DShKM
Soviet State Arsenals · Machine Gun · In Service · 1946
Also known as: DShK 1938/46, DShK-M, Dushka, Degtyaryov-Shpagin Krupnokaliberny Modernizirovanny, 12.7mm DShKM
Overview
The DShKM (DShK Model 1938/46) is the modernized production standard of the Soviet 12.7x108mm DShK heavy machine gun, adopted in 1946. Its defining change over the 1938 original was replacing Georgi Shpagin's complex rotary 'squirrel-cage' drum belt feed with a simpler, cheaper, and more reliable shuttle/slider-type feed mechanism, alongside an improved barrel mounting and muzzle brake. Gas-operated with a long-stroke piston and firing from an open bolt in full-auto only, it feeds a 50-round non-disintegrating belt at roughly 600 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity near 850 m/s, delivering some 17.5 kilojoules of energy. Mounted on the Kolesnikov wheeled universal carriage - around 157 kg combat-ready with shield - it serves in ground, vehicle, and anti-aircraft roles. Over a million were built before Soviet production ended in 1980, and it remains in service and even production worldwide.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 34000 g (1199.3 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 157000 g (5538.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1625 mm (63.98") |
| Barrel Length | 1070 mm (42.13") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Full Auto Only |
| Magazine Capacity | 50 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 850 m/s (2789 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 17500 J (12907 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3500 m (3828 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 8 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12.7x108mm · primary — also known as 12.7 Soviet, 12.7mm DShK, 12.7x108mm Russian
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Belt Fed Non Disintegrating, 50 Round Belt
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Simplified Shuttle Slider Belt Feed, Reversible Feed, Quick Change Barrel, Muzzle Brake, Kolesnikov Universal Mount, Anti Aircraft Capable, Spade Grips, Crew Served, Stamped Sheet Steel Components
Variants
- DShK Model 1938 (base model) — Predecessor Base Model
- Type 54 (Chinese) — Chinese Copy
- W-85 — Chinese Lightweight Variant
- NSV Utyos — Successor Design
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Soviet Army · adopted 1946
- Russian Armed Forces · adopted 1991
- People's Liberation Army (China) · adopted 1954 · as Type 54
- People's Army of Vietnam
- Pakistan Armed Forces
- Islamic Republic of Iran Army
- Czechoslovak People's Army
Conflicts
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
- Arab-Israeli Wars (1948-1982)
- Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
- Syrian Civil War (2011-present)
- Russo-Ukrainian War (2014-present)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,000,000 · Production years: 1946-1980 (USSR)
Over one million produced across Soviet DShK/DShKM production through 1980, plus foreign-license copies (Chinese Type 54/W-85, Pakistani, Iranian, Czech). Still newly manufactured by some nations decades after Soviet production ended.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: Vasily Degtyaryov
Discontinued: 1980
Notes
Modernization (DShK 1938/46) credited to K. I. Sokolov and A. K. Norov; the rotary feed of the 1938 gun was replaced with a simplified shuttle/slider unit. Combat weight ~157 kg on the Kolesnikov mount with shield; gun alone ~34 kg. Sighting range 3500 m (used as max_range_m); ballistic maximum bullet travel often quoted ~7000 m but not source-confirmed. Muzzle energy ~17500 J (some sources up to ~19200 J).
Background
Crews routinely stripped off the armored shield and wheeled carriage to lighten the ~157 kg system into something man-portable. The same gun rides as the anti-aircraft gun atop generations of Soviet tank turrets, from the IS heavies through the T-62. The DShKM outlived its own successor's introduction and is still being newly manufactured by countries like Pakistan decades after Soviet production ended.