| DP machine gun | |
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DP |
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| Type | Light machine gun |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1928-1960s (Soviet first line service) |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Spanish Civil War Winter War World War II Korean War Chinese Civil War Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Somali Civil War Libyan Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Vasily Degtyaryov |
| Designed | 1927 |
| Number built | 795,000[1] |
| Variants | DP DPT DPM DPA DTM-4 RP-46 Type 53 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 9.12 kg (20.11 lb) |
| Length | DP, DPM - 1,270 mm (50.0 in) RP-46 - 1,272 mm (50.1 in) |
| Barrel length | DP, DPM - 604 mm (23.8 in) RP-46 - 605 mm (23.8 in) |
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| Cartridge | 7.62×54mmR |
| Action | Gas-Operated |
| Rate of fire | 500-600rpm 2400rpm (DTM-4) |
| Muzzle velocity | 840 m/s (2,755 ft/s) |
| Effective range | 800 m (874.9 yd) |
| Feed system | 47-round Pan Magazine Belt feed (RP-46) 30-round overhead box magazine (PD-36 and DTM-4) |
| Sights | Front: Post w/ ears Back: Tangent leaf |
The Пулемёт Дегтярёвa Пехотный (Pulemyot Degtyaryova Pekhotny) (Degtyarev's infantry machine gun) or DP is a light machine gun firing the 7.62×54mmR cartridge that was used primarily by the Soviet Union starting in 1928. It was cheap and easy to manufacture - early models had fewer than 80 parts and could be built by unskilled labour. The DP was especially able to withstand dirt. In tests it was buried in sand and mud and was still capable of firing more than 500 rounds. The DP's main drawback is its bipod; it cannot withstand much abuse and breaks easily. Also, the magazine, which is a pan with 47 rounds that feed in from the top, is relatively small and continuous fire for long periods could not be relied on as much as contemporary belt fed weapons. It takes some time to load a new magazine onto the weapon, and each magazine takes a much longer time to reload with ammunition. However, the DP's lower cyclic rate of fire means a reduced risk of the barrel overheating. Nicknamed the "Record player" by Red Army troops because the disk-shaped pan magazine resembled a gramophone record and its top cover which revolves while the weapon is fired. The DP had a reputation as an effective light support weapon. The DP machine gun was supplemented in the 1950s by the more modern RPD machine gun and entirely replaced in Soviet service by the general purpose PK machine gun in the 1960s.
Captured by the Finnish army in the Winter War and the Continuation War to partially replace the Lahti-Saloranta M/26, the weapon received the nickname Emma in the service after a popular waltz. In the summer of 1944 the Finnish army had about 3400 Finnish-made Lahti-Salorantas and 9000 captured Soviet-made Degtyarevs on the front.
A number of the RP-46 variant of the DP have been spotted in present day Somalia, in use with militant forces, and also among rebel forces in the 2011 Libyan uprising to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi
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The original DP is more commonly called the DP-28 (or DP-27), although there is some confusion as to whether these are official designations or not.
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