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Top 10 best machine guns in the world.

A machine gun refers to a group or individual automatic small weapon, which, due to its design, can operate continuously mainly by using the energy of gases that escape from the barrel during a shot. Some machine gun models can use the energy generated by the recoil of the barrel. Typically, machine guns are equipped with a special tripod or other base, which keeps the automatic weapon stable during shooting.

People have been trying to invent a machine gun since ancient times. But the direct ancestor of modern machine guns is the mitrailleuse - a weapon with several barrels, equipped with a manual drive. As a rule, these old examples of the first machine guns were several rifles equipped with a special crankshaft mechanism, which was operated by a handle.

In 1962, Richard Jordan Gatling patented a multi-shot weapon - the Gatling gun. This machine gun was first used in the American Civil War. This weapon was equipped with a revolving barrel block and a manual drive. This design subsequently found its way into rapid-firing machine guns and cannons installed on combat aircraft and helicopters. This Gatling gun was also used in the Franco-Prussian wars of 1870 and 1871.

And what machine guns are among the most effective today, which is why many armies of the world fear them? Here are the top ten best machine guns in the world.

Let's bring them all together

A machine gun is a scary thing, especially if you are on the wrong side of it.
Appearing in its modern form in the 80s of the 19th century, it declared itself loudly on the battlefields of the First World War. The “Deadly Mowers” ​​and “Ladies of No Man’s Land” on both sides spent up to one hundred thousand rounds of ammunition on a machine gun and up to a million rounds on a machine-gun company in one attack, forever putting thousands of soldiers into the damp earth, who were trying to advance in dense chains in the old fashioned way. Let's start, as usual, from the stove - from the domestic GOST 28653-90, “Small arms. Terms and Definitions". There we are taught that a machine gun is “an automatic small weapon for long-term continuous shooting, the design of which provides for the use of a firing support.” In this case, “small arms” means weapons with a caliber of less than 20 mm.

The 20 mm caliber boundary between “strelkovka” and “artillery” (that is, artillery) is quite arbitrary and local. In Germany during the Second World War, this divide passed along the 30 mm caliber - and what we considered an automatic cannon of 20 mm caliber, “they” had a “machine gun”; that is, MaschinenGewehr (for example, 20 mm Oerlikon MG-FF).

MG FF with drum magazine

Now let’s take a look at GOST again and see what it offers regarding the classification of machine guns:

A light machine gun is the main method of shooting - resting the weapon on a bipod and resting the butt on the shoulder.

Easel machine gun - here provision is made for support on the machine, that is, on a certain structure that completely (or almost completely) relieves the shooter from perceiving the mass of the weapon and its recoil.

A single machine gun - can be used both as a manual and as an easel machine gun.

Tank machine gun - its design takes into account the requirements for installation and use on tanks and other armored vehicles.

There are others in GOST - for example, aircraft machine guns - but for now we will limit ourselves to ground use.

Minigun (Gatling M134)

Entered into service : 1960

Initial bullet speed: 869 meters per second

Sighting range: 500 meters

Firing rate: up to 6000 rounds per minute

The US Army Gatlin M134 machine gun model belongs to the M134 series of high-velocity machine guns. The weapon's design makes extensive use of a small 7.62mm barrel. The US Air Force model of the machine gun is called the GAU-2B/A, and the US Navy model is called the GAU-. Type 17/A. This rapid-fire machine gun has a maximum firing rate of up to 6,000 rounds per minute and is known as the world's fastest machine gun.

The machine gun was developed in the early 1960s by General Electric (now Lockheed Martin Ordnance Systems). The first machine gun had six barrels and was called the M61Al "Vulcan". Caliber - 5.56 mm (0.223 inches). Anything within a hundred meters can be penetrated by this weapon's ammunition. For the US Air Force, this weapon was redesigned and the 7.62 mm GAU-2 machine gun was developed, which was used on US Air Force light aircraft and helicopters. This weapon is incredibly powerful and was used extensively during the Vietnam War.

Modern life of machine guns

In the Western classification, heavy machine guns are often called “Heavy machine guns,” and this is absolutely true: modern 12.7 mm machine guns weigh about the same as the water-cooled Browning, Maxim or Vickers machine guns weighed, respectively. , were demoted to “medium” (Medium machine gun) before being retired altogether in the 1950s and 1960s.

Multi-barreled machine gun GAU-19/B

Today there is a weapons system that developed as a result of the Second World War, but confusion and vacillation still reign with the classification. In particular, in the USA there are at least two systems: based on technical properties and on the assigned tactical role. Just for example: the same 5.56-mm machine gun M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon - “automatic squad weapon”, also known as the Belgian FN Minimi, according to the domestic classification - “manual”) is defined locally as a “light machine gun” "(light machine gun) with a crew of two people and the possibility of use not only from a bipod, but also from a tripod machine. But at the same time it is also called an “automatic rifle” - when the crew generally consists of one person. Tactics rule!

M249 SAW machine gun

And that is not all. Let's take, for example, the domestic heavy machine gun "Kord". A healthy bandura, powerful, to the fear of enemies and to the joy of the crew. But it has the 6P57 variant, equipped with a stock and bipod, which means it’s quite manual, if you follow the letter of GOST.

Well, yes, 32 kilograms without ammunition, but tame, not completely wild!

And thank you that the box of cartridges (which is about 11 more kilograms for a belt of 50 cartridges) does not cling to the body of the machine gun, as on the manual version of the PKM (modernized Kalashnikov machine gun).

Machine gun "Kord" (photo: Vitaly Kuzmin)

Or, again, the Americans. Their latest toy is the Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG). In appearance, size and weight, it seems to be similar - about twenty meters in length and without cartridges about 11 kilograms on the bipod. On the other hand, the cartridge is no longer quite ordinary - .338 Norma Magnum, that is, 8.6 mm. At the same time, the cartridge is quite large, you can’t carry much on yourself. And the firing range is one and a half kilometers, like other large-caliber ones. True, they are in no hurry to buy it yet, but if you consider that the General Dynamics concern is behind the development, it is worth keeping a close eye on your hands - whether they are waiting for us behind the “light medium” machine gun “heavy medium” or even “medium medium”.

LWMMG machine gun

In general, complete confusion and vacillation. No “ordnung” and no respect for state standards!

RPK (Kalashnikov light machine gun)

Entered into service: 1959

Initial bullet speed: 745 meters per second

Sighting range: 1000 meters

Firing rate: up to 600 rounds per minute

RPK is an abbreviation for Kalashnikov Light Machine Gun. This is a light machine gun developed on the basis of the Kalashnikov assault rifle (AKM). The Kalashnikov light machine gun was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1959. The RPK differs from the AKM in many design features: an extended barrel, increased muzzle velocity, increased magazine capacity (to increase sustained firepower). The machine gun is also equipped with a folding bipod to improve shooting accuracy, and a sight with wind deflection adjustment. The RPK worked on the same principle as the Degtyarev light machine gun.

A turning point in the fate of light machine guns

The Soviet machine gun cartridge of the 1943 model, having intermediate characteristics between pistol and rifle ammunition, contributed to the rapid development of light assault weapons - machine guns. At the same time, there was a gradual decline in the role of light machine guns in the Soviet army. Russia started thinking about modernizing these weapons at the beginning of the 21st century.

More powerful than a machine gun, but weaker than a machine gun

Back in 1942, the Artillery Committee of the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) issued technical specifications for the development of a lightweight light machine gun. In the competition held in 1943, the RPS-44 designed by S.G. was recognized as the best. Simonov, which under the symbol 56-R-325 was accepted for mass production. However, Plant No. 622’s delay in releasing the first batch of machine guns for field testing, which were not ready by the beginning of May 1944, did not play into the hands of Simonov’s product.

It was in May 1944 that the first tests of automatic weapons chambered for the new intermediate cartridge of the 1943 model took place at the Small Arms Scientific Testing Range (NIPSVO). Initially it was assumed that this would be a “support weapon,” that is, an analogue of an automatic assault rifle. It was supposed to have a barrel no less than 500 mm long and a light bipod. Degtyarev and Simonov presented their designs to the competition, whose designs were recognized as the best. Considering that “automatic machines, by weight and design characteristics, belong to the group of light machine guns”

, their refinement continued in a separate category.

Thus, the GAU again returned to the topic of light machine guns, but with a new cartridge. As a result, the RPD, the V.A. model, was recognized as the best design of a light machine gun. Degtyarev under belt feeding with a non-replaceable barrel, which was significantly superior in combat accuracy.

By Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 2611-1033ss of June 18, 1949, the 7.62-mm cartridge of the 1943 model and weapons for it were adopted into service with the Soviet Army:

• Simonov self-loading carbine (SKS) instead of the 1944 model carbine;
• Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK) instead of submachine guns of the 1941 and 1943 model;
• Degtyarev light machine gun (RPD) instead of the DPM light machine gun.

The transition of light machine guns to a new, less powerful cartridge predetermined their future fate. The place of such a machine gun in a squad and platoon in the weapon system of the Soviet army remained unchanged. At the same time, its power decreased significantly, so the troops did not particularly like such a machine gun. Over time, the company RP-46 and battalion SGM were replaced by single PK machine guns, and the place of the RPD was taken by the Kalashnikov light machine gun (RPK), unified in production with AK assault rifles. With the adoption of the new caliber of 5.45 mm, the already considerable gap in power between light and single machine guns became even greater.

RPD light machine guns with belt feed and RPK with disk magazine Equipment and weapons, 2020-01

Today, the volume of orders for the production of light machine guns has decreased to minimum values.
The special forces units did not like the PKK. It is easier to see machine guns with magazines from light machine guns than light machine guns themselves. More often than others, RPKs are found in airborne units, as they are used in airborne combat vehicles (BMD) as course machine guns. In recent years, another search has begun for the appearance of a modern light machine gun. While the production of classic RPKs continues in Vyatskie Polyany, Izhevsk and Kovrov are already offering their own alternatives. Characteristics of light machine guns

Kovrovsky "Turner"

At the beginning of the 21st century in Russia the question of modernizing light machine guns again arose. The most popular foreign light machine gun today is the 5.56 mm Belgian FN Minimi, also known as the M249. Probably, when in 2011 the research and production association "Special Equipment and Communications" (STiS) of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs opened the "Tokar" development work (R&D) for the development of a 5.45-mm light assault machine gun, it was decided to go further, relying on experience of Western colleagues.

The first version of the "Turner" assumed the possibility of a variable rate of fire and a fairly impressive weight for a light machine gun (up to 6.5 kg). In addition to two barrel options (short and long), the machine gun required magazines for 60 and 90 rounds. At the same time, the set was supposed to have 4 pieces of each type, which would amount to 600 rounds of ammunition for one machine gun. In the absence of such magazines, the weapon could also use standard ones from the AK74 or RPK74. The life of each barrel must withstand 15,000 shots, and after firing 1,000 shots, prevent the cartridge from spontaneously igniting due to the heating of the weapon by shooting.

Why do you need a variable rate of fire? It turns out that a higher rate of fire when firing in short (up to 5 shots) and even long (up to 15 shots) bursts increases the accuracy of the battle. An example of such a two-rate domestic weapon is the Nikonov AN-94 assault rifle. In the double-firing mode, the AN-94 has a rate three times higher (1800 versus 600 rounds per minute) than when firing in bursts. This made it possible to achieve a significant advantage in firing efficiency over the AK74. At the same time, it was precisely the complication of the weapon’s design that did not allow Nikonov to displace Kalashnikov’s position.

Design and engineering center (PKC) of the Kovrov plant named after. Degtyarev (ZiD) became the only one who decided to take up the task of satisfying the police demands. By the time the R&D work was completed, the first prototype was ready, which probably contributed to the start of the new R&D work “Tokar-2” in 2016. The customer decided to abandon the variable rate of fire and changed the power system from a classic magazine to a combined one with the additional possibility of using tape.

Assault machine gun PR-5.45 zid.ru

It is worth noting that, along with Belgian gunsmiths, in the 70s, Soviet designers also developed weapons with combined power supply. In the USSR, research was carried out within the framework of the Poplin design and development work, for which several variants of such machine guns as PU, PU-1, PU-2 and PU-21 were consistently created in Izhevsk. The goal of the work was to increase the firing efficiency of a light machine gun by one and a half times. As a result, the results of the Poplin R&D did not impress the customer, and further activities on them were curtailed.

The new machine gun "Tokar-2" received the index PR-5.45 and the name "Kord-5.45", which clearly hints at Kovrov's priority in its development ("Kord" means "Kovrov Gunsmiths-Degtyarevtsy"), despite the open competition . The change in power supply entailed a change in the weapon's ammunition load. Now he was entitled to 6 magazines of 60 rounds each, as well as a belt with a total capacity of 700 rounds. Other parameters of the weapon have also changed slightly, and the maximum continuous firing of cartridges from the barrel has been reduced from 1000 to 250 shots.

PR-5.45 machine gun at the exhibition of STiS weapons during a meeting of the Ministry of Internal Affairs board on the results of 2022, February 2022 stis.mvd.rf

Despite all the difficulties, the development of the PR-5.45 in Kovrov was successfully completed. In 2018-2019, the assault machine gun was repeatedly demonstrated at various closed events and became the hallmark of ZiD advertising products. The final characteristics of the weapon have not yet been made public. Its own version of an assault machine gun, but chambered for 7.62×39, is being developed in Vyatskie Polyany by Molot-oruzhie LLC, which remains the main manufacturer of light machine guns in Russia.

Modernization of the RPK

Interest in modernizing light machine guns has not spared another Russian weapons luminary - the Tula Central Design and Research Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons (TsKIB SOO). In 2013, as part of the Vyuga-11 R&D project, the RPK74 was modernized there. The light machine gun received a tactical silencer, a mechanism for increasing the rate of fire, an ergonomic handle and a telescopic butt. The conclusion based on the results of the test program stated that “the prototype of the high-speed light machine gun chambered for the 5.45×39 mm OTs-81 cartridge with the lower position of the rate of fire translator passed the test.”

. As a result of the development work, TsKIB SOO received a government order, contracts for which, as the developer claims, are being successfully implemented. Judging by the name of the R&D project starting with the letter “B,” it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that the customer of the modernization is none other than the FSB of the Russian Federation. In parallel with this work, as part of other R&D projects in Tula, high-capacity magazines for 70 (OTs-87) and 75 rounds (OTs-103) were developed for light machine guns.

OTs-103 magazine for 75 rounds 5.45×39 TsKIB SOO

A wave of interest from security forces in new light machine guns was also noticed in the Kalashnikov Concern, which includes the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant, which produces Kalashnikov assault rifles. After the successful launch of the AK-12 into mass production in Izhevsk, it was logical to transfer the well-developed scheme for modernizing the AK to the RPK74 machine gun. So in the fall of 2015, the RPK400 appeared, which was demonstrated without unnecessary fanfare for special forces units during the IV Open Tactical Shooting Championship of the Federal Drug Control Service of Russia in Krasnoarmeysk near Moscow. It is expected that the RPK400 aroused, albeit cautious, but still interest from representatives of the special forces, who were able to try out the unexpected new product.

RPK400. Photo by the author

In 2016, at the Army forum, the machine gun, having undergone minor changes, was presented to the general public as the RPK-16. According to the manufacturer, the RPK-16 is nothing more than a deep modernization of the RPK74 and its adaptation to modern requirements. Indeed, all the new and successful solutions used in the Izhevsk AK-12 assault rifle have taken root on the light machine gun. This includes an adjustable stock, a forend with Picatinny rails, and ergonomic fire controls.

The RPK-16 is based on the receiver from the RPK74. The machine gun barrel has two options: a light one with a length of 370 mm and a heavy one with a length of 550 mm. The long barrel weighs just over 1 kg and is made from 38МХА steel in Vyatskie Polyany. The barrel rifling is polygonal right-handed with a pitch of 195 mm. Another feature of the system is a new drum magazine with 96 rounds of ammunition, which claims to be the most capacious serial domestic magazine.

RPK-16 at the Army 2016 forum. Photo by the author

Initially, the Izhevsk product was supposed to participate in the Tokar-2 development work. However, as with the machine gun story, it was decided to go their own way and dictate the terms themselves. Belt power never appeared on the RPK-16. But Kalashnikov managed to convince the Russian Ministry of Defense to carry out experimental military operation of its product in 2019 in the hope of receiving a government order for the supply of machine guns to the army. Based on the RPK-16, another Izhevsk novelty was presented in 2022 - the AK-308 assault rifle chambered for a 7.62x51 mm rifle cartridge. Thus, in less than a decade, designers were able to breathe life into a gradually dying type of domestic weapon.

Sources and literature:

1. Encyclopedia of Kovrov weapons 1918-1966. M. - 2012
2. Shooting manual. 7.62 mm Degtyarev light machine gun (RPD). M.: Voenizdat - 1957
3. Shooting manual. 7.62 mm Kalashnikov light machine gun (RPK and RPKS). M.: Voenizdat - 1964

American heavy machine gun Browning M2HB (Browning М2HB)

Entered into service: 1933

Initial bullet speed: 800-895 meters per second

Sighting range: 1830 meters

Rate of fire: up to 485-635 (M2HB) (military), 750-850 (M2) (aviation), 1200 (M3) (aviation) rounds per minute

The American Browning M2HB machine gun began to be developed at the end of the First World War and was finally released in 1932. In 1921, the first prototype was named Browning M1921. During test firing, it was discovered that the M2HB machine gun's barrel was too thin, causing it to overheat as the machine gun fired too quickly.

As a result, by 1932, Browning developed a different barrel for the machine gun, and also made many other design changes.
This is how the Browning machine gun appeared, which was called the Browning M2HB. Based on it, various modifications of the machine gun were developed over time, including tank automatic weapons, as well as weapons for aviation. see also

What happens if you shoot 700 bullets from a machine gun: Video

Czechoslovakian machine gun ZB26 7.92 mm

Entered into service: 1924

Initial bullet speed: 744 meters per second

Sighting range: 1000 meters

Firing rate: up to 500 rounds per minute

This weapon was developed in 1924 by the Czechoslovak arms company, which belonged to the Czech weapons designer Vaclav Holek. The machine gun was developed taking into account the design principles of the French Haqi Kais machine gun and the American Browning machine gun. Gunsmith Vaclav Holek used the advantages of these two types of weapons to create his machine gun, which makes the ZB26 machine gun one of the most famous in the world. The machine gun was designed for the German 7.92x57 mm cartridge. In 1926, the machine gun was adopted by the Czechoslovak army and was also sold to 24 countries around the world.

Degtyarev light machine gun (DP)

Entered into service: 1928

Initial bullet speed: 840 meters per second

Sighting range: 1500 meters

Firing rate: up to 500-600 rounds per minute

The Degtyarev DP and DPM light machine guns of 7.62 caliber were developed in our country during the Soviet Union by the Russian Soviet designer Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev.

The machine gun began to be developed in 1923, and already in 1924 it underwent successful shooting tests, where the weapon was highly praised by a special commission. In 1927, the first pre-production batch of machine guns was manufactured, which were transferred for military testing. At the end of the same year, based on the results of successful tests, a decision was made to accept the weapon for service.

This machine gun played an important role during the Great Patriotic War. Due to its characteristics and simplicity of design, the machine gun could operate in any field conditions. But, like any machine gun of those years, there were problems. Thus, it was discovered that after continuous firing, the barrel became very hot; this caused heating of the input spring located under the barrel, which affected the normal operation of the weapon. As a result, it was decided to make changes to the design of the machine gun. The spring was moved to the tail of the machine gun. The new weapon was called the DPM (modernized Degtyarev light machine gun 1944).

see also

How good was the military equipment of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War?

Machine guns | USSR

Machine gun Maxim.1910/30

The Maxim machine gun model 1910 was a modernized version of the British Maxim machine gun converted to a 7.62x54 mm cartridge and was produced from 1910 to 1939 and from 1941 to 1945. In 1930, another modernization of the weapon was carried out . A folding butt plate was installed on the weapon, a new safety lock was located on the trigger, and the sight was changed. A buffer holder for the shield was attached to the machine gun casing. The filling hole was enlarged and a tap was made for the drain hole. The machine gun was named the 7.62 heavy machine gun of the Maxim system, model 1910/30. In October 1941, the machine gun underwent a final modernization, during which it was equipped with a simplified sighting device with one sighting bar instead of two, which were previously replaced depending on light shooting or a heavy bullet.. In the barrel water cooling casing for quick water changes, the small diameter water filling hole was replaced with a wide neck. Soldiers often removed the armor shield from the machine gun, thereby trying to increase maneuverability and achieve less visibility. For camouflage, in addition to camouflage coloring, covers were put on the casing and shield of the machine gun. In winter, the Maxim was mounted on skis, sleds or a drag boat, from which they fired. Machine guns were also mounted on light Willys or GAZ-64 jeeps.

The machine gun was an automatic weapon with a water-cooled barrel. The barrel casing is made of steel, most often corrugated. The automatic machine gun used the recoil of the barrel during its short stroke. The spent cartridges were thrown forward from the weapon, under the barrel. The cartridges were fed from the belt, from right to left. The machine gun allowed only automatic fire from a closed bolt. To control fire, the machine gun had a pair of vertical handles located on the buttplate of the receiver, and a release button located between the handles. The machine gun was equipped as standard with a rack-mounted sight, and additionally with an optical sight with a 2x magnification. For the machine gun, a wheeled machine of the Sokolov system was used, equipped with a steel protective shield (weighing about 11 kg). The machine allowed firing only at ground targets. Captured machine guns were used in Bulgaria, Poland and Finland. The machine guns captured by the Wehrmacht were used under the designation "MG 216(r)". A total of 48 thousand machine guns of the 1910 model and 627 thousand of the 1910/1930 and 1941 model were produced. Performance characteristics: caliber - 7.62 mm; length – 1067 mm; barrel length – 721 mm; stroke width – 505 mm; weight on the machine without water – 66 kg; weight of a box with 250 cartridges - 9.88 kg; initial bullet speed – 740 m/s; casing capacity – 4 liters; rate of fire - 600 rounds per minute; firing range - 3.9 km.

Light machine gun Maxim-Tokarev (MT)

The machine gun was created on the basis of the Maxim heavy machine gun and was produced in 1925-1928. It differed from the prototype in the presence of air cooling, a bipod and a wooden stock. A total of 2,450 pieces were produced. Machine gun performance characteristics: caliber – 7.62 mm; length – 1330 mm; barrel length – 655 mm; weight – 12.9 kg; ammunition supply – belt for 100 or 250 rounds of 7.62x54 mm; initial bullet speed – 800 m/s; rate of fire - 600 rounds per minute; maximum firing range – 2 km.

M-4 anti-aircraft machine gun mount

The installation was a quadruple version of the "Maxim" model 1910 and was produced since 1931. It differed from the usual "Maxim" by the presence of a device for forced circulation of water and a larger capacity of machine gun belts - for 1000 rounds instead of the usual 250. Using anti-aircraft ring sights, the installation was able to conduct effective fire at low-flying enemy aircraft (at an altitude of up to 1400 m at a speed of up to 500 km/h). Paired installations are also known. The M-4 was used as a stationary, self-propelled and ship-based anti-aircraft installation, and was installed in the bodies of cars, armored trains, railway platforms, and on the roofs of buildings. M-4s were often used to support infantry. Performance characteristics of the installation: weight - 64.3 kg; length 1067 mm; barrel length – 721 mm; rate of fire - 1,200 -2,000 rounds per minute.

Aviation machine gun PV-1

Anti-aircraft gun based on PV-1 on a Sokolov machine

Anti-aircraft gun based on PV-1

The air-cooled PV-1 aircraft machine gun was developed in 1926-1927. based on the “Maxim model 1910” and was produced in 1927-1940. It differed from the prototype in the absence of water cooling, armor shield, and also had a shortened barrel. The machine gun was installed in both single and twin versions on the following aircraft: I-2, I-3, I-4, I-7, I-14, I-15, I-16, R-5, TB-1, U-2 and others. Since 1940, machine guns began to be used in built-in Tokarev anti-aircraft installations (626 units). In addition, machine guns not used in aviation were installed on wheeled machines (3 thousand pieces). A total of 18 thousand units were produced. Machine gun performance characteristics: length – 1150 mm; barrel length – 721 mm; weight – 14.5 kg; initial bullet speed – 800 – 865 m/s; rate of fire - 750 rounds per minute; effective firing range is 1.4 km, ammunition supply is a belt for 200 - 600 rounds of 7.62x54 mm cartridges.

DS-39 machine gun

The machine gun was put into service in 1939 under the name “DS-39”. The automatic machine gun operated by diverting powder gases into the gas chamber. The gas piston had a long stroke. The gas chamber had a pipe. The original feature of the machine gun was its double rate of fire - against ground targets it reached 600 rounds per minute, against air targets 1200 rounds per minute. The machine gun's replaceable barrel was equipped with a conical flame arrester and transverse fins. A folding handle on the barrel was used to carry the machine gun and make it easier to change the barrel. The machine gun was equipped with a folding frame sight with scales for heavy and light bullets. The controls were a trigger lever and two buttplate handles, made like a Maxim machine gun. Degtyarev's tripod folding machine which allowed firing only at ground targets. Shooting was carried out from kneeling or prone positions. An armored shield with a window for using an optical sight could be installed on the machine. There was a special machine for anti-aircraft shooting. In July 1941, production was discontinued due to the impossibility of eliminating many design flaws. The machine guns captured by the Wehrmacht served under the designation MG-218(r). In total, by the beginning of the war, 10.3 thousand machine guns were fired. Machine gun performance characteristics: caliber – 7.62 mm; total length – 1440 mm; machine gun length - 1170 mm; barrel length – 723 mm; number of grooves – 4; machine gun weight - 14.3 kg; machine weight – 28 kg; ammunition - belt for 250 rounds of 7.62x54 mm; initial bullet speed – 860 m/s; rate of fire - 600 or 1200 rounds per minute; sighting range - 3 km.

DP-27 light machine gun

DPM light machine gun

The light machine gun "DP" (Degtyarev, infantry) was put into service in 1927. It had a quick-change barrel, partially hidden by a protective casing and equipped with a conical removable flame arrester. Ammunition was supplied from flat disc magazines, in which the cartridges were arranged in one layer, with bullets towards the center of the disc. This ensured a reliable supply of cartridges and at the same time had a number of disadvantages: large dead weight of the magazine, inconvenience in transportation and the tendency of magazines to be damaged in combat conditions. The machine gun allowed only automatic fire. There was no conventional safety; instead, an automatic safety was located on the handle, which turned off when the hand covered the neck of the butt. The fire was fired from fixed folding bipods. In 1944, the machine gun was modernized and received the designation DPM. The main differences of the DPM were the return spring moved to the rear of the receiver, a pistol grip fire control, a conventional non-automatic safety and a more durable bipod with a modified attachment to the barrel casing. The machine gun could be mounted on M-722 motorcycles. The machine guns captured by the Wehrmacht served under the designation “7.62-mm leichte Maschinengewehr 120(r)”). A total of 795 thousand machine guns of both modifications were produced. Machine gun performance characteristics: caliber – 7.62 mm; length – 1266 mm; barrel length – 604 mm; weight without magazine - 8.4 kg; weight with loaded magazine - 11.3 kg; magazine capacity – 47 rounds of 7.62x54 mm; initial bullet speed – 840 m/s; rate of fire - 600 rounds per minute; sighting range – 1.5 km, maximum – 2.5 km.

Tank machine gun DT-29

The DT tank machine gun was put into service in 1929 and was a modification of the DP-27 light machine gun. A tank machine gun is the main automatic small arms of tanks, armored vehicles and self-propelled guns, used for shooting at ground targets. Instead of a wooden butt, a retractable metal one was installed. The machine gun was mounted on a ball mount, which made it easy to aim the machine gun in horizontal and vertical planes. The machine gun was also equipped with a canvas casing catcher. The machine gun is fed during firing from a specially designed three-row magazine with a capacity of 63 rounds. The DT machine gun was equipped with 15 magazines. The DT had a removable bipod, so it was often used by crews of damaged armored vehicles as a light machine gun. There are known cases of arming linear infantry units with them. The DT was also popular in airborne units for its more compact size and lighter weight. In 1944, the recoil spring was modified and the machine gun received the designation DTM. The machine gun was installed on all types of armored vehicles. In total, about 345 thousand units were produced. Machine gun performance characteristics: caliber – 7.62 mm; barrel length – 1250 mm; barrel length – 604 mm; weight – 10 kg; rate of fire - 600 rounds per minute.

Aviation machine gun YES

Aviation machine gun DA-2

The DA (Degtyarev Aviation) aviation machine gun was developed in 1928 on the basis of the DP machine gun. The casing was removed from it, and the butt was replaced with two handles - an upper wooden handle with a rubber lining, which was attached with two screws to the tail bracket of the rear lug of the trigger frame, and a lower metal pistol-type welded to the rear lug of the frame. In 1930, the DA-2 coaxial aircraft machine gun entered service. In fact, these were two YES machine guns connected together with minor modifications. Machine guns were installed on R-5, U-2, TB-3 aircraft. The weight of the coaxial machine gun with loaded magazines was 25 kg. The distance between the axes of the barrel channels is 193 mm. Installation length - 1140 mm, width - 300 mm, magazine capacity - 60 rounds. In total, about 1,200 machine guns were fired.

DShK-38 heavy machine gun in infantry version

DShK-38 heavy machine gun on an anti-aircraft tripod

The heavy machine gun was developed on the basis of the “DK” machine gun, which was withdrawn from service in 1934. In 1937-1938, the prototype was modified and in 1939 it was put into service under the designation “12.7-mm heavy machine gun model 1938 DShK ( Degtyarev-Shpagina large-caliber).

DShK-38 triple anti-aircraft version

DShK-38 in an anti-aircraft installation on an armored train

The automatic machine gun operated by removing powder gases. The entire length of the barrel is finned for better cooling; a single-chamber active-type muzzle brake is attached to the muzzle of the barrel. Initially, the barrel was equipped with a “parachute-shaped” active-type muzzle brake, later - a flat one. The trigger mechanism allowed only automatic fire. The tape feeder was made in the form of a drum with six open chambers. For firing at ground targets, a folding frame sight was used, and for aircraft, an anti-aircraft ring sight was used. The machine gun was used from a universal machine gun of the Kolesnikov system. The machine was equipped with removable wheels and a steel shield, and when using a machine gun as an anti-aircraft wheel, they were removed and the rear support was spread apart to form a tripod. In addition to the machine gun, the machine gun was used in turret installations, on remote-controlled anti-aircraft installations, on ship pedestal installations, both in single, twin, and triple versions. The machine guns captured by Germany were used under the designation MG-286(r). Until the end of the war, 46.1 thousand machine guns were fired. Machine gun performance characteristics: caliber – 12.7 mm; machine gun length - 1625 mm; machine gun length on the machine – 2600 mm; barrel length – 1070 mm; machine gun weight - 33.5 kg; weight with belt on the machine (without shield) - 148 kg; rate of fire - 500 - 600 rounds per minute; ammunition - belt for 50 rounds of 12.7x108 mm; initial bullet speed – 870 m/s; armor penetration - 16 mm at a distance of 500 m; effective firing range - 2 km; sighting range – 3.5 km; height of fire zone – 1.8 km; calculation – 2 people.

SG-43 heavy machine gun with shield

SG-43 heavy machine gun without shield

The machine gun was developed in 1943 at the Kovrov Machine Gun Plant under the designation “7.62mm heavy machine gun designed by Goryunov arr. 1943" or SG-43. It had a quick-change barrel with a handle. Intensive burst shooting is possible up to 500 rounds, after which it was necessary to replace or cool the barrel. On SG-43 machine guns the barrel is smooth on the outside, on SGM machine guns it has longitudinal valleys to facilitate and improve heat transfer. The machine gun was used from a wheeled machine gun designed by Degtyarev, and later from an infantry tripod machine gun.

An angular sight could be installed on the machine gun. The following options were produced: SGM - modernized machine tool, installed on a wheeled or tripod machine; SGMB - armored personnel carrier, mounted on the front, side or rear bracket of an armored personnel carrier; The SGMT is a tank type, mounted inside the tank turret on the gun cradle bracket and equipped with an electric trigger. Until the end of the war, over 80 thousand units were produced. Machine gun performance characteristics: caliber – 7.62 mm; machine length – 1300 mm; length – 1150 mm; barrel length – 720 mm; number of barrel rifling – 4; machine gun weight - 13.8 kg, 36.9 kg - on a wheeled machine, 27.7 kg - on a tripod machine; ammunition supply – belt for 200 or 250 rounds of 7.62x54 mm; initial bullet speed – 800 – 865 m/s; rate of fire - 500 -700 rounds per minute; target firing range - 2 - 2.3 km.

Aviation machine gun ShKAS

Twin turret machine gun ShKAS

Single turret machine gun ShKAS

The Shpitalny-Komaritsky aviation rapid-fire machine gun was put into service in 1932 and was produced in three versions: turret, wing-mounted and synchronous. The turret version was installed on the Il-4, Pe-8, TB-4, TB-3, Er-2, DB-3, SB, U-2, R-5 and others. The wing version was installed on I-16 fighters and Il-2 attack aircraft, and the synchronous version was installed on I-16, I-153, LAGG-3, Yak-1, Yak-7 fighters. Machine guns were also installed on torpedo boats G-5 and D-3. The automatic machine gun operated to remove part of the powder gases. The trigger mechanism ensures only continuous fire. The machine gun was equipped with a flag-type fuse. The cartridges were fed from a metal link detachable tape. The high rate of fire in the machine gun was achieved due to the short stroke of the moving parts of the automation and the combination of a number of reloading operations. Special aviation cartridges were made for the machine gun. In 1936, a mechanical pairing of ShKAS machine guns was developed, in which the total rate of fire of the two machine guns was increased to 6 thousand rounds per minute. In 1939, the UltraShKAS turret machine gun was created with a rate of fire of 2800 - 3000 rounds per minute. A total of 151.5 thousand pieces were produced. Machine gun performance characteristics: caliber – 7.62 mm; length - 1200 mm; weight – 9.8 – 2.6 kg; ammunition - belt for 250 rounds of 7.62x54 mm; initial bullet speed – 775 – 880 m/s; rate of fire - 1650 - 1800 rounds per minute.

ShVAK heavy-caliber aviation machine gun

The ShVAK (Shpitalny-Vladimirov aviation large-caliber) machine gun was developed on the basis of the ShKAS machine gun and put into service in 1934. The machine gun was manufactured in wing, turret, synchronous and motor versions. A total of 92 units were produced and production ceased in 1936. Machine gun performance characteristics: caliber – 12.7 mm; length – 1726 mm; barrel length – 1246 mm; number of barrel rifling – 8; weight – 40 kg; ammunition - 12.7x108 mm; initial bullet speed – 810 – 830 m/s; rate of fire - 700 - 800 rounds per minute; armor penetration at a distance of 350 m - 20 mm.

Aviation machine gun UBK (wing)

Aviation machine gun UBT (turret)

The UB (universal Berezina) machine gun was put into service in 1941 and was produced in three modifications depending on the installation location: UBS (synchronous - for firing through planes of rotation), UBK (wing-mounted), UBT (turret-mounted).
The main parts and mechanisms of all three versions of the machine gun were the same, with the exception of the trigger and impact mechanisms, to which some changes were made due to the specifics of their use. The synchronized machine gun was installed on the I-15, I-153BS, Yak-1b, Yak-3, Yak-7b, Yak-9, MiG-3 and LaGG-3 fighters. The rear machine gun was installed on the Pe-2 bomber and the UTI MiG-15 training aircraft. The Berezin turret machine gun was installed on the SB, Pe-2, Er-2, Il-2, Tu-2, Il-4 and Pe-8 bombers. The automatic machine gun operated using the energy of gases removed from the barrel. To ensure reliable tape feeding, the return spring was made multi-core. A total of 131.3 thousand machine guns were fired. Machine gun performance characteristics: caliber – 12.7 mm; length – 1347 – 1397 mm; weight – 21 kg; initial bullet speed – 700 – 1050 m/s; rate of fire - 814 - 850 rounds per minute. Share to:

HK21 general purpose machine gun

Years of production: 1961 – early 2000s

Initial bullet speed: 800 meters per second

Sighting range: up to 1200 meters

Firing rate: up to 800 rounds per minute

The NK21 series of German machine guns was developed by Heckler & Koch. This weapon model was based on the German NK G3 automatic rifle. As a result, 48% of the HK21 machine gun parts can be interchanged with the G3 rifle parts. The HK21 general purpose machine gun is the earliest model of this series of weapons. This machine gun can be used for both single shots and continuous shooting. The design feature of the machine gun is that when the shooting stops, overheating of the barrel and other parts of the weapon does not allow other bullets to spontaneously ignite.

American M249 SAW machine gun

Entered into service: 1984

Initial bullet speed: 925-975 meters per second

Sighting range: 600 m (bipod-single targets), 800 m (tripod-single targets), 800 m (bipod-group targets), 1000 m (tripod-group targets)

Firing rate: up to 700-1150 rounds per minute

The M249 machine gun, also known as the XM249, is an automatic weapon based on the FNMinimi light machine gun. The M249 SAW is a variant of the upgraded FNMinimi machine gun and has a caliber of 5.56 x 45 mm. The M249 machine gun is manufactured by FN Manufacturing, an American subsidiary of the Belgian company FN Herstal.

The machine gun began to be developed in 1966, but entered service only in 1984. Currently, production of the machine gun continues.

MG-42 machine gun

Entered into service: 1942

Initial bullet speed: 750-1000 meters per second

Sighting range: 400-1000 meters

Firing rate: up to 800-1500 (depending on the shutter used) rounds per minute

The MG-42 is a German general purpose machine gun that was used by Germany during World War II and on Russian soil during World War II. The weapon was developed by Metall-und Lackwarenfabrik Johannes Großfuß in 1942. MG-42 is an abbreviation for the German word Maschinengewehr 42, which means “automatic pistol” (“Maschinen” - “automatic”; “gewehr” - “pistol”). The machine gun was supposed to replace the MG-34 machine gun.

But, despite this, both machine guns were used and produced until the end of the war. The MG-42 machine gun had a caliber of 7.92 mm. Its main feature is its high rate of fire. For this, the machine gun received many different nicknames: “Bone Cutter”, “Hitler’s Saw”, “Emga”, “Krestovik”.

At the end of the war, Germany produced about 423.6 thousand MG-42 machine guns. In the 1950s, Germany improved the machine gun chambered for the NATO 7.62 × 51 mm caliber cartridge, renaming it MG1.

Another important modification of the MG42 machine gun is the MG3.

see also

New military trucks

US Browning M1918A2 machine gun (Browning M1918)

Entered into service: 1918

Initial bullet speed: 860 meters per second

Sighting range: 91.44-1371.6 meters

Firing rate: up to 500-650 rounds per minute

The Browning M1918 is an automatic rifle or light machine gun that is designed by John Moses Browning. This weapon has an air-cooled barrel, gas-operated automatics and a cartridge magazine. The first version used .30-06 Springfield (7.62x63mm) cartridges. This weapon was created in 1917 by John Browning.

The M1918 machine gun was developed for infantrymen. For example, with this weapon it is easier to go on the attack. The fact is that the machine gun could be carried on a belt. But the main thing is that it could be fired from the hip. But in practice, the Americans used this machine gun mainly from the ground - from a stationary position (the machine gun was mounted on a bipod - a special tripod). This weapon showed itself most clearly in World War II and, of course, during the Vietnam War. At the end of the 1950s, the machine gun gradually began to be removed from service, replacing it with the new M60 machine gun, and then the M249.

Signature taste of weapons steel

Historically, the first machine guns (Maxim, Schwarzlose, Hotchkiss) were easel. At first, they used installations similar to artillery carriages in the armies and pedestal installations in the navy. However, already in the first decade of the 20th century, light machine guns appeared, which were also called “machine guns” (Fusil Mitraileur in French, Machine Rifle in English).

Soldiers with a Madsen machine gun

The first “handbrake” systems of Madsen and Hotchkiss fully fell under the modern definition of a machine gun, but contemporaries included both the Fedorov submachine gun (better known as the “Fedorov assault rifle”) and “assault” (automatic rifles) into the same class of “machine guns.” Shosh and Browning.

They tried to imagine them as machine guns solely out of despair.

The Germans, however, decided to go their own Teutonic path and called their light machine gun “light” (leichtes Maschinengewehr), or briefly - lMG (not to be confused with LMG, aviation Luft MaschinenGewehr). Of course, the lightness of the German Spandau MG 08/15 was quite conditional: twenty kilos with water for cooling and without cartridges. On the other hand, a regular easel MG 08 weighed almost 70 kilos with the machine and water. So since the officer said “easy,” it means “easy.”

German soldier with MG 08/15 machine gun

Having two different machine guns in the army is a troublesome matter, the same Germans decided. Therefore, you need to create one universal one, which, of course, would be too heavy as a “light” one and too light as an easel one. The concept was called briefly, with the signature flavor of weapons steel - Einheitsmaschinengewehr, and they even managed to assemble several prototypes under the symbol MG 16 before the Kaput came to the Kaiser along with the Treaty of Versailles.