Ok, so last night I was playing a goofy videogame called Battlefield Vietnam, and I was playing as a gook slope North Vietnamese soldier with an RPD.  For anyone who doesn't know, the RPD is much like a belt-fed AK47. However it is not a Kalashnikov design, it was developed by Degytarov in the mid 1940s to use the (then-new) 7.62x39 cartridge.  It feeds from a non-disintegrating metal belt which can be contained in a special drum magazine.  The RPD was later replaced by the now-familiar RPK, a longer barreled AK47 that also accepted a drum magazine.



world.guns.ru/machine/mg14-e.htm


It was late at night (for me) and a strange thought popped into my head-- in a post AWB world, what prevents a good gunshop such as Ohio Rapid Fire or Arsenal USA from making a legal, semi-auto RPD?  Certainly there are parts kits, belts, and magazines to be had out there from former com-block countries looking to make a dime (coughRomaniacoughcough).  You would need to replace the fire control group and redesign the bolt and bolt carrier to fire from a closed bolt, but after you did that there wouldn't be too many more US made parts to replace for Import Ban legality so it wouldn't hurt too much to make those parts domestically anyway.  There are other belt fed designs that have been sucessfully converted to fire semi auto from a closed belt, recently there were two M60s on the Equipment Exchange in that configuration, and I've seen an MG34 that was done the same way.

So, why or why not an RPD?

yeah that would be nice to see, and no evil bayo lug or flashider to worry about either. I would be interested in see some semi auto models being made, lord knows I would probaby buy one, after the ORF HK94, ORF FNC, DSA AUG that I am planning to buy :)

Quoted: yeah that would be nice to see, and no evil bayo lug or flashider to worry about either. I would be interested in see some semi auto models being made, lord knows I would probaby buy one, after the ORF HK94, ORF FNC, DSA AUG that I am planning to buy :)

No kidding, I was planning on buying a motorcycle in the coming year until I saw what ORF has up their sleeves.  Now I know my money is going to THEM unless they screw up something real bad.

Don't forget the fully evil, post-September ORF Galil. Cha-ching! All my $$$ goes to you, master...


Those semi-auto M60s sold for upwards of $6000 with accessories.   Someone could build an RPD off of a kit that would probably cost $100 to import, throw in a few home grown US made parts, refinish it, and sell them for $2000 and people would buy them and they would be a pretty good deal in comparison.  And the manufacturer's percentage of profit would be insane.

The ammo might be more expensive, but a semi version of the RPD's grandfather (the DP26 "record player") would be neat.  47 rounds of 7.62x54R in a pan mag...woo hoo!

Duke, while flipping thru the Aug 16 issue of Shotgun News there's an ad for a semi RPD on page 108.  Kinda steep $$$$$ wise though.  pdmall.com

vector arms is doing that allready and they are $2000,

good luck try finding a parts kit though, they are all beyond $1000 if you can find one. also, DO NOT try shooting one with out the belt in the can, it will beat you to a bloody pulp.

double tap

Is that a FAL lower I see?!

Either nice for someone with Class3 FAL already, or an interesting way of how firearms designs come around.

I think the fact that the RPD operates with an open bolt is what makes it tough to reproduce in a legal semi-auto.   The ones made so far have use various lowers from other rifles, like the FAL, to give the extra space required for closed-bolt operation.  

As of now, I think anything that operates from an open bolt is considered a machinegun by the BATF.  

Also, watch the racial stuff Duke, I've read plenty of books on that war, and I understand why they used those words then, but as of now one of my very best friends is Vietnamese, so it bothers me when I see them used out of that context.  Of course I'm sure you meant nothing by it.  

Didn't mean anything by it, just making yet another lame/crappy joke.  I have nothing against them in reality, they fought valiantly and drove us out of their country while suffering horrific losses.  If I ever meet your friend in person I'm sure we'd get along just fine.  Just being a dick on the internet as usual.

I would agree with MBSK in that the price wouldn't be worth it compaired to an RPK. Especially at $4K
www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=22034191  Sure would be fun though.

I can't belive no one has chimed in...


www.vectorarms.com/indexframe.html

Quoted: I can't belive no one has chimed in... www.vectorarms.com/indexframe.html

Well I'll be damned... $2000 from Vector Arms, coming June of 2004.  American made reciever even.  Guess Ohio Rapid Fire won't be getting ALL my money after all...

Quoted: Didn't mean anything by it, just making yet another lame/crappy joke.  I have nothing against them in reality, they fought valiantly and drove us out of their country while suffering horrific losses.  If I ever meet your friend in person I'm sure we'd get along just fine.  Just being a dick on the internet as usual.

I know, I figured as much, and prior to becoming friends with him I would have probably made the same stupid joke.   It's all good.  

I'm on the waiting list at Vector for the semi-auto RPD, but I'm thinking of not buying it when it finally comes out.

I had a bad experience with a semi-auto MG42 earlier this year that was firing out of battery - the manufacturer (not Vector) couldn't repair it, so back it went.  

Cool gun, but a heavy bastard to carry - as Campy said, "... in semi, it's just another big, heavy rifle."

I like my SAR-1 and SAR-2 better

Quoted: The ammo might be more expensive, but a semi version of the RPD's grandfather (the DP26 "record player") would be neat.  47 rounds of 7.62x54R in a pan mag...woo hoo! Duke, while flipping thru the Aug 16 issue of Shotgun News there's an ad for a semi RPD on page 108.  Kinda steep $$$$$ wise though.  pdmall.com

If you're gona do that, why not do a PKM semi?

PKM semi... you know, for the price of 7.62x54R surplus right now, that's not a terrible idea....

Shit, why not just convert a semi PKM to 8mm?

Quoted: PKM semi... you know, for the price of 7.62x54R surplus right now, that's not a terrible idea....

A semi PKM would be neat...but I stand by my DP choice.  Neat as the PKM is, it doesn't have that Great Patriotic War nostalgia.  A semi SG-43/SGM or 1910 Maxim complete with the wheeled mount & chicken plate would rock.