One of the most unsuccessful examples of Soviet weapons

Of course, I would like to assume that all weapon, which was created and is being created in our country, is reliable, accurate and efficient. However, the realities are such that the produced weapons options did not always differ in excellent characteristics. This also applies to some types of small arms.

Experts believe that one of the most unsuccessful models of small arms, released at the time in the USSR, was Degtyarev's easel machine gun of the 1939 model. This is a DS-39 caliber of 7,62 mm.

The fact that there were problems with the machine gun can be judged by the years of its production. The started production of the DS-39 in 1939 was stopped already in 1941, and despite the fact that the Great Patriotic War began. The feedback from the military about the machine gun after its use on the fronts of the Soviet-Finnish war played a role here.

The design of the DS-39 was complex enough to be easily used in relatively difficult conditions. The machine gun malfunctioned at low temperatures, was “afraid” of dirt and dust. Moreover, the basic elements of the DS-39 quickly wore out, which required almost constant repair of these small arms.

About Soviet machine guns, including the DS-39, is described in the video of the Kalashnikov concern:

Comments

[svp67]

DS is just out of luck. As the history of the recreation center showed, Degtyarev himself simply could not think up and perfect the tape drive mechanism that Shpagin helped him to do, after which the machine gun received the sonorous and formidable name DShK. Yes, based on the work on perfection of the recreation center, Degtyarev was able to bring the DS to an acceptable state, but at that moment Goryunov appeared with his SG ...

[bistrov.]

Quote: svp67

Degtyarev was able to bring the DS to an acceptable state, but at that moment Goryunov appeared with his SG ...

"SG" appeared only in 1944, and "DS" was discontinued in 1941, returned to "Maxim", there was no time to "finish" ...

[svp67]

Quote: bistrov.

"SG" appeared only in 1944, and "DS" was discontinued in 1941, returned to "Maxim", there was no time to "finish" ...

Sorry, but you are wrong. In 1942, two competitions were held for a new machine gun for the Red Army, at the last, in November 42, the DS-42 was presented, which was a modified version of the DS-39. A lot has already been written about this.

Read at least this ...
https://www.kalashnikov.ru/pulemyotnaya-drama-krasnoj-armii-3/

[Civil]

Grandfather began in 1941 as a private cavalryman near Moscow, and graduated in Prague as a major (!) Of a machine-gun company. When we were discussing the easel machine guns with the pictures, he immediately cut off - "the whole war on the Maxims." Well, who cares, he really liked the PPP, before him they tried to get an MP40, or as he called "Schmeiser", but they were forced to hand over the trophy.

[Dr. Frankenstucker]

major (!) machine gun company.

'Major of the machine-gun company' is strong. It inspires confidence in everything else, nd .... For some reason, the preamble "grandfather told .." is considered an awesome and indisputable argument.
Sadness.

[Catfish]

Sergey, welcome.
At the time when I served in the army, we had HCMP on our tanks. So the breakage of the sleeve was a regular phenomenon, regardless of the year of manufacture of the machine gun and the time of its operation. And the most valuable "device" we had was the sleeve extractor, I almost put it under the pillow during sleep so that it would not be stolen. But the machine gun was very convenient in service.

[svp67]

Konstantin

Quote: Sea Cat

we were on the tanks SGMT. So the breakage of the cartridge case was a regular phenomenon, regardless of the year of manufacture of the machine gun and the time of its operation.

So it is ... the SG was the same, but less than the DS. And even PCT was not completely devoid of this drawback, although of course much less. But always on firing in my pocket lay the sleeve.

[Catfish]

Unfortunately, I did not deal with PCT, in our department there was a PC with a gift plate from the manufacturing plant. But there is both the barrel and the bolt, you yourself understand in what condition, even though the cartridges were, but it did not work to shoot. There was no set of interchangeable barrels or shutter.

[svp67]

Quote: Sea Cat

Unfortunately, I did not deal with PCT

An interesting machine gun, which, like its own "brother" - the PC, I put even higher than the AK. It is very reliable, and PKT even allows, in case of urgent need, to fire from the hand, of course, getting anywhere is quite problematic, you need to constantly adjust the fire, but in an emergency it is still better than nothing

[Catfish]

Clear. You won’t shoot from Goryunov with your hand, although if you snip it ...

[stalkerwalker]

In his famous book Baurjan Momysh-uly "The Psychology of War", the hero of the battle near Moscow mentions an episode when both DS-39s refused to fire cartridges with steel casings. As a result, the battalion was forced to operate only with personal small arms in the hottest moments near Volokolamsk.

[Engineer]

The fact that there were problems with the machine gun can be judged by the years of its production.

Years of production do not say anything. The PTB-23 cannon, for example, or the same SPM - the reasons for the withdrawal from production were not a problem.

[2112vda]

The reason for the failure of the DS-39 is described in the literature, it is a cloth tape from the "Maxim" machine gun. Later they realized that the time of such tapes had passed, after they switched to metal tapes, the problems with the tape drive decreased. The RPD light machine gun is not much different in design from the DS-39, and the DShK has a similar design scheme. If a machine gun was immediately made under the metal tape DS-39 would work quite successfully.

[svp67]

Quote: 2112vda

If a machine gun under a metal tape DS-39 had been made immediately, it worked quite successfully.

No, Degtyarev was unable to solve the problem with our cartridges, which were often "unpatroned" when removed from any tape, although of course the metal tape gave fewer failures

[Catfish]

All the reasons for the failures associated with the cartridge and tape are described in detail in the video.

[Grossvater]

I will not say that I am very versed in the gunner, but, in my peasant-and-peasant opinion, overpriced requirements for rate of fire destroyed the good machine.
There, if I don’t confuse, there were two modes: 600 and 1200. The wound cartridge requires a vaguely forward movement.
High rate of fire dictates high cartridge speeds when removed from the tape. Here it was.
If there are specialists on this machine gun, let them say that the speed of movement of the cartridge changed with a change in rate of fire. But, even if it was changing, then most likely it was overpriced even at a low pace.
RP also worked pretty well. Locking there is similar.