Degtyarev machine gun design and principle of operation. Soviet Degtyarev light machine gun full review with photos
The most common trolleybus
Operating experience huge amount trolleybuses ZiU-5 in the cities of the USSR showed that the Union needed a significantly more dynamic, reliable, durable, and comfortable single-hull trolleybus. It should have not two, but three doors, and to make it easier for passengers to enter, it was necessary to lower the floor of the rear platform if possible.
In order not to overload the steering axle, the front overhang had to be reduced, and the front door was made narrow and double-leaf. To increase reliability in cold weather, a low voltage (24 V) electromechanical door drive was used. It was believed to use other progressive technical solutions: more powerful traction motor, power steering, interior trim with modern plastics. Considering the vastness of our territory, we decided to release ZiU-9 in two versions: normal and for southern regions with a sun screen on the roof, which reduced overheating of the cabin.
The new trolleybus used an all-metal welded load-bearing body, which consisted of stamped large-sized panels (roof, sidewalls, etc.) and a welded tubular subframe. The driver's cabin was separated by a partition. For inspection and maintenance For the traction motor and electrical equipment, three hatches were provided in the floor of the cabin, and for natural ventilation of the cabin, four more on the ceiling and through sliding windows. To heat the interior, an electric stove and starting rheostats were used, through which outside air was driven.
Main design feature ZiU-9 consisted of double suspension of bridges. The steering axle beam was attached to two longitudinal beam springs, on which the front part of the body rested through two pneumatic elements. The rear axle was suspended on two longitudinal springs, fastened with a subframe, on which the rear part of the body rested through four pneumatic elements. The automated system was the same as on the bus LAZ-699A, controlled the maintenance of a constant level of the body above the road. To quickly dampen vibrations of the trolleybus, the front axle beam was connected to the body subframe with two hydraulic shock absorbers from a MAZ-500 dump truck, and the rear axle subframe with four. The spring and pneumatic suspension of the bridges worked in parallel, resulting in a highly smooth ride on uneven roads.
On ZiU-9 Three braking systems were used: electric, pneumatic (separately - on the rear and front axles) and a hand-operated parking brake (only on the rear wheels). Electric and pneumatic braking were carried out with one pedal. At high speed, only rheostatic braking worked. On the middle one together with pneumatic. On low only pneumatic. This combination ensured high reliability of trolleybus braking. The parking brake kept the car on a slope of up to 10%.
A prototype was made in 1971 ZiU-9, tested, adjusted the documentation and transferred it for mass production. At this time they introduced new system trolleybus designations. That's why ZiU-9 renamed to ZiU-682 and with this designation at the end of 1972 they were put into mass production. However, operators and passengers continued to call this car in the old way ZiU-9.
Production of the first serial modification began in August ZiU-682B
The first production trolleybuses were somewhat different from the cars of later releases. In 1973, cars with rounded wheel arches instead of angular ones began to be produced. The first batches of trolleybuses were equipped with the outdated DK-207G engine, which was already replaced in 1973 by the DK-210 with a power of 110 kW. The suspension on the first ZiU-682B was pneumatic, with reaction rods as guide elements; later it became air spring. The rear storage area had a lower floor level, which made it possible to reduce the number of steps at the rear door by one and make loading wheelchairs and strollers, as well as large items, easier. However, this “advantage” was offset by the presence of a high dividing handrail on the steps of the rear and middle doors. The transition from a high floor level in the cabin to a low one was smoothly carried out in the passage between the rear wheel arches, which caused inconvenience to passengers during rush hours (especially in winter), standing downhill on an icy “slide”. In 1991, developers replaced the high step separator with handrails attached to the doors, but by this time all storage areas were located at three steps from the sidewalk level. For natural ventilation of the cabin, 4 ceiling hatches were equipped in the roof, and each side window was equipped with a sliding window. Currently, several copies of the ZIU-682B have been preserved, but they are all museum pieces, with the exception of the trolleybus with tail number 562, which is operated in Zaporozhye.
At the end of 1976, serial production of the next modification ZiU-682V began, which replaced ZiU-682B. Due to the presence of design flaws that appeared during the first years of operation, instead of jet thrust Springs began to be used as load-bearing suspension elements. Since 1976, the number of lamps in the salon was reduced from 12 to 11, and every second window in the salon lost its vents. Since 1978, the number of ceiling hatches was reduced to three (due to the hatch above the front axle), trolleybuses began to be equipped with electric bar catchers (apparently, by order, since Moscow cars did not have them until 1996). Since 1983, the shape and location of the front and rear marker lights have changed. The lamps of the original shape, unofficially called “boats”, were replaced with unified ones and shifted from the edges closer to the route indicators. In 1985, the exterior signal lights and turn signal lights received similar design changes. From March-May 1984, trolleybuses began to be produced without a lowered level of the rear storage platform, which was due to the need to strengthen the structure of the base of the body in the rear overhang.
Since 1988, the plant switched to the production of modifications ZiU-682V-012 (ZiU-682V0A), equipped with a DK-213 engine with a power of 115 kW. Since 1989, the shape of the casing of radio reactors on the roof of a trolleybus has changed; it has decreased in size and received sharp edges (although there were even ZiU-682G with the old casing). In 1989, production of a transitional modification began in parallel. ZiU-682V0B, in which the electric drive of the door opening mechanism was replaced by a pneumatic one.
By the end of the 1980s. individual design elements of the trolleybus, which had been in production for almost 20 years at that time, were significantly outdated. Therefore, simultaneously with the launch of the latest modifications in a series ZiU-682V a deeper modernization of this trolleybus model was being prepared for production, which received the designation ZiU-682G. Experimental specimens ZiU-682G were produced back in 1988, and from February 1, 1991, the plant completely switched to their mass production.
RPD - Degtyarev's light machine gun - one of the two truly outstanding creations of Soviet gunsmiths, which left the scene early because in the hands Soviet soldier creation appeared even more outstanding designer- Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov. Nevertheless, it is worth talking about this machine gun, because there are questions about its creation, and its future is still visible.
So, creation. Comrade Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev was perhaps the small arms designer closest to Stalin. Major General, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of four Stalin Prizes (1941, 1942, 1946, 1949). He had vast experience and his own design bureau with an established engineering staff. At one time, I noticed that for some reason masters did not actively participate in the competition to create a machine gun. Well, Sudaev died, of course. Shpagin became seriously ill and died... apparently the war was not easy for anyone. But who were Kalashnikov, Bulkin, Korobov and Dementyev then? Where is Simonov? Where is Degtyarev?
It turned out that not everything is so simple.
Degtyarev at that moment was busy getting the RPD-44 into production, but the most interesting thing is that he had a machine gun for the competition. However, first things first.
Here's a classic RPD
But Degtyarev put it up for competition for a new light machine gun chambered for the Model 1943 cartridge, seven (!) variants. I will give some of them below.
1. Probably the first option - with a magazine based on the DP model, manufactured in 1944
2. Then the second option goes for testing - with magazine feed, a muzzle device similar to the experimental one sniper rifle Degtyareva. According to the technical characteristics of the machine, it does not pass, first of all, its weight is 5.8 kg. However, maybe they didn’t deliberately make it lighter - it’s still a machine gun.
3. The third option is lighter, the food is the same. Weight is already 5.4 kg.
4. The fourth option, with tape power. Herald of RPD. Weight 6.2 kg, note the front handle for holding - good idea, then it was removed for weight loss.
5. The fifth option is an experimental batch. Weight 7.2 kg.
6. The sixth option is already a series.
It turns out that Degtyarev's design bureau participated in the competition for the machine gun, but the samples were exhibited on behalf of the engineers Aleksandrovich - Ivanov
Alexandrovich - Kashtanov
The problems are the same - excessive weight of the structure. Moreover, from the book History of the Russian assault rifle by S. Monetchikov, I recently learned that there was no competition for a light machine gun that ended with the adoption of the RPD-44 into service... there was no! The competition was originally for the machine! And only when it became clear that the performance characteristics requirements were not being met, but a lot had already been done, and money had been invested, the best of the models was adopted for service as a light machine gun.
After the RPD was replaced by the RPK, the old man proved himself in Vietnam. MACV-SOG units needed a weapon chambered for a cartridge that could be resupplied behind enemy lines, that is, the 7.62*39, which has the power of a machine gun - but at the same time light enough for a fighter to carry during reconnaissance missions. This is how sawn-off shotguns from RPD appeared - American special forces soldiers spoke of them with great respect.
But this is not the end. Wise-Lite arms offers three different levels RPD modernization
1. The simplest one. Short barrel with SVD type flame arrester and tape bag
2. A more complicated option - a new forend with straps, a front handle. The bipod is removed, it turns out something like a heavy machine gun
3. The most serious one is also an M4-type stock. The handle on the right is apparently the whim of the owner
The Bravo18 team also presented their version - apparently, a “complete mincemeat”, a fire support weapon, not much inferior to the Minimi SPW.
Here... Unfortunately, the RPD has been discontinued from production, it is impossible to own such a weapon, and to customize a weapon, if you meet the requirements of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you need a room with a security level like a bank vault, for production - like an anti-nuclear bunker.
Alas.
WEREWOLF
It is difficult to overestimate the role of machine guns in the development of military affairs - having cut short millions of lives, they forever changed the face of war. But even experts did not immediately appreciate them, at first viewing them as special weapon with a very narrow range of combat missions - for example, at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, machine guns were considered just one of the types of fortress artillery. However, already during Russo-Japanese War automatic fire proved its highest efficiency, and during the First World War machine guns became one of the most important means fire damage enemy in close combat, were installed on tanks, combat aircraft and ships. Automatic weapons made a real revolution in military affairs: heavy machine-gun fire literally swept away the advancing troops, becoming one of the main causes of the “positional crisis,” radically changing not only the tactical methods of combat, but also the entire military strategy.
This book is the most complete and detailed encyclopedia of Russian, Soviet and Soviet machine gun weapons to date. Russian army from the end of the 19th century to beginning of the XXI century, both domestic models and foreign ones - purchased and captured. The author, a leading expert on the history of small arms, not only cites detailed descriptions the device and operation of easel, manual, single, large-caliber, tank and aviation machine guns, but also talks about their combat use in all the wars that our country waged throughout the turbulent twentieth century.
The RPD machine gun, which started the line of machine guns chambered for the intermediate (automatic) cartridge, is an outdated system, but is still used in different parts Sveta.
The machine gun consists of the following main parts and mechanisms: barrel with receiver, sights and bipod; bolt carrier with gas piston; charging handle; gate; return mechanism; trigger frame with stock and trigger mechanism; box with ribbon.
The barrel, unlike the DP and DPM, is not replaceable (which allows for a less powerful cartridge), it is attached to the receiver with a thread and cannot be separated from it. On the breech of the barrel there is a cutout for hooking the ejector.
The automatic machine gun has a gas engine and works by removing part of the powder gases through a transverse hole in the barrel wall, with a long stroke of the gas piston. The gas outlet hole is made at the bottom, closer to the muzzle of the barrel. Powder gases are discharged into a gas chamber equipped with a regulator with three numbered grooves. The groove is installed opposite the gas outlet and determines the amount of powder gases discharged to the piston. The gases flow through the groove into the pipe, and from it into the conical sleeve into which the front end of the bolt frame piston fits. It is normal to set the regulator to mark “2”; if it is heavily soiled, it is set to mark “3” (groove with a larger cross-section), to reduce the rate of fire - to mark “1” (groove of the smallest cross-section). In machine guns of the first releases, the gas chamber has cylindrical and conical bushings mounted on the gas chamber pipe, and the gas piston goes inside the bushings.
7.62 mm RPD light machine gun. The cartridge box lies separately
The cartridge box is attached to the RPD machine gun, the tape is installed in the receiver
Position of parts and mechanisms of the RPD machine gun before loading
The barrel bore is locked by moving the bolt lugs to the sides, but, unlike the DP, they are pulled apart not by the firing pin, but by the bolt carrier stand. The bolt frame is integral with the gas piston rod and has a vertical strut at the rear. At the top of the rack, a roller rotates on an axis, acting on the large lever of the feed mechanism when the frame moves. On the right side of the stand there is a hole for attaching the reloading handle. The bolt has two lugs, hinged on the sides of the frame; a spring-loaded firing pin and ejector are mounted in the frame. The sides of the bolt body are equipped with recesses to reduce friction during movement. The return mechanism is mounted in the butt tube and includes a return spring, with a leash attached in front of it and a rod in the back. The leash rests against the recess of the bolt frame, and the rod rests against the butt tube. The return spring with a guide rod is inserted through a hole in the back of the butt, which is closed by the rod's cracked protrusions.
Stamping and spot welding are widely used in the design of the machine gun. Steel parts are protected with an oxide coating.
Mounted in the trigger frame trigger, allowing only automatic fire and including a trigger with an axis, a trigger lever with a spring and a non-automatic safety lever with a spring. The safety box is located on the right above the trigger guard; in the forward position it blocks the trigger lever. The trigger frame is hinged to the receiver with front protrusions and secured with a transverse pin.
Food - from a metal non-scattering belt with an open link for 100 rounds with direct feeding of the cartridge into the chamber. The belt links are connected by wire springs, a tip is attached to one end of the tape for ease of loading, and a false link is attached to the other, which ensures that the last cartridge is fed into the receiver. The machine gun receiver consists of a base, a block and a tape feed mechanism. The base has a finger with a spring that keeps the tape from falling out, a cartridge cutter that separates the cartridge from the tape and limits the movement of the cartridge to the right, a longitudinal window, and a transverse protrusion for guiding the cartridges. The lever-type feed mechanism includes a feeder, large and small levers. The large lever has a curved groove for interacting with the bolt frame roller and, with its protrusion, moves the small lever that acts on the feeder. Passing along with the tape through the receiver, the cartridge is separated from the link under the action of a fixed cutter. After this, it can be picked up by the bolt ridge and sent into the chamber - this is facilitated by the shape of the sleeve without a protruding rim. The receiver windows are closed with spring-loaded flaps. When loading the machine gun, the flaps open automatically; when it is brought into the stowed position, they are closed by hand.
Fire is carried out in short bursts of 5 shots or long bursts of up to 15 shots (an increase in the length of the burst, compared to the DP, allows for a less powerful cartridge). With a non-replaceable barrel, intense fire without cooling was allowed up to 300 shots. The machine gun had good accuracy of fire: at a distance of 500 m the median deviation was 250–260 mm, at 1000 m - 550–630 mm, which was approximately 1.5 times better than the DP indicators.
The sector sight is notched from 0 to 1000 m (from “0” to “10”) through 100, has a mechanism for introducing corrections for side winds and target movement. The front sight with a fuse is mounted in a transverse groove of the high base on the muzzle of the barrel. The length of the aiming line is 596 mm.
A round cartridge box with a tape is attached to the bottom of the machine gun, equipped with a hinged lid, a hook for connecting to the receiver and a folding handle for carrying separately. The box mounting bracket also serves as a guide, discharging the ejected spent cartridge case to the side. A special bag is used to carry several cartridge boxes with loaded belts.
The butt and pistol grip are attached to the trigger frame. The wooden butt has a metal back, inside it there is a return mechanism tube at the top, and a slot for a pencil case with accessories at the bottom. The shape of the butt allows it to be held with the left hand when firing a machine gun from a support. The wooden forend is made up of two cheeks with metal gaskets. The non-detachable folding bipod is hinged on the muzzle of the barrel, equipped with skids on the legs, a spreading spring and a latch. The machine gun kit includes an accessory, a belt, a case and bags for boxes with tapes.
To load a machine gun you must: move the reloading handle back; turn the fuse box forward; push the box with the tape onto the protrusions of the bracket and secure it; pass the tip of the tape through the receiver window and push it to the right until it stops. When inserting the tape into the receiver window, the first cartridge is installed against the longitudinal window of the receiver base, and the guide protrusion of the first cartridge link becomes above the cutter.
Lesson on studying the RPD light machine gun in DOSAAF
To open fire, you must turn the safety catch back (the “fire” position) and pull the trigger. The trigger lever moves down, and its sear releases the bolt carrier cocking. The latter, under the action of the return mechanism, moves forward and, resting the thickened part of the rack against the protrusions of the bolt lugs, moves the bolt along with it. During movement, the bolt rammer pushes the cartridge out of the belt link and sends it into the chamber. When the bolt frame moves forward with a roller, it turns the large feed lever in the transverse direction. The large lever turns the small one, and it shifts the feeder to the left by the amount of capture of the next cartridge, the feeder’s feed fingers jump behind the next link of the belt with the cartridge, the pin of the receiver’s base keeps the tape from falling out. When the bolt approaches the barrel stump, the ejector hooks into the annular groove of the cartridge. With further movement of the bolt frame forward, its rack pushes the bolt lugs apart, and the barrel bore is locked. The bolt frame, continuing to move forward, hits the firing pin with the front wall of the rack, which breaks the cartridge primer with its striker. A shot occurs.
After the bullet passes through the gas outlet hole, part of the powder gases enters the gas chamber, hits the gas piston and throws the bolt frame back. The bolt remains locked until the bullet leaves the barrel. After the bolt frame selects free movement, its rack releases the lugs, and the shaped recesses bring the lugs together, unlocking, after which the bolt begins to move back along with the bolt frame, removes the spent cartridge case, which hits the hard reflector and is thrown down through the windows bolt frame and receiver. The receiver window in the stowed position is closed with a lid - war experience forced us to pay more attention to protecting the receiver from dirt and small particles. When moving backward, the bolt frame compresses the recoil spring and turns the large feed lever with its roller, which acts on the small lever. The latter, in turn, moves the feeder to the right, the feeder’s fingers position the next cartridge against the longitudinal window of the receiver.
The bolt frame, housed in its rearmost position, hits the trigger frame and begins to move forward. If the trigger remains pressed, the automation cycle is repeated. When the trigger is released, the sear of the raised trigger lever intercepts the cocking of the bolt frame and holds it. The machine gun is ready to fire, but the cartridge has not been chambered, which eliminates the possibility of self-ignition when the barrel is heated. Once all the cartridges have been used up and the trigger is pressed, the bolt carrier and bolt will remain in the extreme forward position. The vibration of the trigger felt by the index finger of the shooting hand when firing is not very convenient for the machine gunner, but rarely do any users pay attention to this as a disadvantage.
Providing the range required from a light machine gun effective shooting up to 800 m, the RPD, thanks to the intermediate cartridge and production technology, was much lighter and more maneuverable than the DP. The advantage of a smaller cartridge mass can be judged by the fact that the mass of an RPD cartridge box with a 100-round belt is 0.4 kg less than a DP disk magazine with 47 rounds. With an ammunition load of 300 rounds, the RPD weighed 11.3 kg - almost half as much as the DP with the same supply of ammunition, and was 200 mm shorter.
During the production process, the RPD underwent modernization based on operating experience:
The gas chamber has been simplified - the hole for the regulator has become cylindrical instead of conical, the pipe has been enlarged, and the conical bushing has been eliminated. An open gap has appeared between the pipe and the gas pipe. Accordingly, the bolt frame piston was lengthened by 23.5 mm, additional sealing bands appeared on it, and a rim was made at the front end of the gas tube to reflect powder gases. This simplified cleaning the weapon, but did not reduce the reliability of operation;
The reloading handle was changed - the new handle remained motionless when firing, had a folding handle, and was engaged with the bolt frame by a protrusion when moving backwards. This made it possible to reduce the transverse dimensions of the machine gun and eliminate the cutout of the receiver;
An additional scale is placed on the lower surface of the sight rail for easy installation of the sight when shooting while lying down or standing from a trench. The rear sight is protected by a fuse. The rear sight screw handwheel has been moved from right to left. The front sight mount has been changed;
The safety box is equipped with a tooth that prevents the bolt frame from moving backward when the safety is on - in early machine guns, such a displacement of the bolt frame led to it jamming;
Affiliation slightly changed;
On the muzzle of the barrel there is a thread for screwing on a sleeve for shooting blank cartridges or muzzle pad when cleaning a machine gun. To protect the threads from damage and strengthen the muzzle of the barrel, a coupling is usually screwed onto the threads. Early production machine guns did not have threads on the muzzle.
In 1946–1948 Degtyarev worked on an experimental single machine gun- The RPD was placed on a lightweight tripod machine made of aluminum alloys (which was also ahead of similar foreign works). Attempts were made to use aluminum alloys in the design of the RPD machine gun itself, but tests at the GAU test site revealed great wear of such parts, which worsened their technical condition and durability.
In general, the RPD was a well-developed design automatic weapons support for the squad, however, after the RPK light machine gun, unified with a machine gun, was adopted into service in 1961, the RPD began to be withdrawn from the troops. Nevertheless, the RPD remained in service for a long time in many units.
RPD and RPDM, like a number of other types of Soviet weapons, became widespread in the socialist camp and “developing” countries. It was or is still in service with the armies of more than 30 countries: Albania, Algeria, Angola, Afghanistan, Benin, Bulgaria, Vietnam, East Germany, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Kampuchea (Cambodia), China, North Korea, Colombia, Congo , Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Seychelles, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Ethiopia. In addition, the RPD was in service in Finland. A copy of the RPD was produced in China under the designation “Type 56”, RPDM - “Type 56-1”. These machine guns, in turn, were sold to other countries. RPD and RPDM are used in military conflicts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.
RPD also “fought” in the 1990s during military conflicts on the territory of the former USSR
Order incomplete disassembly RPD
1. Install the machine gun on the bipod, open the receiver cover, move the bolt frame to the rear position, inspect the chamber and make sure there is no cartridge in it. After this, smoothly lower the bolt frame from cocking.
Separate the cleaning rod.
Remove the pencil case with the accessory by using the head of a cleaning rod or your finger to press the latch of the butt plate cover downwards; Turn the lid, remove the pencil case with the accessory and open it.
Remove the return mechanism, for which: supporting the machine gun with one hand by the protrusion of the butt, thumb with the other hand or a screwdriver, press the return mechanism rod (in the butt plate) forward until it stops; turn the rod 90° counterclockwise and remove the return mechanism from the stock. In this case, the bolt frame must be released from cocking.
Separate the trigger frame, for this purpose: push the pin to the right with a drift until it stops; Use your thumb and forefinger to press the receiver cover latch forward and open the cover; holding the machine gun by the fore-end with one hand, grab the neck of the butt or pistol control handle with the other and, moving the trigger frame back, separate it.
Separate the reloading handle, to do this: pull the handle back as far as it will go and remove it to the right. To separate the reloading handle of the modified design, you need to pull it back all the way and turn it down to the right.
Separate the bolt frame, for this purpose: with your index finger, push the bolt frame from the bottom of the receiver back, then, clasping the bolt frame with your hand along with the bolt, separate them from the receiver.
Separate the bolt from the bolt frame, for this purpose: holding the bolt once, take the bolt by the middle with the other hand, lift it up; separate the lugs from the bolt frame.
Reassemble in reverse order.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RPD
Cartridge - 7.62?39 (7.62 mm model 1943).
The weight of the machine gun without cartridges is 7.4 kg.
The weight of the machine gun with a loaded cartridge box is 9.8 kg.
Machine gun length - 1037 mm.
Barrel length - 520 mm.
Number of grooves - 4.
Type of rifling - right-handed, rectangular.
The rifling stroke length is 240 mm.
Initial speed bullets - 735 m/s.
Muzzle energy- 2134 J.
Sighting range- 1000 m.
The range of a direct shot at a chest figure 50 cm high is 365 m; according to a running figure 150 cm high - 540 m.
The lethal range of the bullet is 1500 m.
The maximum flight range of a bullet is 3000 m.
Rate of fire - 650–750 rounds/min.
Combat rate of fire- 150 shots/min.
Belt capacity - 100 rounds.
The weight of the cartridge box with tape is 2.4 kg, without tape - 0.8 kg.
The height of the firing line is 330 mm.
Few people remember today, but the first Soviet weapons for intermediate cartridge 7.62mm arr. 1943 was the Degtyarev Light Machine Gun of the 1944 model.
The RPD went into mass production after the war and at that time it was a breakthrough. The fact is that the RPD is an almost full-fledged representative of the class of light machine guns or automatic squad weapons (Squad Automatic Weapon in the Western classification).
For full compliance modern requirements all he needed was that replaceable barrel, the ability to feed from standard stores and conduct single fire.
However, only the latter is relevant. Regular stores were impossible, since they simply did not exist at that time.
Sudaev assault rifle arr. 1944 (AS-44) although it passed the competition, it never went into production. And overheating is not so critical, since the RPD has a fairly massive barrel, allowing intense fire of up to 300 rounds without cooling. As of 1944, this was a completely new class of weapon, which Western armies came to much later.
The first light machine guns were born at the beginning of the twentieth century. But it was a completely different weapon, different from modern standards. Light machine gun beginning of the century was an automatic weapon chambered for a rifle cartridge with a magazine feed, or less often with a belt feed.
Such samples weighed more than 10 kg. Coupled with the strong recoil of rifle cartridges, hand-held shooting was very difficult and maneuverability was limited.
And only with the advent of the intermediate cartridge did the transformation of this class into the framework of modern standards begin. The beginning of the rearmament of the Red Army with new types of small arms was laid by the development of an intermediate cartridge 7.62x39mm designed by N. M. Elizarov and B. V. Semin.
The beginning of the world history of the intermediate cartridge is considered to be the American cartridge .30 Carbine, and then the German cartridge 7.92x33. There is a lot more that can be said on this topic, but this is material for a separate article.
Although work on the creation of a full-fledged intermediate cartridge in the USSR was carried out back in 1939, with the outbreak of the war they were curtailed.
A new intensive round of development was achieved with the capture of captured German cartridges and new enemy weapons.
Samples of the German Mkb.42(N) automatic carbine, as well as the study of the American M1 carbine, aroused keen interest in the USSR People's Commissariat of Defense.
It was necessary to create a new cartridge and a family of weapons for it.
The task was completed in a short time - the Soviet intermediate cartridge of the 1943 model was ready.
An early version of the cartridge had a 41mm long sleeve and had a number of “childhood diseases”.
By 1949, all of them had been successfully eliminated, and the family of cartridges was replenished with armor-piercing, tracer and incendiary bullets.
However, the designers did not expect the final development of the new cartridge; development proceeded in parallel. A competition for a new lightweight machine gun was held in 1944, and legendary Soviet gunsmiths took part in it: S. G. Simonov, G. S. Shpagin, A. I. Sudaev, F. V. Tokarev, A. I. Shilin. And also the creator of the DP machine gun, which was then in service, Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev.
Degtyarev presented several variants of machine guns for the competition, they differed in the locking system and power supply. The most successful was considered to be a sample with belt feeding made from non-loose link tape. It was this that was adopted for service under the designation “7.62-mm Degtyarev light machine gun mod. 1944 (RPD)."
The first experimental batch of 1000 pieces was ready by the end of 1944 and went for testing. This was the last model of Degtryaev put into service; the legendary designer died in 1949. But based on his developments they continued to create weapons.
V. A. Degtyarev was one of the brightest representatives of the weapons culture of Russia. He was born in the city of gunsmiths - Tula in 1880. He began working with weapons in 1901 while serving in the Tsarist Army. Later he worked on the creation of automatic weapons under the supervision of the legendary Russian gunsmith Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov.
Degtyarev invented the first automatic carbine back in 1916. The first model adopted for service was the DP-27 machine gun (Degtyarev Infantry). On its basis a family of tank, aviation, company and heavy machine guns.
RPD - simple and reliable military weapon. Gas-operated automatics with a long stroke of the gas piston. The gas outlet is equipped with a three-position gas regulator. Locking the barrel with two sliding combat cylinders using shaped cutouts in the receiver. Belt feed from non-loose tape for 100 rounds.
The tape is placed in a round metal box secured by receiver. Shooting is carried out from an open bolt; the trigger allows only automatic fire.
The machine gun is equipped with a non-removable bipod and a carrying strap. Using a belt, the machine gun is designed to fire from the hip. At the same time, the forend of the machine gun has a characteristic shape that allows you to comfortably press the machine gun from above with your palm, compensating for the toss.
As a result military tests the machine gun showed good results. Intermediate cartridge and new production technology have made it possible to significantly reduce weight and increase maneuverability. The weight of the machine gun with 300 rounds of ammunition was only 11.3 kg. At the same time, the RPD gave significantly better combat accuracy than the DP.
Thus, the average deviation from the STP was 5 cm, and the spread was up to 15 cm per 100 m when firing single shots. Lethal force The 7.62x39 cartridge was enough for the entire range of the machine gun. So the bullet maintained supersonic speed at a distance of 600m and had a high penetration ability due to the steel core.
The RPD was in service with the Red Army until 1961. He was gradually forced out of the troops by the Kalashnikov Light Machine Gun. The RPK was unified with the AK and fed from compatible magazines. However, in the light of modern trends, such a decision is more than controversial. The RPD was produced under license in the Warsaw Pact countries, as well as in countries friendly to the USSR regime. It is still widely used in various parts of the world.
It is noteworthy that the RPD earned very flattering reviews not only from the allies of the USSR. This machine gun was readily used by individual special forces units of the USA, South Africa, Israel and Rhodesia. The elite classified American special forces unit MACV-SOG used the RPD and its modernized versions self-made. A shortened version of the RPD made it possible to obtain much-needed firepower at short distances.
At the same time, the low weight allowed the fighter to take a large amount of ammunition, as well as use captured ones. There were no similar weapons in service with the US Army at that time. FN Mini Mi (M249 SAW) appeared much later. Thus, in his memoirs, American special forces veteran Ed Wolcoff called the RPD his favorite weapon for its simplicity and high reliability, compared to the standard CAR-15.
In Africa, RAPs have been widely used by all parties to conflicts. It was appreciated by the South African special forces and the legendary Rhodesian special forces. In Israel, the RPD was in service with the counter-guerrilla special forces unit "Egoz". Last time The RPD was noted in IDF photographs as early as the 2000s. However, in separate divisions The Israeli army also uses AKs and PCs.
The RPD became another example of a Russian weapon that was underestimated at the time of its introduction. Another example that was conceptually ahead of its time. Maybe that’s why the machine gun is still the most alive. It is still produced to this day in both civilian and military versions. By the way, the price of such a modern tactical RPD exceeds 2000 US dollars.
DS Arms RPD Machine Gun
Soviet machine gun DPM
Despite the fact that the MT light machine gun was adopted by the army, by 1925 the problem of equipping the armed forces with domestic light machine guns still could not be solved. As before, the troops used a variety of production models from many countries around the world. True, the number of these weapons quickly decreased over time.
To cope with the problem of equipping the army modern weapons, in 1921, a design bureau for automatic small arms was created in Kovrov. It was headed by the internationally recognized specialist in the field of weapons Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov, and his deputy was famous designer Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev. Every year the team was replenished with capable engineers. Soon the design bureau became a leading center in its field.
Even before the official decision to create the bureau, Fedorov and Degtyarev began working on new machine gun projects in the experimental workshop. Although all of these models, chambered for the 6.5 mm cartridge, had interesting designs, they never went beyond prototypes. The right path was chosen only in 1924, when a solution appeared
on the use of a standard 7.62 mm Mosin rifle cartridge.
At the same time, it was finally possible to solve the problem of creating a light machine gun that meets the needs of the army and is suitable for mass production. Degtyarev did not just develop infantry machine gun, but a whole weapon system. Later modifications could be installed on aircraft and tanks. All of them were light in weight and simple in design, containing few moving parts.
In 1923, a prototype was presented - with belt power and on two small wheels, without a shield. On next year a modernized model appeared with a flat disk magazine on the bipod. After testing, which took place on June 22, 1924, the command recommended that it be thoroughly tested.
In the summer of 1927, in comparative tests, in which, along with the Degtyarev machine gun, almost all foreign weapons used at that time took part, as well as the German Dreyse 13 machine gun and Tokarev MT, the Degtyarev model demonstrated its obvious superiority. For 20 thousand shots it worked flawlessly, and after 40 thousand shots the failure rate was no more than 0.5. Nevertheless, the sample has undergone further improvement. Degtyarev slightly improved, for example, the bolt, gas piston, firing pin and cartridge ejector. Interesting in this regard is Fedorov’s report dated May 29, 1930 on testing the machine gun for durability. The most important parts were subjected to a load of 25 to 30 thousand rounds, and the rest - from 75 to 100 thousand rounds.
According to Soviet literature, the creator of this machine gun was called the “Russian Maxim” across the border.
Under the name DP1928 the machine gun became standard weapon Soviet infantry. There are different data about the time of its adoption into service. In addition to 1928, which is probably true, 1927 and 1929 are also mentioned. This obviously means the year of testing and the year of the start of mass production.
The DP 1928 light machine gun operates on the principle of using powder gas pressure, has a fixed barrel and rigid engagement of the bolt with the barrel. When the bullet passes the hole in the barrel, part of the powder gases enters the gas chamber through the hole and moves the piston connected to the bolt in the rear direction. In this case, the bolt is disconnected from the barrel and the weapon is automatically reloaded. By using special tool gas pressure can be adjusted.
About a third of the barrel protrudes from the casing, which is equipped with cooling holes. There is a cone-shaped flame arrester on the barrel. The first series of machine guns had cooling fins on the barrel, but then they were abandoned. The barrel is replaceable, but this complex operation requiring special tools. Z
Ammunition is supplied from a disk magazine. Under spring pressure, the cartridge is fed down through the disc slot. The capacity of such a disk is 49 rounds, but for correct feeding it is filled with only 47 rounds.
At a time when no army had a light machine gun with such a large ammunition capacity other than the Lewis model, the Soviet armed forces had a weapon with 47 rounds. Subsequently, this turned out to be a decisive factor, although from a tactical point of view such ammunition was still insufficient. In addition, loading the magazine turned out to be a rather difficult process, especially in combat conditions, and the flat magazine body was almost impossible to protect from damage.
The machine gun fires only continuously. The practical rate of fire is from 80 to 100 rounds/min. Maximum range bullet flight 3000 m. The fuse is located at trigger. Pressing the trigger with the index finger, the shooter simultaneously presses the safety with the middle finger, unlocking descender. As soon as he releases the stock neck, the trigger is locked. The sector sight is installed at a distance from 100 to 1500 m in increments of 100 m. The length of the sight line is 616 mm. The machine gun is equipped with a bipod mounted under the gas channel. If necessary, the bipod can be folded along the trunk for transportation.
This machine gun had advantages in the form of maneuverability, light weight, strength and reliability of design. However, there were also disadvantages, for example, rapid wear of some parts of the bolt, heating and low service life of the recoil spring. The bipod did not give the machine gun sufficient stability. The military expressed wishes to increase the magazine capacity.
The biggest shortcomings have been eliminated. After numerous experiments, designer Shilin modernized the machine gun, and in 1944 an improved model of the Degtyarev DPM light machine gun was presented. This model had a safety lever, a pistol grip behind the trigger and a lightweight stock. During the attack, the shooter could hold the machine gun suspended at his hip. The recoil spring was also improved. It became stronger and was housed in a protective tube behind the bolt, meaning it was no longer exposed to extreme heat. The walls of the trunk became thicker and stronger. The bipod was moved back, which gave greater stability.
However, the ammunition supply system could not be improved. At first, a belt with a large supply of cartridges was provided, but this problem could only be solved when creating the RP 46 company machine gun.
Modifications of the Degtyarev light machine gun include the DA and DA 2 (coaxial) aviation machine guns that appeared in 1928 and 1930, as well as the DT tank machine gun and the modernized DPM 1944 light machine gun adopted for service in 1929. Thus, at the end of the twenties, the Soviet armed forces They had not only a standard infantry light machine gun, but also an entire weapon system, although in insufficient quantities.
Dp-27
Aviation machine guns with a pistol grip, a modified butt and a 63-round magazine were installed mainly on bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Tank machine guns were equipped with a retractable stock, a more massive barrel, a diopter sight and the same magazine as aircraft weapons. Being equipped with bipods, they were also used in infantry and partisan formations.
The international specialized literature contains unanimous positive assessments regarding the DP 1928 and DPM 1944 machine guns. They are considered reliable and effective weapon, having a simple design. The same applies to their production. Although they were made primarily on metal-cutting machines, the cost of their production was low. Some authors consider these machine guns to be the simplest and cheapest in the world at that time.
The first version of DP 1928 was used during civil war in Spain from 1936 to 1939 government troops and international brigades. They performed well in 1938-1939 in battles with Japanese aggressors on Lake Khasan and Khalkhin Gol, as well as during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940.
Degtyarev machine gun - DP 28
During the Second World War, Degtyarev machine guns proved their reliability on all fronts. In the most difficult situations, in heat and cold, in a dirty state, they shot accurately and accurately. German troops at the first opportunity they used weapons captured as trophies. According to the classification of the Wehrmacht weapons department, they were listed as light machine guns model 120 (g) and 120/2 (g).
It is not known exactly how many machine guns of this type were manufactured. Soviet sources report that by January 1928 they produced a trial series of 100 units, and in 1928 the industry received an order to produce 2,500 units. The following year, this order grew to 6,500 units, of which 4,000 were infantry. 2000 aviation and 500 tank machine guns.
There is information about measures taken by the military command to establish mass production. The conversation was, first of all, about technological aspects, about the supply of the necessary types of steel, about the interchangeability of weapon parts different models, and in general - about the constant improvement of production quality. For this purpose, extensive tests were carried out at that time. They were followed by design changes aimed at improving weapons. Several experimental models of 1931, 1934 and 1938 are known. During World War II, attempts were made to equip these machine guns with cartridge belts. However, the tests carried out by Degtyarev in 1943 ended in failure. Direct rod magazines also turned out to be unsuitable.
As for testing light machine guns, additional clarification is required here. The specialists were not entirely satisfied with the standard machine gun, either technologically or tactical points vision. Technical shortcomings were characteristic, first of all, of the bolt and the recoil spring. They were eliminated in the modernized version of the DPM 1944. Tactical shortcomings were expressed, first of all, in small ammunition.
The troops needed a maneuverable company machine gun with great firepower. Therefore, its ammunition should have been comparable to heavy machine guns. These weapons of the first line of fire were to be supplemented by heavy machine guns operating on the second line and on the flanks. Despite the rather large magazine capacity, Degtyarev’s machine gun could not cope with this tactical task.
Therefore, in 1943, the command announced a competition, which was aimed at supplementing the standard machine gun new model. Soviet literature contains information about several experimental models, which, in addition to the Degtyarev machine gun, included samples from S. G. Simonov and the then little-known designer M. T. Kalashnikov. At first, all these prototypes were designed for a 7.62 mm Mosin rifle cartridge. However, since at this time a new
shortened cartridge M 43, the designers' efforts soon concentrated on it. The most active designers, in addition to those already mentioned, included A. A. Dubinin, P. P. Polyakov, A. I. Shilin and A. I. Sudaev.
Their numerous experimental models, created either independently or as part of teams, were refined and improved after careful testing. As a result, samples of weapons of the required quality appeared. One of them was the RP 46 company machine gun, chambered for the standard M 1908/30 rifle cartridge, and the other was the Degtyarev RPD light machine gun chambered for the shortened M 43 cartridge.
Although this machine gun was ready for use even before the start of the war serial production, it was adopted only after 1945. Later it was added the whole system the most modern machine guns, the first of which was the Kalashnikov RPK light machine gun.
Thus, the Degtyarev machine gun remained a standard weapon from the late twenties until the end of the Second World War. This was partly due to the lack of capacity to produce the models mentioned above that were ready for mass production.
Since the appearance of the DP 1928 machine gun, the army's need for this type of weapon has been constantly growing. Despite constant increase production rates, there were not enough machine guns until 1942-1943. Even taking into account the fact that the total number of machine guns from 1929 to 1933 increased by more than 7.5 times, and among the 105 thousand machine guns produced from 1933 to 1941, a significant part were DP 1928, the shortage was very noticeable. Only on Western Front by the end of September there was a shortage of approximately 3,800 units. A sharp increase in production helped cope with the shortage. In 1944, more than 120 thousand Degtyarev infantry machine guns and about 40 thousand tank machine guns were manufactured. Since these data were not taken from Soviet sources, there is no way to double-check them or compare them with materials from Soviet authors. It is alleged that the annual production of light, mounted and heavy machine guns since 1942 has averaged 450 thousand units. It is emphasized that from July 1941 until the end of the war, the industry of the USSR supplied 78 times more machine guns to the front than tsarist Russia did during the First World War.
The DP machine gun and its modernized version DPM were in service with the GDR army. Later they were supplemented with Degtyarev RPD and then RPK machine guns. In addition to the USSR, DP machine guns were produced in Poland (DP, DPM) and in China under the designation Model 53.
The Dyagterev machine gun was supplied with a box or pouch for carrying additional magazines and a box or bag for accessories. Accessories included a screwdriver key for disassembling and assembling the machine gun, a device for clearing gas paths, a composite cleaning rod, a rod with a bristle brush, a cartridge case extractor and two drifts for pushing out the pin axes.
The iron magazine box had a lid that opened 180 degrees and a canvas handle for carrying. A canvas pouch with a flap that closed with a wooden button was also used for stores. Inside the pouch there were metal mounts for disks. Three magazines for a Degtyarev machine gun were placed in a box or pouch. Accessories for servicing the machine gun were placed in a metal box or canvas bag.
Characteristics: DP 1928 light machine gun
Caliber, mm........................................................ .....................................7.62
Initial bullet speed (Vq), m/s............................................ .840*
Weapon length, mm................................................... ...........................1266
Rate of fire, rds/min.................................................... ...............600
Ammunition supply........................................disk magazine
for (49) 47 rounds
Weight in charged state, kg...................................8.40
Weight of a full magazine, kg................................................... .........2.82
Weight of empty magazine, kg................................................... ..........1.64
Cartridge................................................. ...................................7.62x54 R
Barrel length, mm................................................... ...........................605**
Rifling/direction................................................... .....................4/p
Sighting firing range, m....................................1500
Effective firing range, m...................................800
* Cartridge with a light bullet.
** Free part - 532 mm.