DShKM
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 1070 mm
- Weight, empty
- 34.00 kg
- Introduced
- 1946
About
What it is, and why it matters
The DShKM (DShK Model 1938/46) is the modernized production standard of the Soviet 12.7x108mm DShK heavy machine gun, adopted in 1946. Its defining change over the 1938 original was replacing Georgi Shpagin's complex rotary 'squirrel-cage' drum belt feed with a simpler, cheaper, and more reliable shuttle/slider-type feed mechanism, alongside an improved barrel mounting and muzzle brake. Gas-operated with a long-stroke piston and firing from an open bolt in full-auto only, it feeds a 50-round non-disintegrating belt at roughly 600 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity near 850 m/s, delivering some 17.5 kilojoules of energy. Mounted on the Kolesnikov wheeled universal carriage - around 157 kg combat-ready with shield - it serves in ground, vehicle, and anti-aircraft roles. Over a million were built before Soviet production ended in 1980, and it remains in service and even production worldwide.
Crews routinely stripped off the armored shield and wheeled carriage to lighten the ~157 kg system into something man-portable. The same gun rides as the anti-aircraft gun atop generations of Soviet tank turrets, from the IS heavies through the T-62. The DShKM outlived its own successor's introduction and is still being newly manufactured by countries like Pakistan decades after Soviet production ended.
Modernization (DShK 1938/46) credited to K. I. Sokolov and A. K. Norov; the rotary feed of the 1938 gun was replaced with a simplified shuttle/slider unit. Combat weight ~157 kg on the Kolesnikov mount with shield; gun alone ~34 kg. Sighting range 3500 m (used as max_range_m); ballistic maximum bullet travel often quoted ~7000 m but not source-confirmed. Muzzle energy ~17500 J (some sources up to ~19200 J).
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Soviet State Arsenals
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Soviet Union
- Status
- In service
- Produced
- 1946 to 1980
- Variant of
- Modernized simplified belt feed
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.
Simplified shuttle slider belt feed- Reversible feed
Quick change barrel
Muzzle brake
Kolesnikov universal mount
Anti aircraft capable
Spade grips- Crew served
- Stamped sheet steel components
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 DShKM
How much does the DShKM weigh?
The DShKM weighs 34.00 kg (74.96 lb) empty and 157.00 kg (346.13 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the DShKM?
The DShKM is chambered in 12.7x108mm.
How many rounds does the DShKM hold?
The DShKM holds 50 rounds, fed from a belt.
How long is the DShKM?
The DShKM is 1625 mm (64.0 in) long overall, with a 1070 mm (42.1 in) barrel.
Who makes the DShKM?
The DShKM is made by Soviet State Arsenals (Soviet Union). It was designed by Vasily Degtyaryov.
When was the DShKM introduced?
The DShKM was introduced in 1946 and discontinued in 1980.
How does the DShKM operate?
The DShKM 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
- 1946
- Russian Armed Forces
- 1991
- People's Liberation Army (China)
- 1954
- People's Army of Vietnam
- Vietnam
- Pakistan Armed Forces
- Pakistan
- Islamic Republic of Iran Army
- Iran
- Czechoslovak People's Army
- Czechoslovakia
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/dshkm' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "dshkm", "name": "DShKM", "manufacturer": { "id": "soviet-state-arsenals", "name": "Soviet State Arsenals", "countryCode": "SU", "foundedYear": null, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "d4d7280aa70fc2a18d25d723e6786814accbfcf0d08e1d921430a7052edf8bed" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "SU", "year_introduced": 1946, "barrel_length_mm": 1070, "weight_empty_g": 34000, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}