AK Review: Assembly & Disassembly, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Dagtyareva (RPD).
(updated 03-17-2020)
This review is for informational purposes only
I DO NOT SELL PARTS FOR THE RPD
I DO NOT OFFER RPD BUILDS.
I DO NOT HELP PEOPLE BUILD THEIR RPDs
DO NOT CONTACT ME ABOUT RPDs
Introduction
This is a work-in progress photo documentary on assembly and disassembly of RPD variants. Please contact me if you have any interesting information, schematics, differences in links and Chinese versus European variations #1-#5, with years and serial number ranges if possible.
Chinese RPD. This gun is a Pre-1986 dealer sample. A Korean War Bringback. Pitting may be caused from blood. Definitely in need of some restoration.
Chinese RPD barrel view
Chinese RPD belt feed entrance
Chinese RPD showing bottom view and ejection port
Chinese RPD showing right side of feed mechanism end belt ejection port
Bulgarian RPD showing style A of gas piston and gas regulator. Regulator can move to three different gas settings.
Bulgarian RPD showing style B gas piston and regulator housing
Bulgarian RPD showing style B gas piston and regulator housing
gas regulator, disassembled
Bulgarian RPD showing style A selector
Bulgarian RPD showing style B selector
Bulgarian RPD showing style A drum retaining spring and latch. This one had a broken spring which I replaced with an AK47 rear sight leafspring, ground to size.
Bulgarian RPD showing style A drum retaining spring and latch
Bulgarian RPD showing style B drum retaining spring and latch.
Bulgarian RPD showing style B drum retaining spring and latch
trigger group assembled to receiver. Note spring loaded latch and cross pin
Bulgarian RPD ejector
Bulgarian RPD front sight block, front view assembled
Bulgarian RPD front sight block, rear view, assembled
Bulgarian RPD front sight block with sight removed
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Bulgarian RPD bolt assembly with extractor and firing pin
Bulgarian RPD with rear sight disassembled
Bulgarian RPD with rear sight assembled
Bulgarian RPD trigger housing top view stripped
Bulgarian RPD trigger housing, side view, stripped
Bulgarian RPD feed tray cover, assembled and partially disassembled
Bulgarian RPD feed tray assembled and disassembled
Bulgarian RPD feed tray partially disassembled
Bulgarian RPD rear sight, mounted
Bulgarian RPD showing feed tray cover latch
Chinese RPD showing refinished selector and trigger assembly
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Bulgarian RPD feed mechanism
Bulgarian RPD showing belt ejection port dustcover installed and disassembled
note subtle difference in Bulgarian (L) and Chinese (R) feed tray covers
Bulgarian RPD (L) belt feed assembled and Chinese (R) belt feed disassembled
Bulgarian RPD (L) belt feed assembled and Chinese (R) belt feed disassembled
bolt with rear locking lugs deployed
recesses in receiver for locking lugs
assembly of trigger group to receiver, latch is raised to free cross pin
bolt locked, firing pin can contact primer
bolt unlocked, firing pin cannot contact primer
Chinese RPD, refinished and reassembled
handguard assembly. Even moderate firing will make the handguard too hot to touch and the heat will leach the oil from the laminated wood.
Chinese RPD, left side view after refinishing and reassembly
Chinese RPD, right side view after refinishing and reassembly
“U” style link engages the groove above cartridge rim. Cartridges are pushed forward out of the belt and directly into the chamber, unlike the RPK which pulls the rimmed 7.62x54R from the link before dropping it down and then pushing forward into chamber below.
“U” style 50 round sections of non-disintegrating belts are joined by a tab
cartridge keeps tab locked to connect two sections of “U” style 50 round non-disintegrating belts.
starter tab on front half of “U” style belt
“L” shaped belt retains cartridge case from rear. Final link in belt is solid and does not hold a cartridge
two linked 50 round belts in drum
“L” style 50 round sections of non-disintegrating belts are joined by a tab. There are two styles of tabs and recesses. the smaller tab fits both the small and the large recess, but the large tab only fits the large recess
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