Infantry Weapons

DShKM heavy machine gun

Also known as

DShK 38/46
DShK 1938/46

The DShKM is the Soviet postwar 12.7 mm modernization of the DShK heavy machine gun, also known as the DShK 38/46. This relationship-only entry tracks the belt-fed 12.7x108 mm gun, its anti-aircraft and vehicle-mount role, and the BTR-40 family fit documented by Weaponsystems.net.

DShKM heavy machine gun, 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

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: Soviet Union
Built by: Tula Ordnance FactorySoviet state arsenals
Type: 12.7 mm heavy machine gun
Service note: Post-World War II 12.7 mm heavy machine gun modernization
Designed: 1940s
Produced: 1946 onward
Developed from: DShK heavy machine gun

heavy machine gun crew-served anti-aircraft

Specifications

Caliber: 12.7x108 mm
Operation: Gas-operated, automatic-only heavy machine gun
Feed: Belt-fed
Rate of fire: About 600 rounds per minute
Effective range: About 1,100 yards
Mounting: Tripod, vehicle, and anti-aircraft mounts

Carrier Platforms

Weaponsystems.net says the BTR-40 family could occasionally be fitted with a 12.7 mm DShKM heavy machine gun.

Carrier

Carrier type

Carriage evidence

BTR-40M armored personnel carrier, Wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles

BTR-40M armored personnel carrier

Wheeled armored personnel carrier

Weaponsystems.net notes that the BTR-40 family could occasionally be fitted with a 12.7 mm DShKM heavy machine gun.

Sources: BTR-40 | Weaponsystems.net

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: 1946-present

Media

DShKM heavy machine gun Images

DShKM heavy machine gun, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 1 — Source: Soviet DSHK Model 1938 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun

DShKM heavy machine gun, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 2 — Source: Car with machine gun.JPG

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Sources

DShK-1938/46 Heavy Machine GunPublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports DShKM and DShK 38/46 background, 12.7x108 mm specification context, gas operation, belt feed, rate of fire, effective range, and postwar production context. | Accessed: 2026-06-28 Red Fifty: The Soviet 12.7 mm DShK Heavy Machine GunPublisher: American Rifleman | Note: Supports DShK 38/46 and DShKM family background, including the postwar modernization lineage from the DShK-38. | Accessed: 2026-06-28 DShKPublisher: Imperial War Museums | Note: Supports Soviet production context through a collection record identifying a DShK heavy machine gun and listing Tula Ordnance Factory, Tula, USSR as creator for a 1945 example. | Accessed: 2026-06-28 BTR-40 | Weaponsystems.netPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports the BTR-40 family carry relationship because the family could occasionally be fitted with a 12.7 mm DShKM heavy machine gun. | Accessed: 2026-06-28 A soldier with the Ukrainian Land Forces fires a Degtyaryov-Shpagin Large-Caliber heavy machine gunPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a representative DShK-family image on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-06-28 Soviet DSHK Model 1938 12.7mm Heavy Machine GunPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a representative DShK-family image on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-06-28 Car with machine gun.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a representative DShK-family image on Commons. | Accessed: 2026-06-28