At first I wasn’t fond of it. It’s been postwar refurbed and has a dented heat shield, and to top it all off it’s a welded-up new spec. But the longer it hangs on my wall, the more I find myself enjoying the sight of it. There’s something very appealing about the rugged simplicity of Red Army firearms.
It’s as common a piece as you’re likely to find, but a very distinct one. As iconic a piece of Soviet kit as the Luger is to the Germans. The Shpagin Machine Pistol (or Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina in its native Russian) is about as mechanically simplistic as a firearm can be. Easy to disassemble, clean and operate. There were two magazine types; the box and the 71-round drum. From what I’ve learnt, the drum was unpopular as it suffered from frequent mechanical issues resulting in jams.
There are a few crudely stamped markings on this one, including a date of 1944. I believe the ‘3′ in the circle indicates the factory, although I’m not one hundred percent sure which one.

So yes, not one of my favourites. But it’s growing on me, and is a necessary part of my Soviet small arms wall display.

Regards, B.B.