Yesterday we looked at the history and the mechanics of the Soviet heavy machine guns from World War Two, the DShK-38. Today, we are taking it out to the range!
Bolt Action Rifles
Finnish Mosin Nagant Overview (M91/24, M27, M28, M28/30, M39)
Finland found itself with nearly 200,000 Mosin Nagant rifles in its possession after breaking away from Russian rule in 1917, and those rifles would for the basis of Finnish infantry arms until the adopted of […]
Anti-Tank Rifles
Soviet AT Rifle Performance
Sorry for the lack of post yesterday, guys. My day job has gotten a bit hectic in the last week, and it’s really cutting into the time I have available to work on the site. […]
Commentary
Everything Wrong with the Sniper Rifles in “Enemy at the Gates”
One of the very few blockbuster American movies about the Eastern Front in World War Two is Enemy at the Gates, a film about the Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev. The movie is based around a […]
Beautiful gun art , the simplicity and practicality of design is such a pleasure to see. The rotary design reminiscent of the Johnson. It had to be a thrill to put your hands on. I can feel the energy of almost a hundred years of people using it.
I encountered the more modern DshKa as well as the Chinese Type 85. THey came with the shields, but had a very tall tripod that tended to act as a fulcrum if the feet weren’t buried in sand bags. If you fired a burst, the first might be on target, but by number eight or so you’d be blasting a hole in the sky.
“(…)getting brass hitting me in the foot,
because the brass comes out right here.(…)”
Manual of this https://nastavleniya.ru/DCHK/dchk14.html weapon says
Основное положение для стрельбы по наземным целям из пулемета — лежа (рис. 113), При стрельбе из окопов применяются также положения стоя, сидя и с колена. При стрельбе по воздушным целям основные положения — стоя и с колена.
that is
Main position for firing at ground targeta from machine gun – prone (drawing 113), Whilst firing from trenches are used also standing, sitting and kneeling. During firing at aerial targets main positions – standing and kneeling
“(…)getting a nice big muzzle flash(…)”
This reminded me about one photo https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RIAN_archive_594303_The_anti-aircraft_gun_crew_of_Sergeant_Fyodor_Konoplyov_shooting_at_enemy_planes.jpg?uselang=ru
So might the hardened steel shield, it was issued with, have been more to protect Ivan from deafness, concussion, and Big Bang Frenzy: rather than enemy snipers?
btw. Ian’s name was mentioned in a question, at a ‘Live What is this weapon’ talk I was at today, in the Royal Armouries, Leeds. It will be on YouTube, though the question may not be. https://www.youtube.com/user/RoyalArmouries
“So might the hardened steel shield, it was issued with, have been more to protect Ivan from deafness, concussion…”
Please. The Soviets did not care one whit about injuries to their own soldiers.
True. And they still don’t.
As per the late Marty Feldman:
“Every home should have one!”
The ammo has to be almost as rare as the weapon is, here in the US. I used to know a cartridge collector who had a list of standing “I’ll buy whatever you can get me…” cartridges, along with his prices he’d pay for them. I remember looking at that and seeing him listing 12.7X108 for something like fifty-sixty bucks a pop. It was one of the highest prices for currently-issued ammo that he had.
I could be wrong,but I recall hearing that a US domestic manufacturer started making 12.7 and 14.5 some years back for military aid to US allies using old WarPac gear. Maybe the consigner/Morphys/Ian got their hands on some of that.
I have to admit, a lot has changed since the days when I saw that collector’s “I’ll buy this…” list.
I remember when 5.45X39 was worth thousands of dollars a round, and they were offering some pretty significant rewards for it, if the Afghan mujahedeen would get them some…
Is each round of 12.7x108mm regulated as NFA item, because bore exceeds 0.5 inches?
The nominal bore diameter is laid down as 12.66 mm (0.498″) in Soviet and Chinese military documents.
Nope, not in the slightest.
The only time ammunition qualifies as a DD in it’s own right is if it contains above a certain weight of explosive. Even stuff like 40MM chalk training rounds don’t qualify
I think the camera used for filming this has tinnitus.
My ears ring regularly, but this is the first time I’ve heard a video ringing all on its own.
Agreed. That is some noisy ammo.
I certainly wasn’t around for those days, not even close, but I do vaguely remember reading about some of the venturesome-to-the-point-of-lunacy crew from Soldier Of Fortune going on an unhinged safari into Afghanistan to try and grab an AK-74 and ammo, which definitely makes more sense knowing that there was a significant profit motive
I think that they were the ones offering the money, if I remember right. CIA might have been involved, as well.
Actually, now that I think about it, I believe the DIA was behind the rewards that were offered.
Could stand to be corrected on that, though… My references are long gone, in that regard.
“(…)DIA(…)”
What is this?
Defense Intelligence Agency.
Sort of the GRU to the CIA’s KGB, if you catch my drift. DIA is the Pentagon’s unified intelligence operation, sometimes held to be more professional and better-run than the CIA. Also, much less political… Supposedly.
I’m saving this one for when I have a really bad day and need some ‘splody goodness to cheer me. The very thought that the auction house would allow this rare piece to be fired tickles me tremendously.