Bolt Action - Sourcing Soviet HMGs for all their uses!

  An oft asking question on the Bolt Action forums and facebook pages is, where can I get a HMG for my Soviets?  A pintle HMG is an available upgrade for some of the popular big Soviet vehicles, like the IS-2, ISU-122 and the SU-122/152s.  Then there is the HMG Team support weapon choice and HMG Jeeps.  You could be forgiven in thinking every second Russian was toting a HMG.

He's just getting warmed up.

  Sadly, despite all these options for HMGs, your typical manufacturers don't make any Soviet HMGs.  That is where Eureka Miniatures comes in (or here if your in America).  They offer the Soviet DShK 12.7mm HMG.  It comes with an AA tripod and you can also get it with a variety of modern day crew. Eureka Miniatures is an Australian based company, but they have a distributor in the UK at least.  I've bought at least a dozen of the individual guns for my Soviets and find them a valuable resource when modelling.





  The DShK (or Degtyaryova-Shpagina Krupnokaliberny) was a Soviet heavy machine gun designed by Vasily Degtyaryova and Georgi Shpagina in 1938.  It fired a 12.7x108mm round and was often used on an anti-aircraft tripod, a two wheeled carriage with a gunshield (similar to the Maxim) or mounted on a pintle mount on tanks as an AA gun.  It was also used as the main weapon in the
T-40 light amphibious tank and the BA-64DShK.






   In all the DShKs I've bought, I've never had any problems with them.  The casting is great.  Sometimes the tripods need to be slightly re-bent but this is nothing unusual for those who have opened up any new metal model.

  While a lot of my Soviets are still awaiting painting (I am currently batch painting 250 infantry), I've compiled a little gallery of how I've used just a few of my DShKs.  I hope this has helped anyone who is searching for HMGs to mount on their Soviets, or maybe even given an idea or two on converting up some great new models.  Stay strong comrade, for the motherland!

HMG Jeeps

SU-152

IS-2

HMG Team