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LAD machine gun
The LAD machine gun (named after its designers, Vasily Lyuty, Nikolai Afanasyev, and Vladimir Daykin) is a World War II-era Soviet prototype belt-fed submachine gun chambered in 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Development of this weapon began at the GAU KA (Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army) in 1942, in order to hopefully solve deficiencies identified with current-issue Soviet machine guns. The designers, based on examination of field reports of machine gun usage during the ongoing war, concluded that the majority of combat actions happened at relatively close range (no more than 400 meters), and decided that a pistol cartridge fired at a high velocity would be sufficient for combat at these distances. The LAD proved to be extraordinary light for a machine gun (especially by the standards of the day) and compact, making it highly maneuverable. It is composed mostly of stamped metal, which would have made the LAD cheap and easy to mass produce in large quantities if it had gone into serial production.
Testing in August 1943 showed the LAD performed very well, retaining good accuracy even when firing on the move during a simulated assault action. Despite its promising performance, the GAU KA decided to abandon the design, instead becoming interested in intermediate cartridge weapons. These would end up being the equally ill-fated AS-44 assault rifle, and the much more successful RPD-44 light machine gun.
Note: While "LAD machine gun" is the weapon's official name (пулемет ЛАД, pulemyot LAD), and it was classified and used as a machine gun by the Soviet Union, the weapon is classified by IMFDB as a belt-fed submachine gun as it is chambered in a pistol cartridge.
Specifications
(1942 - 1943)
- Number built:2 (prototypes only)
- Type: Submachine Gun / Light Machine Gun
- Caliber: 7.62x25mm Tokarev
- Weight: 5.56kg
- Length: 970mm
- Feed System: belt-fed
- Rate of Fire: 600 rpm
The LAD machine gun and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battlefield V | Added in November 2020. Second prototype. | 2018 | ||
| Call of Duty: WWII | Added in June 4th 2019 update. Second prototype. | 2019 | ||
| Enlisted | Second prototype | 2021 |