12.7mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun »Dushka«
12.7mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun
The first Soviet heavy-caliber machine gun was designed on official request for dedicated Anti-aircraft weapon by Degtyarev in 1930.
First prototype of the 12.7mm machine gun, named DK (Degtyarev, Krupnocalibernyj = Degtyarev, Large caliber) was built in 1930.
This gun was officialy adopted, and DK was manufactured in small numbers during period of 1933 - 1935. It was a gas operated weapon, firing powerful 12.7mm cartridge, but with magazine feeding.
Drum magazine held only 30 rounds and was bulky and heavy, and practical rate of fire was unsatisfactory low.
In the late 1930s, the famous Soviet arms designer, Shpagin, designed an add-on belt feed module, that could be easily installed on the DK instead of the magazine.
This modification appeared in 1938, and in 1939 it was officially adopted by Red Army as an "12.7mm Krupnocalibernyj Pulemet Degtyareva-Shpagina, DShK" (Degtyarev-Shpagin, large caliber).
First prototype of the 12.7mm machine gun, named DK (Degtyarev, Krupnocalibernyj = Degtyarev, Large caliber) was built in 1930.
This gun was officialy adopted, and DK was manufactured in small numbers during period of 1933 - 1935. It was a gas operated weapon, firing powerful 12.7mm cartridge, but with magazine feeding.
Drum magazine held only 30 rounds and was bulky and heavy, and practical rate of fire was unsatisfactory low.
In the late 1930s, the famous Soviet arms designer, Shpagin, designed an add-on belt feed module, that could be easily installed on the DK instead of the magazine.
This modification appeared in 1938, and in 1939 it was officially adopted by Red Army as an "12.7mm Krupnocalibernyj Pulemet Degtyareva-Shpagina, DShK" (Degtyarev-Shpagin, large caliber).
Mounted to the front of a Lend-Lease Ford GPA
The DShK could penetrate 15mm armour at 500m and was fed by a 50-round belt stowed in magazines.
Weigth was 34 kg for the MG body alone and 157 kg for the gun mounted onto the universal wheeled mount, the rate of fire was 600 rounds/min with a V0 of 850 m/s.
As a standalone weapon, DShK was used on wheeled universal mount, which was fitted with removable steel shield.
This mount allowed vor Anti-aircraft usage - for AA role wheels were removed and a mount "tail" was separated and formed a folding tripod.
Special shoulder stock and AA sight were also attached for Air Defence role.
Weigth was 34 kg for the MG body alone and 157 kg for the gun mounted onto the universal wheeled mount, the rate of fire was 600 rounds/min with a V0 of 850 m/s.
As a standalone weapon, DShK was used on wheeled universal mount, which was fitted with removable steel shield.
This mount allowed vor Anti-aircraft usage - for AA role wheels were removed and a mount "tail" was separated and formed a folding tripod.
Special shoulder stock and AA sight were also attached for Air Defence role.
The DShK was used through WW2 as main armamment of early light tanks, an anti-aircraft weapon and also as an heavy infantry support gun.
Some DShK were used on pintle mounts on small ships (like torpedo-boats).
A DShK at (my ;-) first sight, but in fact a 7.62mm SG-43 machine gun
(Thank you, Tim and Dimitry, for the clarification !)
(Thank you, Tim and Dimitry, for the clarification !)
AA visor installed to barrel top
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No publication in any form without the author's written permission.
Last Updated: December 09, 2009
No publication in any form without the author's written permission.
Last Updated: December 09, 2009