Infantry Weapons

DShK

Also known as
  • Degtyaryov-Shpagin heavy machine gun
  • Degtyarev-Shpagin heavy machine gun
  • DShK-38
  • DShK 38/46
  • DShKM
  • Dushka
  • Type 54 heavy machine gun

The DShK is a Soviet 12.7 mm heavy machine gun designed by Vasily Degtyaryov and refined with Georgy Shpagin's belt-feed system. Built for anti-aircraft, anti-vehicle, and infantry support roles, the DShK/DShKM family spans Vietnam War helicopter defense, Soviet-Afghan War ambushes, modern technicals, and Ukrainian mobile counter-UAV teams using vintage heavy machine guns against slow Russian drones.

DShK, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons
Image source: A soldier with the Ukrainian Land Forces fires a Degtyaryov-Shpagin Large-Caliber heavy machine gun

Role in Conflicts

2009 Boko Haram Insurgency
Role in conflict
Truck-mounted heavy machine-gun fire support

Used by ISWAP and Boko Haram-aligned insurgent forces on gun trucks in northeast Nigeria, with Nigerian troops recovering DShK heavy machine guns and DShK-pattern variants from insurgents in Borno operations.

2012 Mali War
Side
Malian government and international forcesRebel and jihadist armed groups
Role in conflict
Vehicle-mounted heavy machine-gun fire support

In the 2012 Mali War, Long War Journal reported Ansar Dine and allied jihadists capturing DShK machine guns in attacks on Malian positions, showing the weapon in active use by armed groups.

2023 Sudan War
Role in conflict
Vehicle-mounted heavy machine-gun fire support

In the 2023 Sudan War, Human Rights Watch documented RSF and allied militia attacks in West Darfur and noted civilians describing DShK gunfire, indicating the weapon's use in the fighting.

1955 Vietnam War
Side
North Vietnam and Viet Cong
Role in conflict
Anti-aircraft heavy machine-gun fire against helicopters

During the 1955 Vietnam War, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units used Soviet DShKM guns and Chinese Type 54 copies as 12.7 mm anti-aircraft weapons against U.S. helicopters and landing zones.

1979 Soviet-Afghan War
Role in conflict
Ambush and anti-aircraft heavy machine-gun fire

In the 1979 Soviet-Afghan War, mujahideen forces fielded DShK heavy machine guns in ambush positions and raids, while Chinese Type 54 and DShKM-family guns also appeared in rebel anti-aircraft use against Soviet aircraft.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Type
12.7 mm heavy machine gun
Service note
Introduced in 1938; modernized DShKM pattern entered service after World War II and remains in use
Designer
Vasily Degtyaryov; Georgy Shpagin
Designed
1930s; DShK-38 accepted before World War II
Produced
1938 onward, with postwar DShKM modernization and foreign licensed or derivative production

Specifications

Caliber
12.7x108 mm
Operation
Gas-operated automatic heavy machine gun
Rate of fire
Approximately 600 rounds per minute
Effective range
About 1,100 yards cited by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force; Ukrainian support-gun use is reported around 500-1,000 m depending on optics and crew
Feed
Belt-fed; DShKM/38-46 pattern uses 50-round metallic-link belts
Mounting
Tripod, wheeled, vehicle, and improvised infantry or anti-drone mounts
Feed, Mounts, and Ammunition

The DShK family matters because the same 12.7x108 mm gun moved between ground, vehicle, and anti-aircraft roles. Later DShKM-pattern guns simplified feeding, used metallic-link belts, and remained adaptable enough for truck mounts, wheeled anti-aircraft positions, and modern Ukrainian infantry-support conversions.

FeatureDocumented detailWhy it matters
Feed systemDShK-38 used Shpagin's belt-feed redesign; the 38/46 or DShKM pattern used a shuttle-type feeder.Feed changes separate the wartime DShK-38 from the postwar DShKM family.
AmmunitionThe family fires 12.7x108 mm ammunition from metallic-link belts.The cartridge gives the gun anti-aircraft, anti-vehicle, and long-range suppression roles.
MountingSources document tripod, wheeled, vehicle, pickup, and improvised infantry-support use.Mount flexibility explains its persistence on technicals, defensive positions, and mobile counter-UAV teams.
Variants

DShK-family records usually group the wartime DShK-38, the postwar DShK 38/46 or DShKM modernization, and foreign copies such as China's Type 54.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
DShKM heavy machine gun, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry WeaponsDShK 38/46 / DShKMPostwar modernization

The Model 38/46, also known as DShKM, replaced the earlier rotary feeder with a shuttle-type feed and made other non-interchangeable changes.

Sources: Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun, DShK-1938/46 Heavy Machine Gun

Type 54Chinese Model 38/46 copy

Defense Intelligence Agency material cited by American Rifleman identifies the Chinese Type 54 as a PRC-produced Model 38/46 heavy machine gun.

Sources: Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

Armed APCs
Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
BTR-50, Tracked amphibious armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesBTR-50Tracked amphibious APC

Tank Encyclopedia says the Object 750 prototype failed firing tests with a 12.7 mm DShK heavy machine gun mounted around the commander's hatch.

Sources: BTR-50

Ammunition Fired

The DShK is documented as a 12.7x108 mm heavy machine gun.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
12.7x108mm cartridge, 12.7 mm heavy machine-gun cartridge, Munitions12.7x108mm cartridgeCartridge family

The DShK source identifies the weapon as 12.7x108 mm, and Yugoimport's 12.7x108 ammunition line names DShK-compatible systems.

Sources: DShK-1938/46 Heavy Machine Gun, Yugoimport DShK ammunition PDF

Carrier Platforms

WeaponSystems says some BTR-152 vehicles were fitted with a 12.7 mm DShKM heavy machine gun.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
BTR-152M armored personnel carrier, 6x6 wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesBTR-152M armored personnel carrierArmored personnel carrier

WeaponSystems says some BTR-152 vehicles were fitted with a 12.7 mm DShKM heavy machine gun as main armament.

Sources: DShK - Weaponsystems.net, BTR-152

Timeline

DShK Key Events

  1. DShK-38 accepted

    The Shpagin belt-feed redesign gave the Degtyaryov heavy machine gun the DShK-38 designation and moved it into Soviet service before World War II.

    Sources: Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

  2. DShKM modernization appears

    The DShK 38/46 or DShKM modernization became the postwar pattern and is the form represented by many later Soviet and foreign-service guns.

    Sources: DShK-1938/46 Heavy Machine Gun, Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

  3. Vietnam anti-aircraft use expands

    Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units began receiving DShKM and Chinese Type 54 guns, adding heavier 12.7 mm fire to anti-aircraft sections during the Vietnam War.

    Sources: Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine Gun

  4. Mujahideen ambush positions use DShKs

    The Foreign Military Studies Office tactical study records mujahideen DShK heavy machine guns positioned on high ground in an Afghanistan convoy ambush.

    Sources: The Other Side of the Mountain

  5. Ukrainian infantry-support conversions

    After Russia's initial 2014 invasion and Donbas trench fighting, Ukrainian forces converted inherited DShK guns into lower-profile infantry support weapons.

    Sources: Ukrainian DShK as Infantry Support Weapon

  6. Pickup-mounted DShK in Hamas attack imagery

    CNN analysis identified a Soviet-designed DShK mounted on a pickup among Hamas weapons imagery from the October 7 attack on Israel.

    Sources: CNN on Hamas's improvised arsenal

Media

DShK Videos

DShK Images

DShK, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: Soviet DSHK Model 1938 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun
DShK, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: Car with machine gun.JPG
Related Weapon Systems
DShKM heavy machine gun, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsDShKM heavy machine gun12.7 mm heavy machine gunThe DShKM is the Soviet postwar Model 38/46 modernization of the DShK 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, retaining the DShK family's anti-aircraft, infantry-support, and vehicle-mount roles while replacing the earlier feed system. Sources document the DShK-1938/46 in Vietnam War anti-aircraft use, DShK-M capture and employment in the Soviet-Afghan War, DShK-M use by Ukrainian defenders, and DShK/DShKM variants in Islamic State's Iraq-and-Syria arsenal.
W85 heavy machine gun, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsW85 heavy machine gun12.7 mm heavy machine gunThe W85 is a Chinese 12.7x108 mm heavy machine gun associated with Norinco export channels and the QJC-88 vehicle-mounted variant. It is lighter than many older DShK-pattern heavy machine guns and can be used from tripod, pintle, vehicle, or improvised pickup mounts. Conflict reporting documents W85-family guns with ISWAP-linked forces in Nigeria, Ukrainian mobile anti-drone teams, YPG/SDF improvised armor in Syria, Iraqi PMU militias, and Wagner-linked imagery from Mali, while sources caution that export paths and quantities are often unclear.
RPK/RPK-74, Squad automatic weapon / light machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsRPK/RPK-74Squad automatic weapon / light machine gunThe RPK and RPK-74 are Kalashnikov-pattern squad automatic weapons that extend the AK family with a longer, heavier barrel, bipod, and higher-capacity magazines for infantry fire support. The 7.62 x 39 mm RPK paralleled the AKM, while the 5.45 x 39 mm RPK-74 followed the AK-74; Conflict Armament Research later documented both RPK and RPK-74 examples in Ukraine, and Amnesty International listed both types among Islamic State machine guns in Iraq and Syria.
PKM/PK, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsPKM/PK7.62 mm general-purpose machine gunThe PK and lighter PKM are Soviet-designed, belt-fed 7.62x54R general-purpose machine guns used from bipods, tripods, vehicles, remote weapon stations, and improvised mounts. Their low weight for the class, non-disintegrating belt feed, quick-change barrel concept, and wide licensed-production base make the family a recurring infantry fire-support weapon in recent conflicts, with documented rows here covering Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Mali, Lake Chad, Gaza, Afghanistan, and Turkey's conflict with the PKK.

Sources

DShK-1938/46 Heavy Machine GunPublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports DShK/DShKM background, anti-aircraft role, gas operation, effective range, cyclic rate, and postwar DShK 1938/46 context. | Accessed: 2026-06-30DShKPublisher: Imperial War Museums | Note: Collection record identifying a DShK heavy machine gun and listing Tula Ordnance Factory, Tula, USSR as creator for a 1945 example. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine GunPublisher: American Rifleman | Note: Supports design history, Degtyaryov and Shpagin roles, belt-feed development, DShK-38 and 38/46 context, Type 54 variant context, 12.7x108 mm technical background, and direct 1955 Vietnam War and 1979 Soviet-Afghan War use by Viet Cong, North Vietnamese, and Afghan resistance forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-30BTR-50Publisher: Tank Encyclopedia | Note: Supports the Object 750 prototype firing-test context for a 12.7 mm DShK mounted around the commander's hatch. | Accessed: 2026-06-27BTR-40 | Weaponsystems.netPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports BTR-40 family armament background, including the occasional fit of a 12.7 mm DShKM heavy machine gun. | Accessed: 2026-06-27BTR-152Publisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports the BTR-152 family background and the documented DShKM mounting relationship. | Accessed: 2026-06-27DShK - Weaponsystems.netPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports the DShK/DShKM family background and the BTR-152 mounting relationship. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Ukrainian DShK as Infantry Support WeaponPublisher: Forgotten Weapons | Note: Supports Ukrainian adaptation of inherited DShK heavy machine guns into infantry support weapons during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ukrainians with cellphones and machine guns are forcing Russia to change how it launches its drone attacksPublisher: Business Insider | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War conflict use: Ukrainian mobile air-defense teams using Soviet-designed DShK heavy machine guns paired with searchlights against Russian Shahed drone attacks. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Yugoimport DShK ammunition PDFPublisher: Yugoimport SDPR | Note: Supports the 12.7x108 mm DShK ammunition line and DShK-compatible systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Ukrainian forces rig machine gun networks to down Russian dronesPublisher: Defense News | Note: Directly supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War conflict use: Ukrainian heavy-machine-gun mobile air-defense teams linked to sensor networks and Russian drone attacks. | Accessed: 2026-06-20CNN on Hamas's improvised arsenalPublisher: KTVZ / CNN Newsource | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use: Hamas used a DShK heavy machine gun mounted on a pickup truck during the October 7 attack on Israel. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Ansar Allah (Houthi) Attack on Taiz Women's Prison Kills and Wounds CiviliansPublisher: Mwatana for Human Rights | Note: Directly supports 2014 Yemen Civil War use context by documenting 12.7 mm DShK machine guns used by warring parties in Taiz. | Accessed: 2026-06-20The maritime interdiction of over a thousand assault rifles en route to YemenPublisher: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime | Note: Directly supports 2014 Yemen Civil War supply context by listing DShK-pattern heavy machine guns in maritime interdictions assessed as supplied to Houthi insurgents in Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-06-20ISWAP's Transport Inventory, Engineering Capacities Feeding Its Campaign Of TerrorPublisher: HumAngle | Note: Directly supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency use: ISWAP used Toyota Hilux and Land Cruiser gun trucks mounted with DShK heavy machine guns in the Lake Chad Basin campaign. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Nigerian Military Captures Weapons As ISWAP Attacks Intensify In Southern BornoPublisher: HumAngle | Note: Directly supports 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency use: ISWAP fielded and captured DShK HMG variants in Borno, including DShK heavy machine guns recovered from insurgents. | Accessed: 2026-06-21The Libyan CrossroadPublisher: Novact | Note: In the 2014 Second Libyan Civil War, Novact captions a fighter firing at ISIS positions in Sirte with a homemade rifle outfitted with a DShK machine gun barrel. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Ansar Dine shows spoils taken in central MaliPublisher: Long War Journal | Note: In the 2012 Mali War, Long War Journal reported Ansar Dine showing a captured DShK machine gun after fighting in central Mali. | Accessed: 2026-06-22I Didn't Think I Would Survive ThisPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: In the 2023 Sudan War, Human Rights Watch documented civilians describing DShK gunfire during RSF attacks in West Darfur. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Iraq: Turning a Blind EyePublisher: Amnesty International | Note: In the 2014 War Against the Islamic State, 2013 War in Iraq, and 2011 Syrian Civil War, Amnesty International reported DShK and DShKM heavy machine guns used by all parties across Iraq and Syria, including IS. | Accessed: 2026-06-30The Other Side of the MountainPublisher: U.S. Foreign Military Studies Office | Note: Directly supports 1979 Soviet-Afghan War use: mujahideen veterans described DShK heavy machine guns fielded in ambush positions and captured in raids. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Coalition, Afghan forces kill 14 Taliban in UruzganPublisher: Long War Journal | Note: In the 2001 War in Afghanistan, Long War Journal reported Taliban fighters employing a DShK machine gun to pin down an Afghan and Coalition patrol in Uruzgan province. | Accessed: 2026-06-22A soldier with the Ukrainian Land Forces fires a Degtyaryov-Shpagin Large-Caliber heavy machine gunPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing record for the primary image, sourced from DVIDS/U.S. Army and marked CC0 on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Soviet DSHK Model 1938 12.7mm Heavy Machine GunPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing record for gallery image of a DShK Model 1938, marked CC0 on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Car with machine gun.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing record for the pickup-mounted DShK vehicle image, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-06-20