Ppsh41..The grail of ww2 airsoft

[Tobbe]

Lets say you had a bundle of cash to spend on airsoft, would it be really really stupid to buy a hudson Ppsh and try to covert it into a AEG? There are some info on the subject and a loy of ideas thats being tossed around but i cant say im wiser..so what do you guys think, is it doable or not?

Tobbe

[YankeeDiv26]

My guess is that it's do-able, just not worth it. I've been very suprised at how the brilliant minds on this forum are making custom guns, and doing it so well. I think somebody will be able to pump out a ppsh41 sometime relatively soon.

[Tobbe]

Yes..The hudson is about 600 euro..And thats a rater hefty amouny of cash on a gun that propells 6mm pieces of plastic 30meters..But still..one down for do-able:-)

[Guinness]

Schmitty's already been there, done that

[Jager.Drü]

Better off buying a parts kit and making the trunion for it.

[gryphon]

I'm working on a run of PPSh-41 AEGs right now, using the version 7 gearbox from the AGM M14. I agree with the general consensus, don't bother starting with an overpriced Hudson dummy when you can get a real steel kit for a lot less. The real steel kits can be used to make beautiful AEGs, but it is a labor-intensive conversion. If you like to tinker and have access to a good dremel tool, long drill bits, a grinder, and a MIG or oxy-acetylene welder, go for it. The hardest parts look to be:

1. Inletting the stock to accept gearbox and battery, because you have to hollow out down into the grip and up into the stock, and;

2. Modifying the mag and mag well so BBs will feed reliably. The receiver area above the top of the mag well on a PPSh-41 is unusually shallow, which means that the top of the mag must be trimmed away to make room for a BB feed. This is a lot of work because the tops of the PPSh drum mags are made from fairly thick layers of sheet steel.

3. Assembling the receiver pieces into something that will house your AEG internals without violating BATF regs.

I'm trying another approach. To simplify production, I'm having my stocks milled out in two pieces from hardwood blanks which will be laminated together. The receiver/barrel shroud will be laid up in fiberglass-reinforced polyester, or fashioned from 1 1/2" diameter thinwall steel tubing which has been stamped (OK, pounded with a mallet) in a jig to 1 3/8" square - I'm trying both to see which one goes faster. Either way, I'm going to end up having to mill the barrel jacket cooling slots in, which will be tedious - I'm hoping I can just buzz these out using a masonite guide and an 1/8" drill bit chucked into a drywall hole cutter. My mags will be fiberglass; the drum mag will be a hi-cap, the stick mag a mid-cap. I'm shooting for a retail price of just under $500 for the AEG with the choice of one drum mag or three stick mags, but we'll see. Real-steel conversion PPSh AEGs seem to sell for around $750 or more, when you can find one.

[schmitty]

Since Tobbe started by saying "you had a bundle of cash" I'm assuming money is no object, then I would say starting with a Hudson replica isn't such a bad idea. Even though parts kits are very available they are so cut up and missing the trunion and reciever top that it makes for a ton of work to put back together. At least with the Hudson it already looks good plus you wouldn't have to worry about the legality of welding it back together.

I think using a Hudson replica is a good option. I do have a PPSH-41 I made years ago for my wife (who did a Russian impression at the time) out of a real parts kit using a modified verIII gearbox and an M4 type hop up. The hardest part for me was probaby the trigger. The height of the gearbox was such a tight fit that it left hardly any room for a trigger mechanism. I used the real original triger that moves a long rod up to the front of the gearbox where it triggers a micro switch.

Schmitty

[gryphon]

A friend of mine recently loaned me a dummy PPSh-41 he bought somewhere, that might (I say MIGHT) make a decent conversion weapon. The receiver/barrel shroud/sights/receiver catch are all a single piece of sand-cast aluminum, with a piece of pipe inside for a dummy barrel. It looks OK and has a nice heft to it, although I'd be tempted to sand the pebbly sand-cast texture smooth if it were mine. Has anyone else seen one of these, or does anyone know what aluminum foundry made dummy receivers for Papashas?

The thing I don't like about the HudsonPPSh-41 is that the receiver rear and the barrel shroud front are separate pieces held together with screws - the assembly looks fragile to me, unless the barrel is cast as a single piece with the receiver.

Another option for the openminded Frontovik would be to get an AGM M14, a hunka 2x6 or 2x8, a small biscuit tin, some metal-reinforced plumber's epoxy putty, some reddish stain, some black paint, a 21" length of 1 1/2" OD thinwall pipe, and a Mosin Nagant rear sight, and build a PPD-40. The PPD-40 would be much simpler to scratch-build than the Papasha....

[Guinness]

Mod note-

I usually don't do this, but I had to go in and edit Tobbe's original thread title-

"Graal" was just bugging me to death


...Carry on

[vanhalen213tx]

guinness said:

Mod note-

I usually don't do this, but I had to go in and edit Tobbe's original thread title-

"Graal" was just bugging me to death


...Carry on

Me 2 lol

What about a DP-28?

[YankeeDiv26]

I think the DP-28 deserves a thread all to itself.

[indy]

I do believe that a Hudson PPSH41 would be a good base, I have seen people make them into BV gas guns. If you can find an older used Hudson PPSH41 then I'd say go for it. Here and there I've come across them overseas from $300 to $400. For ones this low PFC caps usually wont work anymore do to use or internal damage, but if it's for an AEG it would be great. Keep your eyes open.

[slick63]

I was toying with the idea of making a PPD38 from a TM vz61 as its got a readily available drum mag. Knock the pistol grip off as it only houses the battery, make up a new outer barrel,a remote trigger, and try and make up a wood stock to house it all in.

[schmitty]

I look forward to seeing Gryphons finished PPSH-41's. I agree a PPD 40 or even a PPS-43 would also make an interesting (and as of yet undone?) airsoft conversion.

Schmitty

[Tobbe]

Thanks for all the info guys..! Been offline for a while but this was really interresting reading and certainly straightened out some
questionmarks for me..! Gryphon, You have a potential customer here...
And Guinness, sorry for bugging you but "graal" is the swedish way of spelling it

Tobbe

[Guinness]

Ohh well then....

My apologies!

We should institute the "Where ya from" thing like Arnies has now that we're getting so many overseas friends.