Experimental Romanian Paratrooper PKM
Medium & GPMGs
•
10m
Romania adopted the PKM in 1966, and began manufacturing their own direct copy at Cugir. In the 1990s, the plant designed a model intended for paratroopers, with a shortened barrel and unique side folding stock. Romanian special operations and paratroop units tested them, but declined to purchase any - funding was tight and the breakup of the eastern bloc meant offensive troops like paratroopers were less of priority. A total of only 400 of these guns were made, and all of them sold to export clients. This one is also fitted with a picatinny optics mount a tai-rail handguard made specifically for it by B&T.
Thanks to DSA for giving me access to film this one in their reference collection!
Up Next in Medium & GPMGs
-
North Korean Type 73: A PK That Uses ...
Many of the small arms developed in North Korea show substantial Czechoslovakian influence, and the Type 73 machine gun is no exception. Based on the concept of the Czech 52/57 light machine gun, the Type 73 is able to use both magazines and belts (although not both simultaneously). fundamentally...
-
Yugoslav M84 PKM: History, Mechanics,...
The PK machine gun was developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov's engineering team right about the time they were putting the finishing touches on the AKM. The PK is in many ways an AK rifle action enlarged, flipped upside-down, and mated with a belt feed mechanism. It uses the same belt design as the pr...
-
UK vz.59 Czech Universal Machine Gun:...
In 1952, Czechoslovakia adopted a whole new family of small arms, including the vz.52 pistol, vz.52 rifle, and vz.52 light machine gun. The rifle and LMG were both chambered in the Czech 7.62x45mm cartridge, and both would be adapted to the Soviet standard 7.62x39mm a few years later, in 1957. Ve...