A true fighting nation, dare to stand and fire a machine gun
Maozi has three treasures, AK, PK, and RPG, but if you want to say that the one that best represents the combat effectiveness of the Soviet system, it must be the PK machine gun. After all, only fighting nations in the world can use a general-purpose machine gun as a light machine gun.
During World War II, the Germans made full use of the dual advantages of firepower and maneuverability of the light and heavy dual-purpose MG34/42 general-purpose machine gun. This also made the two giants of the Soviet Union and the United States realize after the war that the general-purpose machine gun would play a vital role in future wars. necessity. This also led to the later M60 and PK, two general-purpose machine guns with their own characteristics.
The Soviet Union was generally equipped with DP machine guns during World War II, but after the 7.62x39mm intermediate-power bullet came out in 1943, they also began to try to use intermediate-power bullets on belt-type machine guns. The final product was RPD. These machine guns were tried on a small scale at the end of World War II. However, the Soviet Union felt that although this machine gun could replace the DP machine gun at the squad and platoon level, after all, it was only an intermediate-power bullet and was not enough for battalion and company level firepower. After the war, they also tried to change the DP to the belt-fed RP-46, but this was only a stopgap measure.
It is not that there are no machine guns at the battalion and company level. SG43 Guoliunov is still the main force at the moment. However, on the one hand, the SG43 was not considered to be carried by infantry from the beginning of its design, and it was designed with a fixed machine gun. In addition, the empty gun alone weighs almost 30 pounds. What if we add a stock, bipod or something? So redesigning the general-purpose machine gun is necessary.
In 1958, two Soviet firearms designers, Nikki and Sokolov, jointly developed a PN1 general machine. The maturity level was very high, and it passed the test. It was about to be mass-produced at the Kovrov Arsenal, but it was disrupted by Kalashnikov.
↓PN-1
Although Kalashnikov's team has been studying how to optimize the AK47 throughout the 1950s, the biggest result is that the AK uses a lot of stamping parts, simplifying the production process.
In 1960, Mr. Ka took out the PK machine gun based on the AK structure and immediately drove the PN1 away. The reason is simply that the AK has been in service with the Soviet Army for more than ten years, and its reliability is trustworthy, especially in the water immersion test. The gap on the piston makes it more tolerant to carbon deposits and dust; the PK machine gun incorporates a large number of AKM technologies After using it, for example, stamping technology has greatly simplified the production cost and process of this general-purpose machine gun. The receiver cover is disassembled like the AK, and the serviceability is good. The ammunition chain is also common with the previous RP-46 and SG43, reducing the installation cost. .
It can be seen that the gas chamber on the barrel of the PK machine gun completely reverses the AK, and the rear receiver cover also has a very obvious AK smell. If you take it apart and look at its piston and machine head, it is almost an enlarged version of the AK.
Of course, as a general-purpose machine gun, it still has to look like a machine gun. The PK uses an open-cocked firing method to facilitate heat dissipation. It draws on the SG43's quick-change barrel and belt-type ammunition supply mechanism. These are mature systems that have withstood the test.
PK was commissioned into the Soviet Army in 1961. In 1969, Kalashnikov modernized the PK. The main reason is to reduce it from 9 kg to 7.5 kg. The biggest difference in appearance is that the PK barrel is thicker and has longitudinal grooves on it, while the PKM tube has a thin wall and no grooves. The PK's stock is straight, while the PKM's stock has a raised cheek rest at the rear end. The style of the flash suppressor is also different. The PK part of the receiver cover is machined, while the rear part is stamped, while the PKM is entirely stamped.
Whether it is PK or PKM, the rate of fire is not high, only 650m/s. But this is not because the technology cannot satisfy it, but as a general-purpose machine gun, this rate of fire is sufficient. The rate of fire of the MG42 is not difficult to meet, but it is not necessary. An excessively high rate of fire will cause a large displacement during shooting in the form of a light machine gun, which is detrimental to dispersion, and will also cause the barrel to heat up too quickly.