Muzzle Brake

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Lore & Background

The Muzzle Brake in DayZ is a firearm attachment designed to reduce recoil by redirecting propellant gases, improving weapon control during sustained fire. Its development in the real world dates back to the early 20th century, with various designs emerging for artillery and small arms. In the context of DayZ, the attachment is a practical modification found on compatible weapons, not tied to the history of any specific machine gun.

In Their Own Story

During World War II, the DShK was used by the Red Army, with a total of 9,000 produced during the war. It was used mostly in anti-aircraft roles on vehicles such as the GAZ-AA truck, IS-2 tank, ISU-152 self-propelled artillery, and the T-40 amphibious tank. Similar to the PM M1910 Maxim, when deployed against infantry, the DShK was used with a two-wheeled trolley, with which the machine gun weighed a total of 346 pounds (157 kg). In 1944, a much cheaper muzzle brake patterned after the Polish Wz. 35 anti-tank rifle was introduced instead of the complicated early design. After 1945, the DShK was exported widely to other countries in the Eastern Bloc. In June 1988, during The Troubles, a British Army Westland Lynx helicopter was hit 15 times by two Provisional IRA DShKs smuggled from Libya, and forced to crash-land near Cashel Lough Upper, south County Armagh. The weapon was used by Ukrainian forces in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine to shoot down Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. The DShKs are fitted with a searchlight when defending against drones, which MANPADS have been unable to destroy. As many of the DShKs have been left over from the Soviet Union, they have been both cost-effective and one of the most reliable methods of destroying drones.

Reader's Guide

The DShK is a belt-fed machine gun firing the 12.7×108mm cartridge, and uses a butterfly trigger. Firing at 600 rounds per minute, it has an effective range of 2.4 km (1+1⁄2 mi), and can penetrate up to 20 mm of armor up to a range of 500 m. The DShK has two 'spider web' ring sights for use against aircraft. It is used by infantry on tripod mounts or deployed with a two-wheeled mounting and a single-sheet armor-plate shield. It is also mounted on tanks and armored vehicles for use against infantry and aircraft; nearly all Soviet-designed tanks with roof or cupola mounts for heavy machine-guns prior to the T-64 use the DShK. In 1946, an improved variant was produced, with a revised muzzle and feeding system. Named the DShK 38/46 or DShK-M, over a million were produced from 1946 to 1980. The gun was also revised to become more reliable, and easier to manufacture. The new DShK was produced under license in Pakistan, Iran, Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland and Czechoslovakia. Chinese produced their own variant of the design, designated the Type 54. The DShK began to be partially replaced in the Soviet Union by the NSV machine gun in 1971, and the Kord machine gun in 1998. The DShK remains in service, although it is no longer produced.

Did You Know?

• The Muzzle Brake reduces felt recoil by venting propellant gases sideways or upward, counteracting the rearward force.
• While some early muzzle brakes were developed for anti-tank rifles, the attachment in DayZ is a general-purpose modification, not derived from any specific historical design.
• In DayZ, equipping a Muzzle Brake can help maintain accuracy during rapid fire, but it may also increase the weapon's noise and muzzle flash.