{"id":1715,"date":"2023-12-12T16:22:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T16:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1715"},"modified":"2023-12-12T16:22:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T16:22:00","slug":"stalins-record-player-the-dp-27-degtyaryov-lmg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1715","title":{"rendered":"Stalin\u2019s Record Player: The DP-27 Degtyaryov LMG"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"byline\">By <a class=\"byline-author ajax-home\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/author\/peter-suciu\/\">Peter Suciu<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dropcap\">I<\/span>n March 2022, just weeks after Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, images circulated across social media that showed some Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces training with wooden facsimiles of the AK-47, while a video was shared to YouTube that highlighted how some of the volunteers were being trained to operate the DP-27 light machine gun. It was a weapon likely older than some of the grandparents of the trainees!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49697\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/dp-27-machine-gun-being-test-fired-by-finish-soldier-lmg-captured-from-soviet-russian-soldiers-in-continuation-war.jpg.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/dp-27-machine-gun-being-test-fired-by-finish-soldier-lmg-captured-from-soviet-russian-soldiers-in-continuation-war-800x487.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/dp-27-machine-gun-being-test-fired-by-finish-soldier-lmg-captured-from-soviet-russian-soldiers-in-continuation-war-400x243.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/dp-27-machine-gun-being-test-fired-by-finish-soldier-lmg-captured-from-soviet-russian-soldiers-in-continuation-war-768x467.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/dp-27-machine-gun-being-test-fired-by-finish-soldier-lmg-captured-from-soviet-russian-soldiers-in-continuation-war-600x365.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Finnish soldier tries a DP-27 Degtyaryov machine gun taken from Soviet troops and captured during the Continuation War. Image:\u00a0SA-kuva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIn my opinion, there are no old machine guns at all,\u201d Ivan Savelyev, the volunteer instructor, tells the trainees. \u201cAnd the main tactical and technical characteristic of any weapon is the head of its owner and what is invested in this head.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u041a\u0443\u043b\u0435\u043c\u0435\u0442 \u0414\u041f-27\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JHTtvNizmkE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>That light machine gun \u2014 also known in the West as the DP-28 \u2014 was developed in the late 1920s and saw service during the Second World War with the Soviet Red Army, while it was also employed by North Korean and Communist Chinese forces in the Korean War.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to its top-loading pan magazine, it is easy to see how it earned the nickname \u201cStalin\u2019s record player.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Development of the DP-27<\/h2>\n<p>Throughout the First World War, the Imperial Russian Army employed the water-cooled PM-1910 Maxim, which was mounted on the wheeled Sokolov mount. It provided some mobility, and the heavy machine gun was used by the various combatant forces during the Russian Civil War.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49698\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war.jpg.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war-800x559.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war-400x280.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war-768x537.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war-600x420.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"979\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war.jpg\" alt=\"finnish soldier fires dp-27 machine gun in the snow captured from ussr troops in winter war\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war-800x559.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war-400x280.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war-768x537.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-fires-dp-27-machine-gun-in-the-snow-captured-from-ussr-troops-in-winter-war-600x420.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Finnish gunsmith tests a captured DP-27 he repaired in Impilahti (inside modern-day Russia.) The gun was taken from soldiers of the Soviet Union during the Continuation War. Image:\u00a0SA-kuva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>However, even before the Soviet Red Army had secured victory, it began to consider the need for a light machine gun \u2014 a concept that was then coming into its own. In 1921, Vasily Alekseyevich Degtyaryov \u2014 who actually headed the very first Soviet firearms design bureau \u2014 was tasked with developing such a weapon. Development continued through the 1920s, and a prototype was introduced in 1926.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full flush no-min-width\"><picture loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49699\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-troops-with-dp-27-moving-through-a-trench-during-battle-of-lenningrad-in-world-war-2.jpg.webp 678w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-troops-with-dp-27-moving-through-a-trench-during-battle-of-lenningrad-in-world-war-2-576x800.jpg.webp 576w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-troops-with-dp-27-moving-through-a-trench-during-battle-of-lenningrad-in-world-war-2-288x400.jpg.webp 288w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-troops-with-dp-27-moving-through-a-trench-during-battle-of-lenningrad-in-world-war-2-600x833.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"941\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-troops-with-dp-27-moving-through-a-trench-during-battle-of-lenningrad-in-world-war-2.jpg\" alt=\"soviet troops with dp-27 moving through a trench during battle of lenningrad in world war 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-troops-with-dp-27-moving-through-a-trench-during-battle-of-lenningrad-in-world-war-2.jpg 678w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-troops-with-dp-27-moving-through-a-trench-during-battle-of-lenningrad-in-world-war-2-576x800.jpg 576w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-troops-with-dp-27-moving-through-a-trench-during-battle-of-lenningrad-in-world-war-2-288x400.jpg 288w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-troops-with-dp-27-moving-through-a-trench-during-battle-of-lenningrad-in-world-war-2-600x833.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Red Army soldiers move through a trench during the Siege of Leningrad. The lead soldier carries a DP-27. Image:\u00a0Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Pulemyot Degtyaryova Pekhotny 1927 (Degtyaryov\u2019s infantry machine gun 1927), as it became known, proved to be reliable, accurate and durable. It could be manhandled and still work like it was new from the factory, and it could endure freezing temperatures while continuing to lay down fire. It was chambered for the 7.62x54mmR cartridge, the same round used with the M1891 Mosin-Nagant bolt action rifle as well as the aforementioned PM-1910 water-cooled heavy machinegun.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Squad Assault Weapon<\/h2>\n<p>The DP-27 was a gas-operated weapon that was unique in that it was fed from a 47-round drum\/pan magazine mounted on the top. Whether this was influenced by the\u00a0<a class=\"ajax-article\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/the-lewis-gun-a-forgotten-trench-warrior\/\">American-designed Lewis Gun<\/a>\u00a0remains unclear, but the Lewis Gun was provided to Russian forces in the First World War.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49700\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad.jpg.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad-800x574.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad-400x287.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad-768x551.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad-600x431.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1005\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad.jpg\" alt=\"german polish and hungarian troops with finnish army using a dp-27 machine gun squad\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad-800x574.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad-400x287.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad-768x551.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-polish-and-hungarian-troops-with-finnish-army-using-a-dp-27-machine-gun-squad-600x431.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cmdr. Major Lundtr\u00f6m inspects a DP-27 team. The outpost was manned by German, Polish and Hungarian soldiers in the service of the Finnish military against the Soviets in July 1941. Image:\u00a0SA-kuva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The pan magazine provided plenty of ammunition, while it also ensured that the line of sight over the weapon wasn\u2019t obscured. Placing the feed on top of the weapon also provided the benefit of mobility that was lacking in belt-fed light machineguns of the era.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, it featured a bolt-locking system that was a simple adaptation of a Swedish invention in which two flaps were pushed out from the bolt by the movement of the firing pin. The DP-27, which employed a rifle-style stock, had only six working parts and was especially able to withstand dirt  \u2014  so much so that Red Army soldiers were known to joke that it fired better if sand were thrown on it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49701\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2.jpg.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2-800x577.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2-400x288.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2-768x554.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2-600x432.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1009\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2.jpg\" alt=\"german troops practice shooting a captured dp-27 machine gun during world war 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2-800x577.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2-400x288.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2-768x554.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/german-troops-practice-shooting-a-captured-dp-27-machine-gun-during-world-war-2-600x432.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hungarian troops practice shooting a captured Soviet-made DP-27 machine gun in 1942. Image:\u00a0FORTEPAN \/ Nagyp\u00e1l G\u00e9za<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Early versions had 26 transverse cooling fins positioned on the barrel, but this proved to do little to actually cool it. Instead, the problem of excessive barrel heating was addressed with the introduction of a quick-change barrel mechanism. The DP-27 was also able to fire approximately 550 rounds per minute, a lower rate of fire than some machineguns of the era, a fact that actually helped reduce the risk of the barrel overheating.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter inline\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"display: none;\" class=\"logo-tal-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/themes\/thearmorylife\/img\/logo-tal-tm-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Live The Armory Life.<\/strong> The latest content straight to your inbox plus an automatic entry to each of our <a class=\"ajax-giveaways\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/giveaways\/\"><strong>monthly gun\u00a0giveaways!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Even with that particular shortcoming in combat situations, it filled the role of a squad light machinegun very well. If there was one problem, it was that the magazine proved to be a major detraction as it took a long time to change. They were also difficult to reload. In addition, the gun\u2019s bipod was weak. And the DP-27 was very difficult, but not quite impossible, to fire from the hip. The operator could, in theory, hold the two legs of the bipod, but it was far from a pleasant experience. Holding the barrel shroud would simply result in burned fingers as the weapon heated up quickly when fired in full-automatic mode.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Baptism of Fire<\/h2>\n<p>By all accounts, the Kremlin was quite satisfied with the DP-27, but production was delayed until the early 1930s. The first real test of the firearms was thus in the Spanish Civil War, where the Soviets supplied it to the Republican forces and it quickly earned a reputation as a highly effective support weapon.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49702\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia.jpg.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia-800x550.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia-400x275.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia-768x528.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia-600x413.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"963\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia.jpg\" alt=\"soviet machine gunner with dp-27 in bombed house in stalingrad russia\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia-800x550.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia-400x275.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia-768x528.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/soviet-machine-gunner-with-dp-27-in-bombed-house-in-stalingrad-russia-600x413.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In a seemingly posed shot, a Soviet machine gunner aims his DP-27 machine gun in a destroyed house somewhere in Stalingrad. Image:\u00a0Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As Nazi Germany supported the Nationalists in Spain, it is almost certain that its arms designers would have had a chance to evaluate the weapon. Though it was reliable, it certainly wasn\u2019t up to German engineering standards \u2014 and it could have been an example of Soviet military hardware that gave the German high command its overconfidence, especially as the Germans had recently introduced the\u00a0<a class=\"ajax-article\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/a-revolution-in-modern-warfare-the-german-mg-34\/\">excellent MG-34 general-purpose machine gun<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>However, the DP-27 did go on to serve with the Red Army in the Winter War against Finland.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full flush\"><picture loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49703\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army.jpg.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army-800x757.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army-400x379.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army-768x727.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army-600x568.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1325\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army.jpg\" alt=\"finnish officers examine dp-27 machine gun captured from soviet troops red army\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army-800x757.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army-400x379.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army-768x727.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-officers-examine-dp-27-machine-gun-captured-from-soviet-troops-red-army-600x568.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Col. Tiainen and Lt. Col. Teittinen inspect seized weapons at the Finnish regimental headquarters. On the table between them is the Soviet DP-27 7.62mm machine gun. Image:\u00a0SA-kuva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Thousands were captured and the weapon found favor with the Finnish Army, which used it in the Continuation War \u2014 where it actually replaced the domestically manufactured Lahti-Saloranta M\/26 light machine gun. In Finnish service, the DP received the nickname \u201cEmma\u201d after a popular waltz as a play on its resemblance to a record player.<\/p>\n<p>The German military also issued a large number of captured DP-27s to its Volksstrum forces, the late World War II German militia, where it was designated Leichtes Maschinengewehr 120(r).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49704\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war.jpg.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war-800x496.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war-400x248.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war-768x476.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war-600x372.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"868\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war.jpg\" alt=\"finnish soldier with dp-27 fires at red army troops in continuation war\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war-800x496.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war-400x248.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war-768x476.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/finnish-soldier-with-dp-27-fires-at-red-army-troops-in-continuation-war-600x372.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Finnish soldier fires at Red Army troops during the Continuation War, circa April 1942. Image:\u00a0SA-kuva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Through World War II, the Soviet Union supplied around 5,600 of the light machine guns to Chinese Nationalist forces. Those were used against the Japanese and then employed in a twist of irony against the Soviet-supported People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA) during the Chinese Civil War. As noted, the DP-27 was also employed by the North Korean Army and the Chinese Communists in the Korean War.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Upgraded DPM<\/h2>\n<p>It was also during the Second World War that the Soviets sought to upgrade the weapon, and the result was the DPM (modernized). It was equipped with a more robust bipod fastened to the cooling jacket, while the recoil spring \u2014 which had proven problematic at times \u2014 was relocated to the tube at the rear of the rear of the receiver. This negated the problem of recoil-spring heating, but it required a redesign of the stock and a pistol grip was introduced. The DPM was copied by the Chinese PLA as the Type 53 light machine gun.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49705\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022.jpg.webp 848w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022-800x584.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022-400x292.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022-768x561.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022-600x438.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"848\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022.jpg\" alt=\"ukraine dpm machine gun during russo-ukrainian war 2022\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022.jpg 848w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022-800x584.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022-400x292.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022-768x561.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukraine-dpm-machine-gun-during-russo-ukrainian-war-2022-600x438.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces soldier trains with a DPM machine gun on April 27, 2022. Image:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/armyinform.com.ua\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ministry of Defense of Ukraine<\/a>\/CC BY 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Both the DP-27 and DPM were also sent to aid the Viet Minh during the First Indochina War, and then to the People\u2019s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and\u00a0<a class=\"ajax-article\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/heavy-weapons-of-the-viet-cong\/\">Viet Cong forces in the Second Indochina War (Vietnam War<\/a>). More recently, DPMs have been employed by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. Both DP-27s and DPMs have been used in small numbers in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other Variants \u2014 DA and DT<\/h2>\n<p>There were two other variants of Degtyaryov\u2019s infantry machine gun produced \u2014 the DA (Degtyaryov Aviatsionny), an aircraft machine gun; and the DT (Degtyaryov Tankovy), which became the standard Red Army tank machine gun of the Second World War.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49706\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27.jpg.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27-800x543.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27-400x271.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27-768x521.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27-600x407.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"950\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27.jpg\" alt=\"emma machine gun finland anti aircraft dp-27\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27-800x543.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27-400x271.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27-768x521.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/emma-machine-gun-finland-anti-aircraft-dp-27-600x407.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nicknamed \u201cEmma\u201d by Finnish troops the DP-27 could be used in an anti-aircraft role. Image:\u00a0SA-kuva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The DA was noted to be used in tandem mounts as the DA-2. It was first employed on the Tupolev TB-3 bomber and then in the Polikarpov R-5 and Polikarpov Po-2. Only about 1,200 were produced as it was superseded by the ShKAS, which offered a much higher rate of fire.<\/p>\n<p>The DT\u2019s ammunition capacity was increased via a 60-round pan magazine, which arranged the ammunition in three layers. That deepened the magazine but also reduced its diameter compared to the infantry type. The barrel was also heavier to reduce the frequency of barrel changes. Though the DT was primarily designed for use in a tank, it came with a separate kit to convert it for dismounted use, including if a tank became disabled and had to be abandoned. Due to shortages of machine guns in World War II, many DTs were issued directly to infantry units.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><picture loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49707\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg.jpg.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg-800x537.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg-400x268.jpg.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg-768x515.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg-600x402.jpg.webp 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"939\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg.jpg\" alt=\"ukrainian territorial defense forces dp-27 lmg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg-800x537.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg-400x268.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg-768x515.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/ukrainian-territorial-defense-forces-dp-27-lmg-600x402.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\"\/>\n<\/picture><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces receive classroom training on the DP-27 machine gun. The design is nearly 100 years old, but the firearm remains quite capable. Image:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/armyinform.com.ua\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ministry of Defense of Ukraine<\/a>\/CC BY 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There was a final attempt after World War II to upgrade the DP-27 to a belt-fed light machine gun. The RP-46 (Rotnyi Pulemet 1946; Company level machine gun model 1946) was also fitted with a heavier barrel and it could fire upwards of 500 rounds between barrel changes. It was also manufactured in China as the Type 58 and in North Korea as the Type 64.<\/p>\n<p>The RP-46 eventually led to the development of the\u00a0<a class=\"ajax-article\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/rpd-light-machine-gun\/\">Cold War-era RPD (Ruchnoy Pulemyot Degtyaryova; Degtyaryov hand-held machine gun),<\/a>\u00a0a weapon that chambered for the newer intermediate 7.62x39mm cartridge.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is the DP-27 that remains the iconic Soviet Red Army light machine gun of the Second World War.<\/p>\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the \u201cGo To Forum Thread\u201d link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!<\/em><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"heading heading-forum-thread hide-share\"><span>Join the Discussion<\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"forum-thread-button-wrapper hide-share\"><a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/forum\/threads\/17237\/\">Go to forum thread<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thearmorylife.com\/dp-27-degtyaryov-lmg\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Peter Suciu In March 2022, just weeks after Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, images circulated across social media that showed some Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces training with wooden facsimiles of the AK-47, while a video was shared to YouTube that highlighted how some of the volunteers were being trained to operate the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}