The PKM is not exactly a forgotten weapon, but it is a very cool one, and I had the chance to do some 2000 fps video footage of one not long ago:
Medium MGs
Vintage Saturday: Not for Squeamish Collectors
Russian Colt 1895 machine gun destroyed on the Eastern front, WWI.
Semiauto pistol
Russian FN 1905 Vest Pocket Officer’s Pistol
In the years before World War One, the Imperial Nicholas Military Academy in Russia purchased several thousand handguns from FN for resale to its officer candidates and graduates. These were mostly FN 1900 and FN […]
Light MGs
Soviet Experimental DPM-36 LMG Variations
From the Soviet Gun Archives blog, some photos of an experimental DPM-36 light machine gun (an improvement of the DP-28). Unfortunately, SGA does not list any source documents and my copy of Bolotin’s book doesn’t […]
Outstanding footage, Ian. Keep up the good work. Only suggestion would be to see if lighting can be improved. Much of the interesting movements are darkened by shade. Can’t wait to see more!
Yeah, my slow-motion lighting setup is still a work in progress.
a big sheet of white fabric or plastic which you can use as a reflector may be a quick fix
It would be interesting to see slow-mo action of older machine guns. WW2 era machine guns for instance.
Me too…I will be getting this sort of footage when I can.
Chauchat & Schwarzlose?
for two of the more interesting, but not in good ways.
Since you got the Vickers, why not the Vickers slo-mo?
I will, once I get around to dragging out all the bits. It really is an even to fire up a Vickers or Maxim gun. 🙂
Its interesting how the Russians still have a use for the 7.62x54R cartridge considering the fact that around the world you see cartridges designed around the same time period or later that have been abandoned.
There is added complexity due to extracting claw and this could, in most common sense judgement, ought to be seen as a hurdle. Yet, given reliability of this gun it obviously is not so. I’d like to see some ‘update’ in form of replacement of oldest existing military cartridge in the world, but it does not seem to be coming as yet.
Russians have long time worked-out new “universal” shot in form of rimless 6mm cartridge, but I presume large mental inertia (and large stocks) are preventing the adoption.
Chinese in contrary did make the step, but their machine-gunners are reportedly not very impressed with 5.8×42.
The 6mm Unified 6x49mm machine gun is in the guns.ru web site. They also show a picture of the cartridge. According to that web site, development was stopped shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union due to financial constraints.
Since then the Russians have not restarted the project, I assume because other arms projects have a higher priority. The Russians have large existing stockpiles of small arms so there is really no urgency to change for the sake of a marginal improvement.
It’s a very interesting concept in that it involves a very high velocity round to get a muzzle energy that is close to that of a “full size” round. I don’t know how that would work out in practice in terms of barrel wear and heating.
That is likely so. However, materials used on last PKM iteration are apparently of more advanced nature (stellite liner?) which permit firing without barrel change. Also, now is common to use for bores liquid nitriding and other processes. I like to think that the mechanics of parent material particles picking can be overcome or mitigated by treatments similar as those used in modern motorcycle engines – based on ceramic matrix.
I remember reading some time back that Russian Federation was in serous strain in terms of logistics for large caliber machine-guns (not sure is PKM was part of that) since the production source was suddenly in one of former republics, now independent state.
One remarkable version of PKM is new Polish MG which did away with belt extraction while using rimless 7.62 Nato cartridge. That way, eventually this design is brought up to its optimum. I may be wrong but we can hardly expect RF to adopt Nato round.
Well, they’ve adopted 9x19mm, more or less, so there may be hope yet. Although if you can live with the rimmed/tapered case profile, the 7.62x54R, with its .30-06/7.9×57 level ballistics, delivers about as much range, accuracy, and wallop in the sniping/support MG roles as you could ask for, short of a .338 Lapua.
cheers
eon
“I remember reading some time back that Russian Federation was in serous strain in terms of logistics for large caliber machine-guns (not sure is PKM was part of that) since the production source was suddenly in one of former republics, now independent state.”
Not, this is not about PKM but NSV machine gun firing 12.7×108 (DShK) cartridge, it was produced in Uralsk which is now in border of Kazakhstan. In Russia big-bore machine-gun (крупнокалиберный пулемёт) mean 12.7mm or 14.5mm machine gun.
“they’ve adopted 9x19mm, more or less”
The Russian Army want test new rimless cartridge in Fyodorov Avtomat, so they want replace the 7.62 rimmed cartridge even before First World War, but after outbreak of war the then-standard 7.62x54R was more needed. In other countries there were similar cases:
-France: 7×57 Meunier in Meunier rifle didn’t replace 8x50R Lebel
-UK: .276 Enfield in P13 rifle didn’t replace .303 British
Ah, my favorite 7.62mm GPMG of all time, and in true slow-motion footage, no less! Thanks very much for shooting this video with the new camera ; it looks as if the acquisition is paying many dividends already.
Old or not, the 7.62mm x 54R is still one of the most reliable, accurate and hard-hitting 7.62mm rounds in existence — a true modern classic of a full-powered cartridge.
“my favorite 7.62mm GPMG”
http://world.guns.ru/machine/rus/kalashnikov-pk-pkm-e.html states that initially the Nikitin machine gun was produced and it was at more advanced stage than PK – when the PK was at requirements stage the Nikitin was at field trials stage, but after internal conflict inside Soviet Army ultimately PK was the choice.
However the effects of Nikitin work was later used to create the NSV big-bore (12.7mm) machine gun. How you rate PK in comparison to NSV (remembering that PK is 7.62 MG and NSV is 12.7 MG and therefore first is lighter)?
is: “produced”
should be: “chosen to be produced”
I always liked the sound of it, because it was lighter than our FN Mag GPMG’s, less bulky also… I think I prefer the notion of disintegrating links however, generally, since they are around. That new Israeli Negev in 7.62 Nato looks pretty good, compact, light etc.
Slow motion footages all show that inertia of parts could not be used at the level they deserved. Please notice how tiny adjustable rear sight jumps in this video. One can use it as a counter.
Here is Pecheneg – the “almost
perfect” even more perfect.
http://www.primeportal.net/armory/yuri_pasholok3/pecheneg_light_machinegun/index.php?Page=1
I like idea of non-changing barrel.
Does it work, really though Denny? Without overly compromising performance in relation to a removable barrel, I thought why didn’t they make it removable also… Incase, it did compromise it’s performance. What’s it like in sustained fire roles, indirect fire for example.
That wasn’t a rhetorical question, I have no idea, I am asking does it work really, in relation to the above?
It’s essentially the old Lewis gun cooling idea isn’t it, but with a significantly reduced profile.
You can read about it from usual source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecheneg_machine_gun
They say, gun is sustainable at 250 RPM.
From my own prospective, any MG is kind of replacement solution for marksmanship. Blasting large quantity of lead is pointless. Statistics say that it took in both WWs and up to Korean war to shoot 100,000 rounds to cause one casualty. Firepower is NOT what comes out of muzzle, but what HITS target.
Folk say that, but I don’t know… Under stress etc, line of Russians 1200rpm is handy, surely.
I mean they sent them like dogs to their death, after all.
Need a high fire rate, the Chinese would be the same.
Bring back Davy Crockett tactical Nukes I say and parachutists, we’ll axe it out in your village, b,a,l,l’s to home, it’s gone, clearly we need a new one, start as you mean to go on etc.
Depends on the tactical situation. My one uncle who was USMC Recon in Korea said that marksmanship is important, but firepower is what you need to stop a Chinese People’s Army “human wave” infantry assault.
His personal weapon was an M2 carbine, which outranged the 7.62x25mm SMGs used by most of his opponents, pretty nearly matched them for ROF, and was definitely more accurate and hit harder out to 250 yards.
Firepower being emphasized over individual accuracy is really nothing new. It was the default principle of smoothbore musketry tactics up to the introduction of the rifle-musket in the 1850s. It was still more-or-less the default tactic in the American civil war once the range of engagement dropped below 200 yards, Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg being a case in point.
It remained a standard tactic even after the switch to breechloaders, with repeaters adding to the volume of fire. See “Battle of Plevna, 30 July 1877”, and the repeat performance on 11 September of the same year. Final score; Turkish Army- 30,000 Winchester .44 repeating carbines in use, Russian Army- 30,000 WIA/KIA casualties, or just about exactly one for each Winchester in the hands of a Turkish soldier.
Machine guns basically reduced the manpower demands on the defenders.
cheers
eon
I agree; repeaters made all the difference. In following this trend continued in form of self-loaders. There in no need going beyond that. MGs present huge logistic requirement and yet most what they do is audible impression. Yes, they are good at area denial and that’s about it. Physical range perhaps, but some have limitations too – such as Minimi.
If I was in charge of planning logistics and tactics, my emphasis would be full value select fire rifles plus semi-auto (portable) grenade launchers in addition of some means of anti-air and anti-tank defence. MGs would be destined to defensive roles.
A portable, roll-up movie screen makes a handy dandy fill light reflector–easy to transport and set up. You’re good to go until the wind blows…
Nice, thorough work as always Ian. It’s nice to see guys like you out there taking the time to learn and share hard to find knowledge on the fascinating machines that firearms are. A hearty THANK YOU!!