Kalashnikov machine gun prototype review

One of the most widespread machine guns in the world is the Kalashnikov machine gun in its various modifications. It is easy to maintain, reliable, has an impressive rate of fire and efficiency. Today's line of Kalashnikov machine guns is well known. But about what were the prototypes of this weapons, not everyone knows.

The Kalashnikov channel presents one of the first prototypes of this brand's machine gun (PK) - a prototype numbered EF-01. The head of the funds department of the military-historical museum of artillery Ruslan Chumak tells about him.

A characteristic feature of the sample considered in the video is the milled receiver. All subsequent PC models had a stamped receiver, which ensured mass production of machine guns.

In the muzzle of the barrel there is a bell-type flame arrester, the bipod mount is located on the gas (gas) tube. The receiver has a special window for receiving machine-gun belts.

Full review on the Kalashnikov channel:

Comments

[Insurgent]

In the muzzle of the barrel is a flame arrester type bell

Which later "migrated" to the PKT tank machine gun, and the "rasstrub" itself, is a creative borrowing from the Goryunov SG-43 easel machine gun (SGM, SGMB, SGMT) ..

[mat-vey]

Quote: Insurgent

and the "rasstrub" itself is a creative borrowing from the Goryunov SG-43 heavy machine gun (SGM, SGMB, SGMT) ..

Like DP-27 even before the light came ...

[Insurgent]

Quote: mat-vey

Like DP-27 even before the light came ...

Yes, the flamegas from DP-27 is threaded for the PC (M), but since I don't know any other design details about its "bell", and also because the PC in the troops was replaced by the SG (and RPD ), then he wrote that the flame arrester from the machine gun Goryunov ...

[mat-vey]

I just mean that a very "classic" and simple design was used in Schwarzlose machine guns from 1905 ...

[beeper]

I like calm "stories with a show" of the respected Ruslan Chumak (with his appearance and manner of conversation he reminds me of my brother )!
But there is two good wishes!
The first is more light in the videoso that you don't have to look at a sample of weapons in the gloomy "intimate twilight"! In addition, it would become possible to place drawings, diagrams and photos of the most important units and details in the background and periphery of the "video picture", for greater clarity of the "lesson" ?!

Second, even such a short video episode should have its own "zest-enticement"!
In this case, when disassembling the PC, it could be a "passing story" of a clearly visible copying groove on the PC bolt carrier - after all, a competent museum worker and an extraordinary engineer of the Kalashnikov design bureau, who loves his weapons business, could recall (vividly described by MTK itself in its memoirs) about such a competitive advantage of the Nikitin machine gun during the competition period as a powerful tape drive (I am writing from memory, at the request of the military, the machine guns being developed had to uninterruptedly "pull from the ground" a 1,5-meter long tape filled with cartridges)
And the Kalashnikov prototype at first had problems with this - it "did not reach" the tape (as it turned out, due to the energy loss of the recoil parts for friction in the "copier groove" of the bolt carrier).
But with the introduction of an additional part into the tape drive mechanism (at the copy "end" of the feed lever) - a rotating steel roller (well known to all PC machine gunners ) this problem was successfully overcome by the Kalashnikovites, which (along with the unresolved "fear of the" Tula "serial prototype" machine gun ) finally tipped the scales in favor of the future PK-Machine Gun Kalashnikov, as we know it!

It was possible, of course, to briefly "walk" through the heavy ribbed barrel of the "Goryunovsky type" presented on the prototype, which then remained only on the PKT (until now, many decades later, I clearly remember the designation of the steel grade "30 KMVFA ").

So it would be, with an optimistic full light and curious nuances of the history of creation (for "full gestalt" ), it seems to me, it would be better to watch a video from the respected (and very, externally and internally, intelligent) gunsmith Ruslan Chumak!
IMHO

[Insurgent]

Quote: pishchak

at the request of the military, the machine guns being developed had to continuously "pull from the ground" a 1,5-meter long tape filled with cartridges)
And the Kalashnikov prototype at first had problems with this - it "did not reach" the tape (as it turned out, due to the energy loss of the recoil parts for friction in the "copier groove" of the bolt carrier).
But with the introduction into the tape drive mechanism (at the copy "end" of the feed lever) an additional part - a rotating steel roller (well known to all PC machine gunners), this problem was successfully overcome by the Kalashnikovites, which (along with the unresolved "fear of the Tula" serial prototype "machine gun ) finally tipped the balance in favor of the future PK-Machine Gun Kalashnikov

Yes, it’s great , so that sometimes it tears the tape ...

[Undecim]

(Until now, many decades later, I clearly remember the designation of the steel grade "30 HMVFA" engraved on these barrels).
The memory is failing you. If it was knocked out, then either 30XH2MFA or something like that.

[beeper]

Dear comrade Undecim, I always carefully and with great interest read your (reliable and very informative ) Comments and I am impressed by your scrupulous approach to the topic - time and energy-consuming Perfectionism with a capital letter, because I myself was so meticulous once, but now I cultivate "healthy indifference (so," a little devil-may-care ", it's easier to live - torn nerves and my heart is whole, at the sight of the incessant collapse and wrecking of our Little Motherland under the pretext of allegedly "rozbudovy nezalezhnisti") "!

Those corrugated machine-gun barrels "Goryunovsky type" from PKT, which I personally held in my hands 40 years ago, had the marking "30KhMVFA" that surprised me as a designer and mechanical engineer, that is, steel barrels, along with ~ 0,3% carbon , also contained ~ 1% each: chromium, molybdenum, vanadium and tungsten, without any nickel-H!
Apparently, nevertheless, they made such a batch — I don’t remember, maybe the seats on the barrels of the Goryunovsky SG and the Kalashnikov PC were unified (like cartridge strips), maybe they were very early or experimental barrels, why they stamped the steel mark on them, because it’s has always been the secret of the gunsmiths, and she does not say anything to the combatants ?!
This is how much I still remember the marking of alloy structural steel (after all, for my work, for 25 years now, a thorough knowledge of steels is no longer required, since, alas, in our post-Soviet very degraded, almost single, production with selective, or even individual , assembling, I have to work with that fragile Ukrainian assortment that is still being produced here, or the occasional Soviet one that still comes to hand, helps out experience, I try it with emery "for a spark" and, accordingly, I use, somehow, even a whole bar of Soviet steel P18 was caught, so, to celebrate, I made taps with small and left-hand threads from it, because now even in centralized stores and at car markets, even for a lot of money, such things are sold ... ).
Sincerely.

[Undecim]

Thanks for your kind words.
Due to the perfectionism you noted, I will clarify that the ribbed barrel of the "Goryunovsky" type (like that of the SGM) was in the PC, and in the PKT - smooth. Subsequently, the modernized PKM received a smooth barrel. The barrels of tank machine guns are somewhat heavier than infantry ones and have some structural differences.
As for steel. Chrome-molybdenum-tungsten-vanadium pearlitic steels exist (20Kh3MVF, for example) and are heat-resistant, so the use of such steel for and manufacture of the barrel looks logical, at least as an experiment. Therefore, the option 30HMVFA is also possible.

[beeper]

On our combat training T-62 were PKT with ribbed barrels (it was on it that the marking "30HMVFA" was stamped), I even had an army photo with such a machine gun!

[Undecim]

On our combat training T-62 were PKT with ribbed barrels
There is one nuance here. The early T-62s were equipped with SGMT machine guns. With a ribbed barrel.

[beeper]

So I think, comrade Undecim, about the same, weren't the SHMT barrels unified in the seat and gas outlet with the PKT barrels (the device for the adjustable lock of the PK barrel was Goryunov's? There could have been a condition of barrels interchangeability before the designers so that they could accumulated reserves ?!) ?!
I didn’t get HCMP, even to see it live (they had all been replaced by PKT and sent to the warehouse), although my immediate predecessors worked with them.

[Undecim]

The barrels were not interchangeable.

[beeper]

I believe! Thank!