View source for Degtyaryov machine gun

{{use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox weapon
|is_ranged = yes
|name = DP machine gun
|image = Machine gun DP MON.jpg
|image_size = 300
|caption = DP-27
|origin = [[Soviet Union]]
|type = [[Light machine gun]]
|designer = [[Vasily Degtyaryov]]
|design_date = 1927
|production_date = 1928–1950s
|service = 1928–present
|used_by = See ''[[#Users|Users]]''
|wars = [[Spanish Civil War]]<br />[[Winter War]]<br />[[World War II]]<br />[[Second Sino-Japanese War]]<br />[[Korean War]]<br />[[Chinese Civil War]]<br />[[First Indochina War]]<br />[[Vietnam War]]<br />[[Hungarian Revolution of 1956]]<ref name ="Hungary 1956">{{cite book|title=The Hungarian Revolution 1956|series=Elite 148|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|first1= Erwin |last1=Schmidl|first2= László |last2=Ritter|date=10 Nov 2006|isbn=9781846030796|page=63}}</ref><br />[[Laotian Civil War]]<br />[[North Yemen Civil War]]<ref name="Yemen"/><br />[[Cambodian Civil War]]<br />[[Cambodian-Vietnamese War]]<br />[[Rhodesian Bush War]]<br />[[Portuguese Colonial War]]<br />[[War in Afghanistan (1978–present)|Afghan Wars]]<br />[[Sino-Vietnamese War]]<br />[[Sri Lankan civil war|Sri Lankan Civil War]]{{Citation needed|reason=Needs a source|date=December 2020}}<br />[[First Nagorno-Karabakh War]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Armenian RP-46 during Nagorno-Karabakh War. |url=https://tr.pinterest.com/pin/466474473890009020/?lp=true |website=Pinterest |access-date=2 March 2020 |language=en}}</ref><br />[[Georgian Civil War]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/151545628@N03/36638745106/in/dateposted-public/|title=DP-28 in action During Georgian Civil War|date=2017-08-20}}</ref><br />[[Yugoslav Wars]]<br />[[Somali Civil War]]<br />[[Iraq War]]<ref name="Mcnab">{{cite book |last1=McNab |first1=Chris |title=Soviet Machine Guns of World War II |date=2022 |publisher=Osprey Publishing}}</ref><br />[[First Libyan Civil War]]<br />[[Northern Mali conflict]]<br />[[Syrian Civil War]]<ref name ="FranceSoir">{{cite news|language=fr|title=Syrie: les ISIS Hunters, ces soldats du régime de Damas formés par la Russie|url=http://www.francesoir.fr/politique-monde/syrie-les-isis-hunters-ces-soldats-du-regime-de-damas-formes-par-moscou-bachar-al-assad-forces-speciales-russie-syriens-etat-islamique-palmyre-daech-stephane-mantoux-5e-corps|date=30 May 2017|work=[[France-Soir]]|access-date=4 September 2018|archive-date=10 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910043934/http://www.francesoir.fr/politique-monde/syrie-les-isis-hunters-ces-soldats-du-regime-de-damas-formes-par-moscou-bachar-al-assad-forces-speciales-russie-syriens-etat-islamique-palmyre-daech-stephane-mantoux-5e-corps|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />[[Russo-Ukrainian War]]<ref name="Mcnab" />
|cartridge = [[7.62×54mmR]]
|caliber = 7.62 mm
|action = [[Gas-operated]], [[flapper locking]]
|rate = 550&nbsp;rpm
|velocity = 840&nbsp;m/s (2,755&nbsp;ft/s)
|range = 800&nbsp;m (874.9 yd)
|weight = {{convert|9.12|kg|lb|2|abbr=on}} (unloaded)<br /> {{convert|11.5|kg|abbr=on}} (loaded)
|length = {{convert|1270|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
|part_length = {{convert|604|mm|abbr=on|1}}
|feed = 47-round [[pan magazine]]
|sights = Adjustable iron sights, front post and rear notch on a scaled tangent
|variants = See ''[[#Variants|Variants]]''
|number = 795,000<ref>{{cite web |last1=Suciu |first1=Peter |title=Meet the DP-28: The Red Army's "Record Player" (Or Killer Machine Gun) |url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/meet-dp-28-red-armys-record-player-or-killer-machine-gun-163703 |website=National Interest |date=29 June 2020 |access-date=23 December 2022}}</ref>
}}

The '''Degtyaryov machine gun''' ({{langx|ru|Пулемёт Дегтярёва Пехотный|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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCollum |first=Ian |date=2021-08-13 |title=Stalin's Record Player: The DP-27 Light Machine Gun |url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/stalins-record-player-the-dp-27-light-machine-gun/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.forgottenweapons.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://soldat.pro/en/2018/06/29/rychnoi-pylemet-degtiareva-dp-27-patron-kalibr-762-mm/ | title=RPD machine gun DP-27 caliber cartridge 7,62 mm &#124; soldat.pro – military experts. Unites the best! }}</ref>

Besides being the standard Soviet infantry [[light machine gun]] (LMG) during [[World War II]], with various modifications it was used in aircraft as a flexible defensive weapon, and it was equipped on almost all [[List of tanks of the Soviet Union|Soviet tanks]] in WWII as either a flexible bow machine gun or a [[Weapon mount#Coaxial|co-axial]] machine gun controlled by the gunner. It was improved in 1943 producing the DPM, but it was replaced in 1946 with the RP-46 which improved on the basic DP design by converting it to use belt feed. The DP machine gun was supplemented in the 1950s by the more modern [[RPD (weapon)|RPD machine gun]] and entirely replaced in Soviet service by the general purpose [[PK machine gun]] in the 1960s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-21 |title=Неудачам вопреки: как появился легендарный советский пулемет ДП |url=https://rg.ru/2021/12/21/neudacham-vopreki-kak-poiavilsia-legendarnyj-sovetskij-pulemet-dp.html |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Российская газета |language=ru}}</ref>

==Service use==
{{Expand section|date=April 2024}}
[[File:UA TDF soldier DPM.jpg|thumb|Ukrainian [[Territorial Defense Forces (Ukraine)|Territorial Defense Forces]] soldier training with a DPM machine gun during the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]]]]
Despite its limitations, the DP had a reputation as a relatively effective light support weapon. It was nicknamed the "Record player" (proigryvatel') by [[Red Army]] troops because of its rotating disc-shaped pan magazine.<ref name="Mcnab" />

The first uses of the DP-27 in war were with the Republican forces in the [[Spanish Civil War]]. On 25 October 1936, the SS Kursk docked at Cartegena, delivering 150 Degtaryov machine guns along with 9,000 [[Winchester Model 1895]] rifles. The Cabo Palos delivered 3 DT tank machine guns on 7 May 1937. On 7 February 1938 the SS Bonafacio arrived in Bassens and included numerous weapons in its cargo delivery, including DP & DT machine guns.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://atomicfloozy.com/2019/11/11/spanish-civil-war-for-nuts-part-one-small-arms/3/ | title=Spanish Civil War for NUTS! – Part One, Small Arms | date=11 November 2019 }}</ref><ref name="thearmorylife.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.thearmorylife.com/dp-27-degtyaryov-lmg/ | title=Stalin's Record Player: The DP-27 Degtyaryov LMG | date=12 December 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Heinz |first=Leonard R. |date=10 December 2016 |title=Small Arms of the Spanish Civil War |url=https://fireonthewaters.tripod.com/SCWSmallArms.pdf |page=18 |isbn= |location= |publisher= |access-date=15 February 2025}}</ref>

Many were captured by the [[Finnish army]] in the [[Winter War]] and the [[Continuation War]] and partially replaced the [[Lahti-Saloranta M/26]]. The DP received the nickname ''Emma'' in Finnish service after a popular [[waltz]], again due to the magazine's resemblance to a record player. In the summer of 1944, the Finnish army had about 3400 Finnish-made Lahti-Salorantas and 9,000 captured Soviet-made Degtyarevs on the front. Captured examples were operated by the [[Volkssturm]], the late-war German militia, and in German service the Degtyarev received the designation '''''Leichtes Maschinengewehr'' 120(''r'')'''.<ref name="Suciu">{{Cite web |last=Suciu |first=Peter |date=2023-12-12 |title=Stalin's Record Player: The DP-27 Degtyaryov LMG |url=https://www.thearmorylife.com/dp-27-degtyaryov-lmg/ |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=The Armory Life |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Chinese Nationalists]] received 5,600 DPs from the USSR and used them in the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and the [[Chinese Civil War]]. The [[North Korea]]n and [[Chinese Communists]] used the DP in the [[Korean War]] and copied the DPM as the Type 53.<ref name="Suciu"/>

Examples of all variants of the DP machine gun were given or sold to the [[Viet Minh]] in the [[First Indochina War]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ospreypublishing.com/the-french-indochina-war-1946-54|title=The French Indochina War 1946–54|website=United States}}</ref> by the [[USSR]] and [[Chinese Communists]]. Similarly, in the [[Vietnam War]] to the [[North Vietnamese Army|NVA]] and [[Vietcong]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nam-valka.cz/zbrane/dpm.html|title=Degťarev DPM / NAM 64-75|website=www.nam-valka.cz}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://ospreypublishing.com/viet-cong-fighter-pb|title=Viet Cong Fighter|website=United States}}</ref>

DPMs have also been recovered from [[Taliban]] fighters during the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–14)|War in Afghanistan]]<ref name="SAS 2012 10B"/> while DPs or DPMs have been spotted in 2014 in the [[Northern Mali conflict]].<ref name="armamentresearch">{{cite web|url=http://www.armamentresearch.com/small-arms-recovered-in-mali/|title=Small arms recovered in Mali raid &#124; Armament Research Services|date=24 December 2014 |publisher=[[armamentresearch.com]]|access-date=2015-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128211849/https://armamentresearch.com/small-arms-recovered-in-mali/|archive-date=28 November 2022}}</ref> During the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], a few of the backline Ukrainian forces were issued surplus DPMs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trevithick |first=Joseph |date=2022-01-26 |title=Needy Ukrainian Reserve Units Could Be Armed With Pre-World War II DP-27 Machine Guns |url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44034/pre-world-war-ii-dp-27-machine-guns-could-go-to-needy-ukrainian-reserve-units |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=The Drive |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308204556/https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44034/pre-world-war-ii-dp-27-machine-guns-could-go-to-needy-ukrainian-reserve-units|archive-date= March 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Network |first=Frontier India News |date=2022-01-24 |title=Why are 100-year-old Degtyaryov machine guns in the spotlight in the Ukraine - Russia tensions? |url=https://frontierindia.com/why-are-100-year-old-degtyaryov-machine-guns-in-the-spotlight-in-the-ukraine-russia-tensions/ |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Frontier India |language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330124912/https://frontierindia.com/why-are-100-year-old-degtyaryov-machine-guns-in-the-spotlight-in-the-ukraine-russia-tensions/|archive-date= March 30, 2023}}</ref>

== System ==
The Degtyaryov light machine gun (DP) operates using a [[gas-operated reloading|gas-operated]] mechanism and magazine-fed ammunition. The gas engine features a long-stroke piston and a gas regulator located under the barrel.

The [[Barrel (firearm)|barrel]] itself is quick-detachable, partially covered by a protective shroud, and equipped with a conical removable flash hider (early models lacked both a flash hider and threading for it). The barrel was prone to overheating during intensive fire: due to its thin walls, it would heat up quickly (especially in later models where ribbed radiators were omitted for simplicity), and thus short bursts were necessary to prevent disabling the gun (combat rate of fire was up to 80 rounds per minute). Replacing the barrel during combat was difficult—it required a special wrench to remove the lock and protect the hands from burns.

The bolt was locked using two locking lugs that spread sideways when the [[Firing pin (firearm)|firing pin]] moved forward. Once the bolt reached the forward position, the bolt carrier continued moving, and the widened middle section of the firing pin, connected to it, pushed the rear ends of the locking lugs outward into the grooves of the receiver, securely locking the bolt. After firing, the bolt carrier moved backward under the action of the gas piston. During this, the firing pin was retracted, and special bevels on the carrier brought the locking lugs inward, disengaging them from the receiver and unlocking the bolt. The [[recoil spring|recoil-operating spring]] was located under the barrel and could lose elasticity when overheated during intense fire, which was one of the relatively few but significant disadvantages of the DP. Additionally, the locking lugs required precise fitting to achieve symmetrical locking (though this was not a major practical drawback).
[[File:Kiev ukraine 966 army museum (11) (5869944940).jpg|thumb|Cartridges were arranged in a circle, with bullets facing the center of the disk.]]
The weapon was fed by flat pan magazines—“platters”—in which cartridges were arranged in a circle with bullets facing the center. This design ensured reliable feeding of rimmed cartridges but had notable drawbacks: large size and weight of the empty magazine, difficulty in transport and reloading, and susceptibility to damage during combat due to deformation. Initial magazines held 49 rounds, later replaced by 47-round ones with improved reliability. The machine gun was issued with three magazines and a metal box for their transport.

Although the DP magazine externally resembled the magazine of the [[Lewis gun]], its operating principle was entirely different; for example, in the Lewis gun, the disk rotated using energy from the bolt via a complex lever system, while in the DP, it was powered by a pre-tensioned spring inside the magazine.

[[File:DP disk up.jpg|thumb|Top view of DP drum magazine]]
[[File:DP disk down.jpg|thumb|Bottom view of DP drum magazine]]
[[File:DP disk mag cartridge.jpg|thumb|Magazine lips]]

The trigger mechanism allowed only fully automatic fire from an open bolt. It was housed in the trigger frame, attached to the receiver with a cross-pin. There was no conventional safety; instead, it had an automatic [[safety (firearm)|safety]] lever that disengaged when gripping the [[pistol grip|neck of the stock]]. During intense fire, the need to constantly press the safety lever tired the shooter, and the rifle-type stock did not aid in maintaining a firm grip during burst fire. The tank version, the DT, had a more successful trigger frame design, featuring a standard safety and a pistol grip. The upgraded version, the DPM, adopted a similar trigger frame. Interestingly, Finnish-modified DPs during overhaul were fitted with a manual safety in addition to the original automatic one.

The DP was fired using a detachable bipod ([[bipod (firearm)|bipod]]), which was sometimes lost in the heat of battle due to insecure attachment or became loose, significantly reducing stability and ease of use. The DPM later adopted a fixed bipod. Spent casings were ejected downward.

=== Accessories ===
The machine gun's accessories include<ref>{{cite book|date=1939 |location=Москва |publisher=Государственное военное издательство НКО СССР |title=Наставление по стрелковому делу (НСД-38) ручной пулемёт ДП}}<!-- auto-translated from Russian by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>:
* a '''sectional cleaning rod''' for cleaning the barrel bore;
* a '''wrench-screwdriver''' for disassembly and assembly;
* a '''crank cleaning rod''' with a bristle brush for cleaning the chamber through the top receiver port without full disassembly;
* a '''gas path cleaning tool''';
* '''two drifts''' for pushing out pins and dowels;
* an '''extractor''' for removing torn cartridge case necks.
All accessories were packed in a box-bag or a canvas pouch.

=== Sound Suppressor ===
At the end of 1941, the SG-DP (Special Sound Suppressor for the “DP” LMG), likely developed with I.G. Mitin's involvement, was created. It used low-charge rounds with light bullets, reaching a muzzle velocity of 330 m/s. The suppressor enabled silent automatic fire up to 300 m (with a lethal range of up to 500 m). It was adopted by the [[Red Army]] on May 27, 1942. In June 1942, Plant No. 2 of the NKVD in [[Kovrov]] planned to produce 500 units<ref>{{cite web
 |last=Chumak
 |first=Ruslan
 |title=Ленинградские «Брамиты»
 |work=Журнал «Калашников»
 |issue=5
 |year=2015
 |pages=34–36
 |url=http://www.kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2015/kalashnikov_05_2015.php
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925094331/http://www.kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2015/kalashnikov_05_2015.php
 |archive-date=2015-09-25
 |access-date=2015-09-12
 |language=ru
}}</ref>. The suppressor weighed 1.3 kg, and the overall length of the machine gun with it was 1332 mm<ref name="Kalashnikov 98">{{cite web
 |last=Chumak
 |first=Ruslan
 |title=Звук выстрела совершенно отсутствует…
 |work=Журнал «Калашников»
 |issue=8
 |year=2014
 |page=98
 |url=http://www.kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2014/kalashnikov_08_2014.php
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118035742/http://kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2014/kalashnikov_08_2014.php
 |archive-date=2015-11-18
 |access-date=2015-09-13
 |language=ru
}}
</ref>.

After testing in July 1942, the SG-DP was revised at Kovrov's OKB-2 by designers A.M. Marantsev and I.V. Dolgushev. The improved suppressor had a reduced inner diameter from 16 to 14.5 mm. It weighed 1.15 kg, had an 85 mm muzzle attachment, and an overall length of 291 mm<ref name="Kalashnikov 98"/>.

[[File:SnowStepDPOrig.jpg|thumb|Snowshoe for the DP LMG]]
[[File:SnowstepDP27.jpg|thumb|DP-27 with replica snowshoe]]
In late 1942, the suppressor was tested at the [[Central Scientific Research Proving Ground for Small Arms and Mortars|NIPSVO]] as the SG-42 (Special Suppressor Model 1942). It was presumably used at the front and mass-produced, although production volume is unknown. Postwar tests in February–March 1948 found the suppressors unreliable, and they were decommissioned<ref>[http://www.kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2010/8_2010.php Журнал «Калашников» № 8/2010. Yuri Ponomaryov “Biography of PBS”, p. 30] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812211921/http://www.kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2010/8_2010.php}}</ref><ref name="Kalashnikov 99">{{cite web
 |last=Chumak
 |first=Ruslan
 |title=Звук выстрела совершенно отсутствует…
 |work=Журнал «Калашников»
 |issue=8
 |year=2014
 |page=99
 |url=http://www.kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2014/kalashnikov_08_2014.php
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118035742/http://kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2014/kalashnikov_08_2014.php
 |archive-date=2015-11-18
 |access-date=2015-09-13
 |language=ru
}}
</ref>.

Between 1948–1950, the suppressor was further developed into the KB-P-535 at OKB-2. It weighed 0.96 kg with obturators, measured 301 mm in length, 68 mm in height, and 34 mm in width. The DP with this suppressor measured 1310 mm<ref name="Kalashnikov 99"/>.

In March–April 1950, the KB-P-535 suppressors were tested with the [[RP-46]] machine gun but again failed to meet requirements<ref name="Kalashnikov 99"/><ref>[http://www.kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2010/9_2010.php Журнал «Калашников» № 9/2010. Yuri Ponomaryov “Biography of PBS. Continuation” p. 28] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504172243/http://www.kalashnikov.ru/Kalasnikov/Arhiv_Kalashnikov/2010/9_2010.php}}</ref>.

=== Snowshoe ===
Due to the legs of the machine gun sinking into snow or loose soil, various devices were developed, such as the snowshoe.

The snowshoe for the DP consists of metal plates hinged together with a stretched canvas fabric. Two of the plates, with eyelets and straps, are used to attach the bipod legs, while a canvas strap with buckle secures it to the trigger guard.

The snowshoe supports the DP during firing from deep snow, swampy, or sandy ground in summer<ref>{{cite book
 |editor1-last=Glazatov
 |editor1-first=V.V.
 |editor2-last=Gorina
 |editor2-first=M.E.
 |editor3-last=Musatova
 |editor3-first=E.A.
 |title=Памятка по применению в зимних условиях волокуш, лыжных установок и снегоступов для пулемётов, противотанковых ружей, миномётов и боеприпасов к ним
 |year=1944
 |location=М.
 |publisher=Военное издательство Народного Комиссариата Обороны
 |pages=6–7
 |language=ru
}}</ref>.

Magazines and ammunition could also conveniently be placed on the snowshoe.

==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.<ref name="Mcnab">{{cite book |last1=McNab |first1=Chris |title=Soviet Machine Guns of World War II |date=2022 |publisher=Osprey Publishing}}</ref>

==Variants==
[[File:Chinese Type 53.jpg|thumb|right|Chinese Type 53 (DPM)]]
* '''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''')<ref>{{Cite web |title=Degtyarev DPM LMG Light Support / Vehicle Machine Gun Specifications and Pictures |url=https://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.php?smallarms_id=414 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=www.militaryfactory.com}}</ref>
* '''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 [[Tupolev TB-3]] bomber and in the [[Polikarpov R-5]] and [[Polikarpov Po-2]] army cooperation aircraft. The DA weighed 7.1&nbsp;kg empty and 11.5&nbsp;kg with standard ammunition load. Its rate of fire was 600 rounds per minute. It was built between 1928 and March 1930 with 1,200 units delivered.<ref>Широкорад А.Б. (2001) ''История авиационного вооружения'' Харвест (Shirokorad A.B. (2001) ''Istorya aviatsionnogo vooruzhenia'' Harvest. {{ISBN|985-433-695-6}}) (''History of aircraft armament''), page 70</ref> It was soon superseded by the [[ShKAS]], which had a much higher rate of fire.
* '''DT and DTM''', for mounting and loading in [[armoured fighting vehicle]]s (Дегтярёва танковый, ''Degtyaryova Tankovy''; ДТ and ДТМ)<ref>{{cite tech report |last=Blagonravov |translator-last1=Leo Kanner Associates |first=A. |date=10 January 1974 |title=Degtyarev (DT) 7-62mm Tank Machine Gun |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA005480.pdf |work= |location=Army Foreign Science and Technology Center, [[Charlottesville, Virginia]] |publisher=[[National Technical Information Service]] |id= |access-date=15 February 2025}}</ref>
* '''DTM-4''', (ДТМ-4) quad mounted variant.<ref name="bratishka">{{cite web|url=http://www.bratishka.ru/archiv/2010/5/images/2010051007.jpg|date=2010-09-03|title=Image: 2010051007.jpg, (440 × 358 px)|publisher=bratishka.ru|access-date=2015-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130223032852/http://www.bratishka.ru/archiv/2010/5/images/2010051007.jpg|archive-date=2013-02-23|url-status=dead}}{{better source needed|date=February 2019}}</ref>
[[File:DM-ST-89-01130.JPEG|thumb|right|RP-46]]
* '''RP-46''' ({{lang|ru|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&nbsp;kg, when considered together with a single ammo box of 250 rounds, the RP-46 weighed 10&nbsp;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 [[SG-43 Goryunov|SGM]]) by the [[PK machine gun]].<ref name="Mcnab" /> The RP-46 was later manufactured in China as the '''Type 58''' and in North Korea as the '''Type 64'''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Пулеметы России. Шквальный огонь | author = Семен Федосеев|pages=322–327|year=2009|publisher=Яуза / Коллекция / ЭКСМО|isbn=978-5-699-31622-9}}</ref> The RP-46 could still fire from DP-style magazines by removing its belt-feeding system.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090738/http://www.virginia1774.org/DIA-ST-HB-07-03-74.pdf Small Arms Identification and Operation Guide--Eurasian Communist Countries]}}, [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] ST-HB-07-03-74, p. 238</ref>

==Users==
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* {{flagcountry|Islamic Republic of Afghanistan}}: DPM<ref name="SAS 2012 10">{{cite book|url=http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook/small-arms-survey-2012.html|chapter-url=http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/A-Yearbook/2012/eng/Small-Arms-Survey-2012-Chapter-10-EN.pdf|chapter=Surveying the Battlefield: Illicit Arms In Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia|title=Small Arms Survey 2012: Moving Targets|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=2012|author=Small Arms Survey|author-link=Small Arms Survey|page=332|isbn=978-0-521-19714-4|access-date=2018-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831002411/http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook/small-arms-survey-2012.html|archive-date=2018-08-31|url-status=dead}}</ref> and RP-46 variants<ref>{{cite book|title=Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict: Armed Groups, Disarmament and Security in a Post-War Society|first1=Michael Vinai|last1=Bhatia |first2=Mark |last2=Sedra|publisher=[[Routledge]]|editor=Small Arms Survey|editor-link=Small Arms Survey|isbn=978-0-415-45308-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P4N9AgAAQBAJ|page=65|date=May 2008}}</ref>
* {{flag|Albania}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009">{{cite book |editor1-first=Richard D. |editor1-last=Jones |editor2-first=Leland S. |editor2-last=Ness |title=Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010 |date=January 27, 2009 |edition=35th |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=Coulsdon |isbn=978-0-7106-2869-5}}</ref>
* {{flag|Algeria}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Angola}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Benin}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Bulgaria}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2002">{{cite book |editor1-first=Terry J.|editor1-last=Gander|editor2-first=Charles Q. |editor2-last=Cutshaw|title=Jane's Infantry Weapons 2001/2002 |date=2001 |edition=27th |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=Coulsdon |isbn=9780710623171}}</ref>
* {{flag|Central African Republic}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Republic of China (1912-1949)|name=Republic of China}}: Received 5,600 from the Soviet Union as aid from 1938.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shih |first1=Bin |title=China's Small Arms of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) |date=2022 |isbn=979-8473557848 |pages=176 |publisher=Independently published |edition=2021}}</ref><ref name ="Chinese Army">{{cite book|title=The Chinese Army 1937–49: World War II and Civil War|series=Men-at-Arms 424|first=Philip |last=Jowett|date=10 Jul 2005|isbn=9781841769042|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|page=15}}</ref>
* {{PRC}}: DPM and RP-46 locally built as Type 53 and Type 58{{sfn|Smith|1969|p=297}}
* {{flag|Comoros}}: RP-46 and Type 58 variants.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Congo-Brazzaville}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Cuba}}: DP, DT, DTM,{{sfn|Smith|1969|p=22}} DPM and RP-46 variants.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Czechoslovakia}}: ''DP'', DPM and RP-46 variants.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Military Surplus Magazine|date=December 15, 2016|title=Eastern Bloc Firestorm: The Czech UK vz. 59 Machine Gun|first=Paul|last=Scarlata|url=https://www.tactical-life.com/firearms/uk-vz-59/|access-date=6 January 2019|archive-date=26 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926023402/https://www.tactical-life.com/firearms/uk-vz-59/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{flag|Egypt|1958}}<ref name="Yemen"/>
* {{flag|Equatorial Guinea}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Ethiopia}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Finland}}: Used captured examples during World War II.<ref>[http://www.winterwar.com/Weapons/SuSmallArms/SUAutomatics.htm Soviet Machine guns and Light Machine guns in the Winter War] at winterwar.com</ref>
* {{flag|East Germany}}: DT and DTM variants.{{sfn|Smith|1969|p=381}}
* {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}: Captured models were issued to the [[Volkssturm]].<ref>{{cite book|page=329|title=Desperate Measures: The Last-Ditch Weapons of the Nazi Volkssturm|author=W. Darrin Weaver|year=2005|publisher=Collector Grade Publications |isbn=978-0889353725}}</ref>
*{{flag|Hungary|1949}}: ''DP'', DPM and DTM variants.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Lugosi |first1= József |editor1-first= József |editor1-last= Lugosi |editor2-first= György |editor2-last= Markó |title= Hazánk dicsőségére: 160 éves a Magyar Honvédség |year= 2008 |publisher= Zrínyi Kiadó|location= Budapest |isbn= 978-963-327-461-3 |page= 384 |chapter= Gyalogsági fegyverek 1868–2008}}</ref> Locally produced as M-27.<ref name ="Hungary 1956"/>
* {{flag|Indonesia}}{{sfn|Smith|1969|p=461}}
* {{flagcountry|Iraq}}: [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|Iraqi insurgents]] used RP-46 variant.<ref name="SAS 2012 10B">{{cite book|url=http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook/small-arms-survey-2012.html|chapter-url=http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/A-Yearbook/2012/eng/Small-Arms-Survey-2012-Chapter-10-EN.pdf|chapter=Surveying the Battlefield: Illicit Arms In Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia|title=Small Arms Survey 2012: Moving Targets|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=2012|author=Small Arms Survey|author-link=Small Arms Survey|page=321|isbn=978-0-521-19714-4|access-date=2018-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831002411/http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/publications/by-type/yearbook/small-arms-survey-2012.html|archive-date=2018-08-31|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*{{flag|Kingdom of Italy}}: The [[Italian Army in Russia]] used captured examples as they were more reliable than the [[Breda 30]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Riccio |first1=Ralph |title=Italian small arms of the first & second world wars |date=2013 |publisher=Schiffer Publishing |isbn=9780764345838 |page=160}}</ref>
* {{flag|Laos}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Libya}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Nigeria}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|North Korea}}: DPM, Type 53 and RP-46 variants.<ref name="fas">{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk/nkor.pdf|date=2 November 1998|title=NORTH KOREA COUNTRY HANDBOOK &#124; MARINE CORPS INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITY|access-date=2015-09-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=North Korean Small Arms (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)|magazine=Small Arms Review|volume=16|issue=2|date=June 2012|url=https://smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1108|access-date=2019-02-03|archive-date=2019-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202212301/https://smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1108|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Flag_of_PAIGC.svg}} [[PAIGC]]<ref>{{cite book |last= Djaló|first= Amadú Bailó|date= 2010|title= Guineense, Comando, Português|trans-title= Guinean, Commando, Portuguese |url= https://associacaocomandos.pt/associacao-comandos/publicacoes/livros/guineense-comando-portugues/|language= Portuguese|location= Lisboa|publisher= Associação de Comandos|page= 139|isbn=978-989-95601-1-6}}</ref>
* {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Palestine_-_short_triangle.svg}} [[Palestine Liberation Organization]]<ref name="Arabs">{{cite book|title=Arab Armies of the Middle East Wars 1948–73|series=Men-at-Arms 128|first=John |last=Laffin|date=15 Jun 1982|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=9780850454512|page=37}}</ref>
* {{flag|Poland}}: Used by [[Polish Army in USSR]] during World War II<ref>{{cite book|title=The Polish Army 1939–45|url=https://archive.org/details/polisharmy00zalo|url-access=limited|series= Men-at-Arms 117 |first=Steven J.|last=Zaloga|date=1982|isbn=9780850454178|publisher=Osprey Publishing|page=[https://archive.org/details/polisharmy00zalo/page/n47 39]}}</ref> and then during the Cold War era (DPM and RP-46 variants).{{sfn|Smith|1969|p=526}}
* {{flagicon|Romania|1952}} [[Socialist Republic of Romania|Romania]]: DP and DPM used after the war.{{sfn|Smith|1969|p=533}}
* {{flag|Seychelles}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Somalia}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Soviet Union}}<ref name="modern">[https://modernfirearms.net/en/machineguns/russia-machineguns/dp-dpm-rp-46-eng/ Degtyarev DP DPM RP-46 (Russia / USSR)] at modernfirearms.net</ref>
* {{flag|Spanish Republic}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Uniforms of the Soldiers of Fortune|date=1985|isbn=9780713713282|first1=Leroy|last1=Thompson|first2=Ken|last2=MacSwan|publisher=Blandford Press|place=Poole|pages=[https://archive.org/details/uniformsofsoldie00thom/page/117 117–118]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/uniformsofsoldie00thom/page/117}}</ref>
*{{flag|Sri Lanka}}: Type 58 variant<ref>{{cite book |last= Smith | first= Chris | title= In the Shadow of a Cease-fire: The Impacts of Small Arms Availability and Misuse in Sri Lanka | publisher= Small Arms Survey |date=October 2003 |url= http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/B-Occasional-papers/SAS-OP11-Sri-Lanka.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110112185613/http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/B-Occasional-papers/SAS-OP11-Sri-Lanka.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= January 12, 2011 |series=Occasional Paper No. 11|page=14}}</ref>
* {{flag|Sudan}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{SYR}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name ="FranceSoir"/>
* {{flag|Syrian opposition}}: Regular ''DP27''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycm6y2120dE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/Ycm6y2120dE |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Footage of weapons which were handed over by rebels to the Syrian Arab Army in Southern Damascus |website=[[YouTube]] |date=12 May 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Used by the Martyrs Of Islam rebel faction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2017/06/27/syrian-civil-war-wwii-weapons-used/|title=Syrian Civil War: WWII weapons used|date=November 2019}}</ref>
* {{flag|Tanzania}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{flag|Togo}}: RP-46 variant.<ref name="jones2009"/>
* {{Flag|Ukraine}}<ref>{{cite web|author=sapeurgalanet|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHTtvNizmkE&t=2804s|title=Кулемет ДП-27 | website=[[YouTube]] |date=2022-01-25|access-date=2022-03-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603170710/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHTtvNizmkE|archive-date=June 3, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Chris McGrath |url=https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/members-of-the-ukrainian-military-wait-at-a-forward-news-photo/1383102453|title=Russians Continue Assault On Outskirts Of Kyiv|publisher=Getty Images|date=2022-03-07|access-date=2022-03-25}}</ref>
* {{flag|Vietnam}}: DPM, Type 53, RP-46 and Type 58 variants<ref name ="NVA">{{cite book|title=North Vietnamese Army Soldier 1958–75|series=Warrior 135|first=Gordon L. |last=Rottman |date= 10 Feb 2009|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|isbn=9781846033711|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iC21CwAAQBAJ|page=31}}</ref>
* {{flag|Yemen}}<ref name="Yemen">{{cite web|title=WWII weapons in Yemen's civil war|url=https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2018/09/09/wwii-weapons-in-yemens-civil-war/|website=wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com|date=September 9, 2018}}{{Self-published source|date=September 2018}}</ref>
* {{flagcountry|SFR Yugoslavia}}{{sfn|Smith|1969|p=723}}
* {{flag|Zambia}}: RP-46 variant.<ref>{{cite news|author=Zambia Watchdog |url=https://www.zambiawatchdog.com/zambia-dented-instability-to-continue-upto-2021-economist-group/ |title=Zambia dented, instability to continue up to 2021 – Economist Group |newspaper=Zambian Watchdog |publisher=Zambia Watchdog |date=2017-06-09 |access-date=2017-06-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616235649/https://www.zambiawatchdog.com/zambia-dented-instability-to-continue-upto-2021-economist-group/|archive-date=June 16, 2021}}</ref>{{Div col end}}

==See also==
*[[Kucher Model K1]]
*[[Lahti-Saloranta M/26]]
*[[Lewis gun]]
*[[List of Russian weaponry]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Joseph E.|title=Small Arms of the World|url=https://archive.org/details/smallarmsofworld00smit|url-access=registration|edition =11|location=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|publisher= The Stackpole Company|year=1969|isbn=978-0-8117-1566-9 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Degtyarev light machine gun}}
* [http://www.winterwar.com/Weapons/SuSmallArms/SUAutomatics.htm The Battles of the Winter War]
* [https://modernfirearms.net/en/machineguns/russia-machineguns/dp-dpm-rp-46-eng/ Modern Firearms – Degtyarev DP DPM RP-46]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120223163723/http://www.scribd.com/doc/29617716/DT-28-Machine-Gun-Manual-T-34-Tank Soviet DT-28 Repair and Operation Manual]{{in lang|ru}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130223032848/http://www.bratishka.ru/archiv/2010/5/2010_5_10.php Degtyarov machine gun variants]{{in lang|ru}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/7dc/06_16.pdf |date=22 April 2010 |title=75 лет ручному пулемёту Дегтярёва |access-date=2015-09-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815074754/http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/7dc/06_16.pdf |archive-date=2014-08-15 }}

{{WWIIUSSRInfWeapons}}
{{Russian and Soviet Aircraft Ordnance}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Degtyaryov Machine Gun}}
[[Category:7.62×54mmR machine guns]]
[[Category:Light machine guns]]
[[Category:World War II infantry weapons of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:World War II machine guns]]
[[Category:Machine guns of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Soviet inventions]]
[[Category:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1927]]
[[Category:Degtyarev Plant products]]