Pecheneg machine gun
Encyclopedia
PKP "Pecheneg" is a Russia
n machine gun
chambered for the 7.62 x 54 mm round. It is a modernised PK machine gun
. The Pecheneg is said to be more accurate than all its predecessors due to a heavier, non-removable forced air cooling barrel with radial cooling ribs and a handle which eliminates the haze effect from hot gases and keeps the barrel cooler, making the weapon more reliable. Furthermore, the weapon is capable of mounting a telescopic sight
or other sights
which additionally increase accuracy. The military designation of the Pecheneg is 6P41 or 6P41N when fitted with a night vision sight. The Pecheneg is currently in use by Russian Army Spetsnaz
and other troops in small numbers.
The Pecheneg is named for the Pecheneg people, a warlike tribe of Turkic origin who lived in what later became steppes of Southern Russia and Ukraine. The Pecheneg is a standard 7.62x54R PKM machine gun without the rapid barrel-change option, and intended for use from an integral bipod as a squad support weapon. It can provide more sustained firepower than the standard-issue RPK-74
, and the 7.62x54R cartridge offers a longer effective range and better penetration of light structures and improvised covers in urban and forest environments.
of the World War I era. Cooling air enters the jacket through oval windows at the rear of the jacket, and exits at the muzzle. Early versions of the Pecheneg had standard PKM-type flash hider, which resulted in a significant muzzle blast once the gun is warmed up; current production guns have a special flash hider that eliminates this issue. At the rear of the jacket there is a carrying handle permanently attached to it. This handle has a characteristic elongated profile, as it is also intended to protect the line of sight from mirages generated by the hot barrel. The manufacturer says that the Pecheneg can fire 600 rounds in continuous sustained fire without any danger to the barrel.
Another change from the parent design is the location of the integral, non-removable folding bipod which is placed near the muzzle. This feature is said to improve stability and long-range accuracy when firing from the bipod; but it also limits the arc of fire available without moving the position of bipod or shooter. Another consequence of such placement is that the Pecheneg is less comfortable to fire from the shoulder or the hip, as it does not have a handguard and the bipod is located too far forward to be used to hold the gun. However, the Pecheneg has sling swivels and can be fired from the hip using a sling and carrying handle to hold the gun.
In all other respects (action, feed, sights, stock) the Pecheneg is similar to modern PKM machine guns. It also retains the standard PKM mounting interface and therefore can be used from the same tripod, but it is always issued as a light machine gun (without tripod mount).
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
chambered for the 7.62 x 54 mm round. It is a modernised PK machine gun
PK machine gun
The PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service...
. The Pecheneg is said to be more accurate than all its predecessors due to a heavier, non-removable forced air cooling barrel with radial cooling ribs and a handle which eliminates the haze effect from hot gases and keeps the barrel cooler, making the weapon more reliable. Furthermore, the weapon is capable of mounting a telescopic sight
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
or other sights
Sight (device)
A sight is a device used to assist aligning or aim weapons, surveying instruments, or other items by eye. Sights can be a simple set or system of markers that have to be aligned together as well as aligned with the target...
which additionally increase accuracy. The military designation of the Pecheneg is 6P41 or 6P41N when fitted with a night vision sight. The Pecheneg is currently in use by Russian Army Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...
and other troops in small numbers.
The Pecheneg is named for the Pecheneg people, a warlike tribe of Turkic origin who lived in what later became steppes of Southern Russia and Ukraine. The Pecheneg is a standard 7.62x54R PKM machine gun without the rapid barrel-change option, and intended for use from an integral bipod as a squad support weapon. It can provide more sustained firepower than the standard-issue RPK-74
RPK
The RPK is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault/battle rifle...
, and the 7.62x54R cartridge offers a longer effective range and better penetration of light structures and improvised covers in urban and forest environments.
Design
The Pecheneg LMG can be considered as a modification of the PKM machine gun, but it is built for only one tactical role; that is, as a true squad-level light machine gun for mobile infantry and Spetsnaz troops. Its key difference from the parent design is the barrel, which is not intended to be replaced in the field (although it can be removed for inspection and maintenance). The barrel is somewhat heavier than that of the PKM, and has radial cooling ribs. This is enclosed in a steel jacket, which runs up to the muzzle to provide forced air cooling a-la Lewis machine gunLewis Gun
The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...
of the World War I era. Cooling air enters the jacket through oval windows at the rear of the jacket, and exits at the muzzle. Early versions of the Pecheneg had standard PKM-type flash hider, which resulted in a significant muzzle blast once the gun is warmed up; current production guns have a special flash hider that eliminates this issue. At the rear of the jacket there is a carrying handle permanently attached to it. This handle has a characteristic elongated profile, as it is also intended to protect the line of sight from mirages generated by the hot barrel. The manufacturer says that the Pecheneg can fire 600 rounds in continuous sustained fire without any danger to the barrel.
Another change from the parent design is the location of the integral, non-removable folding bipod which is placed near the muzzle. This feature is said to improve stability and long-range accuracy when firing from the bipod; but it also limits the arc of fire available without moving the position of bipod or shooter. Another consequence of such placement is that the Pecheneg is less comfortable to fire from the shoulder or the hip, as it does not have a handguard and the bipod is located too far forward to be used to hold the gun. However, the Pecheneg has sling swivels and can be fired from the hip using a sling and carrying handle to hold the gun.
In all other respects (action, feed, sights, stock) the Pecheneg is similar to modern PKM machine guns. It also retains the standard PKM mounting interface and therefore can be used from the same tripod, but it is always issued as a light machine gun (without tripod mount).
External links
- 7.62-mm "Petcheneg" Machine Gun - Design Bureau Website
- Modern Firearms
- warfare.ru - 7.62 Pecheneg Machine Gun