DShK 1938
Calibre:12.7x108 mm.
Length:1,602 mm.
Barrel length:1,002 mm.
Weight:33,300 kg.
Initial projectile speed:843 m/s.
Rate of fire:550-600 rounds /mn.
Power supply:strip of 50 cartridges with metal links (per 5 strips).
Range:max 7000m
One feature differentiates Soviet machine guns from others, their weight. For a long time, these weapons were designed by privileging the robustness of the components, and their weight was the consequence of this choice. The best illustration of this bias is provided by the old Maxim M1910 on a wheeled carriage, which looked like a small piece of artillery.
Later, in the mid-thirties, the Soviets became aware of the importance of mobility, and when they thought of developing a new heavy machine gun, the accent was put on the mechanical qualities of the model and not only on its robustness. Originally, the Soviets wanted to make a machine gun similar to the Browning in caliber 12.7 mm, but eventually they designed a lighter model, powered by 12.7 mm cartridges and which was to perform various functions. This machine gun, the DShK 1938 (Degtyereva-Shpagina Krasnoi Pulemet 1938g) was as successful as the Browning, and it is still manufactured and used in the modified form of the DShK 1938/46.
If the DShK 1938 was lighter than the Browning, it was not the same for its mounting. Indeed, the Soviets had kept the wheeled carriage of the old M1910. For its use in anti-aircraft defense, however, they had designed a special tripod, which is still in service. This model became practically a fixed element of the heavy Soviet tanks JS-2, and the Czechs built a quadruple carriage for anti-aircraft fire. There was even a special version four armored trains