World War II Database

Country of Origin	Russia
Type	Machine Gun
Caliber	12.700 mm
Capacity	50 rounds
Length	1.655 m
Barrel Length	1.070 m
Weight	35.500 kg
Rate of Fire	550 rounds/min
Muzzle Velocity	850 m/s

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn the mid-1930s, Russian weapons designer Georgi Shpagin developed a belt-feed mechanism that promised greater firepower. Together with Vasily Degtyaryov, they developed the DShK M1938 heavy machine guns. The name came from the two designer's names, but Russian soldiers who subsequently used them affectionately called these weapons dushka, or "dear". By the time Russia entered WW2 with the invasion of Poland, they were already the standard heavy machine guns of the Russian Army. When used in their original intended role, heavy infantry support, they were often mounted on tripods or mounted on vehicle-towed trolleys. Aside from that role, they were also often used as vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft weapons or mounted on tanks or self-propelled guns as their secondary weapons. In 1946, the DShK M1938/46, or DShKM, variant design was introduced. Later, the design was shared with other Communist countries, resulting in licensed production in Communist China, Pakistan, and Romania. Some examples of DShK heavy machine guns are still in military use today.

Source: Wikipedia. ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Feb 2008

Photographs

See all 4 photographs of DShK M1938 Machine Gun

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