DP 7.62 mm Ruchnoy Pulemyot Light Machine Gun

Operation: Automatic fire, only Length: 50.8 in. (1290 mm) Weight unloaded: 20 lb 8 oz (9.12 kg) Barrel: 23.8 in. 4 grooves, right hand twist Magazine: 47 round detachable pan Cyclic Rate: 500-600 rpm Muzzle velocity: 2760 fps, 2900 ft-lb Ammunition: 148 gr bullet, 48 gr charge, Russian Light Ball M'08 Effective Range: Probably about 1000 meters The 7.62 mm Ruchnoy Pulemyot DP (Degtyaryova pakhotnyi) was adopted by the Soviet army in 1928. It is extremely simple, yet remarkably reliable and robust. It remained the standard light gun until the 50's, and the USSR supplied large numbers of them to the North Korean Communists in the Korean war. The secret of the DP was the simple locking device, which makes use of locking flaps on the belt, pushed out by the firing pin. The DP proved resistant to dust and dirt, and free from any serious vices. However, the DP did have some distinct faults. The return spring weakened with heat from the hot barrel, and the bipod legs bent and broke from rough handling. It was replaced by the DPM

---