DShK machine gun: performance characteristics and modifications. DShK machine gun: history of creation and design features What happened

21.09.2019

DShK - large-caliber easel machine gun, created on the basis of the DK machine gun and using a 12.7 × 108 mm cartridge. The DShK machine gun is one of the most common heavy machine guns. He played a significant role in the Great Patriotic War, as well as in subsequent military conflicts.

It was a formidable means of fighting the enemy on land, at sea and in the air. The DShK had a peculiar nickname "Dushka". Currently, in the armed forces of Russia, DShK and DShKM are completely replaced by Utes and Kord machine guns as more modern and advanced.

Story

In 1929, the experienced and well-known gunsmith Degtyarev was instructed to develop the first Soviet heavy machine gun, designed primarily to combat aircraft at altitudes up to 1.5 km. About a year later, the gunsmith presented his 12.7 mm machine gun for testing. Since 1932, this machine gun under the designation DK was launched into small-scale production.

However, the DK machine gun had certain disadvantages:

low practical rate of fire;
big weight shops;
bulkiness and heavy weight.

Therefore, in 1935, the production of the DK machine gun was discontinued, and the developers began to improve it. By 1938, the designer Shpagin had designed a DC tape power module. As a result, the improved machine gun was adopted by the Red Army on February 26, 1939 under the designation DShK - the Degtyarev-Shpagin heavy machine gun.

Mass production of the DShK began in 1940-1941. DShK machine guns used:

as an infantry support weapon;
as anti-aircraft guns;
installed on armored vehicles (T-40);
installed on small ships, including torpedo boats.

Kovrovskiy mechanical plant by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he had produced about 2 thousand DShKs. By 1944, more than 8400 machine guns had already been produced. And by the end of the war - 9 thousand DShK, the production of machine guns of this system continued in the post-war period.

According to the experience of the war, the DShK was modernized, and in 1946 a machine gun called DShKM entered service. DShKM was installed as an anti-aircraft machine gun on T-62, T-54, T-55 tanks. The tank version of the machine gun was called DShKMT.

Design features

Heavy machine gun DShK (caliber 12.7 mm) - automatic weapon using the principle of removal of powder gases. DShK fire mode - only automatic, non-removable barrel is equipped with a muzzle brake and has special ribs for better cooling. The barrel is locked by two combat larvae, which are pivotally mounted on the bolt.

Power is supplied from a metal non-loose tape, the tape is fed from the left side of the DShK. The tape feeder is made in the form of a drum. During rotation, the drum simultaneously fed the tape, and also removed the cartridges from it (the tape had open links). After the chamber of the drum with the cartridge came to the lower position, the bolt fed the cartridge into the chamber.

The feed of the tape was carried out using a lever located on the right side and swinging in a vertical plane during the action of the loading handle, rigidly connected to the bolt frame.

The drum mechanism at the DShKM was replaced by a compact slider, which worked on a similar principle. The cartridge was removed from the tape down, after which it was fed directly into the chamber. In the butt pad receiver spring buffers of the bolt frame and bolt are installed. The fire is conducted from the rear sear. To control the fire, two handles on the butt plate are used, as well as twin triggers. For aiming, a frame sight was installed, and special mounts were installed for the anti-aircraft foreshortening sight.

The machine gun was mounted on a universal machine of the Kolesnikov system, which was equipped with a steel shield and removable wheels. When using a machine gun as anti-aircraft gun the rear support was bred into a tripod, and the wheels and shield were removed. The main disadvantage of this machine was the weight, which limited the mobility of the machine gun. The machine gun was installed:

on ship pedestal installations;
in tower installations;
on remotely controlled anti-aircraft installations.

Specifications DShK model 1938

Cartridge - 12.7 × 108.
The total weight of the machine gun (on the machine, with a belt and without a shield) is 181.3 kg.
The weight of the “body” of the DShK without tape is 33.4 kg.
Barrel weight - 11.2 kg.
The length of the "body" DShK - 1626 mm.
Barrel length - 1070 mm.
Rifling - 8 right-handed.
The length of the rifled part of the barrel is 890 mm.
The initial speed of the bullet is 850-870 m / s.
The muzzle energy of a bullet is an average of 19,000 J.
The rate of fire is 600 rounds per minute.
Combat rate of fire - 125 rounds per minute.
Sighting line length - 1110 mm.
Sighting range for ground targets - 3500 m.
Sighting range for air targets - 2400 m.
Reach in height - 2500 m.
Type of machine - wheel-tripod.
The height of the line of fire in the ground position is 503 mm.
The height of the line of fire in anti-aircraft position is 1400 mm.
For anti-aircraft fire transition time to combat position from marching - 30 sec.
Calculation - 3-4 people.

Modifications

DShKT- tank machine gun, was first installed on IS-2 tanks as an anti-aircraft gun
DShKM-2B- twin installation for armored boats, where two machine guns were installed in a closed tower, with bulletproof armor
MTU-2- a twin turret weighing 160 kg, designed for installation on ships
DShKM-4- experimental quad installation
P-2K- mine installation designed for submarines(during the campaign I cleaned inside the boat)

Video about the DShK machine gun

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

In 1929 designer Vasily Degtyarev received the task of creating the first Soviet heavy machine gun, designed primarily to combat aircraft at altitudes up to 1500 meters.

The large-caliber heavy machine gun DK was put into service in 1931 and was used for installation on armored vehicles and ships of river fleets.

However military trials showed that this model did not live up to the expectations of the military, and the machine gun was sent for revision. At the same time, he worked on the design Georgy Shpagin, who invented the original tape power module for DC.

The combined forces of Degtyarev and Shpagin created a version of the machine gun, which in December 1938 passed all field tests.

Armor-piercing incendiary power

On February 26, 1939, the improved machine gun was adopted by the Red Army under the designation "12.7 mm Degtyarev-Shpagin heavy machine gun of the 1938 model of the year - DShK." The machine gun was mounted on a universal machine Kolesnikova model 1938, which was equipped with its own loading handle, had a removable shoulder pad for firing at aircraft, a cartridge box bracket, and a rod-type vertical aiming mechanism.

Ground targets were fired from a wheeled course, while the legs were folded. For firing at air targets, the wheel drive was separated, and the machine was laid out in the form of a tripod.

The 12.7 mm DShK cartridge could have an armor-piercing bullet, armor-piercing incendiary, sighting-incendiary, tracer, sighting. Armor-piercing incendiary tracer bullets were used against flying targets.

Serial DShK production began in 1940, and the machine gun immediately began to enter the troops. To the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in the Red Army, about 800 DShK machine guns were in service.

Machine gun DShK 12.7 mm model 1938. Photo: RIA Novosti / Khomenko

Nazi aviation nightmare

Almost from the first days of the war, DShKs began to cause serious damage to enemy aircraft, demonstrating their high efficiency. The problem, however, was that with the predominance of the Nazis in the air, several hundred DShK installations on the entire front could not radically change the situation.

Increasing the pace of production made it possible to solve this problem. By the end of the Great Patriotic War, up to 9,000 DShK machine guns were produced, which not only equipped anti-aircraft gunners of the Red Army and the Navy. They began to be installed en masse on the towers of tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts. This allowed tankers not only to fight against air attacks, but to increase their effectiveness in urban combat, when they had to suppress firing points on upper floors buildings.

The Wehrmacht did not have a full-time heavy machine gun of this type, which became a serious advantage for the Red Army.

A Syrian army soldier behind a DShK machine gun. Photo: RIA Novosti / Ilya Pitalev

Continuation of the tradition

The modernized model of the DShKM machine gun was in service with the armies of at least 40 countries over several post-war decades. The brainchild of Soviet designers is still in service in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Ukraine. In Russia, the DShK and DShKM were replaced by the Utes and Kord heavy machine guns. The name of the latter stands for "Kovrov gunsmiths Degtyarevtsy" - the machine gun was developed at the Kovrov plant named after. Degtyarev, where the history of Soviet heavy machine guns once began.

Caliber: 12.7×108 mm
The weight: 34 kg machine gun body, 157 kg on a wheeled machine
Length: 1625 mm
Barrel length: 1070 mm
Nutrition: tape 50 rounds
Rate of fire: 600 shots/min

The task to create the first Soviet heavy machine gun, designed primarily to fight aircraft at altitudes up to 1500 meters, was issued by that time to the already very experienced and well-known gunsmith Degtyarev in 1929. Less than a year later, Degtyarev presented his 12.7mm machine gun for testing, and since 1932, small-scale production of a machine gun under the designation DK (Degtyarev, Large-caliber) began. In general, the DC repeated in design light machine gun DP-27, and was powered by detachable 30-round drum magazines mounted on top of the machine gun. The disadvantages of such a power supply scheme (bulky and heavy stores, low practical rate of fire) forced the production of the DC to be discontinued in 1935 and to improve it. By 1938, the designer Shpagin developed a belt feed module for the recreation center, and in 1939 the improved machine gun was adopted by the Red Army with the subdesignation "12.7mm Degtyarev-Shpagin heavy machine gun model 1938 - DShK". The mass production of the DShK was launched in 1940-41. They were used as anti-aircraft weapons, as infantry support weapons, mounted on armored vehicles and small ships (including - torpedo boats). According to the experience of the war in 1946, the machine gun was modernized (the design of the tape feed unit and the barrel mount were changed), and the machine gun was adopted under the designation DShKM.
DShKM was or is in service with more than 40 armies of the world, is produced in China ("type 54"), Pakistan, Iran and some other countries. The DShKM machine gun was used as an anti-aircraft gun on Soviet tanks post-war period (T-55, T-62) and on armored vehicles (BTR-155). Currently, in the Russian Armed Forces, DShK and DShKM machine guns are almost completely replaced heavy machine guns"Cliff" and "Kord", more advanced and modern.

The DShK large-caliber machine gun is an automatic weapon built on the gas principle. The barrel is locked by two combat larvae, pivotally mounted on the bolt, for recesses in the side walls of the receiver. The fire mode is only automatic, the barrel is fixed, ribbed for better cooling, equipped with a muzzle brake. Power is supplied from a non-loose metal tape, the tape is fed from the left side of the machine gun. At DShK, the tape feeder was made in the form of a drum with six open chambers. The drum, during its rotation, fed the tape and at the same time removed cartridges from it (the tape had open links). After the drum chamber with the cartridge arrived in the lower position, the cartridge was fed into the chamber by a bolt. The drive of the tape feeder was carried out using a lever located on the right side, swinging in a vertical plane when on its lower part the loading handle, rigidly connected to the bolt carrier, acted. At the DShKM machine gun, the drum mechanism has been replaced with a more compact slider mechanism, also driven by a similar lever connected to the loading handle. The cartridge was removed from the tape down and then directly fed into the chamber.
In the butt plate of the receiver, spring-loaded buffers of the shutter and the shutter frame are mounted. The fire was fired from the rear sear (from the open bolt), to control the fire, two handles on the back of the vaporized triggers were used. The sight is frame, the machine also had mounts for an anti-aircraft foreshortening sight.

The machine gun was used from the universal machine of the Kolesnikov system. The machine was equipped with removable wheels and a steel shield, and when using a machine gun as an anti-aircraft wheel, the shield was removed, and the rear support was bred, forming a tripod. In addition, the machine gun in the anti-aircraft gun was equipped with special shoulder rests. The main disadvantage of this machine was its high weight, which limited the mobility of the machine gun. In addition to the machine gun, the machine gun was used in tower installations, on remotely controlled anti-aircraft installations, on ship pedestal installations.

12.7-mm DShK machine guns on the Kolesnikov universal machine tool were used quite effectively to combat enemy aircraft during the Second World War. The experience of combat operations in Vietnam showed that 12.7-mm machine guns can also be successfully used to destroy combat and transport helicopters, which became in the 1950s. new mass medium conduct of hostilities. For this reason, in the spring of 1968, the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate issued a task to the KBP enterprise to develop a light anti-aircraft installation for a 12.7 mm machine gun. The installation should have been developed in two versions: 6U5 for the DShK / DSh - KM machine gun (machine guns of this type were available in huge quantities in mobilization stocks) and 6U6 for the new NSV-12.7 machine gun.
R. Ya. Purtsen was appointed chief designer of the installations. Factory testing of prototypes of the installations began in 1970, and field and military tests began in 1971. In May of the same year, Marshal P. N. Kuleshov, head of the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate, got acquainted with one of the installation options. “Among other installations,” recalls Purzen, “he was shown the installation under the NSV. The marshal carefully
rel it, tested the action of the mechanism! and gave positive feedback about its simplicity and convenience and confirmed the need for such a simple anti-aircraft installation in the army along with complex self-propelled systems.
Ground and subsequent military tests of anti-aircraft machine gun installations of the Purtsen system; confirmed their high combat and performance characteristics. “According to the results of the conducted polygon-military tests, two are universal: installations for the DShKM machine gun and two installations for machine gun NSV-12.7, - elk cancellation in final act, - commission: considers it expedient to adopt these installations Soviet army as pack instead of standard anti-aircraft installations with a machine gun DShKM on the Kolesnikov machine arr. 1938".
In accordance with the decision of the commission, in 1973, only the statutes 6U6 entered service with the Soviet Army under the name “Universal: machine designed by Purzen for the NSV (6U6) machine gun”. The 6U5 installation for the DShK/DShKM machine gun was to be put into production only during the "special period". It should be noted here that in connection with the termination of the supply of the NSV-12.7 machine gun from Kazakhstan, a 12.7-mm KORD machine gun can be mounted on the 6U6 installation. The possibility of rapid deployment of the production of 6U5 installations is also preserved.
The 6U6 anti-aircraft machine gun mount is considered as a battalion and regimental air defense weapon. These installations are also attached to anti-aircraft divisions missile systems S-300P for cover from attacking helicopters and to fight a ground enemy (landing troops).
The anti-aircraft machine gun mount bubs consists of a 12.7-mm machine gun NSV-12.7, a light alarm carriage (machine) and sights.
Machine gun automation mechanisms work by using the energy of powder gases vented from the barrel bore.
The rate of fire of the machine gun is 700-800 rds/min, and the practical rate of fire is 80-100 rds/min.
The installation carriage is the lightest of all modern similar designs. Its weight is 55 kg, and the weight of the installation with a machine gun and a cartridge box for 70 rounds does not exceed 92.5 kg. To ensure minimum weight, the stamping and welding parts that make up the main unit are made of steel sheet with a thickness of only 0.8 mm. At the same time, the required strength of the parts was achieved by heat treatment. The peculiarity of the carriage is such that the gunner can fire at ground targets from a prone position, while the seat back is used as a shoulder rest. To improve the accuracy of the arrow
for ground targets, a fine pickup gearbox was introduced into the vertical guidance mechanism.
For firing at ground targets, the BUB installation is equipped with optical sight PU (GRAU index 10 P81). Air targets are hit with collimator sight VK-4 (GRAU index 10P81).

In the USSR, many types of weapons were created, which to this day are very popular all over the world. These include the DShK machine gun. It has been removed from service in our country, but dozens of other countries are actively using it. In my time soviet soldiers gave this machine gun the nickname "Darling", transforming its abbreviation into peaceful, good name. But in reality it was a formidable heavy machine gun that terrified enemies.

How it all began

At the end of 1925, it turned out that the Red Army was in dire need of a powerful heavy machine gun. The designers were given the task to develop such a weapon, and the caliber had to be chosen within 12-20 millimeters. On a competitive basis and according to the test results, the 12.7 mm caliber cartridge was chosen as the main one. But the army command was not too satisfied with the presented samples of weapons, and therefore the testing of new prototypes took place constantly.

So, at the beginning of 1931, two machine guns were tested at once: the “Dreyse systems” and the “Degtyarev systems”. The commission considered that the sample from Degtyarev deserves attention, since it was much lighter and easier to manufacture. First try serial production was undertaken in 1932, but the following year only 12 machine guns were assembled, and in 1934 the production of the DK was completely curtailed. Initially, the DShK machine gun did not cause much enthusiasm among the military.

What happened

And the thing is that the next tests of 1934 of the year revealed one unpleasant feature of the new gun: it turned out that the machine gun was actually useless to fight even with relatively fast targets (especially air ones), since the rate of fire was extremely low, and the magazines offered by the manufacturer - so heavy and uncomfortable that even experienced fighters experienced many difficulties in handling them. In 1935, a decree was issued on the complete cessation of all production of recreational materials.

By the way, do you know the correct name for the DShK (machine gun)? The decoding is simple: "Degtyareva-Shpagin large-caliber." Wait, how did the famous Shpagin get here? After all, we are talking about Degtyarev? Everything is simple.

The position of a practically rejected gun was saved by an outstanding domestic gunsmith G.S. Shpagin, who in 1937 invented such a tape feed mechanism, the installation of which did not require any serious alteration of old machine guns. In April next year the new design was successfully tested at the factory, in winter the sample passed the tests with flying colors, and in 1939 the DShK machine gun "officially" appeared.

Information about the technical device

Automation - standard, works by removing exhaust gases. Three holes of different diameters were provided in the gas chamber: with the help of a small regulator, it was possible to flexibly adjust the amount of gases that was transferred directly to the gas piston. On the trunk, along its entire length, "ribs" are made, which serve for a more uniform and intense heat dissipation.

A muzzle active brake is attached to the muzzle. At first, its shape resembled a parachute, but later the designers began to use a flat-shaped brake.

The shutter frame is the basis of all automation. The bore was locked with the help of lugs on the bolt, which were bred in different directions. On stock gas piston return spring is installed. Spring shock absorbers in the butt plate not only significantly soften the recoil, but also prevent rapid wear of the weapon. In addition, it is they who give the bolt frame initial speed return movement. This ingenious innovation was proposed by Shpagin: this is how the designer increased the rate of fire.

Of course, after the introduction of this device into the design, it was necessary to equip the machine gun with a device that dampens the rebound so that the frame does not “jump” in the extreme forward position.

Reloading and shooting

A handle for reloading weapons is rigidly coupled to the bolt frame. The mechanism of direct reloading of the machine-gun system also interacts with it, but if the machine gunner inserts the cartridge with a cartridge case head, he can do without it. Shooting is carried out with an open shutter.

It should be remembered that the DShK machine gun allows exclusively automatic fire and is equipped with a non-automatic safety lever, the principle of operation of which is based on the complete blocking of the trigger.

The bolt, approaching the breech, stops completely, while the bolt carrier itself continues to move forward. The thickened part of the drummer cocks the lugs of the bolt, which go into special recesses made in the wall of the receiver. Even after the barrel is locked, the bolt carrier continues to move forward, where its striker hits the striker. The shutter is unlocked using the bevels of the same frame when it moves back.

Ammunition mechanism

Power is supplied from the tape. It is metal, link. Served on the left side. The tape is placed in a metal container attached to the machine gun mount. A drum-type tape receiver is mounted on a large-caliber DShK machine gun, which operates from the handle of the bolt carrier. When she moved back, the feed lever was activated and rotated.

At its other end, a pawl was fixed, which turned the drum 60 degrees in one go. Accordingly, due to this mechanical energy, a cartridge belt was pulled. The cartridge was removed from it in the lateral position.

Note that the domestic ammunition of 12.7 mm caliber has a very wide range of cartridges that can be used to solve various combat missions.

Sights, shooting at different types of targets

For firing at ground-based targets, a relatively simple, folding frame sight is used, marked up to a range of 3.5 thousand meters. Ring sight - anti-aircraft, was adopted in 1938. It allowed firing at flying enemy aircraft at a distance of up to 2400 meters, but the target speed should not exceed 500 km / h. In 1941, a significantly simplified sight was adopted.

In the case of its use, the firing range was reduced to 1800 meters, but the theoretical target could move at a speed of up to 625 km / h. In 1943 appeared new type a sight that made it possible to effectively hit enemy aircraft at any course of their movement, and even in those cases when the pilot performed a dive or nose-up. This made it possible to effectively deal with attack aircraft, which, as a rule, attacked from a small height.

Anti-aircraft variant

How did the anti-aircraft DShK show itself? The machine gun in the role of a weapon for combating air targets was not so good. It's all about the imperfect anti-aircraft machine, which often nullified all the advantages of new types of sights.

In particular, it turned out to be insufficiently stable. A limited series of special anti-aircraft machines with comfortable bipods and additional sights, but they (due to the difficulties of the war years) did not go into the series.

Special, balanced anti-aircraft installations were also developed. For example, the coaxial DShK machine gun was quite popular. Difficulties with their mass production were associated with the power system: without subjecting the weapon to a significant alteration, it was impossible to transfer the tape receiver to the other side. In the case of using built-in installations, all this created serious difficulties for the gun crew.

Production and combat use

In a series of machine guns went in 1939. They began to enter the army and navy starting next year. At first, there was a chronic lag behind the plan from reality: for example, in 1940, the production of 900 units was planned, while the plant was able to produce only 566 units.

In the very first six months of 1941, only 234 DShKs were produced, although in just a year it was necessary to make at least four thousand pieces. It is not surprising that the army and navy constantly, throughout the war, experienced a chronic shortage of heavy machine guns. Since the need for this type of weapon was higher at sea, 1146 DShKs were transferred from the army during the entire war.

However, the condition improved relatively quickly: in 1942, the army already received 7,400 machine guns, and in 1943 and 1944 almost 15,000 DShKs were produced annually.

What were they used for?

Since there were few machine guns, they became the main type anti-aircraft weapons: in order to combat ground targets, they were not used so often. However, in the first year of the war, the Wehrmacht constantly threw light tanks and tankettes into battle, against which the DShK was a formidable weapon, and therefore machine guns were “requisitioned” from anti-aircraft units.

Later, these weapons began to be transferred to anti-tank units on a regular basis, since the fighters with their help fought off attacks by enemy attack aircraft.

In urban battles, the DShK turned out to be much more in demand precisely for fighting enemy manpower. It often happened that it was very problematic to “pick out” the Germans from a simple brick house (for lack of then grenade launchers). But if armed assault group there was a DShK machine gun, the caliber of which made it possible not to pay special attention to the walls, then the situation changed dramatically for the better.

Armed with tankers

Often the machine gun was mounted on domestic tanks. In addition, they put it on the Soviet armored car BA-64D. A full-fledged DShK turret appeared in 1944, with the adoption of heavy tank IS-2. In addition, self-propelled guns were often equipped with machine guns, and this was often done by the crew itself.

It is important to note that domestic machine guns of this system were sorely lacking during the war years. In the United States, over 400,000 units were produced during the same period alone. It is not surprising that when planning Lend-Lease deliveries Special attention was given specifically to large-caliber machine guns.

Basic performance characteristics

What else characterizes the DShK machine gun? Its characteristics were as follows:

Cartridge - 12.7x108 mm (domestic variation of the same "Browning").
The body of the machine gun weighed 33.4 kg (without tape and cartridges).
With the machine (modification without a shield), the weight was 148 kg.
The total length of the weapon is 1626 mm.
The barrel length was 1070 mm.
Theoretical rate of fire is 550-600 rounds per minute.
The rate of fire in combat conditions is 80-125 rounds per minute.
Theoretically possible firing range is 3500 meters.
The real range is 1800-2000 meters.
The thickness of the pierced armor steel is up to 16 mm at a distance of 500 meters.
Food - a link belt of 50 rounds in a segment.

These are the characteristics of the DShK (machine gun). Its performance characteristics are such that this weapon is still used in dozens of countries around the world to this day, various modifications are still being produced.