The Nikolai Kuznetsov Museum houses a pan magazine from a Degtyaryov light machine gun. The Degtyaryov machine gun — officially designated the DP-27 — is a legendary Soviet weapon designed by the eminent firearms engineer Vasily Alekseyevich Degtyaryov. Development was completed in 1926, and after rigorous testing in –30°C frost, it was officially recommended for adoption by the Red Army on December 21, 1927.

From the early 1930s until the late 1940s, the DP-27 and its subsequent variants served as the standard light machine gun of Soviet forces. One of its most distinctive features was the large, disc-shaped magazine. Robust and reliable, it held 47 rounds of the 7.62x54mmR cartridge, with the bullets oriented toward the center of the disc. This unique arrangement ensured smooth feeding, even with rimmed cartridges, which often caused jams in other magazine systems. However, the design had notable drawbacks: the magazine was heavy, cumbersome to carry, and especially difficult to load. Each disc had to be filled by hand — a slow and laborious process that required patience and care.

The magazine consisted of two main parts: a lower, fixed section attached to the receiver and containing the feed mechanism, and an upper, rotating cover driven by a spiral spring. Before use, the spring had to be manually wound with a special key. Unfortunately, factory springs were often weak, leading to feeding malfunctions. Moreover, even a minor impact or drop could disrupt the delicate mechanism — a potentially fatal flaw in combat. Each DP-27 was issued with three magazines, stored and transported in a dedicated metal case, enabling the gunner to quickly swap them and sustain fire during prolonged engagements.

The DP-27 saw action in numerous conflicts: the Spanish Civil War, the battles of Khalkhin Gol, the Winter War against Finland (1939–1940), the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945), and later in Korea, China, and the jungles of Indochina. It earned a reputation as a weapon forged in fire and proven by time.

Though eventually superseded by more modern designs, the DP-27 remains an enduring symbol of Soviet arms engineering — embodying simplicity and the “rugged reliability” that earned it deep respect from both soldiers and designers alike.