Chambered for the 7.62x39mm rifle cartridge, the RPD became the first Soviet automatic weapon to feature this round. It was of a rimless, bottleneck design and saw extensive production throughout the Cold War - indeed its use still continues even today (2014). 100-round belts were seated within a drum magazine clipped under the receiver. A special mechanism was used internally to lift and feed the belt into the action.
The RPD was appropriately altered throughout its service life. Its piston and cocking handle were both changed within time and as operational service dictated. The gas cylinder was lengthened while a recoil absorber was added within the buttstock for more stable firing. A cleaning rod was issued and housed in the buttstock while a magazine cover was installed to prevent stoppages from dirt and debris. Despite the additions and modifications, the feed mechanism was never a truly sound effort for it was noticeably lacking in the required power. Additionally, the weapon's action was limited to full-automatic fire only which, coupled with the weapon's light weight, proved somewhat problematic for accuracy. Add to that the lack of a changeable barrel and it was up to the operator to ensure that the barrel did not overheat. A sustained rate-of-fire of 100 rounds in a minute was the absolute stated limit.
Production of the weapon spanned from 1944 to 1960 though usage extended well beyond that window. Operators were numerous and included Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Finland, East Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Laos, Libya, North Korea, Pakistan, Romania, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Vietnam and Yemen among others (see operators listing). The Chinese locally-produced the weapon as the "Type 56" under the NORINCO brand label. While the Soviets succeeded the RPD with the RPK line, the RPD still continues in service with select forces today (December 2013). The weapon's combat history includes World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cambodian Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War, the 1991 Gulf War, the 2001 Invasion of Afghanistan, the 2003 Iraq War, the Libyan Civil War and the Syrian Civil War. There have also been numerous regional conflicts utilizing the type.
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