the MAS 36, who could have guessed the French military was using .308 in 1940 lol

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MlackBesa@reddit

Really scraping the barrel huh

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Pratt_@reddit

Well tbf, it's for training purpose apparently, basically every military in the world even in peace time gives old stuff for training, especially if its boot camp or initial specialization training, I'm sure even the USMC still as some M16A4 lying around in some reserve unit's armory.

If today any military had to increase its military force like Russia did, you'd see the same.

If we started to saw it in the field in Ukraine it would be another story.

They wouldn't have had this issue if they hadn't invaded Ukraine in the first place though.

But honestly something feels fishy with this picture... Like it's definitely a photo op, no doubt about it, but at the same time showing off a RPD is really not a flex but the guy is also extremely well equipped for a Russian soldier, and if you're in training you really don't need the IFF arm and leg band...

Ngl I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being an American LARPing later shared as a Russian soldier.

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Free-Engineering6759@reddit

I think RPD is peak SAW. Better than PKM for that role, although I say PKM is the best GPMG there is.

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JustACanadianGuy07@reddit

It’s so good that it was abandoned for the RPK (in chinese service it was replaced by the Type 81 LMG) and hasn’t been produced since 1960.

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RamTank@reddit

The RPK was more for parts/production/magazine compatibility. By Afghanistan they realized that it wasn't it.

That said, I don't know how good or bad the RPD itself actually is.

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DerringerOfficial@reddit

By Afghanistan they realized that it wasn't it

What indicates this? They’ve stuck with the RPK-74 for the 4 decades after Afghanistan

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RamTank@reddit

In Afghanistan itself nobody liked carrying RPKs, same in Chechnya. It was more common to just carry regular AKs with 45 round drums instead.

By the mid/late 2000s or so, Russia officially replaced the RPK-74 with the PKM and PKP as the squad machine gun, except in the Naval Infantry. However, Russia being Russia, this transition was never fully completed.

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DerringerOfficial@reddit

Russia being Russia

looks at small arms built before the fall of the last Tsar

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