Degtyaryov DP-27
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 604 mm
- Weight, empty
- 9.12 kg
- Introduced
- 1928
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Degtyaryov DP-27 (also known as the DP-28) is a gas-operated, air-cooled light machine gun designed by Vasily Degtyaryov and adopted by the Soviet Union in 1928. Chambered in 7.62x54mmR, it feeds from a distinctive flat 47-round 'pan' magazine mounted on top of the receiver and fires from an open bolt at a cyclic rate of around 550 rounds per minute. Robust, simple to manufacture, and tolerant of harsh conditions, it became the standard squad light machine gun of the Red Army through the Second World War.
Designed by Vasily Degtyaryov, the DP-27 earned the nickname 'record player' from soldiers for the flat, rotating pan magazine that sat atop the gun like a phonograph disc.
The flat pan magazine reduced jamming with the rimmed 7.62x54mmR cartridge but was prone to damage and slow to reload. Early models suffered from the recoil spring overheating under the barrel; the modernized DPM (1944) relocated the spring to the rear and added a pistol grip.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Kovrov Mechanical Plant
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Russia
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1928 to 1953
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 604 mm
- Overall length
- 1270 mm
- Weight, empty
- 9.12 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 11.50 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Capacity
- 47
- Magazine
- Drum
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- 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
- 550 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.
Pan magazine
Bipod
Quick change barrel
Finned barrel
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 | 9.12 kg | 10.50 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 260 machine guns | 1270 mm | 1156 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 257 machine guns | 604 mm | 605 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 222 machine guns | 47 | 50 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Degtyaryov DP-27
How much does the Degtyaryov DP-27 weigh?
The Degtyaryov DP-27 weighs 9.12 kg (20.11 lb) empty and 11.50 kg (25.35 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Degtyaryov DP-27?
The Degtyaryov DP-27 is chambered in 7.62x54mmR.
How many rounds does the Degtyaryov DP-27 hold?
The Degtyaryov DP-27 holds 47 rounds, fed from a drum magazine.
How long is the Degtyaryov DP-27?
The Degtyaryov DP-27 is 1270 mm (50.0 in) long overall, with a 604 mm (23.8 in) barrel.
Who makes the Degtyaryov DP-27?
The Degtyaryov DP-27 is made by Kovrov Mechanical Plant (Russia). It was designed by Vasily Degtyaryov.
When was the Degtyaryov DP-27 introduced?
The Degtyaryov DP-27 was introduced in 1928 and discontinued in 1953.
How does the Degtyaryov DP-27 operate?
The Degtyaryov DP-27 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
- 1928
- People's Liberation Army
- China
- Korean People's Army
- North Korea
- Finnish Defence Forces
- Finland
Provenance
Confidence in this record
90%
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/dp-27' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "dp-27", "name": "Degtyaryov DP-27", "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": 1928, "barrel_length_mm": 604, "weight_empty_g": 9120, "action_type": "gas_operated"}