Degtyaryov DT
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 605 mm
- Weight, empty
- 7.50 kg
- Introduced
- 1929
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Degtyaryov DT (Degtyaryova Tankovy) is a Soviet gas-operated, magazine-fed machine gun developed as the armored-vehicle variant of the DP-27 light machine gun. Designed by Vasily Degtyaryov and adapted for tank use by Georgy Shpagin, it fed from a compact 63-round two-tier pan magazine and was fitted with a telescoping metal stock, pistol grip, and a removable bipod so it could be dismounted and used by crews outside the vehicle. The DT and its modernized DTM successor served as the standard coaxial and hull machine gun on Soviet tanks and armored cars throughout World War II.
Adapted from the infantry DP by Georgy Shpagin, the DT became the universal armament of Soviet armor, mounted coaxially and in the hull of tanks from the T-26 and BT series through the T-34 and IS heavy tanks.
Mounted in a ball joint on Soviet tanks; the deeper 63-round pan magazine distinguished it from the 47-round magazine of the infantry DP. The improved DTM appeared in 1944.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kovrov Mechanical Plant
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Russia
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1929 to 1959
- Variant of
- Vehicle mounted
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 605 mm
- Overall length
- 1138 mm
- Weight, empty
- 7.50 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 9.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 63
- Magazine
- Drum
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 840 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3387 J
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 2500 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Vehicle ball mount
Telescoping metal stock
Pistol grip
Removable bipod
Flash hider
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 261 machine guns | 7.50 kg | 10.50 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 260 machine guns | 1138 mm | 1156 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 257 machine guns | 605 mm | 605 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 222 machine guns | 63 | 50 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Degtyaryov DT
How much does the Degtyaryov DT weigh?
The Degtyaryov DT weighs 7.50 kg (16.53 lb) empty and 9.00 kg (19.84 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Degtyaryov DT?
The Degtyaryov DT is chambered in 7.62x54mmR.
How many rounds does the Degtyaryov DT hold?
The Degtyaryov DT holds 63 rounds, fed from a drum magazine.
How long is the Degtyaryov DT?
The Degtyaryov DT is 1138 mm (44.8 in) long overall, with a 605 mm (23.8 in) barrel.
Who makes the Degtyaryov DT?
The Degtyaryov DT is made by Kovrov Mechanical Plant (Russia). It was designed by Vasily Degtyaryov.
When was the Degtyaryov DT introduced?
The Degtyaryov DT was introduced in 1929 and discontinued in 1959.
How does the Degtyaryov DT operate?
The Degtyaryov DT uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Soviet Armed Forces
- 1929
- Finnish Defence Forces
- 1941
- People's Liberation Army
- China
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/degtyaryov-dt' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "degtyaryov-dt", "name": "Degtyaryov DT", "manufacturer": { "id": "degtyaryov", "name": "Kovrov Mechanical Plant", "countryCode": "RU", "foundedYear": 1916, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "3837acef400a7f58e786d40b76cb632fd7c99f905b1fd48709a3a2a1b24ec7f1" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "RU", "year_introduced": 1929, "barrel_length_mm": 605, "weight_empty_g": 7500, "action_type": "gas_operated"}