RP-46
Kovrov Machine Gun Factory (Plant No. 2) · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1946
Also known as: Rotnyi Pulemyot model 1946, Company Machine Gun M1946, RP46
Overview
The RP-46 (Rotnyi Pulemyot obraztsa 1946 - 'company machine gun, model 1946') is a Soviet company-level machine gun derived from the DP/DPM light machine gun and chambered in 7.62x54mmR. Its principal advance over the DPM was a heavier quick-change barrel and a detachable belt-feed mechanism accepting 200- or 250-round non-disintegrating metallic belts, while retaining the option to mount the original 47-round DP pan magazine in the field. It kept the proven Degtyaryov gas-operated long-stroke piston action with flap-type bolt locking, firing from an open bolt at roughly 600 rounds per minute. Bipod-mounted, it filled the sustained-fire gap between the lighter squad RPD and the tripod-mounted SGM until the PK general-purpose machine gun superseded it in the 1960s. It was license-copied as the Chinese Type 58 and North Korean Type 64 and exported widely across the Eastern Bloc and developing world.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 13000 g (458.6 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 21300 g (751.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1272 mm (50.08") |
| Barrel Length | 605 mm (23.82") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Full Auto Only |
| Magazine Capacity | 250 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 840 m/s (2756 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3380 J (2493 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x54mmR · primary — also known as 7.62 Russian, 7.62x54R
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Non Disintegrating Metallic Belt 200 250 Round, 47 Round Pan Magazine Alternate
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Detachable Belt Feed Module, Accepts 47 Round Dp Pan Magazine, Heavy Quick Change Barrel, Carrying Handle, Integral Bipod, Air Cooled, Tangent Leaf Rear Sight
Variants
- Type 58 (Chinese) — Chinese Copy
- Type 64 (North Korean) — North Korean Copy
Service history
Operators
- Soviet Army · adopted 1946
- People's Liberation Army (China) · as Type 58
- Korean People's Army · as Type 64
- People's Army of Vietnam
- Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
- African post-colonial conflicts (1960s-1980s)
Production
Production years: 1946-1950s (USSR); later China/DPRK
Exact totals not published in fetched sources; widely exported across the Eastern Bloc and aligned states. Chinese Type 58 and North Korean Type 64 license production additional.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: A. I. Shilin, P. P. Polyakov, A. A. Dubinin
Discontinued: 1960
Notes
Developed by a team (Shilin, Polyakov, Dubinin) atop the Degtyaryov DP/DPM action. The bolt-on belt-feed module is its defining feature; removing it lets the gun revert to the DP-style 47-round pan. Rate of fire cited 600-650 rpm depending on source; 600 used as consensus. Rifling figures are standard-cartridge values, not source-confirmed.
Background
The RP-46 was essentially a DPM with a heavier barrel and a belt-feed adapter bolted on, letting one weapon switch between belt and the old 47-round pan in the field. It was meant to bridge the gap between the light squad RPD and the tripod-mounted SGM, giving a rifle company its own sustained fire. Mechanically it was built around the same long-stroke Degtyaryov action drawn up back in 1927 - making the '1946' gun a 1920s design wearing a new belt feed.