NEED HELP WITH RUSSIAN RPD

can anyone tell me what this tab does on the back of this russian rpd?does anyone have pics of a good one?how much was cut off in the demill?
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/bigmegina/russ2.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/bigmegina/russ3.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/bigmegina/russ.jpg

Far right RPD

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh52/Black_Wolf67/Russian_RPDs_DM-SD-04-06986.jpg

it's a bolt hold open device, when you bring the charging handle back you bring that up, the slot engages the charging handle. found only on early RPDs that had recipocating charging handles, the reason that they recipocated is because the handle was inserted directly into the bolt, hences the slot that is in the receiver...........it's not really needed, some 1919s kits came with a bolt hold open as well, but folks don't attach them on the semi auto side plate, just extra work that isn't needed

The kit you have is the older RPD that has a recipocating charging handle, the later ones the charging handle was on a "track" on the receiver, and didn't recipocate when the bolt cycle...... the 2 RPDs in the middle of the pic are the later variety

they were designed RPD A and B models.

to build this on a receiver, you are going have to find, and good luck there, a receiver with that bolt handle slot. OR it might be possible, that if you come across a RPD B receiver, and again good luck there too, that you might be able to mill out the handle slot.

It is a dust cover. When slid up it covers the cocking handle slot. When the cocking handle is pulled back the cover slides down from the slot.

Receiver blanks here will work with it. They do take machining but really not a lot.


http://www.prexis.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=P&Category_Code=R

wow, I didn't even know someone makes a RPD receiver, outside of VECTOR, thanks for that link

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/2150/740088hi0.jpg

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/6889/740091xo6.jpg

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5272/740093xa0.jpg

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/8527/740095qn1.jpg

it appears to be a dust cover, as someone said on the other post.....well I stand corrected

those pics are a great help.thanks

I have evrything pretty close to done on mine but I need a non reciprocating handle that rides on the outer rail as the ones in the middle. Anybody know where I can score one of those?

both my full autos use the reciprocating handle - I had specified the non-reciprocating, and was disappointed to get these instead, but they work fine and I haven't been in a position where I said to myself . . . "self, I sure wish this was nonreciprocating .. . "