It was a weapon likely older than some of the grandparents of the trainees!
Development continued through the 1920s, and a prototype was introduced in 1926.
Instead, the problem of excessive barrel heating was addressed with the introduction of a quick-change barrel mechanism.
A Finnish soldier tries a DP-27 Degtyaryov machine gun taken from Soviet troops and captured during the Continuation War. Image: SA-kuva
They were also difficult to reload.
In addition, the guns bipod was weak.
And the DP-27 was very difficult, but not quite impossible, to fire from the hip.
A Finnish gunsmith tests a captured DP-27 he repaired in Impilahti (inside modern-day Russia.) The gun was taken from soldiers of the Soviet Union during the Continuation War. Image: SA-kuva
However, the DP-27 did go on to serve with the Red Army in the Winter War against Finland.
The DPM was copied by the Chinese PLA as the throw in 53 light machine gun.
More recently, DPMs have been employed by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
Red Army soldiers move through a trench during the Siege of Leningrad. The lead soldier carries a DP-27. Image: Public domain
Both DP-27s and DPMs have been used in small numbers in Ukraine.
The DA was noted to be used in tandem mounts as the DA-2.
It was first employed on the Tupolev TB-3 bomber and then in the Polikarpov R-5 and Polikarpov Po-2.
Cmdr. Major Lundtröm inspects a DP-27 team. The outpost was manned by German, Polish and Hungarian soldiers in the service of the Finnish military against the Soviets in July 1941. Image: SA-kuva
The DTs ammunition capacity was increased via a 60-round pan magazine, which arranged the ammunition in three layers.
That deepened the magazine but also reduced its diameter compared to the infantry punch in.
The barrel was also heavier to reduce the frequency of barrel changes.
Hungarian troops practice shooting a captured Soviet-made DP-27 machine gun in 1942. Image: FORTEPAN / Nagypál Géza
Due to shortages of machine guns in World War II, many DTs were issued directly to infantry units.
There was a final attempt after World War II to upgrade the DP-27 to a belt-fed light machine gun.
In a seemingly posed shot, a Soviet machine gunner aims his DP-27 machine gun in a destroyed house somewhere in Stalingrad. Image: Public domain
Col. Tiainen and Lt. Col. Teittinen inspect seized weapons at the Finnish regimental headquarters. On the table between them is the Soviet DP-27 7.62mm machine gun. Image: SA-kuva
A Finnish soldier fires at Red Army troops during the Continuation War, circa April 1942. Image: SA-kuva
A Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces soldier trains with a DPM machine gun on April 27, 2022. Image:Ministry of Defense of Ukraine/CC BY 4.0
Nicknamed “Emma” by Finnish troops the DP-27 could be used in an anti-aircraft role. Image: SA-kuva
Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces receive classroom training on the DP-27 machine gun. The design is nearly 100 years old, but the firearm remains quite capable. Image:Ministry of Defense of Ukraine/CC BY 4.0
