Degtyarev DP

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 12:37 Written by Administrator Thursday, 02 July 2009 03:24

The Degtyarev DP (also spelled “Degtyaryov”) was a light machine gun designed by Vasily Degtyaryov in the Soviet Union in 1928. It was highly effective and saw service for a number of years until the 1960s.

The DP was designed to fire the 7.62x54mmR cartridge and was gas-operated. With a rate of fire in between 500 to 600-rounds per minute, it was accurate to a distance of 800 meters. The slower firing rate of the gun was advantageous as it prevented excessive overheating when the weapon was fired continuously for long periods of time. The DP used a 47 round pan magazine as its feed system.

The Degtyaryov DP was very easy to manufacture. The manufacturing procedure was also relatively cheap. Early versions of the DP had less than 80 parts that could easily be built and assembled by unskilled labour. The gun was mass produced in large quantities during the war. Approximately 795,000 units were manufactured from 1927 to the 1950s.

Just like other Soviet guns, the DP was extremely reliable and robust. It could withstand dirt and operate perfectly even in the most extreme climatic conditions. In tests conducted to prove its effectiveness, it was observed that it could fire 500 rounds of more even after being buried in mud and sand.

Despite its advantages, the DP still did have some minus points. Its main drawback was its bipod and the drum feed system. Both these were susceptible to damage and broke very easily. Another drawback of the DP was its magazine which held only 47-rounds. The low capacity of the pan magazine meant that the gun couldn’t continuous fire unlike other machine guns in its class which used a belt-feed mechanism. At the same time, changing the magazine was also time-consuming.

The gas-operation system also had a slight design flaw. The gas piston-spring was close to the barrel. This caused it to get heated and weaken over a period of time, ultimately causing the mechanism to completely fail.

Several variants of the DP were designed. Some of these include:

>> DPM: This version was designed and adopted in 1943-44 and included a more robust bipod along with other modifications.
>> DA: This version was designed for use as an aircraft-mounted machine gun.
>> DT and DTM: These versions were designed for use with armoured fighting vehicles.
>> RP-46: This was the belt-fed version of the DP. The pan magazine on the top was replaced with a belt-feed mechanism. This version was also manufactured in China under the designation “Type 58”.

The DP and its variants saw service in a number of wars and conflicts. Most notable of these wars include the Spanish Civil War, the Winter War, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and the Cambodian Civil War. The gun was also employed by many other countries falling under the Communist bloc such as China, North Korea, Cambodia, Vietnam and Finland.

The DP was eventually replaced by more modern guns such as the RPD machine gun and later-on with the PK machine gun. By the 1960s, the DP was no longer in Soviet service.