Degtyaryov machine gun
DP machine gun | |
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pan magazine | |
Sights | Adjustable iron sights, front post and rear notch on a scaled tangent |
The Degtyaryov machine gun (Russian: Пулемёт Дегтярёвa Пехотный, romanized: Pulemyot Degtyaryova Pekhotny literally: "Degtyaryov's infantry machine gun") or DP-27/DP-28 is a light machine gun firing the 7.62×54mmR cartridge that was primarily used by the Soviet Union, with service trials starting in 1927, followed by general deployment in 1928.[8][9]
Besides being the standard Soviet infantry
Design
The DP-27 is a light machine gun designed for the Soviet Red Army in the 1920s under the leadership of Vasily Degtyaryov (1880–1949), the first test model being the DP-26. Two test guns were manufactured and fired 5,000 rounds each from September 27–29, 1926, during which weaknesses were discovered in the extractor and firing pin mechanisms. After design improvements, two more guns were made and tested in December 1926, firing 40,000 rounds under adverse conditions, resulting in only .6% stoppages. However, changes to the bolt carrier and the chamber locking mechanism were still required. After this redesign the improved gun, now called the DP-27, was tested by the Red Army at the Kovrov plant on January 17–21 of 1927, passing all tests and being approved for manufacture. A full year of service testing followed, after which the primary requested change was the addition of the large flash suppressor that is now considered one of the recognition features of the design.[11] With further refinements, the DP was to be the primary light machine gun of the Red Army during WWII.
The DP-27 was designed to fire the same
The operating mechanism of the DP-27 is gas-operated, using a Kjellmann-Friberg flap locking design to lock the bolt against the chamber until the round had left the barrel, aided by a recoil spring.[13] Ammunition came in the form of a 47-round circular pan magazine that attached to the top of the receiver. Because of the shape of its magazine, the DP-27 was nicknamed the "record player".[14]
Its main parts were a removable barrel with an integrated flash suppressor and gas cylinder, a receiver with the rear sight, a perforated barrel shroud/guide with the front sight, the bolt and locking flaps, the bolt carrier and gas piston rod, a recoil spring, stock and trigger mechanism group, a bipod for firing from prone positions, and the previously-mentioned pan magazine.[15] In total, the first versions contained only 80 parts, indicating both the simplicity and ease of manufacture of the design. Early versions had 26 transverse cooling fins machined into the barrel, but it was found that these had little cooling effect and so were deleted in 1938, further easing manufacture.
The design had weaknesses that would eventually be addressed in later variants. The pan magazines were prone to damage, while also being difficult and time-consuming to reload. The bipod mechanism was weak and likely to fail if not handled with care.[16] Replacing the barrel was not a quick operation due to a lack of handle and the amount of disassembly needed, though a well trained crew could do so in 30 seconds under ideal conditions.The open gas chamber and bolt frame could accumulate dust in sandy conditions, clogging the gas piston.[17] The recoil spring's location near the barrel led to overheating, causing it to lose proper spring temper.[citation needed]
Designation
The Degtyaryov machine gun was accepted for Red Army service in 1927 with the official designation 7,62-мм ручной пулемет обр. 1927 г (7.62mm Hand-Held Machine Gun Model 1927). It was called the ДП-27 (DP-27), although some western sources refer to it as the DP-28.[5]
Service use
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Despite its numerous problems, the DP had a reputation as a relatively effective light support weapon. It was nicknamed the "Record player" (proigryvatel') by
The
Examples of all variants of the DP machine gun were given or sold to the
DPMs have also been recovered from
Variants
- DPM, modernized version adopted in 1943–44, with a more robust bipod fastened to the cooling jacket and the recoil spring housed in a tube projecting from the rear of the receiver which necessitated a pistol grip for this model of the weapon (manufactured in China as the Type 53)[27]
- DA, for mounting and loading in aircraft (Дегтярёва авиационный, Degtyaryova Aviatsionny; ДА). Also used in tandem mounts known as DA-2. Employed in the early versions of the ShKAS, which had a much higher rate of fire.
- DT and DTM, for mounting and loading in armoured fighting vehicles (Дегтярёва танковый, Degtyaryova Tankovy; ДТ and ДТМ)
- DTM-4, (ДТМ-4) quad mounted variant.[29]
- RP-46 (Ротный пулемет - company machine gun): metallic-belt fed version adopted in 1946 with a heavier barrel to allow prolonged sustained fire. About 500 rounds could be fired continuously before the barrel had to be swapped or allowed to cool down. Also had a user-adjustable gas system, with three holes of varying diameters provided, to cope with varying environmental conditions and residue buildup. Although the empty weight of the RP-46 exceeded that of DP by 2.5 kg, when considered together with a single ammo box of 250 rounds, the RP-46 weighed 10 kg less than the DP together with the same amount of ammunition in DP pans. The RP-46 remained in Soviet service for 15 years before it was replaced (together with the SGM) by the PK machine gun.[5] The RP-46 was later manufactured in China as the Type 58 and in North Korea as the Type 64.[30] The RP-46 could still fire from DP-style magazines by removing its belt-feeding system.[31]
Users
- Afghanistan: DPM[32] and RP-46 variants[33]
- Albania: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Algeria: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Angola: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Benin: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Bulgaria: RP-46 variant.[35]
- Central African Republic: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Republic of China: Received 5,600 from the Soviet Union as aid from 1938.[36][37]
- People's Republic of China: DPM and RP-46 locally built as Type 53 and Type 58[38]
- Comoros: RP-46 and Type 58 variants.[34]
- Congo-Brazzaville: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Cuba: DP, DT, DTM,[39] DPM and RP-46 variants.[34]
- Czechoslovakia: DP, DPM and RP-46 variants.[40]
- Egypt[2]
- Equatorial Guinea: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Ethiopia: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Finland: Used captured examples during World War II.[41]
- East Germany: DT and DTM variants.[42]
- Germany: Captured models were issued to the Volkssturm.[43]
- Hungary: DP, DPM and DTM variants.[44] Locally produced as M-27.[1]
- Indonesia[45]
- Iraqi insurgents used RP-46 variant.[23]
- Kingdom of Italy: The Italian Army in Russia used captured examples as they were more reliable than the Breda 30.[46]
- Laos: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Libya: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Nigeria: RP-46 variant.[34]
- North Korea: DPM, Type 53 and RP-46 variants.[47][48]
- PAIGC[49]
- Palestine Liberation Organization[50]
- Romania: DP and DPM used after the war.[53]
- Seychelles: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Somalia: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Soviet Union[54]
- Spanish Republic[55]
- Sri Lanka: Type 58 variant[56]
- Sudan: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Syria: RP-46 variant.[6]
- Syrian opposition: Regular DP27.[57] Used by the Martyrs Of Islam rebel faction.[58]
- Tanzania: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Togo: RP-46 variant.[34]
- Vietnam: DPM, Type 53, RP-46 and Type 58 variants[59]
- Yemen[2]
- Yugoslavia[60]
- Zambia: RP-46 variant.[61]
- Ukraine[62][63]
See also
- Kucher Model K1
- Lahti-Saloranta M/26
- Lewis gun
- List of Russian weaponry
References
- ^ ISBN 9781846030796.
- ^ a b c "WWII weapons in Yemen's civil war". wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com. 9 September 2018.[self-published source]
- ^ "Armenian RP-46 during Nagorno-Karabakh War". Pinterest. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ^ "DP-28 in action During Georgian Civil War". 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e McNab, Chris (2022). Soviet Machine Guns of World War II. Osprey Publishing.
- ^ a b "Syrie: les ISIS Hunters, ces soldats du régime de Damas formés par la Russie". France-Soir (in French). 30 May 2017. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ Suciu, Peter (29 June 2020). "Meet the DP-28: The Red Army's "Record Player" (Or Killer Machine Gun)". National Interest. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
- ^ https://www.forgottenweapons.com/stalins-record-player-the-dp-27-light-machine-gun/
- ^ https://soldat.pro/en/2018/06/29/rychnoi-pylemet-degtiareva-dp-27-patron-kalibr-762-mm/
- ^ https://rg.ru/2021/12/21/neudacham-vopreki-kak-poiavilsia-legendarnyj-sovetskij-pulemet-dp.html
- ^ "Cannon victory. Degtyarev Infantry — the machine gun DP 85 years « Encyclopedia of safety". Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
- ^ https://www.thearmorylife.com/dp-27-degtyaryov-lmg/
- ^ McCollum, Ian (22 December 2017). "Prototype Friberg/Kjellman Flapper-Locking Semiauto Rifle". Forgotten weapons.
- ^ Moss, Matthew (18 July 2017). "The Soviet DP-28 Was a Brute-Simple Machine Gun". War is Boring. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ https://feldwebel.ru/page/dp-27.html
- ^ https://www.thearmorylife.com/dp-27-degtyaryov-lmg/
- ^ https://feldwebel.ru/page/dp-27.html
- ^ https://www.thearmorylife.com/dp-27-degtyaryov-lmg/
- ^ https://www.thearmorylife.com/dp-27-degtyaryov-lmg/
- ^ "The French Indochina War 1946–54". United States.
- ^ "Degťarev DPM / NAM 64-75". www.nam-valka.cz.
- ^ "Viet Cong Fighter". United States.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-521-19714-4. Archived from the original(PDF) on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- armamentresearch.com. 24 December 2014. Archived from the originalon 28 November 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ Trevithick, Joseph (26 January 2022). "Needy Ukrainian Reserve Units Could Be Armed With Pre-World War II DP-27 Machine Guns". The Drive. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ Network, Frontier India News (24 January 2022). "Why are 100-year-old Degtyaryov machine guns in the spotlight in the Ukraine - Russia tensions?". Frontier India. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ https://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.php?smallarms_id=414
- ISBN 985-433-695-6) (History of aircraft armament), page 70
- better source needed]
- ISBN 978-5-699-31622-9.
- ^ Small Arms Identification and Operation Guide--Eurasian Communist Countries Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Defense Intelligence Agency ST-HB-07-03-74, p. 238
- ISBN 978-0-521-19714-4. Archived from the original(PDF) on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-415-45308-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ISBN 9780710623171.
- ISBN 979-8473557848.
- ISBN 9781841769042.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 297.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 22.
- ^ Scarlata, Paul (15 December 2016). "Eastern Bloc Firestorm: The Czech UK vz. 59 Machine Gun". Military Surplus Magazine.
- ^ Soviet Machine guns and Light Machine guns in the Winter War at winterwar.com
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 381.
- ISBN 978-0889353725.
- ISBN 978-963-327-461-3.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 461.
- ISBN 9780764345838.
- ^ "NORTH KOREA COUNTRY HANDBOOK | MARINE CORPS INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITY" (PDF). 2 November 1998. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ "North Korean Small Arms (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)". Small Arms Review. Vol. 16, no. 2. June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ISBN 978-989-95601-1-6.
- ISBN 9780850454512.
- ISBN 9780850454178.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 526.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 533.
- ^ Degtyarev DP DPM RP-46 (Russia / USSR) at modernfirearms.net
- ISBN 9780713713282.
- ^ Smith, Chris (October 2003). In the Shadow of a Cease-fire: The Impacts of Small Arms Availability and Misuse in Sri Lanka (PDF). Occasional Paper No. 11. Small Arms Survey. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2011.
- ^ "Footage of weapons which were handed over by rebels to the Syrian Arab Army in Southern Damascus". YouTube. 12 May 2018. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Syrian Civil War: WWII weapons used". November 2019.
- ISBN 9781846033711.
- ^ Smith 1969, p. 723.
- ^ Zambia Watchdog (9 June 2017). "Zambia dented, instability to continue up to 2021 – Economist Group". Zambia Watchdog. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ^ sapeurgalanet (25 January 2022). "Кулемет ДП-27". YouTube. Archived from the original on 3 June 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Chris McGrath (7 March 2022). "Russians Continue Assault On Outskirts Of Kyiv". Getty Images. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- Smith, Joseph E. (1969). Small Arms of the World (11 ed.). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: The Stackpole Company.
External links
- The Battles of the Winter War
- Modern Firearms – Degtyarev DP DPM RP-46
- Soviet DT-28 Repair and Operation Manual(in Russian)
- Degtyarov machine gun variants(in Russian)
- "75 лет ручному пулемёту Дегтярёва" (PDF). 22 April 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2015.