The 7.62-mm company machine gun in 1946 [1] ( RP-46 , GAU index 56-P-326 ) is a Soviet light machine gun created in 1946 by designers A. I. Shilin, P. P. Polyakov and A. A. Dubinin on the basis of an earlier Degtyarev machine gun ( PDM ).
| RP-46 | |
|---|---|
 7.62 mm company machine gun model 1946 | |
| Type of | light machine gun |
| A country |  the USSR |
| Service History | |
| Years of operation | 1946 -? |
| Adopted | |
| In service | USSR Armed Forces |
| Production history | |
| Constructor | A. I. Shilin P.P. Polyakov A. A. Dubinin |
| Characteristics | |
| Weight kg | 13 (machine gun body) 3.63 (box with unloaded tape for 200 rounds) 8.33 (box with an equipped tape for 200 rounds) 9.63 (box with an equipped tape for 250 rounds) [1] |
| Length mm | 1272 [1] |
| Barrel length mm | 605 [1] |
| Cartridge | 7.62 × 54 mm R (with ordinary, tracer and armor-piercing incendiary bullets) [1] |
| Caliber mm | 7.62 |
| Work principles | removal of powder gases , locking with sliding combat stops |
| Rate of fire rounds / min | 600 [1] |
| starting speed bullets , m / s | 825 [1] |
| Sighting range , m | 1500 |
| Maximum range, m | 1000 (effective) |
| Type of ammunition | tape for 200 or 250 rounds [1] (when the belt supply unit is removed, it is possible to use disk magazines from DP / DPM for 47 rounds) [2] |
| Aim | sector (See Aim ) |
After the introduction of support for the infantry squadron of the RPD machine gun under automatic ("intermediate") cartridges, more powerful machine guns that used old rifle ammunition for firing, as a weapon, it was decided to transfer to the company level. Since the firepower of the Degtyarev Infantry Machine Gun (DPM), well-developed in production and familiar to the troops, with a 47-round disk magazine was not enough to successfully fulfill this role, the conversion of this weapon to tape feed was undertaken as a temporary measure.
For this, a special compact module, the tape receiver, was developed, combining the tape feeding mechanism and the feeding mechanism, which was inserted instead of the magazine into the receiver of the DPM receiver. The feed module was driven by the cocking handle of the bolt frame, which was connected to the receiver engine with a special fork, passing on the right side of the weapon. In this form, the weapon received the designation RP-46. The possibility of store-based ammunition was preserved at the same time, so the RP-46 can be considered a forerunner of the concept of dual power supply from tapes or magazines, which is characteristic of some modern machine guns, for example, FN Minimi .
Ammunition from tapes with a capacity of 200 or 250 rounds, coupled with a heavier barrel , allowed the RP-46 to provide significantly greater firepower while maintaining acceptable maneuverability. Other differences from PDM are the redesigned gas regulator and the presence of a carrying handle. [2] For ammunition RP-46, a metal cartridge belt is used , which is also used practically unchanged in machine guns of the SG-43 family.
Content
- 1 Features
- 2 Device
- 2.1 Sight
- 3 Principle of automation
- 4 Assembly / disassembly of the RP-46
- 5 Operating countries
- 6 See also
- 7 notes
- 8 Literature and sources
Features
Range of a direct shot from RP-46:
- on the chest figure - 420 m,
- on a running figure - 640 m.
Fire on air targets is conducted at distances up to 500 m. Muzzle energy of a bullet - 3226 J. The bullet retains its lethal effect over the entire flight range ( up to 3800 m ). Combat rate of fire - up to 250 rounds per minute. Conducting intense fire in bursts is possible up to 500 shots, after which it is necessary to replace or cool the barrel.
Requirements of normal single combat for RP-46: [1]
- all four holes fit in a circle with a diameter of 15 cm;
- the mid-range point deviates from the control point by no more than 5 cm in any direction.
Requirements for normal combat bursts for RP-46: [1]
- at least eight out of ten holes fit in a circle with a diameter of 20 cm;
- the mid-range point deviates from the control point by no more than 5 cm in any direction.
The battle is checked by firing at a black rectangle 35 cm high and 25 cm wide, mounted on a white shield 1 m high and 0.5 m wide. Firing range - 100 m, position - lying on a flat platform, with a bipod, cartridges - with an ordinary bullet (with a steel core or light sample of 1908), sight - 3.
Indicators of total dispersion of bullets when firing in short bursts from the bipod from the RP-46 reduced to normal combat: [1]
| Firing range, m | Median deviations in height, cm | The average deviations in width, cm | Bullet Energy, J |
|---|---|---|---|
| one hundred | 7 | 10 | 2667 |
| 200 | fifteen | twenty | 2187 |
| 300 | 22 | 31 | 1785 |
| 400 | 29th | 41 | 1432 |
| 500 | 37 | 51 | 1138 |
| 600 | 44 | 61 | 892 |
| 700 | 52 | 72 | 706 |
| 800 | 60 | 83 | 559 |
| 900 | 68 | 83 | 481 |
| 1000 | 73 | 103 | 422 |
Where the median deviation is half the width of the central dispersion band, containing 50% of all hits. [3]
Device
RP-46 consists of the following main parts and mechanisms:
- trunk
- receiver with a casing, sight and bipod ,
- bolt frame with gas piston,
- shutter
- trigger frame with butt and trigger,
- return spring with a tube,
- receiver.
The set of RP-46 includes: accessory ( ramrod , brush, punch, extractor, crankshaft, wrench, screwdriver, oiler, pencil case), belt , case and spare barrel.
Sight
The RP-46 sighting device consists of a front sight and a sight, which in turn consists of a sight pad with a leaf spring, an aiming bar and a clamp with two latches and springs. On the aiming bar, a scale is marked on top with divisions from 1 to 15 (distance in hundreds of meters), divided by short risks by fifty meters. Installation of a special night sight PPN-1 is allowed.
Automation Principle
The operation of RP-46 automation is based on the use of the energy of powder gases discharged from the bore. Locking is carried out using two diverging combat stops. When fired, part of the powder gases ejecting the bullet is directed through the hole in the barrel wall and the regulator groove to the gas piston, discarding it and the bolt frame to the rear position. At the same time, the bolt frame retracts the drummer connected to it and, with a curly groove, reduces the fighting stops, unlocking the bolt, after which it begins to retreat back with it. The bolt opens the bore, the bolt frame compresses the reciprocating spring. The sleeve is removed from the chamber and the new cartridge from the tape and the tape is moved to the left. The sleeve is thrown out, and a new cartridge is fed into the hollow protrusion of the base of the receiver.
If the trigger remains pressed, the bolt does not stop in the rear position, but moves forward under the action of the reciprocating spring. The shutter sends the cartridge into the chamber and closes the bore. The locking of the bolt is carried out by combat stops, which are included in the combat ledges of the receiver under the influence of the tapered surface of the striker located between them on the base of the bolt carrier. The striker breaks the cartridge capsule, a shot occurs, the work of automation is repeated.
Assembling / disassembling RP-46
Incomplete disassembly of the RP-46 is carried out for cleaning, lubrication and inspection in the following order:
- installing a machine gun on a bipod, checking for the absence of a cartridge in the chamber and lowering the bolt frame from a combat cock;
- separation of the links of the ramrod from the legs of the bipod;
- extracting the pencil case with the accessory;
- receiver compartment;
- trunk separation;
- separation of the return-fighting spring;
- Department of the trigger frame;
- shutter frame compartment;
- separation of the shutter from the shutter frame.
Assembling a machine gun after incomplete disassembly is carried out in the reverse order.
The RP-46 is completely disassembled for cleaning in case of severe contamination, after being in the rain or in the snow, switching to a new lubricant or during repair in the following order:
- incomplete disassembly;
- separation of the regulator from the gas chamber;
- disassembling the receiver.
Assembly after incomplete disassembly is carried out in the reverse order.
It is recommended in the summer (at temperatures above 5 ° C) to use gun grease and RFS (a solution of the source from the filaments from soot), and in winter ( from +5 ° C to -50 ° C ) - liquid gun grease (for lubrication and cleaning of deposit), carefully removing (washing all metal parts in liquid gun grease and wiping them with clean rags ) before this summer grease. For storage in a warehouse for a long time, the machine gun is lubricated with liquid gun grease, wrapped in one layer of inhibited, and then in one layer of waxed paper.
Operator countries
- USSR ;
- Albania - the Soviet RP-46 remained in service with the Albanian army until at least 1994 [4]
- GDR - Soviet-made machine guns were supplied to the National People's Army of the GDR, in 1956 a production license was transferred from the USSR [5] ;
- China - was produced under the designation "Type 58";
- DPRK [6] - was issued under the designation " Type 64 ";
- Ukraine - a certain amount was stored by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine [7] , in September 2014 several machine guns were armed with hundreds of “Crimea” battalion “ Dnepr-1 ” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine [8] ;
- Belarus - in December 2005, withdrawn from service and sent for disposal [9] ;
RP-46 has also been shipped to several countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. [10]
See also
- Machine gun list
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Manual on small business. 7.62 mm company machine gun arr. 1946 (1984)
- ↑ 1 2 description of RP-46 Archived on March 23, 2009. on world.guns.ru
- ↑ Basics of fire training Archived on February 10, 2012. ( Pdf )
- ↑ Colonel M. Simakov. Albania and its Armed Forces // Foreign Military Review, No. 8, 1994. pp. 11-13
- ↑ Military-political cooperation of the socialist countries. M., "Science", 1988. p. 164
- ↑ RP-46 Light Machinegun // North Korea Country Handbook MCIA-2630-NK-016-97. US Department of Defense, May 1997. page A-85
- ↑ Rose order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine іd 6 sickle of 2008 p. N 1092-R
- ↑ Volunteer Hundred “Crimea” received a machine gun of the 40s (PHOTO) (VIDEO)
- ↑ Roman Simak. In the armies of the CIS // "Red Star" of December 13, 2005
- ↑ description of RP-46 on the website arms2.narod.ru
Literature and Sources
- Repair manual 7.62 mm company machine guns mod. 1946 Second Edition. Military Publishing House of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1957 - 52 pages