The Degtyaryov machine gun or DP-28 is a light machine gun firing the 7.62x54mmR cartridge that was used by the Soviet Union after its deployment in 1928. Used in aircrafts and equipped on all Soviet tanks in WWII, it was later replaced in 1946 by the RP-46 which improved the design and converted it to belt fed.
Designed to simplify ammunition logistics, the DP-28 utilized the same ammunition as the Mosin-Nagant and was sturdy, simple, and cheap to manufacture. Gas-operated, it uses a flap locking system to ensure the bolt is locked while the round leaves the chamber. One of the DP-28’s defining characteristics was the pancake magazine it used which led to its nickname “the record player”. However these magazines were easily damaged while being transported and were time consuming to reload.
