War may never change, but its tools have changed many times. Ever since humanity moved from spears and arrows to firearms, it has not ceased to improve it every year. In this review, we invite you to consider the best representatives of the "weapon kind". We will talk about both large-caliber and light machine guns - new items and classic models, competing in rate of fire, power and lethality.
A single German machine gun HK 121 replaced the famous MG 3. No matter how good the “troika” was, it all ends sooner or later. The Bundeswehr needed a more powerful option to support its army, which was the creation of the arms company Heckler & Koch. Competent layout, lethal power, quick-change barrel, the ability to install on military equipment- what else is needed for the happiness of a machine gunner?
Caliber: 7.62x51 NATO
Weight: 10.8 (with bipod)
Length: 1165 mm
Barrel length: 550 mm
Power: Tape
Rate of fire: 640 - 800 rounds per minute
Produced by the Israeli concern Israel Military Industries, the Negev machine gun has proven itself to be a powerful and mobile support weapon. But its firing range and damaging effect for modern military conflicts is clearly not enough. That is why the updated Negev NG7 entered service with the Israeli army, which corrected all the shortcomings of its predecessor.
Caliber: 7.62х51 NATO
Weight: 7.6 (with bipod)
Length: 1000 / 820
Barrel length: 508 mm
Power: Tape
Rate of fire: 850 - 1150 rounds per minute
FN MAG can rightfully be called the "Belgian horse" in the class of small arms. Gunsmiths from Fabrique Nationale did their best, creating a really good machine gun. A fairly simple and reliable design, combined with flexibility of use and adequate ammunition, provided this machine gun with a place in the armament system of more than 50 countries of the world, including Belgium itself, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, the USA, Sweden and many other countries.
Caliber: 7.62mm NATO
Weight: 11-13 kg with bipod (depending on modification), tripod machine weight 21 kg
Length: 1260 mm
Barrel length: 545 mm
Feed: loose metal tape
Rate of fire: 650 - 950 rounds per minute
A single machine gun "Pecheneg" is intended to defeat enemy manpower and light equipment. It can also be used as anti-aircraft gun. Due to its characteristics, it is rightfully considered one of the best examples of single machine guns in the world.
"Pecheneg" is capable of releasing about 650 rounds per minute without reducing combat performance. This increase in survivability made it possible to abandon the interchangeable barrel. However, the Pecheneg barrel, as before, remains quick-detachable.
Caliber: 7.62x54mm R
Empty weight: 8.2 kg on bipod; 12.7 kg on tripod
Length: 1155 mm
Barrel length: 658 mm
Food: tape 100 or 200 rounds
Rate of fire: 650 rounds per minute
Most domestic and foreign specialists agree that heavy machine gun"KORD" (Large-caliber Gun of the Diagterevs) is the best of its kind.
In the armed forces, "KORD" is called the "sniper machine gun" for its amazing accuracy and mobility unusual for this type of weapon. With a caliber of 12.7 mm, its weight is only 25.5 kilograms (body). Also, "KORD" is highly valued for its ability to fire both from bipods and from hands at a speed of up to 750 rounds per minute.
Caliber: 12.7x108mm
Weight: 25.5 kg (machine gun body) + 16 kg (machine 6T7) or 7 kg (machine 6T19)
Length: 1980 mm
Barrel length: no data
Food: tape 50 rounds
Rate of fire: 650-750 rounds/min
On May 17, 1718, James Puckle patented his gun, which became the prototype of the machine gun. Since that time, military engineering has come a long way, but machine guns still remain one of the most formidable species weapons.
"Pakla's gun"
Attempts to increase the rate of fire of firearms were made repeatedly, but before the advent of a unitary cartridge, they failed due to the complexity and unreliability of the design, the extremely high cost of production and the need to have trained soldiers whose skills would go far beyond the automatic manipulations with a gun.
One of the many experimental designs was the so-called "Pakla gun". The weapon was a rifle mounted on a tripod with a cylinder with 11 charges acting as a magazine. The calculation of the gun consisted of several people. With coordinated actions of the calculation and the absence of misfires, a rate of fire of up to 9-10 rounds per minute was theoretically achieved. This system was supposed to be used at short distances in naval combat, but due to the unreliability of this weapon, this weapon was not widely used. This system illustrates the desire to increase the firepower of rifle fire by increasing the rate of fire.
Machine gun "Lewis"
The Lewis light machine gun was developed in the United States by Samuel McClen, and was used as a light machine gun and aircraft gun during the First World War. Despite the impressive weight, the weapon turned out to be quite successful - the machine gun and its modifications were kept for quite a long time in Britain and its colonies, as well as the USSR.
In our country, Lewis machine guns were used until the Great Patriotic War and are visible on the chronicle of the parade on November 7, 1941. In domestic feature films, this weapon is relatively rare, but the frequent imitation of the Lewis machine gun in the form of a "camouflaged DP-27" is very common. A genuine Lewis machine gun is depicted, for example, in the film " White sun desert" (with the exception of shots of shooting).
Machine gun "Hotchkiss"
During the First World War, the Hotchkiss machine gun became the main machine gun of the French army. Only in 1917, with the spread of light machine guns, did its production decline.
In total, the easel "Hotchkiss" was in service in 20 countries. In France and a number of other countries, these weapons were kept during the Second World War. Limited "Hotchkiss" was delivered before the First World War and to Russia, where a significant part of these machine guns was lost during the East Prussian operation in the first months of the war. In domestic feature films, the Hotchkiss machine gun can be seen in the film adaptation of The Quiet Flows the Don, which shows the Cossacks attacking German positions, which from a historical point of view may not be typical, but acceptable.
Maxim machine gun
The Maxim machine gun entered the history of the Russian Empire and the USSR, remaining officially in service much longer than in other countries. Along with the three-line rifle and revolver, it is strongly associated with the weapons of the first half of the 20th century.
He served from the Russian-Japanese to the Great Patriotic War inclusive. Powerful and distinguished by a high rate of fire and accuracy of fire, the machine gun had a number of modifications in the USSR and was used as an easel, anti-aircraft and aviation machine gun. The main disadvantages of the easel version of "Maxim" were excessively large mass and water cooling of the barrel. Only in 1943 was the Goryunov machine gun adopted, which by the end of the war began to gradually replace the Maxim. In the initial period of the war, the production of "Maxims" not only did not decrease, but, on the contrary, increased and, in addition to Tula, was deployed in Izhevsk and Kovrov.
Since 1942, machine guns have been produced only with a receiver for canvas tape. Production legendary weapons was discontinued in our country only in the victorious 1945.
MG-34
The German machine gun MG-34 has a very difficult story adoption, but, nevertheless, this sample can be called one of the first single machine guns. The MG-34 could be used as a light machine gun, or as an easel machine gun on a tripod machine, as well as as an anti-aircraft and tank gun.
A small mass gave the weapon high maneuverability, which, combined with a high rate of fire, made it one of the best infantry machine guns of the beginning of World War II. Later, even with the adoption of the MG-42, Germany did not abandon the production of the MG-34; this machine gun is still in service with a number of countries.
DP-27
From the beginning of the 30s, the Degtyarev system light machine gun began to enter service with the Red Army, which until the mid-40s became the main light machine gun of the Red Army. First combat use DP-27 is most likely associated with the conflict on the CER in 1929.
The machine gun proved itself well during the fighting in Spain, on Khasan and Khalkhin Gol. However, by the time the Great Patriotic War began, the Degtyarev machine gun was already inferior in a number of parameters such as mass and magazine capacity to a number of newer and more advanced models.
During operation, a number of shortcomings were also identified - a small magazine capacity (47 rounds) and an unfortunate location under the barrel of a return spring, which was deformed from frequent firing. During the war, some work was carried out to eliminate these shortcomings. In particular, the survivability of the weapon was increased by moving the return spring to the rear of the receiver, although general principle work of this sample has not changed. The new machine gun (DPM) since 1945 began to enter the troops. On the basis of the machine gun, a very successful DT tank machine gun was created, which became the main Soviet tank machine gun of the Great Patriotic War.
Breda machine gun 30
One of the first places in terms of the number of shortcomings among mass-produced samples can be given to the Italian Breda machine gun, which, perhaps, has collected their maximum number.
Firstly, an unsuccessful store and only 20 rounds, which is clearly not enough for a machine gun. Secondly, each cartridge must be lubricated with oil from a special oiler. Dirt, dust gets in and the weapon instantly fails. One can only guess how it was possible to fight with such a "miracle" in the sands of North Africa.
But even at sub-zero temperatures, the machine gun also does not work. The system was distinguished by great complexity in production and a low rate of fire for a light machine gun. To top it off, there is no handle for carrying the machine gun. However, this system was the main machine gun of the Italian army in World War II.
LIGHT MACHINE GUNS
Automatic ("light machine gun") Fedorov
The automation of the weapon worked on the basis of the recoil of the barrel with a short stroke. The bore was locked by a longitudinally sliding bolt with the help of swinging larvae. The larvae with their trunnions were inserted into the nests of the breech breech and held by a clip that was put on the barrel. When the barrel and bolt moved back, the front projections of the larvae ran into the ledge of the fixed box and turned, releasing the bolt. The barrel turned the lever accelerator, through which it imparted an additional momentum to the shutter. The accelerator also served as a barrel stopper. During the reverse movement, the lower ledges of the larvae ran into the ledges of the box, the larvae rose to their previous position, and locking occurred. The barrel and bolt had their own return springs. A spring-loaded ejector was mounted in the shutter and a drummer was mounted at a slight slope. The shutter handle was located with right side. From above, the shutter was closed with a movable cover, designed to reduce clogging of the weapon. The shortening of the barrel, combined with the ingenious solution of the locking system, made it possible to fit the weapon into small dimensions and weight - Fedorov's light machine gun was shorter than a standard magazine rifle and lighter than the existing machine guns. True, with an irreplaceable light barrel, it could not conduct intense fire. The box and the breech of the barrel of the machine had a very complex shape. Cartridge supply - from a detachable box magazine sector form with a staggered arrangement of cartridges. The store latch was located in front of him.
Scheme of operation of the locking unit of the "light machine gun" (machine gun) Fedorov: at the top - the bore is locked, at the bottom - after unlocking the bore; 1 - shutter, 2 - stem, 3 - locking larva, 4 - combat emphasis of the locking larva, 5 - bolt lug, 6 - the front protrusion of the locking larva, 7 - box protrusion
Trigger mechanism - trigger type, with a helical mainspring, allowed single and automatic fire, included a separate flag translator and fuse. When turning forward the translator's tail, located behind the trigger, the trigger (sear) remained lowered while the trigger was pressed, the trigger stood on the self-timer. The shutter, when coming to the front position, rejected the self-timer, the trigger hit the drummer, a shot occurred. With the tail of the translator pressed against the trigger guard, the trigger, after being pressed, was disconnected from the trigger lever, it intercepted the trigger, for the next shot it was necessary to release and pull the trigger again. The self-timer also served as a reflector for the spent cartridge case. The safety lever when turning down blocked the descent. The location of the translator and the fuse inside the trigger guard made it possible to control them without taking the firing hand off the stock. The recess in the head of the trigger served as an automatic safety lock in case of incomplete locking, since the trigger did not reach the drummer before the barrel and bolt came to the extreme forward position.
Scheme of operation of the barrel delay and the accelerator of the Fedorov assault rifle: 1 - lever accelerator, 2 - barrel delay, 3 - barrel delay spring, 4 - lower protrusion of the accelerator, 5 - automatic box
The first machine guns had a folding frame sight similar to the Japanese Arisaka carbine, later replaced by a sector one. Hit radius better half bullets at a distance of 100 m did not exceed 134 mm.
The solid wooden stock had a pistol protrusion of the neck. The metal front of the forearm prevented delays in the operation of automation due to warping of the stock when heated or wet. For better cooling of the barrel, holes were made in the forearm and handguard. The appearance of the front holding handle in the form of a forearm appendage is interesting - in combination with portability, it made it possible to conduct aimed fire on the move, while the existing machine guns could only fire from a bipod. The design included 64 parts, including 10 screws and 11 springs.
In the early 1920s, Fedorov, taking into account operating experience, improved the machine - a new clutch of the mainspring was introduced, the shape of the ejector and the shape of the magazine feeder were changed, the diameter of the drummer was reduced, three slots of the sight were replaced by one, the front sight received a fuse. To prevent double shots, a trigger uncoupler was introduced. Big problems were created by the supply system for cartridges. As Fedorov himself wrote in his work “The problem of tolerance” (1933): “75% of the correctness, reliability of work automatic weapons depend on the proper arrangement and proper adjustment of feeders.” It was difficult to ensure full interchangeability of automatic magazines, besides, at first, because of the lack of steel, the shops were made of iron. Therefore, the machine guns were supplied with individually fitted magazines, and to equip the magazine from the clip, grooves in the box and a slide delay were introduced into the design. Artkom approved the specification for the changes on March 30, 1923. The produced assault rifles were returned to the factory for conversion.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FEDOROV AUTOMATIC
Cartridge - 6.5 × 50SR (6.5 mm Arisak).
The weight of the weapon without a magazine is 4.4 kg.
Weight with equipped magazine - 5.336 kg.
The length of the weapon without a bayonet is 1045 mm.
Barrel length - 520 mm.
The initial speed of the bullet is 660 m / s.
Bullet muzzle energy - 1960 J.
Types of fire - single / automatic.
Combat rate of fire - 25/75 - 100 rds / min.
Sighting line length - 379 mm.
Sighting range- 2100 m (3000 steps).
Magazine capacity - 25 rounds.
Light machine gun model 1927 DP ("Degtyarev, infantry")
Machine gun automation worked by removing powder gases through a transverse hole drilled in the barrel wall. The stroke of the gas piston is long. The gas chamber - open, with a branch pipe, had an opening in the upper part for the removal of powder gases, in the lower part - an opening for cleaning the gas paths. The amount of powder gases discharged to the piston was regulated using a pipe regulator with two gas outlets with a diameter of 3.0 and 4.0 mm. The issuance of the first orders before the adoption of the machine gun into service and the refinement of the system in the process of mass production led to the fact that the troops encountered machine guns that differed in the execution of parts and assemblies. So, for example, DP of the first batches - still "illegal" production (before the approval of a complete set of drawings and patterns) - had a gas regulator with three (2.5, 3.0 and 4.0 mm in diameter) or four (2.5, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 mm) holes. Machine guns of "local" manufacture had a regulator with holes with a diameter of 2.5, 3.0 and 4.0 mm, or - as indicated - two holes. The main "working" holes were considered to be 2.5 or 3.0 mm in diameter.
7.62 mm light machine gun mod. 1927 DP, disk magazine for it and a box for carrying magazines
Scheme of the operation of automation and the locking unit of the DP light machine gun. From top to bottom: moving parts in the forward position (moment of the shot), moving parts in the rearmost position, bolt locked, bolt open; 3 - gas chamber, 9 - shutter frame, 10 - stock, 12 - return spring 14 - gas piston, 16 - shutter, 16a- combat stops, 18 - drummer
The bolt frame, which connected all parts of the moving system, served as the leading link in the automation. Rigidly connected to the bolt frame, the piston rod (rod) with a reciprocating mainspring put on it was placed in a guide tube under the barrel. The gas piston itself was screwed onto the front end of the rod and served as the front stop of the reciprocating mainspring. In the forward position, the gas piston with its bell was advancing on the branch pipe of the gas chamber regulator. The machine gun bolt consisted of a frame, lugs, a striker with a striker and an ejector with a spring. The barrel bore was locked with the help of two lugs, hinged on the sides of the bolt body and bred to the sides by the widened rear part of the drummer. In the rear part of the bolt frame there was a stand with a cutout for the drummer and a figured groove that brought the bolt lugs together, on the bottom right - the reloading handle. A flat, with small transverse dimensions of the bolt frame, which also served as the bottom cover of the receiver, compact placement on the frame of the bolt assembly ensured a significant reduction in the size and weight of the entire machine gun.
DP machine gun section: 1 - stem, 2 - front sight with base and fuse, 3 - barrel cover 4 - score, 5 - sight, 6 - store latch, 7 - receiver, 8 - example, 9 - butter dish, 10 - fuse, 11 - trigger, 12 - launch frame 13 - drummer 14 - shutter, 15 - shutter frame, 16 - ejector, 17 - reciprocating mainspring, 18 - guide tube 19 - gas piston, 20 - gas chamber, 21 - gas regulator nut
The trigger mechanism allowed only automatic fire. Trigger mechanism mounted in the trigger frame and included a trigger with an axle and a spring, a trigger lever with a sear, an automatic fuse with an axle and a spring. The fuse blocked the trigger, propping it up from behind, and turned off when the neck of the butt was fully covered with the palm of your hand. The trigger frame was inserted into the vertical grooves of the receiver and fixed with a connecting screw.
A detachable disk magazine was attached to the top of the receiver. The design of the store included upper and lower disks connected by an axle screw, and a snail-shaped ("clock" type) coil spring with a delay. The lower disk served as the bottom of the store. The cartridges were placed in the magazine along the radius with the tip of the bullet towards the center. By the force of the spring, twisted when the magazine was loaded, the upper disk rotated relative to the lower one, while two rows of teeth on the inner surface of the upper disk, holding the cartridges, advanced them to the receiver window on the lower disk. Using a curved tray mounted on a fixed lower disk, the next cartridge was fed into the receiver window. A store of this design was previously developed for the Fedorov (Fedorov-Degtyarev) aircraft machine gun. Initially, the requirements for a light machine gun assumed the capacity of the feed system at 50 rounds, but since the Fedorov disk magazine for fifty 6.5 mm rounds was already ready for production, it was decided to keep its basic dimensions, reducing the capacity to forty-nine 7.62 mm cartridges. It must be said that the design of a disk magazine with a radial arrangement of cartridges largely solved the problem of the reliability of the power supply system with a rifle cartridge with a protruding sleeve rim. Soon, however, the magazine capacity was reduced to 47 rounds - the spring force was not enough to feed the last rounds. Ring stiffeners and radial stamping of the store's discs were supposed to reduce their death during impacts and concussions and reduce the likelihood of the store "jamming". The spring-loaded magazine latch was mounted in the sight block. The receiver receiver window on the march was covered with a shield that was moved forward before installing the store. A special PSM device served to equip the store. With the help of a special device, it was possible to use Rakov's typewriter to equip the DP store.
As in most machine guns, designed for intense bursts of fire and significant barrel heating, the shot was fired from the rear sear. Before the first shot, the bolt carrier with the bolt was in the rear position and was held by the cocking sear, and the reciprocating mainspring was compressed. When the trigger was pressed, the trigger lever lowered, the bolt carrier fell off the sear and went forward, pushing the drummer and bolt with its vertical stand. The shutter captured the cartridge from the receiver, sent it to the chamber and rested against the stump of the barrel. With the further movement of the bolt frame, the drummer with its widened part moved apart the lugs, the supporting planes of which entered the lugs of the receiver - this locking scheme resembled the experimental Swedish Chelman automatic rifle tested in Russia in 1910 (although there is locking according to the “Friberg-Chelman scheme "combined with automation based on the recoil of the barrel with a short stroke). After locking, the bolt frame and the drummer moved forward, the striker head reached the cartridge primer, broke it, and a shot occurred. After the bullet passed through the gas outlet, the powder gases entered the gas chamber, hit the piston and threw it back together with the bolt frame. After passing through the frame for about 8 mm, the drummer released the lugs, then the bevels of the figured notch of the frame reduced the stops, on the way around 12 mm the barrel bore was unlocked, the bolt frame picked up the bolt and pulled it back. In this case, the ejector removed the spent cartridge case from the edge of its bottom, the cartridge case hit the nose of the spring-loaded reflector and was thrown down through the lower window of the bolt frame. The full travel of the bolt carrier was 149 mm (the bolt - 136 mm), after which it hit the trigger frame and, under the action of a reciprocating mainspring, went forward. If the trigger remained pressed, the automation cycle was repeated, if the hook was released, the bolt carrier stood on the sear with its cocking. At the same time, the machine gun remained ready for next shot- with only one automatic descent safety device, this created the danger of an involuntary shot when running across with a loaded machine gun. It is no coincidence that instructions demanded to load a machine gun only after taking a position for firing.
The machine gun had a sector sight with a high block mounted on the receiver, and a bar notched up to 1500 m, and a front sight with a fuse inserted into the groove on the ledge of the barrel casing. The magazine latch also served as protective "ears" for the sight. The perforated tubular casing of the barrel, which protected the barrel from blows, and the arrow from burns, resembled the casing of the Madsen light machine gun. The wooden butt, fastened with screws to the trigger frame, was also made according to the Madsen type, had a semi-pistol neck protrusion and an upper ridge for better setting of the machine gunner's head. The length of the butt from the back of the head to the trigger is 360 mm, the width of the butt is 42 mm. An oiler was placed in the butt. In the broadened lower part of the DP butt, a vertical channel was drilled for the rear retractable support, however, serial machine guns were produced without such a support, and subsequently the channel in the butt was not made. The bipod was attached to the barrel casing with a folding clamp with a lamb screw, the legs of the bipod were supplied with openers and shoes.
It is worth noting that a number of design solutions in the design of Degtyarev were made under the clear influence of the Hotchkiss, Lewis and Madsen light machine guns carefully studied in Russia (the Kovrov plant had complete sets of drawings and ready-made Madsen samples, Lewis machine guns repaired here during the Civil War). Overall, however, it was a new and original design. The total number of machine gun parts (without a magazine) is 68, of which 10 screws and 4 coil springs: for comparison, the German Dreyse light machine gun consisted of 96 parts, the American Browning BAR model 1922 - 125, the Czech ZB-26 - 143. The use of the bolt carrier as the bottom cover of the receiver and the application of the principle of multifunctionality to a number of other parts made it possible to significantly reduce the size and weight of the structure. The advantages of the DP included the simplicity of its disassembly, while the machine gun was disassembled into large parts, and the main parts were separated with the removal of the bolt frame. The belonging to the DP included a collapsible ramrod, two punches, a brush, a screwdriver key, a wipe, a device for cleaning gas paths, an extractor for torn-off barrels of cartridge cases (the rupture of cartridge cases in the chamber for a long time pursued the machine guns of the Degtyarev system). Spare barrels - two per machine gun - were supplied in special boxes. There was a canvas cover for storing and carrying the machine gun. The assistant machine gunner carried stores in a special iron box for 3 discs or in a canvas bag.
The fire was fired in “normal” bursts of 4–6 shots or short bursts of 2–3 (the accuracy of fire in short bursts was better), long-term automatic fire was allowed in extreme cases. Experienced machine gunners could conduct aimed fire and single shots. For firing blank cartridges, a muzzle sleeve with an outlet diameter of 4 mm and a special magazine with a window under blank cartridges(it was impossible to load live ammunition).
In the cavalry for the transportation of the DP, a saddle pack of the VD served. For firing at air targets, the same anti-aircraft tripod mod. 1928, as for the machine gun "Maxim". Special motorcycle installations were developed: on the M-72 motorcycle, for example, it was a simple swivel frame hinged on the sidecar of the motorcycle, boxes with discs and spare parts were mounted on the trunk and between the motorcycle and the sidecar, the DP mount allowed anti-aircraft fire from the knee without removing him from the stroller. On the TIZ-AM-600 motorcycle, a DT machine gun was mounted on a special bracket above the steering wheel. In the early 1930s, the installation of diesel engines on cars was also experimentally worked out.
The DP machine gun quickly gained popularity, successfully combining maneuverability with the “power” of fire for its time. After the installation of production, it turned out that the manufacture of DP took 1.5 times less time than for most foreign samples, 2 times less local measurements and transitions than for a revolver, and more than three times less than for a rifle. Affected by the direction taken by domestic gunsmiths to increase the manufacturability of weapons. However, along with obvious advantages, he also had a number of shortcomings that manifested themselves in the process of operation in the troops. First of all, this concerned the bulkiness of the disk store and the baggyness of its equipment. The store had a large mass - 1.8 kg. For comparison, a two-row disk magazine of a Lewis machine gun with a light alloy body with the same capacity was twice as light (0.875 kg, although it did not contain a feed mechanism). In addition, a magazine with a diameter of 265 mm created a number of inconveniences when carrying a machine gun in battle. After some of the cartridges were used up, the mutual movement of the discs and cartridges during the movements of the machine gunner created a noticeable noise. The rapid weakening of the spring led to the fact that the last cartridges remained in the magazine - because of this, the calculations sometimes preferred to equip the magazine not completely.
The quick replacement of a hot barrel was complicated by the lack of a handle on it and the need to separate the bipod. Replacing the barrel took 20-30 seconds even for a trained crew in favorable conditions. An open gas chamber located under the barrel, on the one hand, prevented the accumulation of soot in the gas outlet assembly, and on the other hand, together with the open bolt carrier, increased the sensitivity to clogging on sandy and dusty soils. Screwing from the rod of the gas piston and clogging of its socket caused a lack of moving parts in the extreme forward position. A significant problem was the rapid settling of the reciprocating mainspring due to its heating - the spring was located under the barrel quite close to it. It is characteristic that the reciprocating mainspring was included even in an individual set of spare parts for a machine gun (there was also a regimental set of spare parts).
DP machine guns were still used by the North Korean army and Chinese volunteers during Korean War, and some became the trophy of the American interventionists
The method of fastening the bipod and swivel was unreliable and created additional catchy parts that reduced the convenience of carrying the machine gun. Working with the gas regulator was also inconvenient - to rearrange it, it was necessary to remove the cotter pin, unscrew the nut, push the regulator back, turn it and fasten it again. In general, however, the "Degtyar" turned out to be a fairly reliable weapon, which was recognized by opponents.
During the Great Patriotic War, the norms for spare parts for the DP machine gun had to be reduced - instead of the 22 discs laid down before the war, each machine gun was now given 12.
The order of unloading DP
Pull the charging handle back until the bolt frame is cocked (after firing, the mobile system always remains in the rear position). Pull the magazine latch, remove the magazine, inspect the chamber and make sure there is no cartridge in it. By pressing the fuse and the trigger, send the mobile system forward.
Order incomplete disassembly DP
Put the machine gun on the bipod and unload.
Separate the trunk, for which: take it away. bolt frame by the reloading handle back, press the barrel lock to failure (or - in the machine guns of earlier releases - turn the lock with the head back until the nipple jumps into the recess on the wall of the box), insert the key from below into the grooves of the muzzle of the barrel and turn the key up, then, staggering, pull the barrel forward. After releasing the contactor, carefully remove the barrel from the casing, pressing the safety lock and the trigger, move the bolt carrier to the forward position.
Release the coupling, for which: take the reloading handle (bolt frame handle) back a little, place the wrench-screwdriver edge between the rear edge of the coupling and the front edge of the frame; move the bolt handle forward with your right hand, and turn the tail of the coupling with your left hand, releasing it.
Separate the trigger frame with the butt, for which: holding the machine gun with one hand by the neck of the butt, with the other hand, unscrew the connecting screw of the trigger frame and remove it; while supporting the receiver, with a light blow from above on the butt, separate the trigger frame with the butt.
Separate the bolt carrier with the bolt, for which: pull the bolt carrier handle back, remove the bolt carrier with the bolt from the receiver.
Separate the bolt from the bolt carrier by grasping the rear end of the bolt and lifting it up.
Disassemble the bolt by removing the drummer and lugs.
Separate the gas piston, reciprocating mainspring and coupling, for which: put the bolt carrier vertically, pressing down on the reciprocating mainspring, unscrew the gas piston, first moving it from its place with a key; separate the piston, then remove the reciprocating mainspring and coupling.
Separate the flame arrester, for which: put the barrel vertically, unscrew and separate the flame arrester, after moving it with a key.
Separate the gas regulator, for which: using a punch, remove the split pin of the nut; then unscrew the nut with a wrench and remove the regulator.
Separate the bipod, for which: while supporting the casing, release the lamb and remove the screw from the cutout of the hinged part of the clamp, fold back the upper part of the clamp and separate the bipod.
Reassemble in reverse order.
PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DP
Cartridge - 7.62 × 54R (7.62 mm mod. 1908).
Machine gun weight without cartridges - 7.77 kg (without bipod), 8.5 kg (with bipod).
Barrel weight - 2.0 kg.
Bipod weight - 0.73 kg.
Machine gun length - 1272 mm (with flash hider), 1147 mm (without flash hider).
Barrel length - 605 mm.
The length of the rifled part of the barrel is 527 mm.
The number of grooves - 4.
The length of the rifling - 240 mm.
The range of a direct shot at a chest figure (50 cm high) is 375 m, at a running figure (150 cm) - 640 m.
Sighting line length (maximum) - 616.6 mm.
The price of division of the sight is 50 m.
Rate of fire - 600 rds / min.
Combat rate of fire - 100-150 rds / min.
The height of the line of fire is 345–354 mm.
Calculation - 2 people.
Indicators of accuracy of firing DP. Dissipation core:
When firing in bursts of 4-6 shots at a distance of 100 m - 17 cm in height and width, at 200 m - 35 cm? 35 cm, at 500 m - 85 × 85 cm, at 800 m - 160 × 125 cm, at 1000 m - 210 × 185 cm;
When firing in short bursts of 2-3 shots - at a distance of 500 m - 65 × 65 cm, at 1000 m - 165 × 140 cm.
Machine guns DA and DT
The DA aircraft machine gun, which entered service with the Red Army Air Force in 1928 and was intended for use on mobile aircraft installations, differed from the basic DP in a three-row (three-tier) disk magazine for 65 rounds, a pistol grip, and new sights. A faceplate was screwed to the front of the DA receiver, in the lower part of which a kingpin with a curved swivel was attached for mounting on the installation, instead of the stock, a notched wooden rear handle and a pistol grip were installed. A bushing with an annular sight was attached to the top in front, a bushing with a stand for a weather vane-front sight was attached to the thread in the muzzle of the barrel. In connection with the removal of the casing and the installation of the faceplate, the fastening of the gas piston guide tube has changed. The store had a belt handle on top for convenience and speed of replacement. To ensure shooting in a limited volume and to prevent the spent cartridges from falling into the mechanisms of the aircraft, a canvas sleeve-catcher bag with a wire frame and a bottom fastener was attached to the bottom of the receiver. Note that in order to find the best frame configuration that ensures reliable removal of cartridge cases from the receiver without jamming, accelerated filming was used. The study of the operation of weapons and the flight of bullets with the help of accelerated shooting was practiced in different countries already at the beginning of the twentieth century, but in domestic practice it was one of the first cases. YES weight without magazine - 7.1 kg, length from the muzzle to the edge of the rear handle - 940 mm, magazine weight without cartridges - 1.73 kg.
Machine gun YES, sectional magazine
In 1930, the DA-2 twin turret was put into service. On each machine gun of the DA-2 installation, the faceplate in front of the receiver was replaced by a front mount clutch. The side tides of the couplings served for mounting on the installation, the lower ones - to hold the gas piston tube. The rear fastening of the machine guns on the installation was carried out by coupling bolts that passed through the holes in the rear tides of the receivers. The hook of the general descent was mounted in an additional trigger guard on the pistol grip of the right machine gun, the trigger rod was attached to the holes of the trigger guards and consisted of a connecting shaft and an adjusting rod. On the left machine gun, the bolt carrier handle and the fuse box were moved to the left side, and a bracket for a weather vane was attached to its barrel. Since the recoil of the coaxial machine guns was very sensitive for the shooter and installation, the machine guns were equipped with active-type muzzle brakes in the form of parachutes, a special disk behind the muzzle brake protected the installation and the shooter from the gas wave generated by the muzzle brake - subsequently a brake of the same scheme will be placed on a large-caliber DShK . Machine guns were connected to the turret through a king pin. The installation was equipped with a shoulder rest (until 1932 - a chest rest) and a chin rest. The mass of the DA-2 with a weather vane and equipped stores was 25 kg, length - 1140 mm, width - 300 mm, with a distance between the axes of the machine gun barrel channels of 193 ± 1 mm.
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the obsolete DA-2 machine guns, which had already been removed from aircraft, found a new application as anti-aircraft guns for combating low-flying aircraft. To do this, the DA and DA-2 machine guns could be installed through the king pin on an anti-aircraft tripod mod. 1928 - such installations were used, in particular, in 1941 near Leningrad. The weather vane-front sight was replaced by an annular front sight from an anti-aircraft machine gun sight. In addition, the U-2 (Po-2) light night bombers were armed with DA-2 installations.
The DT tank machine gun (“Degtyarev, tank”, also referred to as the “tank machine gun model 1929”) did not have a barrel cover. The barrel itself was distinguished by additional turning of the ribs. The machine gun had a retractable metal butt, which included two rods and a shoulder rest with a folding shoulder support, a pistol grip, a double-row disk magazine for 63 rounds, and a sleeve catcher. The magazine latch has been changed compared to the DP. The pistol grip and safety were similar to the YES. The flag fuse was made in the form of a check with a beveled axis, the flag was located on the right above the trigger guard, its front position corresponded to the “fuse” state, the rear - “fire”. Sight - rack diopter. The diopter was carried out on a special vertical engine and, with the help of spring-loaded latches, could be installed in several fixed positions corresponding to ranges of 400-600 - 800 and 1000 m. The sight had an adjusting screw for sighting. The machine gun itself did not have a fly - it was attached to the front disc of the ball mount. DT could be removed from the installation and used outside the car, for which a detachable bipod and a bracket with a front sight were attached to the machine gun - both were attached to the faceplate of the machine gun. The mass of the DT machine gun with a magazine is 10.25 kg, the length is 1138 mm, the combat rate of fire is 100 rds / min, the length of the aiming line in the ball mount is 431 mm, on the bipod - 428 mm.
DT machine gun, sectional magazine: 1 - example, 2 - butt latch, 3 - insert, 4 - washer, 5 - 10 - diopter sight
In addition to the ball mount, the DT was also used as a coaxial tank gun or heavy machine gun - and then mounted in the same mask with them - or on a special anti-aircraft tank mount. During the Great Patriotic War, DT was also placed on combat snowmobiles.
During the war, the DT was often used as a manual weapon not only by tankers - its combat rate of fire, almost twice that of the DP (due to the capacity of the magazine), in combination with its compactness, was liked by infantrymen and paratroopers. Although in terms of ergonomics it was inferior to the DP and had a shorter sighting line.
Shortly after the Great Patriotic War, the DT was replaced by the SGMT tank machine gun, created on the basis of the easel machine gun.
DPM light machine gun and DTM tank machine gun
On October 14, 1944, the GKO approved changes in the design of light and tank machine guns, proposed and implemented by A.G. Belyaev, A.I. Skvortsov with the participation of A.A. Dubynin and P.P. Polyakov, machine guns DPM ("Degtyarev, infantry, modernized") and DTM ("Degtyarev tank, modernized") were adopted.
One of the main problems of the DP machine gun was the rapid settling of the reciprocating mainspring located under the barrel due to its intense heating and the loss of its qualities. And a significant part of the design change was associated precisely with the transfer of the reciprocating mainspring. At the same time, they made it easier to handle the machine gun.
DPM had the following significant differences:
The recoil spring has been moved from under the barrel to the rear of the receiver. To install it, a tubular rod was put on the tail of the drummer, and a guide tube was inserted into the butt plate, protruding outward above the neck of the butt. The tube with a reciprocating mainspring was connected to the rack of the trigger frame and fixed with a latch. In accordance with this, the coupling was excluded, and the rod was made in the form of a single piece with the piston. Similar changes were introduced to the tank DT (DTM), which made it possible to disassemble it and fix minor malfunctions without removing the machine gun from the ball mount;
A pistol grip is installed in the form of a slope welded to the trigger guard, and two wooden cheeks attached to it with screws;
Accordingly, the shape of the butt is simplified;
Instead of an automatic fuse on a light machine gun, a non-automatic flag type DT was introduced - the beveled axis of its checks was placed under the trigger lever and blocked it in the forward position of the flag. Such a fuse was more reliable, since it acted directly on the sear, made it safer to carry a loaded machine gun;
In the ejection mechanism, the leaf spring was replaced by a helical coil spring. The ejector, similar to the ejector of the SG heavy machine gun, was mounted in the bolt socket and kept from falling out with a pin, which also served as its axis;
The shutter, reflector and connecting screw of the butt have been strengthened;
A groove for a reflector is made on the skeleton of the shutter along the entire length of the ridge, the socket for the ejector has changed, cutouts for the reflector trunnions appeared in the aiming block;
Minor changes have been made to the trigger mechanism;
The folding bipod became integral, and the hinges of its fastening were moved higher relative to the axis of the bore and somewhat back. A collar of two welded plates was installed on the upper part of the barrel casing, forming lugs, to which the bipod legs were attached with screws. The bipod became stronger, and to replace the barrel it was not necessary to separate it, the stability of the machine gun during firing increased;
According to the transfer of the reciprocating mainspring and the change in the bipod, the barrel casing also changed;
The weight of the machine gun has decreased;
The barrel of the PDM machine gun was distinguished by a deeper notch on the stump - in accordance with the change in the ejector.
The barrel from the DPM could be put on the DP, but the spare barrel from the DP to the PDM did not fit - due to the smaller notch on the stump. The procedure for disassembling the machine gun has also changed: now, after separating the barrel, it was necessary to separate the recoil pad (guide tube) with the reciprocating mainspring, to do this, depress the recoil pad latch, turn the recoil pad with the latch up and, gradually weakening the spring pressure, remove the recoil pad and reciprocating mainspring. As a result of constructive and technological change machine gun weight increased by 0.3 kg.
In the course of work, a variant of a modernized DP machine gun was proposed with a retractable butt of the DT type, but they nevertheless settled on a permanent wooden butt, as more convenient and reliable. At the same time, it was proposed to equip the DTM with a weighted barrel with longitudinal lobes similar to the experimental DS-42, but this was also abandoned.
The modernized DTM tank machine gun was adopted at the same time on October 14, 1944. Some of the lightly loaded parts - for example, a retractable butt of a tank machine gun - began to be cold stamped to reduce the cost. In general, the DTM did not last long - its production ceased on January 1, 1945.
In addition to the USSR, DP and PDM machine guns were in service with the armies of the GDR, Vietnam, China, North Korea, Cuba, Mongolian People's Republic, Poland, Seychelles, Somalia. In China, the DPM machine gun under the Soviet license was produced under the designation "Type 53", this option was also used in Vietnam, is in service in Albania. "Tar" sometimes appeared unexpectedly - for example, Turkish troops captured DT machine guns from the Cypriots. Stocks of DP and DPM, remaining in warehouses, "surfaced" in the late 80s - early 90s of the twentieth century during post-perestroika military conflicts on the territory of the USSR. These machine guns also fought in Yugoslavia at the end of the 20th - early XXI century.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS DPM
Cartridge - 7.62 × 54R (7.62 mm sample 1908).
The mass of a machine gun with a bipod and an unloaded magazine is 10.9 kg.
Machine gun length - 1272 mm (with flame arrester).
Barrel length - 605 mm.
The number of grooves - 4.
Type of rifling - right-handed, rectangular.
The length of the rifling - 240 mm.
The initial speed of the bullet is 840 m / s (light bullet arr. 1908).
Sighting range - 1500 m.
The range of a direct shot at a chest figure (50 cm high) is 420 m, at a running figure (150 cm) - 640 m.
The lethal range of the bullet is 2500 m.
The maximum range of a bullet is 3800 m.
Rate of fire - b00 rds / min.
Combat rate of fire - 80 rds / min.
Food - disk magazine with a capacity of 47 rounds.
The mass of the magazine with cartridges is 2.6–2.85 kg.
Calculation - 2 people.
Company machine gun model 1946 (RP-46)
Although this machine gun is, rather, " transition period"from a traditional heavy machine gun to a single one, due to its origin (based on the DPM machine gun) and the features of its use (fire only from a bipod), it is worth considering in this section.
The bulkiness and large dead weight of the disk magazine of the DP machine gun caused repeated attempts to replace it with tape feed both before the start of the Great Patriotic War and during it. In addition, belt feed with a replaceable barrel made it possible to achieve greater intensity of fire in short periods of time and thereby fill the gap between the capabilities of many and easel machine guns. Work continued during the war. In May 1944, the DP machine gun and the modernized PDM, which had not yet been put into service, were tested, which were equipped with a receiver developed by A.A. Dubynin and P.P. Polyakov under the guidance of designer A.I. Shilin and with the participation of the debugger V.D. Lobanova. And on May 24, 1946, the “7.62-mm company machine gun mod. 1946 (RP-46)" with this receiver option.
7.62 mm RP-46 company machine gun with a metal cartridge belt
Details and assemblies of the RP-46 machine gun: 1 - example, 2 - trigger, 3 - fuse, 4 - whispered 5 - trigger frame with recoil pad, 6 - combat stops, 7 - shutter, 8 - flame arrester, 9 and 10 - gas regulator and chamber, 11 - stem, 12 - front sight with base, 13 - machine gun handle, 14, 16 and 17 - cover, body and base of the receiver, 15 - fixing fingers 18 - lid, 19 - focus, 20 and 22 - engine and feed slider, 21 - giving finger 23 - sight, 24 - receiver, 25 - guide tube 26 - shutter frame, 27 and 31 - lock and barrel casing, 28 - reload handle 29 - reciprocating mainspring, 30 - drummer 32 - front swivel
The RP-46 machine gun consisted of the following main parts: a barrel with a gas chamber and a flame arrester; receiver with barrel shroud and bipod; bolt carrier with gas piston; gate; trigger frame with stock, pistol grip; trigger mechanism; reciprocating mainspring with a tube; feed mechanism; sighting devices. For the possibility of firing in long bursts, the barrel was weighted. On the muzzle of the barrel there was a thread for attaching a flame arrester and cuts for a screwdriver key, in the receiver the barrel was fastened with sector ledges on the breech and fixed with a contactor, the head of which entered the recess on the surface of the barrel. The new barrel, the need to drive the tape feed mechanism, as well as the efforts to feed the cartridge from the tape, required a change in the design of the gas outlet assembly. The gas chamber with a pipe located under the barrel had a transverse hole into which the regulator was inserted. The regulator had three grooves, different in width. Combining one or another groove with the gas outlet, it was possible to change the supply of powder gases discharged from the bore to the piston. At the same time, the tooth of the regulator lock indicated the size of the groove on which the shooting was carried out. Normal shooting was carried out at the division of the regulator "1", with severe pollution and incomplete withdrawal of the mobile system - at the division "2", under difficult conditions (low temperatures, heavy dusting) - at the division "3". Moreover, to rearrange from the division "2" or "3" to "1" it was necessary to knock out the latch from the gas chamber to the left and insert it back on the right side. The gas piston did not advance on the gas chamber nozzle, as in the DPM, but entered it, while for better obturation, the piston was equipped with annular grooves. Otherwise, the design, layout and controls of the machine gun were similar to the basic PDM. Accordingly, the work of automation, the locking unit, the trigger and impact mechanisms of the machine gun were similar. The length of the "way to bring the lugs" - the length of the bolt frame back to the lugs and unlocking the bore - was 10-15 mm. The trigger mechanism was equipped with a non-automatic safety lever that blocked the trigger lever when the bolt carrier was cocked, the front position of the flag corresponded to the “fuse” position, the rear - “fire”.
To move the tape with cartridges and feed cartridges during the firing process, a feed mechanism (receiver) was used, which consisted of a body with a carrying handle, a receiver base, a feed engine, a neck with a tray, a slider with a feeder, feed and locking feed fingers, a receiver cover and an axis spring caps. The receiver parts were made by cold stamping, and this, combined with the use of the proven Degtyarev machine gun system, reduced the cost of producing a company machine gun. The tape feed mechanism was set in motion from the reloading handle (bolt frame handle) when it moved - a similar principle was used in the Shpagin receiver, but now the movement of the handle was transmitted to the receiver not through a swinging lever, but through a special moving part (engine) that was mated with its fork with a bolt handle. The tape was directly moved by a slider, which was displaced in the transverse direction and equipped with a spring-loaded feeder and a roller. Tape - metal link, with a closed link, the links were connected with the help of connecting springs, and tips were attached to the ends of the tape. The feed direction is on the right, a special tray served to guide the tape. The receiver cover latch was located similarly to the magazine latch on the DP and PDM.
To load the machine gun, it was necessary: to turn the handle for carrying the machine gun to the left, pull the latch of the receiver and open its cover; put the loaded tape into the neck of the receiver so that the first cartridge of the edge of the sleeve goes behind the hooks of the engine extractor; close the cover of the receiver; take the bolt carrier back by the reloading handle to failure, putting it on a combat platoon. At the same time, the bolt carrier handle retracted the engine, which with its hooks removed the cartridge from the tape back, after which the cartridge, under the action of the feed comb and the feed lever, fell into the hollow ledge of the receiver base, ending up on the chambering line. At the same time, the curved groove of the engine, interacting with the slider roller, shifted the slider to the left, and the slider feeder moved the cartridge belt one link to the left, setting the next cartridge in the receiving window in a position to be captured by the engine hooks. When the machine gunner pressed the trigger, the sear of the trigger lever came out from under the cocking of the bolt carrier, the bolt carrier, together with the bolt, went forward under the action of a reciprocating mainspring. At the same time, the shutter rammer pushed the cartridge out of the hollow protrusion of the base of the receiver and sent it into the chamber. The bolt carrier handle moved forward the engine, which, with its curved groove, pressed on the slider roller, forcing the slider to move to the right, and the slider feeder jumped over the next link of the tape. The hooks of the engine, when coming to the extreme forward position, jumped over the rim of the cartridge case of the next cartridge in the tape. When firing, the operation of the power supply system (removing the next cartridge from the tape link, lowering it to the chambering line, advancing the tape one link to the left, chambering the cartridge into the barrel chamber) repeated the described sequence. After all the cartridges in the belt were used up and the trigger was pressed, the bolt carrier with the bolt remained in the extreme forward position.
It was recommended to fire from a machine gun in short (up to 5 shots) and long (up to 15 shots) bursts. The rate of fire reached 200-250 rds / min, which was comparable to an easel machine gun and was three times higher than the combat rate of fire of the PDM. Conducting intense fire without replacing or cooling the barrel was allowed up to 500 shots. The sector sight bar was notched from 100 to 1500 m after 100 m. The front sight was screwed into the fuse and could move to the right or left when the machine gun was brought to normal combat.
The machine gun kit included cartridge boxes with belts for 200 and 250 rounds, as well as accessories, a belt, a case and a spare barrel.
In addition to rifle (motorized) units, the RP-46 was also included as an auxiliary weapon of self-defense in the armament complex of light armored vehicles - for example, the airborne ASU-57. Its mounting on the sidecar of the M-72 motorcycle was practiced (later a motorcycle installation of the RPD machine gun appeared).
The combination of a system already worked out in production with a receiver assembled from cold-forged parts made it possible to quickly start production of a new machine gun. The introduction of tape power reduced the total weight of the ammunition carried by the calculation - if without cartridges the RP-46 weighed 2.5 kg more than the DP, then its total weight with 500 rounds of ammunition was 10 kg less than that of the DP with the same stock of cartridges. The machine gun received a folding shoulder support, a carrying handle. However, a separate cartridge box with a tape caused difficulties in combat, since changing the position of the RP-46 often required removing the tape and reloading it in a new position.
The RP-46 remained in service for 15 years and was replaced, along with the SGM heavy machine gun, by a single PK machine gun. In addition to the USSR, he was in service in Albania, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Bulgaria, Kampuchea, China, Congo, Cuba, Libya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo. In China, a copy of the RP-46 was produced under the designation "Type 58", in the DPRK the copy was called "Type 64". Although the RP-46 lost a lot to its “parent” in terms of output, it is still found in different parts of the world - these are both “native” RP-46s and their Chinese copies.
The order of incomplete disassembly of RP-46
Unfasten the spring latch of the bipod, spread the legs of the bipod and put a machine gun on it.
Remove the feed mechanism, for which: turn the handle of the machine gun to the left until it stops, pull the latch of the receiver cover and, moving the reload handle to the cutout in the engine, lift the entire mechanism by the cover.
Separate the barrel, for which: pull back the bolt carrier until it is cocked and set it on the fuse, pull the latch of the barrel lock, press on it and, turning the barrel slightly, separate it from the machine gun.
Remove the bolt carrier from the fuse and from the cocking.
Drown the latch of the recoil spring tube and, turning it up 90 °, separate the tube.
Remove the return spring.
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Back in the first world war a fundamentally new and terrible weapon- large-caliber machine guns. In those years, there was no armor that could protect against them, and the shelters that were traditionally used by the infantry (made of earth and wood) generally made their way through with heavy bullets. And even today, heavy machine guns are an excellent tool for destroying enemy infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers and helicopters. In principle, even planes can be knocked out of them, but modern combat aviation too fast for them.
The main disadvantages of all such weapons are their weight and dimensions. Some models (together with the frame) may well weigh more than two centners. Since the calculation of it most often consists of only two or three people, there is no need to talk about some kind of quick maneuvering at all. However, heavy machine guns can still be quite mobile weapons. This was first confirmed during the same World War I, when they began to be put on jeeps and even small trucks.
DShK
In 1930, the famous designer Degtyarev began to develop a fundamentally new machine gun. Thus began the history of the legendary DShK, which to this day is in service in many countries of the world. The gunsmith decided to design it for the then-new B-30 cartridge with a 12.7 mm caliber bullet. The notorious Shpagin created a fundamentally different belt feed system for the new machine gun. Already at the beginning of 1939, he was adopted by the Red Army.
Shpagin's improvements
As we said, the original version of the weapon was developed in 1930. Three years later, serial production began. Despite many positive features, it had two very serious drawbacks: the rate of fire was only 360 rounds per minute, and the practical rate of fire was even lower, since the original design assumed the use of heavy and uncomfortable magazines. And therefore, in 1935, a decision was made to stop the serial production of a machine gun, which did not really correspond to the realities of its time.
To remedy the situation, the legendary Shpagin was involved in the development, who immediately suggested using a drum feed scheme with a tape supply of ammunition. By introducing a swing arm into the weapon system, which converted the energy of the powder gases into the rotation of the drum, he obtained a perfectly functioning system. The advantage was that such an alteration did not involve any serious and expensive modifications, which was fundamentally important for the young Soviet Republic.
Re-adoption
The machine gun was re-adopted into service in 1938. It is especially good thanks to the multi-purpose machine, with the help of which the DShK turns into a universal weapon: it can be easily used to suppress enemy ground forces (including destroying fortifications), destroy helicopters and low-flying aircraft, and also to immobilize lightly armored vehicles. For the destruction of air objects, the machine unfolds while raising the support bipod.
Due to its superior combat qualities, the DShK enjoyed well-deserved popularity in almost all branches of the armed forces. At the very end of the war, the machine gun underwent minor modifications. She touched on some of the components of the power mechanism and the shutter assembly. In addition, the method of attaching the barrel was slightly changed.
The last modification of the machine gun, adopted in 1946 (DShKM), uses a slightly different principle of automation. Powder gases are discharged from the barrel through a special hole. The barrel is non-replaceable, ribs are provided for cooling it (like a radiator). For leveling strong recoil, various designs are used.
The main difference between the two modifications of the machine gun is in the device of the feed mechanism. Thus, the DShKM uses a slide-type system, while its predecessor uses a drum-type system. However, the machine of the Kolesnikov system has remained completely unchanged since 1938, since it is not possible to fundamentally change something in it. The machine gun on this frame weighs 160 kilograms. Of course, this does not affect the usability too well. However, this weapon is most often used as an anti-aircraft weapon, and is also used to combat enemy light armored vehicles, which makes the use of a heavy machine necessary.
Modern use of the DShK
During the years of World War II, about nine thousand machine guns of this model were made at the factories of the USSR. However, even after the war, the DShK was very popular all over the world. So, its modification, DShKM, still continues to be produced in Pakistan and China. There is also information about the stocks of these machine guns in the reserve warehouses of the Russian army. Russia is very popular in conflicts in Africa.
Veterans recall that the burst of this weapon literally cuts down thin trees and pierces through trunks that are quite decent in girth. So against poorly armed infantry (which is common in those parts), this "old man" works perfectly. But the main advantage of the machine gun, which is especially in demand in the case of poorly trained troops, is its amazing reliability and unpretentiousness in operation.
Note
However, some military experts are skeptical about the DShK and even the DShKM. The fact is that this weapon was developed under the realities of the Second World War. At that time, our country practically did not have normal gunpowder, and therefore the specialists took the path of enlarging the cartridge case. As a result, the ammunition has a significant weight and not too high power. So, our cartridge is 12.7x108 mm. NATO uses a similar ammunition from Browning ... 12.7x99 mm! And this is provided that both cartridges have approximately the same power.
However, this phenomenon also has a positive side. Domestic ammunition of both 12.7 and 14.5 mm caliber is a real storehouse for modern gunsmiths. There are all prerequisites for creating more powerful cartridges that will retain their mass-dimensional characteristics.
NSV "Utes"
Back in the 70s, she began to en masse switch to a machine gun designed by Nikitin, Volkov and Sokolov - the Utes. The weapon, which received the abbreviated name NSV, was put into service in 1972, but to this day remains the main heavy machine gun of the Russian army.
One of his distinctive features is extremely light weight. The NSV heavy machine gun weighs only 41 kilograms together with the machine! This allows the crew to really quickly change their location on the battlefield. If we compare the new machine gun with the same DShKM, its simple, concise and rational design immediately catches the eye. The flame arrester on the barrel has a conical shape, according to which you can immediately "recognize" the "Utes". This weapon is also known for a completely different reason.
"Anti-sniper"
The NSV became famous for the fact that at a distance of one kilometer (!) The radius of dispersion of bullets does not exceed one and a half meters, which is almost an absolute record for this type of weapon. During both Chechen campaigns, the light machine gun received the respectful nickname "Antisniper". In many ways, this specificity of its use is due to the relatively weak recoil, which allows you to put on it almost all modern modifications of powerful sights for this type of weapon.
There is also a tank version, which has the abbreviation NSVT. It is installed on tanks, starting with the T-64. The flagship of domestic armored vehicles, the T-90, also has it in service. Theoretically, the NSVT on these machines is used as an anti-aircraft weapon, but in practice it is used just the same to suppress ground targets. It is theoretically possible to shoot down a modern combat helicopter (not to mention aircraft) with an anti-aircraft machine gun, but Russian missile weapons are much better suited for these purposes.
CORD
KORD stands for "Kovrov Gunsmiths-Degtyarevtsy". Work on its creation in Kovrov began immediately after the collapse of the USSR. The reason is simple: by that time, the production of Utyos had ended up on the territory of Kazakhstan, which in no way corresponded to the strategic interests of the country.
The main designers of the new project were Namidulin, Obidin, Bogdanov and Zhirekhin. The classic NSV was taken as the basis, but the gunsmiths did not limit themselves to its banal modernization. Firstly, the light machine gun finally got a quick-change barrel. Almost a whole research institute was poring over its creation, but the result was worth it: it was made using a special technology that ensures the most uniform cooling of the material during firing. Only because of this feature alone, the accuracy of fire and accuracy (in comparison with the NSV) have almost doubled! In addition, KORD became the first machine gun for which there is an "official" version chambered for NATO.
Finally, this weapon is the only one in its class that allows effective bipod fire. Its weight is 32 kilograms. Far from being a fluff, but together you can drag it away. The effective range of firing at ground targets is about two kilometers. What other heavy machine guns of Russia are available?
KPV, KPVT
And again the brainchild of Kovrov. It is the most powerful representative of the class of heavy machine guns in the world. Armament is unique in its combat power: it combines the power anti-tank rifle and a machine gun. After all, the cartridge of the KPV heavy machine gun is “the same”, the legendary 14.5x114! In the recent past, with its help it was possible to knock out almost any combat helicopter or light armored vehicles of a potential enemy.
The talented gunsmith Vladimirov took up its development back in 1943, on his own initiative. As a basis, the designer took the V-20 aircraft gun of his own design. It should be noted that shortly before this, she lost to ShVAK at the State tests, but nevertheless her device was quite simple and reliable for the goal set by Vladimirov. Let's relax a bit. The gunsmith fully managed to bring his plan to life: his heavy machine guns (photos of which are in this article) are known to every tanker who served on Soviet tanks today!
When designing, Vladimirov used the classic short-stroke scheme, which proved to be excellent back in Maxim. Machine gun automation allows only automatic fire. In the infantry version, the CPV is used in the easel version, resembling light gun. The machine was repeatedly modernized, and during the hostilities, soldiers often did it on their own, in accordance with the nature of the battle. So, in Afghanistan, all parties to the conflict used the CPV with a makeshift optical sight.
In 1950, the development of a tank modification of a well-proven weapon was started. Soon, the Vladimirov heavy machine gun began to be installed on almost all tanks manufactured in the USSR. In this modification, the weapon is seriously modified: there is an electric trigger (27V), no sights, instead of which optical tank sights are used at the workplace of the gunner and commander.
In Africa, these Russian heavy machine guns are terribly popular with everyone without exception: they are used by both official troops and entire hordes of motley gangs. Our military advisers recall that the fighters operating as part of the UN troops were very afraid of the KPV, as it easily dealt with all the light armored vehicles that were widely used by Western troops in those parts. Now almost all the "light" armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles of a potential enemy are well protected from this heavy machine gun. In any case, the frontal projection is completely "closed" for him.
However, all heavy machine guns of Russia (the USSR at that time) were extremely popular among the Mujahideen of Afghanistan. It is believed that about 15% of the Soviet Mi-24s lost due to combat reasons were shot down with this weapon.
Name |
| Cartridge | Sighting range, meters | Weight, kg (machine gun body) |
NATO heavy machine guns
In countries, the development of these weapons largely followed the same directions that were characteristic of our country (for example, the calibers of machine guns are almost the same). The soldiers needed a powerful and reliable machine gun, with equal success hitting both the infantry hiding behind the parapets and light armored vehicles of the enemy.
However, there are also cardinal differences between the two weapons schools. So, the German Wehrmacht did not have large-caliber machine guns in service at all. That is why NATO uses mainly a single M2NV, which we will talk about now.
М2НВ Browning, USA
The US Army is famous for the fact that it prefers to quickly change the used types of weapons to newer and more promising ones. In the case of M2HB, this rule does not work. This "grandfather", designed by the legendary Browning, has been in service since 1919! Of course, the MG-3 machine gun, which is in service with the Bundeswehr and is a modernized copy of the MG-42, "Hitler's saw", can be compared with it in antiquity of the pedigree, but it uses the 7.62x51 NATO caliber.
The machine gun entered service in 1923. In 1938, it was modernized by adding an elongated barrel. In fact, it still exists in this form. Since then, the “old man” has been repeatedly tried to be written off, constantly holding competitions to replace it, but so far there is no adequate alternative to the well-proven weapon.
The history of its development is very interesting. American army urgently needed a heavy machine gun, which would ensure a reliable defeat of enemy aircraft (the order came from General Pershing, who commanded the expeditionary forces). Browning, who was pressed for time, acted simply and elegantly.
Since the cartridge is the basis of any weapon, and the Yankees did not have an adequate machine-gun caliber in those years, he simply took the 7.62 cartridge of his own design and doubled it. This measure was considered as temporary, but the solution turned out to be amazingly successful: almost all heavy machine guns in the West use this particular ammunition.
By the way, at this point it is worth making a lyrical digression. You probably noticed that the cartridge used by domestic and Western weapons of this category is almost the same. We have already talked about the reasons for this phenomenon, but let's say a few more words. If you take a close look at comparison tables, you will see the complete absence of 14.5 mm cartridges among NATO heavy machine guns.
This again is explained by the difference in military doctrine: the Yankees assume (not without reason) that the old ammunition developed by Browning perfectly copes with the tasks of this type of weapon. Everything that has a larger caliber, according to Western classification, already belongs to "small guns", and therefore is not a machine gun.
Machine gun HQCB" (Belgium)
Despite the fact that the classic brainchild of Browning turned out to be remarkably successful, its characteristics did not suit all Western armies. The Belgians, who have always been famous for high-quality weapons, decided to independently modernize the American machine gun. In fact, initially Herstal intended to do something of its own, but due to the need to reduce the cost of the process and maintain continuity with old developments, the specialists were forced to compromise.
However, this did not affect the improvement of weapons in any way. Belgian gunsmiths equipped it with a heavier barrel with a simplified hot-swap mechanism. This greatly improved the combat qualities of the weapon. In the early modifications of the "thoroughbred" American "deuce" at least two people were required to change the barrel, and the work was extremely dangerous. Many calculations of anti-aircraft modifications M2NV lost fingers during it. Naturally, they had little love for this weapon. anti-aircraft modification largely for this reason, they were replaced by Oerlikon guns, which were not only much more powerful, but also did not have such a drawback.
In addition, improved chromium plating of the inner diameter of the barrel was added, which dramatically increased its survivability even in intense battle conditions. Shooting from a machine gun of this variety is good in that only one person is required to change the barrel, the number of preparatory operations is minimized, and there is practically no risk of getting burned.
Oddly enough, but it was chromium plating that made it possible to reduce the cost of the machine gun. The fact is that before that, trunks with stellite coating were used. It was much more expensive, and the service life of such a barrel is at least two times less than that of its chrome-plated counterparts. To date, the Belgians produce various upgrade kits, thanks to which any old M2HB can be converted into M2 HQCB by regimental specialists.
Machine gun L11A1 (HMG)
And again in front of us - the "same" Browning. True, in the English version. Of course, significantly modernized and improved. Many experts consider him the best among the entire line of "offspring" M2VN.
Among the innovations - "soft fasteners". If we discard the lyrics, then this is a recoil and vibration dampening system, thanks to which a heavy machine gun becomes a very, very accurate weapon. In addition, His Majesty's gunsmiths presented their version of the quick barrel change system. In general, it is in many respects similar to the scheme proposed by the Belgians.
Name | Rate of fire (rounds per minute) | Cartridge | Sighting range, meters | Weight, kg (machine gun body) |
M2HB Browning | 36-38 (depending on the year of issue) |
|||
Browning M2 HQCB | ||||
Machine gun L11A1 (HMG) |
Some Conclusions
If we compare the data from this table with information about domestic heavy machine guns, it becomes clear that this class of weapons is largely similar. difference in basic specifications ah is small, the differences are noticeable in the mass. Western heavy machine guns weigh much more. This is due to the fact that they military doctrine practically does not imply their infantry use, providing for the installation of such weapons on military equipment.
The most common in the armies of the NATO bloc are machine guns of 5.56 and 7.62 caliber (their standard, of course). Insufficient firepower of units is compensated large quantity well-trained snipers and the cover of detachments operating in a combat situation with aviation groupings and / or armored vehicles. And in fact: one large-caliber tank machine gun has dozens of times more powerful combat power, so this approach has the right to life.
The invention of the machine gun completely changed the military industry.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, European pacifists more than once demanded a complete ban on the use of new weapons, which gave an undeniable advantage during the battle. Some models of machine guns are still used in the army arsenal around the world, having established themselves as a standard.
The largest caliber machine gun
Few truly successful models of heavy machine guns have been created in history. One of them is the KPVT - Vladimirov's large-caliber tank machine gun with a caliber of 14.5 mm. He is recognized as the largest-caliber serial machine gun. The KPVT fires up to 600 bullets per minute, penetrating 32 mm armor from half a kilometer.KPVT - the largest-caliber machine gun among serial
Most large caliber of the existing machine guns, it was fixed in the experimental Belgian model FN BRG-15 - 15.5 mm; this machine gun got close to small-caliber guns. In 1983, Fabrique Nationale introduced an experimental prototype, which was subsequently improved. The final version could penetrate 10 mm thick armor at an angle of 30 o from a distance of 1.3 kilometers. However, the model never entered mass production: in 1991, due to financial difficulties, the company froze the project, switching forces to the creation of the P90 submachine gun.
The fastest gun
To find out which machine gun is the fastest, first let's take a trip to the origins of this weapon. 
The very first machine gun
On the creation of weapons that could produce a large number of bullets in a short period of time, they began to think already in the Middle Ages. The first prototype of a machine gun was created back in 1512 by Spanish inventors: a row of charged barrels was fixed along the deck, and a powder track was poured in front of them. It turned out that the trunks fired almost simultaneously. 
Later, the barrels began to be fixed on a rotating shaft, each barrel had its own mechanism and a silicon lock - this weapon was called the "Organ" or, as it was known in Russia, a canister.
One of the first machine guns was patented in 1862 by inventor Richard Gatling. This engineer invented a multi-barreled rapid-fire machine gun, which was adopted by the army of northerners during civil war in the USA.
The innovation of the Gatling gun was that the cartridges were freely fed from the bunker. This allowed even an inexperienced shooter to fire at a high rate: at least 400 rounds per minute. However, the barrels of the first Gatling guns had to be manually operated.
The improvement of the Gatling machine gun continued continuously. By the beginning of the XX century. it was equipped with an electric drive, thanks to which the rate of fire increased to 3000 rounds per minute. Multi-barreled "gatlings" were gradually replaced by single-barreled machine guns, however, they were successfully used on ships as air defense systems.
In 1883, the American Maxim Hiram announced the creation of the first automatic machine gun. The rate of fire was higher than that of Gatling's invention - 600 rounds per minute, and the cartridges were reloaded automatically. The model has undergone a huge number of modifications and has become one of the progenitors of automatic firearms.
The fastest multi-barreled machine gun
In 1960, the General Electric company creates an innovative machine gun prototype, using the Gatling "turntable" as the basis. The novelty consisted of 6 barrels of 7.62 mm caliber, which were driven by an electric motor. Due to the unique design of the machine-gun belt, it could fire up to 6000 rounds per minute, and was immediately adopted by the armored forces and US helicopters. 
The unsurpassed machine gun, which received the army index M134 Minigun (modifications for the fleet and the Air Force - GAU-2 / A), still retains its superiority in rate of fire among serial machine guns. Of course, this is not the most dangerous weapon in the world, but definitely one of the fastest.
M134 machine gun in action
The fastest single-barreled machine gun
In 1932, into service Soviet army adopted an innovative single-barrel machine gun ShKAS (Shpitalny-Komaritsky Aviation Rapid Fire). A model with a caliber of 7.62 mm was developed specifically for the Russian Air Force, and its design was not based on existing samples, but was created from scratch. The aviation machine gun was presented in three variations: turret, tail and synchronous. Turret and tail models could fire up to 1800 rounds per minute, synchronous model - up to 1650 rounds. 
Five years later, Shpitalny and Komaritsky introduced a modification of the Ultra Shkas, whose rate of fire reached 3000 rounds per minute, but due to the low reliability of the model after the Soviet-Finnish War, it was discontinued.
Fastest firing light machine gun
In 1963, the American designer Eugene Stoner completed the development of a modular system small arms Stoner 63. Based on his invention, the Stoner 63A Command light machine gun was created, capable of firing up to 1000 rounds per minute. During army tests, the model showed high demands, so it was not accepted for service. Of course, there can be no talk of an unambiguous assessment, because every experienced shooter has his own preferences. But the majority of domestic and foreign experts agree that the best heavy machine gun in terms of the totality of technical characteristics is the serial heavy machine gun "KORD" ( Large Caliber Weapons Degtyarevtsev).Demonstration of the power of the machine gun "KORD"
In the armed forces, "KORD" is called the "sniper machine gun" for its amazing accuracy and mobility unusual for this type of weapon. With a caliber of 12.7 mm, its weight is only 25.5 kilograms (body). Also, "KORD" is highly valued for its ability to fire both from bipods and from hands at a speed of up to 750 rounds per minute.
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