The RP-46 Light Machine Gun - A Belt-Fed Evolution of the DP

Summary

The article details the Soviet RP-46 Light Machine Gun, adopted in 1946, as a belt-fed evolution of the DPM (Degtyarev Infantry, Modernized) light machine gun. Key modifications included a shift from a pan magazine to a belt feed system and the addition of a heavier barrel, enhancing its sustained fire capability. The RP-46 served as a transitional weapon to fill a gap between light and heavy machine guns until it was gradually replaced by the PK general-purpose machine gun by the 1960s.