The DS-39 is an air-cooled heavy machine gun designed by Degtyarev, which was intended to replace the 1910 Maxim as the standard Soviet HMG. It was lighter and more mobile than the Maxim, and also offered two rates of fire for ground and anti-aircraft use. Testing all seemed to go well, and production began in 1939. The guns first saw field service in the Winter War with Finland, and there they showed serious problems – see my previous video on the DS-39 history and mechanics ics for all the details. They were taken out of production, and the Maxim would go on serving until the Goryunov SG-43 was developed a few years later. Today, I have the fantastic opportunity to take this DS-39 out to the range! So let’s see what those two rates of fire are really like…