RP-46
| Factions | Weapon | Icon | Classes | Ammo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 VC |
 RP-46 |
 |
 Gunner |
125 / 250 |
| Damage Base | Headshot × | Chest × | Stomach × | Leg × | Arm × | Bayonet | Rifle Grenades | Reload Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partial | Empty | ||||||||
| 43 | ×2.4 = 103.2 | ×1.3 = 55.9 | ×1.25 = 53.75 | ×0.8 = 34.4 | ×0.75 = 32.25 | NO | NO | 3.66 Seconds | 4.5 Seconds |
| Designation | Weapon Type | Fire Modes | Fire Rate | Bullet Spread ° | Bipod Bullet Spread ° | Range Modifier | Muzzle Velocity | Projectile weight | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RP-46 | LMG | Auto+Semi | 600 RPM | 9.87° & 2.35° ADS | 2.58° & 0.67° ADS | 0.925 | 800 m/s | 9 g (138.89 gr) | 13 kg (22.66 lbs) |
| Full name | Caliber | Place of Origin | Date | Manufacturer | Barrel Length | Total Length | Weapon Script Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotnyi Pulemet 1946 | 7.62x54mm | Soviet Union | 1946 | State Factories | 23.9 in (607 mm) | 50 in (1270 mm) | weapon_rp46 |
The RP-46 is a Soviet light machine gun designed for company-level fire support, chambered in 7.62×54mmR. It is a postwar development of the Degtyaryov DP/DPM family, best known for its detachable belt-feed system while retaining the ability to use the DP-style pan magazine. The designation is derived from the Russian abbreviation for “company machine gun, model 1946.”
HISTORY
The RP-46 was adopted after World War II as an upgraded, more sustained-fire variant of the DPM, entering production in the mid-1940s. Its key change was a belt-feed module that attaches in place of the pan magazine, paired with updates intended to better support longer firing periods, including a heavier barrel and a sturdier bipod arrangement. In Soviet service it filled a niche between lighter squad automatic weapons and heavier, mounted machine guns, before being superseded in the early 1960s by newer general-purpose machine guns.
The RP-46 was also exported widely and influenced licensed or direct-copy production abroad, including Chinese manufacture as the Type 58 and other regional variants. In Southeast Asia, Chinese Type 58 examples (a copy of the RP-46) were fielded by North Vietnamese forces and were captured during the Vietnam War, reflecting the broader pattern of Soviet- and Chinese-supplied small arms in the conflict. While later replaced by newer designs, RP-46-pattern guns remained in circulation for years through transfers, war capture, and long-term use in secondary roles.
Sources
- Imperial War Museums – RP46 light machine gun (collection entry)
- Australian War Memorial – Chicom Type 58 machine gun (copy of Soviet RP-46), captured in Vietnam
- Royal Armouries – Type 58 (Degtyarev RP46) (collection entry)
- Kalashnikov.ru – “Легендарный ДП” (overview including RP-46 and replacement timeline)
-
RP-46 light machine gun. -
RP-46 with belt-feed equipment fitted. -
Captured weapons display showing an RP-46 alongside an MG 34.
