First Look: Pioneer Arms PPS-43C Polish Pistol

Born during WWII, the Soviet PPS-43 submachine gun was developed by Alexey Sudayev, and its manufacturing process was quickly streamlined to satisfy wartime production demands. The PPS-43 fired 7.62x25 Tokarev cartridges from an open bolt, and soon became a great asset to the Red Army. Until now, variations of the classic Soviet SMG were largely unavailable on U.S. soil.

Historians and mil-surp enthusiasts have reason to rejoice: Pioneer Arms has resurrected the classic sub-gun into a new civilian-legal, semi-auto variation known as the PPS-43C. Now available on the U.S. market, this new offering from Pioneer Arms is classified as an ATF-approved, non-NFA pistol.

Imported by I.O. Inc., the PPS-43C is considered a pistol because its stock is permanently folded and welded in place. Folks looking for a great SBR conversion project can install a PPS-43/pm wz. 43 parts kit, from which the original folding stock mechanism can be taken to convert the pistol's fixed stock back to functional after it has been registered with the ATF as a SBR.

Like the classic Soviet SMG, the PPS-43C is chambered in 7.62x25 Tokarev and feeds from 35-round steel magazines. Though its closed-bolt firing mechanism was redesigned to comply with U.S. laws, the remaining components are made from a full-auto Polish variant of the PPS-43—as seen in the video below—which is known as the 7.62 pistolet maszynowy wz. 1943, and is virtually identical to the original WWII model.

David Fortier of Shotgun News and Tim Harmsen from the Military Arms Channel recently teamed up to explain the history of the PPS design and give you a first look at the new Pioneer Arms PPS-43C Polish pistol.