“Pecheneg” is a 7.62-mm light machine gun designed to destroy transport and fire weapons, air targets and enemy manpower. It was created in "TsNIITOCHMASH" based on PCM.
Due to the high degree of unification with the design of the PCM, as well as a similar scheme of operation of the automation, the Pecheneg machine gun is distinguished by high reliability, high technical characteristics, and its disassembly and assembly is identical to PCM. In the design of the machine gun, new technical solutions were applied, which made it possible to increase the cooling efficiency of the barrel, and also to exclude the spare barrel from the Pechenega configuration.
History of creation
The general trend in the development of weapons in the 1980s was an increase in the probability of hitting a target from the first shot (line). The PKM in service at the time needed to be modernized, it was necessary to solve the following problems:
- increase the effectiveness of shooting without a fundamental change in the weapon itself and its cartridge;
- increase accuracy;
- enhance the life of the main parts of the weapon, as well as generally improve operational properties.
In the course of creating a new machine gun, it was necessary to eliminate or partially compensate the factors that worsened the accuracy of shooting:
- reduction of ballistic characteristics and trunk oscillation due to heating;
- thermal mirage, formed by heated air in the area of the trunk.
The gunsmiths wanted to upgrade the weapon - but in the end, in fact, a new machine gun appeared.
Testing the production technology "Pechenega" conducted at the Kovrovsky Mechanical Plant. 7.62-mm machine gun entered service under the name "Kalashnikov infantry machine gun", but the name "Pecheneg" also remained behind him.
Device machine gun "Pecheneg"
Pecheneg is a fire support machine gun that combines high fire power and maneuverability. The work of automation is carried out by the removal of powder gases from the barrel to the gas piston, which is connected to the gate frame. Before the shot, the barrel is locked by turning the shutter. The trigger mechanism allows only automatic fire. The trigger mechanism works under the action of the bolt. The fuse in the on state blocks the sear and the trigger.
The locking assembly, automatics, the trigger mechanism, and the cartridge feed mechanism are similar to basic RMB. The main changes were the details of the trunk:
- a gap is made between the outer surface of the barrel and the casing;
- an ejector was created at the muzzle and transverse ribbing of the trunk.
This made it possible to ensure uniform and forced cooling of a part of the trunk. "Pecheneg" has a much greater heat transfer compared with PCM and heats up less.
The new design of the barrel made it possible to transfer the bipod mount almost to the muzzle, providing better stability of the weapon when firing long bursts. Accuracy of shooting from the bipod and from the machine became about 1.7-1.9 times higher when compared with basic PCM.
The increase in the "vitality" of Pecheneg to 25-29 thousand shots made it possible to abandon the interchangeable barrel. At the same time, the barrel remained quick-detachable - disassembly is possible. The machine gun "Pecheneg" was already highly appreciated by the officers of the power structures and the military personnel who used this weapon in combat operations. The reliability of the automatic machine gun, high survivability, excellent accuracy open up broad prospects for this system.
Performance characteristics
- Caliber - 7.62 mm
- Weight - 8.2 kg
- Rate of fire - 600-800 shots / min
- The initial speed of the bullet is 825 m / s
- Sighting range - 1500 m
- Cartridge - 7.62 × 54R
- Overall dimensions are 1200 × 115 × 213 mm
- The capacity of the tape - 100 or 200 rounds.
Modifications Pechenega
- 6P41S - machine gun on Stepanov’s machine;
- 6P41N - infantry machine gun with a night sight;
- 6P41SN - machine gun night machine gun.
There is also a shortened version of "Pechenega" according to the "bullpup" scheme. It was created for special forces.
A shortened assault machine gun is different from the usual "Pechenega" lack of butt. Instead, he put the L-shaped short nedopriklad made forward with a handle and a soft butt pad. Due to this modernization, the shortened machine gun became lighter by 0.5 kg and shorter by 27 cm. The length of the barrel while not changed - 65 cm.
The design of the machine gun itself is quite interesting, and most likely, a shortened machine gun will occupy its niche in the special forces. Such a machine gun is ideal for the suppression of firing points or barrage from close range.
Advantages of modernization:
- compactness;
- reduced weight;
- advanced muzzle brake compensator;
- the ability to install additional special tactical modules;
- duplicate trigger mechanism.
However, the shortened machine gun, along with the pluses, received a number of regular minuses. Nevertheless, it is intended to include the shortened Pecheneg in one of the future variants of the promising outfit "Warrior".
