RPD

The Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyareva (abbreviated RPD) is a light machine gun designed in 1943 in the Soviet Union. It first entered service in 1944, and saw limited service on the Eastern front in the Second World War; widespread use did not start until the early 1950s. Like most weapons of the early post-war period in Soviet service, the RPD fires a 7.62x39mm cartridge, which is fed into the RPD from 2 separate non-disintegrating 50-round belts in a drum magazine. Although first produced in the Soviet Union, significant numbers were also built in China. It was later replaced in Soviet service with the Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikov (RPK) as well as the PKM, a medium machine gun derivative of the AKM in the late sixties. Although the RPD isn't used by the Russian Army today, it is still used by some national armies, including North Korea, Egypt, and Bolivia as well as paramilitary and insurgent groups. The RPD was designed by Vasily Degtyaryov to replace it's predecessor the DP machinegun, which he designed earlier.

Single Player
In the single-player campaign of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the RPD is frequently used by the Loyalists, Ultranationalists and OpFor. To this end, it can be more useful than the M249 SAW in some stages, as ammunition is frequently available. A mounted form can also be found in the level Safehouse in two of the houses.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, it is available soon after starting, level 4 to be precise and can be modified with a Red Dot Sight, ACOG Scope or a grip. It is primarily used for medium to long distances and is particularly liked for its magazine's high capacity as well as high power. It is capable of getting long distance kills as the recoil is less than the AK-47's cosmetic recoil and it has no idle sway. Also, in terms of damage per second, the RPD is better than both the M249 SAW and M60E4 when using Stopping Power. The M249 SAW does significantly less damage per second than the RPD or M60E4, and the RPD and M60E4 take the same number of bullets to kill (except in close quarters or mid-range, where the M60E4 can kill in two shots without Stopping Power). Many players use the Grip to increase the RPD's long range capabilities.

In the hands of a skilled player, the weapon, even without any attachments, can be very powerful. A medium rate of fire of 700 rounds per minute as well as taking 2 shots to kill (with stopping power) make this gun nearly unbeatable, even more, it has rather low recoil, making it a preferred weapon by many. It is possible to earn a helicopter using only a fraction of the magazine. However, it does have some drawbacks, such as having the longest reload time and poor hip-fire accuracy, which can be mitigated somewhat by Sleight of Hand and Steady Aim. At close range firing from the hip, some players meet some success by waving the RPD slightly from side to side to compensate for the poor hip fire accuracy by taking advantage of the high rate of fire.

The RPD's iron sights are large and unobstructed, so many players like the RPD's iron sights and prefer to use it with the foregrip or stand-alone rather than the red dot sight or ACOG, as the front sight is not removed when using the red dot sight so it will be more obstructed, and the ACOG adds sway.

Multiplayer
The RPD in Modern Warfare 2 handles very similarly to how it did in Call of Duty 4, and it is unlocked at level 4. A notable difference, like with most guns in the game is that the ACOG no longer sways. A rail has also been added which is not seen in Call of Duty 4 or in real life. The RPD benefits greatly from the Bling perk, which allows players some flexibility in their attachment choices due to the near-mandatory Grip. ACOG and Thermal Scope have their obvious benefits, allowing players to perform an 'Overwatch' role seen in real-life conflicts and provide longer-range fire support in most situations, and due to the incredibly clear iron sights, an interesting choice is the Heartbeat Sensor which allows the player a fairly clear view of the sensor even while aiming down the sights; an excellent addition to an already defensive-oriented weapon.

Stopping Power and FMJ are advised for a player going loud and all out attack class, be sure to balance out the RPD with a faster reflex weapon like the M9. Players are recommended to use the RPD with the Grip attachment. Players who do not care for an additional attachment may enjoy the perks of Sleight of Hand for the quick reloads and aiming, equipment refills and flexibility in class choices. Also using Sleight of Hand Pro with the Thermal Scope makes the Grip attachment less necessary. The gun can be a surprisingly good stealth LMG with a Silencer.

The RPD has the 2nd highest damage output per second due to the high capacity magazines, but falls short to the L86 LSW due to the lower rate of fire. The RPD's one major disadvantage is its reload time - 10 seconds. This is 2 seconds slower than the M240, but still slightly faster than the MG4. In this time, the player could fire off almost 2 magazines with the AUG HBAR.

The RPD can find good use as a SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon), via grip, slight of hand pro, and lightweight. The high damage and accuracy, as well as quicker aiming under this method, will keep the user superior in killing for all ranges of fire, even close range. the lightweight will ensure the user can keep up with other players, allowing easier support of them with a high ammo capacity weapon (LMG).

Weapon Attachments

 * Grip
 * Red Dot Sight
 * Holographic Sight
 * Silencer
 * Heartbeat Sensor
 * ACOG Scope
 * Thermal Scope
 * FMJ
 * Extended Mags

Trivia

 * In the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare mission Safehouse, a mounted RPD can be used.
 * It is the main OpFor/Ultranationalist LMG in both Modern Warfare games.
 * Even though the RPD fires bullets from non-disintegrating belts, the firing animation shows individual belt links (like those for a M249 SAW or M240 belt) flying out the side above the casings.
 * In Call of Duty 4 the RPD's Grip seems to be a solid wood grip that is actually part of the weapon, while in Modern Warfare 2 the RPD has a modern synthetic grip and is attached.
 * When using the Heartbeat Sensor, the player closes the Heartbeat Sensor when reloading.
 * In Call of Duty 4, mounting any attachment on an RPD will remove the bipod. Also, when Red Dot Sight or ACOG Scope is mounted, the RPD's reloading animation will differ slightly, as player closes top cover with his fingers, instead hitting it with a fist.
 * The reloading animation for the RPD in Modern Warfare 2 TF141 campaign is different than the Rangers campaign.
 * When reloading with a heartbeat sensor the character appears to have 3 arms and he closes the heartbeat sensor while holding the gun and reaching for a new magazine.