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Small armsIn service
Light machine gun
RPD machine gun is a light machine gun originating in Soviet Union. Reported operators include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Laos, Lesotho, Libya, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Niger, North Korea, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
RPD machine gun
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Atirador · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗ · ModifiedTechnical data
Light machine gun
Soviet Union
1944–1961 (Soviet Union) 1944–present (other nations)
See Users
See Wars
Vasily Degtyaryov
1943–1944
1944–1960
See Variants
7.4 kg (16.31 lb) when empty
1,037 mm (40.8 in)
520 mm (20.5 in)
7.62×39mm 5.56×45mm NATO (Israeli conversion)
Gas operated long stroke piston , flapper locking and fires from the open bolt
650–750 rounds/min
735 m/s (2,411 ft/s)
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.037 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.037 m | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.037 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.037 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.037 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.037 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
100–1,000 m sight adjustments
Non-disintegrating 100-round segmented belt stored in a drum container. Custom 125 round belt (MACVSOG version)
Open-type sights with rear sliding notch and semi-hooded front post, 596.6 mm (23.5 in) sight radius
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Benin
Bolivia
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo-Brazzaville
Congo-Kinshasa
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Indonesia
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Laos
Lesotho
Libya
Malta
Mongolia
Morocco
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Niger
North Korea
Pakistan
Peru
Romania
Rwanda
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Ukraine
Vietnam
Yemen
Zimbabwe
RPD
American firearm manufacturer DS Arms makes a semi-auto variant for civil market and a full-auto variant for export, both in the original design and also in a modernized version called RPD Carbine .
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
RPD machine gun equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Benin
Bolivia
Burundi
Cambodia
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Ghana
Guinea
Indonesia
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Laos
Lesotho
Libya
Malta
Mongolia
Morocco
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Pakistan
Peru
Republic of the Congo
Romania
Rwanda
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Ukraine
Vietnam
Yemen
ZimbabweAfghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Laos, Lesotho, Libya, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Niger, North Korea, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Rwanda, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Equipment reference ↗