Lý Do PKM Vẫn Là Khẩu Súng Máy Đáng Sợ Nhất Sau Hơn 60 Năm

Currently in Ukraine the PKM is one of the top weapons used by the warring parties Not only the Moscow or Kiev government armies Even Western mercenaries really like this machine gun Although it was designed during the old digital era with a service life of more than 60 years it is still in the inventory of many countries Includes a few NATO members Military experts believe that PKM is like the king in the machine gun segment of Da Nang Why is that In 1955 the Soviet Union acquired a new 7.62 x 54 mm machine gun To replace the outdated SG-43 and RP-46 Both have strong firepower but have weight issues No one wants to drag along the old SG-43 tripod With wheels and a heavy shield weighing up to 41 kg RP-46 although significantly lighter still reaches 13kg In addition this is just a modified version of the DP rifle which had served throughout World War II The Soviet army needed a lighter weapon to align with the doctrine prioritizing mobility That is why the responsibility of developing the new machine gun was placed on the shoulders of two designers Grigory Nikitin and Yuri Sokolov In 1958 they introduced the PN-1 prototype Although it passed many tests But it still has problems when snow and water get into the piston system Although it was given a lot of time But Nikitin's group still could not resolve the issue thoroughly To accelerate progress The Soviet GRAU artillery quickly launched a machine gun design competition Mikhail Kalashnikov and his colleagues decided to participate Only after a short time they launched the PK prototype This gun does not have the problems that Nikitin and Sokolov's products have Moreover the internal components are also very easy to repair Most importantly this prototype weighs only about 9 kilograms Besides being more refined for Kalashnikov the PN-1 rifle caused an accident during testing Due to uneven recoil distribution He caused a soldier to get a bruise on his cheek Finally Kalashnikov and his colleagues won the design competition The new weapon fully meets the standards of the Red Army By 1961 the PK rifle began mass production Nearly a decade later the modernized PKM version was introduced Since then it has become one of the most widely used weapons Produced in the largest quantities in Western Europe Gradually PKM became available everywhere around the world through various channels The first thing that makes PKM highly rated is its lightweight It's hard to believe that a versatile machine gun weighing only 7.5 kilograms uses 7.62 x 54 mm ammunition Meanwhile rivals such as the M60 MG3 or FNMAG are 3 to 4 pounds heavier than the PKM Carrying them is no different than hauling three AK-47s on your back This causes the physical condition of soldiers to deteriorate rapidly if they have to march long distances thereby affecting their combat performance The M60 was especially favored by American soldiers who gave it the nickname "the pig" because it was too heavy to carry Reducing weight makes PKM as light as the FN Minimi a squad-level machine gun This provides amazing flexibility for the weapon from the deck During the battle Soldiers can easily carry it to favorable positions with one hand If you have to suppress the enemy immediately while moving the gunner just needs to raise the PKM to eye level and fire while standing When the V-shaped support extends backward this part becomes a grip helping soldiers hold the weapon securely Additionally The bottom of the magazine is also a grip position to help remove the gun To make PKM so lightweight that it can be easily fired while standing the design team did an excellent job in optimizing the weight The gun body is made from stamped steel and rivets instead of being machined as a single piece like its competitors Some components such as barrel guards or heat shields are not included in the design list Additionally The barrel and handle are made of pressed bear or synthetic material With these features the gun is not only light but also very easy to produce The moderate weight has always made the PKM the top choice of many rebel groups as well as experienced military units that require mobility Notably Kalashnikov not only created a light rifle but its durability is also extremely impressive According to weapon expert Vladimir Onokoi during testing an entire PK once fired 5 000 rounds consecutively In a state of oil shortage This is a note from the design team to test the durability of the gun under the harshest conditions They needed to show the army that this product can operate with high friction After the testing process The PK rifle fired a total of 30 000 rounds It's hard to believe that no part inside the gun was broken or deformed Even foreign versions showed surprising durability Engineers from the Zastava factory in Serbia said The 184 model they produce has a barrel life of up to 18 000 rounds The versatility of PKM is also demonstrated through its ability to operate in the harshest environments From deserts rainforests to icy regions The covers are arranged on the bolt magazine and the ejection port Prevents dirt from entering the shell This design helps PKM maintain long-term activity but with less interruption due to external influences Not only is it lightweight but this machine gun also uses a powerful 7.62 x 54R caliber Although they were created nearly 135 years ago they are still continuously being improved The current Russian main battle tank is using the standard 57N-323S ammunition for machine guns At 520 meters they generate over 3 200 J of kinetic energy and pierce a 6mm thick steel plate If the enemy is equipped with heavy armor and receives support from light mechanized vehicles PKM can also use the 7N-13 or 7BZ-3 segments They can penetrate a 6mm steel plate but from a longer distance up to more than 660 meters Most importantly both penetrated the infantry body armor at a distance of 800 meters Furthermore this gun has a firing rate of 600 to 800 rounds per minute Under such a machine gun no infantry or light vehicle is safe within its line of sight For machine guns a dense rate of fire is always the top priority Accuracy is not the top priority for this type of weapon Yet Kalashnikov made everyone rethink Unlike the standard AK which is often suspected of inaccuracy the PKM shows a completely different face With a 605mm barrel powerful ammunition and a solid midday drum It has the ability to shoot at targets from a distance of 800 to 1000 meters Some experienced shooters who are used to the rhythm can fire each round like a PKM turned into a battle rifle Despite the lack of a semi-automatic mode If fired in a volley the trajectory is also very straight and less scattered At 90 meters this gun has a 500-round circle of 5 cm It is quite good with a type of weapon used for rapid firing Notably its opponent the M249 performed much worse The American machine gun has a fairly high rate of fire at the same distance In Ukraine many cases have shown Russian soldiers using PKM machine guns to shoot down enemy drones As you can see here instead of running away when they spotted the drone They calmly raised their gun and fired a short burst Although it has many impressive features its long-range capability is the most notable strength of this weapon According to veteran Roland Bates who fought in Kosovo Many snipers used PKM machine guns with scopes to suppress the enemy from a distance of 800 meters He was shot while attacking the enemy's machine gun position in a narrow ravine Very few bullets hit Batesov's shoulder and did not cause serious injuries That day his entire unit halted their attack for half a day just because of a machine gun They had to wait for the tanks to arrive as reinforcement before they could continue advancing NATO infantry units fighting in Afghanistan also experienced the discomfort caused by the PKM In the process of hunting insurgents it's not always feasible to carry FN Mark or M240 for long-range shooting They will prioritize selecting lighter options such as the Minimi or M249 But they could not reach the Taliban groups equipped with PKM machine guns With an effective range of over 1000 meters the Soviet machine gun completely outclassed NATO infantry squads According to a Polish military document there was once a PKM attack on coalition forces at a distance of 2 500 meters However this is not about range effectiveness but this example still demonstrates its excellent long-range suppression capability Soldiers can further enhance the power of the gun by using a three-legged stand The stability and accuracy at that time would be significantly improved Just place it in a favorable position a resistor with PKM on the stand it has a high chance of holding back a much larger enemy force In addition the gun can be mounted on cars helicopters or armored vehicles enhancing the combat effectiveness of these vehicles PKM has a simple design that is very easy for soldiers to get used to It uses the long-stroke gas system and the characteristic rotating bolt of the Kalashnikov This is what appeared on the AK line and proved its high reliability However the Soviet designer only used 11 parts from the old invention not copying it entirely The components such as the bolt carrier recoil spring and gas tube are arranged in reverse compared to the AK The front part sight and handle of the PKM are very similar to its predecessor The operation of opening the barrel cover is also quite similar Most soldiers appreciated this simplicity They did not waste time getting used to switching between the two types of weapons Many people think that the PKM is just an inverted AK scaled up However this comment is not entirely correct Because they are born with different roles there will certainly be differences between the two types of weapons To ensure long-term reliability the PKM uses an open bolt instead of a closed one like the AK This allows air to circulate easily inside preventing it from becoming overly hot after hundreds of shots And in case the barrel becomes hot they need to be temporarily replaced That is why Klasnikov and his design team created a safe disassembly process The barrel is equipped with a handle allowing the shooter to easily pull it out It is very easy to assemble just open the cap slide the lock and remove it as you can see Refusing an action takes less than 10 seconds For experienced players this happens even faster The M60 a contemporary rival is outperformed by the PKM in terms of barrel replacement This part on the American machine gun is quite bulky and attached to the V-shaped stand They are not integrated with the book cover making disassembly very inconvenient After removing the safety the gunner must wear heat-resistant gloves grasp the hot barrel straight and pull it out At the E3 event the M60 finally received an improvement for this seemingly simple issue Along with the quick barrel change the reliable belt feed system also contributes to the PKM's sustained firing capability This machine gun can fire for a long time without jamming regardless of the length of the ammunition belt On the other hand the fussy M60 colleague often gets stuck due to a weak loading system If the ammunition belt sags and creates weight the gun will not be able to pull the next round into the chamber This is why sometimes it requires two soldiers to operate the tank One person shoots while the other uses their hands to hold the rope so it does not drift downward Providing supplies to the PKM is also very easy The gun uses a non-metallic belt that can be reused after firing With just a simple loading machine soldiers will fill them in 7 minutes If you don't want to use an excessively long cable the shooter can use boxes containing 100 rounds Also there is a larger species but they are very heavy suitable only for attaching to a three-legged stand or placing straight on the ground Although he is over 65 years old PKM continues to perform well in the modern combat environment Upgrades and accessories are continuously developed by the Russians to enhance the power of this machine gun With just a few modifications PKM can integrate new sights handles or muzzle devices The gun will be much lighter less recoil and easier to handle In addition some NATO countries also developed their own versions of this famous weapon line Examples include the UKM-2000 from Poland or the MGM-2 from Bulgaria They are not only equipped with accessory names but also converted to NATO standards to fit the same direction series Neuromania produces a limited edition for the rifle featuring a short barrel folding stock and a fixed wooden stock In Vietnam factory Z111 successfully produced this rifle under the name DL-7 along with various accessories It can be seen that through the changes in the countries PKM now wears new uniforms They provide great customization for the gunner adapting to various mission types In addition to regular upgrades there have been notable changes in the way PKM is used Many images show that this gun has been mounted on a drone to provide additional aerial firepower support It is also very suitable for ground unmanned vehicles This promises to open up new ways of combat helping to reduce the number of cyber soldiers in the future PKM remains one of the most widely used infantry weapons in the world No matter which side it is on the line it always serves its master well and earns the respect of its opponents Many experts believe that although AK is the most famous product of the class decode PKM has reached the level of harmony This machine gun is one of the few weapons that can fully combine power accuracy mobility and durability In its own section PKM is truly a very hard-to-overthrow king Even when many countries develop more advanced machine gun models It still maintains its position as the proven excellent features have stood the test of decades It will be a long time before it disappears from the hotspots of conflict around the world