DShK Model 1938
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 1070 mm
- Weight, empty
- 34.00 kg
- Introduced
- 1938
About
What it is, and why it matters
The DShK Model 1938 (Degtyaryova-Shpagina Krupnokaliberny) is the original Soviet 12.7x108mm heavy machine gun, designed by Vasily Degtyaryov around the gas operation and locking of his earlier DK gun, with Georgi Shpagin contributing the distinctive rotary 'squirrel-cage' drum belt-feed mechanism that gave the weapon its 'Sh' and made it practical for mass use. Adopted in 1938 and entering production from 1939, it is a gas-operated, long-stroke piston machine gun firing from an open bolt in full-automatic only. It feeds a 50-round non-disintegrating belt at roughly 600 rounds per minute, driving a heavy 12.7mm bullet at about 850 m/s for some 17.5 kilojoules of energy. Fitted with a finned quick-change barrel and muzzle brake and mounted on the Kolesnikov wheeled universal carriage - about 157 kg combat-ready with armored shield - it served in ground support, anti-aircraft, and vehicle roles throughout the Second World War. The Soviet 'fifty' was the rough counterpart to the American Browning M2 and was succeeded in production by the simplified DShKM in 1946.
The DShK earned the affectionate Russian nickname 'Dushka' ('dear little one' or 'sweetie'), a play on its initials. Crews routinely stripped the armored shield and wheeled carriage to lighten the ~157 kg system into something man-portable, and the same gun rode as the anti-aircraft mount atop generations of Soviet tanks from the IS heavies onward.
The defining feature of the 1938 base gun is Shpagin's complex rotary 'squirrel-cage' drum belt-feed, later replaced on the 1946 DShKM by a simpler shuttle/slider feed. Gun alone ~34 kg; combat weight ~157 kg on the Kolesnikov mount with shield. Muzzle velocity ~850 m/s (sources 850-860); muzzle energy ~17500 J. Max_range_m given as the ~3500 m sighting/effective area limit rather than ballistic maximum bullet travel.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- V.A. Degtyarev Plant
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Status
- In service
- Produced
- 1938 to 1946
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 1070 mm
- Overall length
- 1625 mm
- Weight, empty
- 34.00 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 157.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Full auto only
- Capacity
- 50
- Magazine
- Belt
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 850 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 17500 J
- Effective range
- 2000 m
- Maximum range
- 3500 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.
Shpagin rotary drum belt feed- Squirrel cage feed mechanism
Quick change barrel
Muzzle brake
Finned barrel
Kolesnikov universal mount
Anti aircraft capable
Spade grips- Crew served
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 | 34.00 kg | 10.50 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 260 machine guns | 1625 mm | 1156 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 257 machine guns | 1070 mm | 605 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 222 machine guns | 50 | 50 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the DShK Model 1938
How much does the DShK Model 1938 weigh?
The DShK Model 1938 weighs 34.00 kg (74.96 lb) empty and 157.00 kg (346.13 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the DShK Model 1938?
The DShK Model 1938 is chambered in 12.7x108mm.
How many rounds does the DShK Model 1938 hold?
The DShK Model 1938 holds 50 rounds, fed from a belt.
How long is the DShK Model 1938?
The DShK Model 1938 is 1625 mm (64.0 in) long overall, with a 1070 mm (42.1 in) barrel.
Who makes the DShK Model 1938?
The DShK Model 1938 is made by V.A. Degtyarev Plant (Russia). It was designed by Vasily Degtyaryov, Georgi Shpagin.
When was the DShK Model 1938 introduced?
The DShK Model 1938 was introduced in 1938 and discontinued in 1946.
How does the DShK Model 1938 operate?
The DShK Model 1938 uses a gas operated long stroke 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 Army
- 1939
- People's Liberation Army (China)
- 1954
- Korean People's Army
- North Korea
- People's Army of Vietnam
- Vietnam
- Egyptian Armed Forces
- Egypt
- Finnish Defence Forces
- Finland
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.
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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/dshk' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "dshk", "name": "DShK Model 1938", "manufacturer": { "id": "degtyarev-plant", "name": "V.A. Degtyarev Plant", "countryCode": "RU", "foundedYear": 1916, "website": "https://zid.ru/eng/", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:34", "version": "ac807406e17be3398daab052ade6f6273a433d08248675a03f17b05d82bcd7c4" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "SU", "year_introduced": 1938, "barrel_length_mm": 1070, "weight_empty_g": 34000, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}