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Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter


Kalashnikov PK (Pulemyot Kalashnikova)


General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) [ 1961 ]



The Soviet-era PK General Purpose Machine Gun - introduced in 1961 - still sees considerable service worldwide.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/17/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The arrival of the PK (Pulemyot Kalashnikova) machine gun in 1961 marked the first entry of a true General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) into Soviet Army service. GPMGs receive their name from their ability to fulfill a variety of much-needed battlefield roles such as fire support and enemy troop through bipod-, tripod-, vehicle- or aircraft-mounted installations. These weapons also fire full-power rifle caliber cartridges which give them excellent penetration value at range as well as increased engagement ranges when compared to assault rifles.

The PK succeeded the post-World War 2-era RP-46 machine gun (detailed elsewhere on this site) series in circulation. The newer weapon went on to see considerable combat service under a multitude of national banners - from the Vietnam War (1955-1975) to the present-day engagements making up the Syrian Civil War, the War in Donbass and the Yemeni Civil War. Over 1 million units have been produced both domestically and foreign.

The PK is chambered for the proven 7.62x54mmR rifle cartridge and fires through a Kalashnikov-style open-bolt, gas-operated system that has shown considerable reliability over many decades of use. Feeding is through a non-disintegrating link belt in 100-, 200- and 250-round counts. The gun system weights 19.85lb as a whole with the typical bipod assembly in place and showcases an overall length of 47.5 inches. The barrel measures 23.8 inches long.

Rate-of-fire reaches 650 rounds per minute and ranges are out to 1,095 yards. Maximum range is 4,155 yards. Sighting is through tangent iron sights though optics are supported (including night vision and thermal types).

In practice, the PK has been officially issued as a support weapon at the company level. Its heavy-duty design allows it to fire a much more powerful cartridge when compared to traditional service rifles and even Light Machine Guns. The barrel can be changed out to compensate for overheating which can lead to deforming or fracturing of the barrel assembly and render the weapon useless in a firefight. Its reliability and flexibility have made it a Soviet-era classic - a well-respected and received weapon.

The PKS, PKM, PKMN, PKMS, PKMSN and PKT are all offspring of the base PK design. The PKP "Pecheneg" (detailed elsewhere on this site) is a newer PK series weapon influenced by the original and features a fixed heavy barrel and forced-air cooling.

Despite its origins in the 1960s, the PK series has managed an active existence into the new millennium. Tens of thousands of copies have emerged from foreign factories as well adding to an already-impressive production total. The availability of the Soviet 7.62mm cartridge has also helped its reach beyond Soviet-Russian borders and many ex-Soviet states and supported allies rely on the product.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Kalashnikov / State Factories - Soviet Union / Russia
Manufacturer(s)
Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bosnia-Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Cambodia; Cape Verde; Chad; China; Croatia; Cuba; Czech Republic; Egypt; Eritrea; Estonia; East Germany; Fiji; Finland; Georgia; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hungary; India; Iran; Iraq; Israel; Kazakhstan; Kurdistan; Kyrgyzstan; Laos; Latvia; Lebanon; Lithuania; Macedonia; Mali; Malta; Moldova; Mongolia; Mozambique; Nigeria; North Korea; Panama; Poland; Romania; Russia; Sao Tome and Principe; South Africa; South Sudan; Sudan; Serbia; Soviet Union; Sri Lanka; Sweden; Syria; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Turkey; Uganda; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Yugoslavia; Zambia
Operators National flag of Afghanistan National flag of Albania National flag of Algeria National flag of Armenia National flag of Azerbaijan National flag of Belarus National flag of Bulgaria National flag of Chad National flag of China National flag of Croatia National flag of Cuba National flag of Czechia National flag of Egypt National flag of Eritrea National flag of Estonia National flag of Finland National flag of Georgia National flag of modern Germany National flag of East Germany National flag of Guinea National flag of Hungary National flag of India National flag of Iraq National flag of Iran National flag of Israel National flag of Kazakhstan National flag of Kyrgyzstan National flag of Latvia National flag of Lebanon National flag of Lithuania National flag of Macedonia National flag of Mozambique National flag of Nigeria National flag of North Korea National flag of Poland National flag of Romania National flag of Russia National flag of Serbia National flag of South Africa National flag of the Soviet Union National flag of Sri Lanka National flag of Sudan National flag of Sweden National flag of Syria National flag of Tajikistan National flag of Turkey National flag of Turkmenistan National flag of Uganda National flag of Ukraine National flag of Uzbekistan National flag of Vietnam National flag of Yugoslavia National flag of Zambia
1961
Service Year
Soviet Union
National Origin


FIRE SUPPORT
Capable of suppressing enemy elements at range through direct or in-direct fire.


1,203 mm
(47.36 inches)
Overall Length
605 mm
(23.82 inches)
Barrel Length
19.84 lb
(9.00 kg)
Empty Weight
Gas-Operated; Open-Bolt; Full-Automatic; Belt-Fed-Only
Action
FULL-AUTOMATIC
Rounds are automatically ejected from the breech, a new cartridge stripped from the feed and set in the chamber, and rounds are continuously fired so long as the trigger is pulled and an ammunition supply exists.
GAS-OPERATED
Gas-operated system is featured, typically involving a gas cylinder and rear-driven piston directing energy to the bolt component.
7.62x54mmR
Caliber(s)
May not represent an exhuastive list; Calibers may be model-specific dependent; Always consult official manufacturer sources.
100- 200- or 250-round belt
Rounds
Tangent Iron; Optional Optics.
Sights


Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information.

3,285 feet
(1,001 meters | 1,095 yards)
Max Effective Range
650
Rounds-per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire
2,710 ft/sec
(826 m/sec)
Muzzle Velocity


PK - Base Series Model; original production model.
PKS - Tripod-mounted variant; heavy-duty support fire.
PKM - Modernized model of 1969
PKMN - PKM with nigh sight support
PKMS - Tripod-mounted variant
PKMSN - Tripod-mounted variant with night sight support.
PKT - Vehicle-mounted machine gun variant
PKP "Pecheneg" - Modernized modle of 2001; influenced by PKM design; heavy, fixed barrel assembly with forced-air cooling.


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