The RPK (russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова/РПК, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, link=no, English: "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"), sometimes retroactively termed the RPK-47, is a
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...
light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sam ...
that was developed by
Mikhail Kalashnikov
Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov ( rus, Михаи́л Тимофе́евич Кала́шников, p=kɐˈlaʂnʲɪkəf; 10 November 1919 – 23 December 2013) was a Soviet and Russian lieutenant general, inventor, military engineer, writer, a ...
in the early 1960s, in parallel with the
AKM
The AKM () is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It is the most ubiquitous rifle of the Kalashnikov rifles. It was developed as a replacement to the AK-47 introduced a decade prior.
Introduc ...
assault rifle. It was created to standardize the
small arms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
inventory of the
Soviet Army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
, where it replaced the 7.62×39mm
RPD RPD may refer to:
People
* Robert Prentiss Daniel, American psychologist
* Rahul Peter Das, German professor
* Rajendra Prasad Das, Indian archaeologist
* Royal Page Davidson, American scholar
* Richard Paul Davies, English priest
* Richard Pe ...
light machine gun. The RPK continues to be used by the
armed forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
of
countries of the former Soviet Union
The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...
and certain African and Asian nations. The RPK is also manufactured in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
and
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
.
Design details
Operating mechanism
The RPK functions identically to the
AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
. It also uses the same 7.62×39mm
ammunition
Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...
. It has a similar design layout to the
Kalashnikov series of rifles, with
modifications to
increase the RPK's effective range and accuracy, enhance its
sustained fire capability, and strengthen the
receiver.
Features
The RPK features a thicker and longer
barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...
than the AKM. This allows for it to be fired for longer without permanent loss in accuracy due to the barrel heating up. The
chrome-lined barrel is permanently fixed to the receiver and cannot be replaced in the field. It is fitted with a new front
sight
Visual perception is the ability to interpret the surrounding Biophysical environment, environment through photopic vision (daytime vision), color vision, scotopic vision (night vision), and mesopic vision (twilight vision), using light in the ...
base, and the
gas
Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma).
A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or ...
block lacks both a
bayonet
A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustr ...
lug and an under-barrel
cleaning rod
A cleaning rod is a firearm maintenance tool that can be used to clean the inside (bore) of a gun's barrel, and is made in different sizes for use on different barrel lengths, calibers and gauges. It is a sturdy, long, thin, straight rod typi ...
guide. The barrel also features a folding
bipod
A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix ''bi-'' and Greek root ''pod'', meaning "two" and "foot" respectively.
Bipod ...
mounted near the
muzzle, and a front sight base with a lug that limits the bipod's rotation around the axis of the barrel. The barrel has a threaded muzzle, enabling the use of muzzle devices such as
flash hiders,
compensators, and
blank-firing adapters. When a muzzle device is not being used, the threads on the muzzle can be covered by a
thread protector. The barrel is pinned to the receiver in a modified
trunnion
A trunnion (from Old French "''trognon''", trunk) is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting or pivoting point. First associated with cannons, they are an important military development.
Alternatively, a trunnion is a shaft that positions a ...
, reinforced by ribbing, and is slightly wider than the trunnion used on the standard AKM type rifles. Symmetrical bulges on both sides of the front trunnion ensure a proper fit inside the receiver.
The RPK also has a slightly longer receiver, by about 20 mm or less. This was done to decrease the
fire rate
Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. This can be influenced by several factors, including operator training level, mechanical limitations, ammunition availability, and weapon condition. In m ...
slightly, but not significantly enough to lower it any less than 600 rounds per minute. The U-shaped receiver is
stamped
Stamped may refer to:
* Stamped (application), an iPhone app
* Stamped (song), by The Verve
*'' Stamped from the Beginning'', a book by Ibram X. Kendi
See also
*Stmpd Rcrds
Stmpd Rcrds (stylised in all caps; pronounced "stamped records") is ...
from a smooth
sheet of
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
compared to the sheet metal receiver used on the standard AKM rifles. It uses a modified AKM
recoil
Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force requ ...
spring assembly that consists of a rear spring guide rod from the AK and a new forward flat guide rod and coil spring. It features a thick
laminated
Lamination is the technique/process of manufacturing a material in multiple layers, so that the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance, or other properties from the use of the differing materia ...
wood foregrip and a fixed laminated wood "club-foot"
buttstock
A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attached ...
similar to the stock used on the RPD, which is designed to allow the user to fire from the
prone position
Prone position () is a body position in which the person lies flat with the chest down and the back up. In anatomical terms of location, the dorsal side is up, and the ventral side is down. The supine position is the 180° contrast.
Etymolog ...
more comfortably. It uses a standard AKM
pistol grip
On a firearm or other tools, a pistol grip is a distinctly protruded handle underneath the main mechanism, to be held by the user's hand at a more vertical (and thus more ergonomic) angle, similar to the how one would hold a conventional pist ...
and can also use standard AKM detachable
box magazine
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). The magazine functions by holding several cartridges withi ...
s, but it is most commonly used with a 40-round box magazine or a 75-round
drum magazine
A drum magazine is a type of high-capacity magazine for firearms. Cylindrical in shape (similar to a drum), drum magazines store rounds in a spiral around the center of the magazine, facing the direction of the barrel. Drum magazines are contrast ...
. Interchangeability of parts between the RPK and AKM are moderate.
Sights
The weapon's
rear sight leaf is
elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...
adjustable, and graduated for ranges of 100 to 1,000 meters in 100 m increments. The rear sight leaf also features a
windage
Windage is a term used in aerodynamics, firearms ballistics, and automobiles.
Usage
Aerodynamics
Windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object. Windage loss is the reduction in e ...
adjustment knob unique to the RPK series of
rifle
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
s.
Accessories
Supplied with the RPK are: spare magazines, a cleaning rod,
cleaning
Cleaning is the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment. Cleaning is often performed for aesthetic, hygienic, functional, environmental, or safety purposes. Cl ...
kit (stored in a hollowed compartment in the buttstock), a
sling, oil bottle, and magazine pouches (a single-pocket pouch for a drum magazine or a 4-pocket pouch for box magazines).
Variants
RPK
The RPK is the standard light machine gun/
squad automatic model and is
chambered in 7.62×39mm. It was adopted by the former Soviet Union and was issued mainly to
motorized units. It was later adopted by several military agencies around the world.
RPKS
The RPKS ("S" — Skladnoy (Russian: складной) means "folding"
tock
Tock (also known as Tuck in some English parts of Quebec and Atlantic Canada, and Pock in some parts of Alberta) is a board game, similar to Ludo, Aggravation or Sorry!, in which players race their four tokens (or marbles) around the game boar ...
is a variant of the RPK with a side-folding wooden stock was intended primarily for the
air assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind e ...
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
. Changes to the design of the RPKS are limited only to the shoulder stock mounting, at the rear of the receiver. It uses a trunnion riveted to both receiver walls that has a socket and tang, allowing the stock to hinge on a pivot pin. The trunnion has a cut-out on the right side which is designed to engage the stock catch and lock it in place when folded. The wooden stock is mounted in a pivoting hull, which contains a catch that secures the buttstock in the extended position. The rear sling loop was moved from the left side of the stock body to the right side of the stock frame.
RPK-74
![AK-74 RPK-74 DA-ST-89-06612reversed](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/AK-74_RPK-74_DA-ST-89-06612reversed.jpg)
The RPK-74 (РПК-74) was introduced in 1974 together with the
AK-74
The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...
assault rifle and chambered for the new
5.45×39mm intermediate cartridge
An intermediate cartridge is a rifle/carbine cartridge that has significantly greater power than a pistol cartridge but still has a reduced muzzle energy compared to fully powered cartridges (such as the .303 British, 7.62×54mmR, 7.92×57mm ...
.
It was derived from the AK-74 rifle, with modifications that mirror those made to the AKM to create the RPK.
The RPK-74 also uses a longer and heavier chrome-plated barrel, which has a new gas block with a gas channel at a 90° angle to the bore axis, and a ring for the cleaning rod. It is also equipped with a folding bipod and a different front sight tower. The muzzle is threaded for a
flash suppressor
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the burning gases that ...
or blank-firing device.
The rear stock trunnion was strengthened and the magazine well was reinforced with steel inserts.
Additionally, the RPK-74 has a modified return mechanism compared to the
AK-74
The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...
, which uses a new type of metal spring guide rod and recoil spring. The rear sight assembly, forward handguard and receiver dust cover were all retained from the RPK.
The RPK-74 feeds from a 45-round steel or polymer box magazine, interchangeable with magazines from the
AK-74
The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...
,
and is designed to be charged from
stripper clips
A stripper clip (also known as a charger or charger clip, especially in British and in Commonwealth military vocabulary) is a speedloader that holds several cartridges (usually between 5 and 10) together in a single unit for easier and faster lo ...
. Drum magazines similar to those used on the previous RPK models were tested during its development phase, but were discontinued in favor of the 45-round box magazine. However, recently the production of a 97-round drum has started. This drum was designed to be used with the
AK-107
The AK-107 is a List of modern Russian small arms and light weapons, Russian 5.45×39mm assault rifle developed from the AK-100 (Rifle family), AK-100-series. It features a "balanced" operating system, similar to that used in the AEK-971. In this ...
but can also be used in any 5.45×39mm weapon with compatible magazines, such as the RPK-74 and RPK-74M. They were also testing with experimental conventional drums, a
prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
100-round belt fed drum magazine was also created. It attaches into the regular magazine well, but the cartridges are stored on a 100-round belt inside a box. A feed system removes them from the belt and puts them in a position where they can be loaded through the regular magazine well. This system is actuated by a lever from the magazine that clips around the charging handle. It is unknown if this ever went into service.
Standard equipment includes: eight magazines, six stripper clips (15 rounds per clip), a speedloader guide, cleaning rod, cleaning kit, sling, oil bottle and two magazine pouches.
Some variants do not come with the cleaning kit option.
It is in widespread use by member states of the former Soviet Union, as well as
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
.
RPKS-74
The RPKS-74 is the paratrooper variant of the RPK-74, equipped with a wooden folding stock from the RPKS.
RPK-74M
![RPK-74M (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/RPK-74M_%281%29.jpg)
The RPK-74M (''Modernizirovannij'' "Modernized") is an updated variant of the RPK-74 developed during the mid-'70s. In line with the
AK-74M
The AK-74 ( Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet ...
assault rifle variant, the RPK-74M lower handguard, gas tube cover, pistol grip, and new synthetic stock are made from a black,
glass-filled polyamide
A polyamide is a polymer with repeating units linked by amide bonds.
Polyamides occur both naturally and artificially. Examples of naturally occurring polyamides are proteins, such as wool and silk. Artificially made polyamides can be made through ...
. The stock is shaped like the RPK-74 fixed stock, but also side-folds like the RPKS-74. The stock additionally has an easier to use release mechanism, replacing the bullet press release from the RPKS and RPKS-74. Each RPK-74M is fitted standard with a side-rail bracket for mounting optics. It also includes most of the 74M economic changes, such as the dimpled on barrel hardware, omission of lightening cuts from the front sight block and piston and stamped gas tube release lever. Updated magazines were produced by Molot with horizontal ribs going up the sides of the magazines. An export variant chambered in
5.56×45mm NATO was also introduced, designated as the RPK-201. Also for export is the RPKM (A.K.A. RPK-203) chambered in 7.62×39mm; it uses the same polymer furniture as the RPK-74M variant.
Night versions
The RPK family of light machine guns are also available in a night fighting configuration. These weapons are designated as the RPKN, RPKSN, RPK-74N, and RPKS-74N. They have a side rail mounting on the left side of the receiver that accepts a NSP-3, NSPU, or NSPUM night vision sight. Models designated RPKN-1, RPKSN-1, RPK-74N and RPKS-74N can mount the multi-model night vision scope NSPU-3 (
1PN51) while RPKN2, RPKSN2, RPK-74N2 and RPKS-74N2 can mount the multi-model night vision scope NSPUM (
1PN58).
Derivatives
RPK-16
![RPK-16 machine gun at Military-technical forum ARMY-2016 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/RPK-16_machine_gun_at_Military-technical_forum_ARMY-2016_01.jpg)
The RPK-16
squad automatic weapon
A squad automatic weapon (SAW), also known as a section automatic weapon or light support weapon (LSW), is a man-portable automatic firearm attached to infantry squads or sections as a source of rapid direct firepower. Weapons fulfilling this ...
(the number 16 indicates the year 2016, when the development first started) is Kalashnikov's response to the "Tokar-2" program, where it competed against Degtyaryov's submission. In 2018, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation have signed a contract concerning the procurement of the RPK-16, and is expected to take over the role of the
RPK-74
The RPK (russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова/РПК, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, link=no, English: "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"), sometimes retroactively termed the RPK-47, is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine ...
in the Russian Armed Forces.
The RPK-16 is chambered in
5.45×39mm which features the traditional Kalashnikov gas-operated long-stroke piston system, and shares several novel technical and ergonomic features derived from the AK-12 program. Such as a Picatinny rail on the top of the receiver for mounting various optical sights and on the bottom of the handguard to mount the Picatinny rail mounted detachable bipod instead of the fixed bipod of the RPK-74, an ergonomic pistol grip and a folding buttstock, and two main barrel lengths; a long barrel (when it is applied or configured for the light machine gun role) and a short barrel (when it is applied or configured for the assault rifle role). Its design enables it to have an interchangeable barrels that can easily be removed, and the ability to quickly attach a detachable suppressor. It has a combat weight of , a full-length of , a cyclic rate of fire of 700 rounds per minute, an accuracy range of . It primarily uses a 95-round drum magazine and is backwards compatible with box magazines from the
AK-74
The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...
,
AK-12
The AK-12 is a Russian assault rifle chambered in 5.45×39mm designed and manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash), making it the fifth generation of Kalashnikov rifles.
The Kalashnikov Concern also offers a variant of the AK ...
and
RPK-74
The RPK (russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова/РПК, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, link=no, English: "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"), sometimes retroactively termed the RPK-47, is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine ...
.
After receiving feedback on the performance of the weapon, the Kalashnikov Concern has begun development on the
RPL-20
The RPL-20 is a prototype light machine gun developed by Kalashnikov Concern for the Russian Military. Though designed in response to feedback following the purchase and testing of the company's magazine-fed RPK-16 light machine gun, the RPL-20 i ...
(20 indicating 2020) belt-fed
light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sam ...
also chambered in 5.45×39mm and with a very similar rate of fire. Kalashnikov Concern has so far created at least one functional prototype. If adopted, the gun will become the first light machine gun to be used by Russian forces since the
RPD RPD may refer to:
People
* Robert Prentiss Daniel, American psychologist
* Rahul Peter Das, German professor
* Rajendra Prasad Das, Indian archaeologist
* Royal Page Davidson, American scholar
* Richard Paul Davies, English priest
* Richard Pe ...
that isn't magazine-fed or of the standard Kalashnikov pattern.
Molot Vepr
![Vepr-12 ARMS & Hunting 2012 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Vepr-12_ARMS_%26_Hunting_2012_01.jpg)
A series of semi-automatic rifles and
shotguns based on the heavy RPK receiver are manufactured by the
Molot
JSC Vyatskiye Polyany Molot Machine-Building Plant (russian: Вятско-Полянский машиностроительный завод) is a Russian company based in Vyatskiye Polyany. The plant manufactures rifles and shotguns under the Mo ...
factory in
Vyatskiye Polyany
Vyatskiye Polyany (russian: Вя́тские Поля́ны) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Kirov Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Vyatka River, southeast of Kirov, Kirov Oblast, Kirov. Population:
History
...
, Russia. These rifles are known as the Vepr (''Vepr'' > "Wild Boar"). They are offered in several chamberings, including: .
223 Remington
The .223 Remington (designated as the 223 Remington by the SAAMI and 223 Rem by the CIP) is a rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was developed in 1957 by Remington Arms and Fairchild Industries for the U.S. Continental Army Command o ...
,
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...
,
5.45×39mm,
6.5mm Grendel
The 6.5mm Grendel is an intermediate cartridge jointly designed by British-American armorer Bill Alexander, competitive shooter Arne Brennan (of Houston, Texas) and Lapua ballistician Janne Pohjoispää, as a low-recoil, high-precision rifle cart ...
,
7.62×54mmR
The 7.62×54mmR is a rimmed rifle cartridge developed by the Russian Empire and introduced as a service cartridge in 1891. Originally designed for the bolt-action Mosin–Nagant rifle, it was used during the late tsarist era and throughout th ...
,
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge widely used for hunting, target shooting, police, military, and personal protection applications globally. It is similar but not identical to the 7.62×51mm NATO ...
,
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced "thirty- aught-six" ), 7.62×63mm in metric notation, and called the .30 Gov't '06 by Winchester, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and later standardized; it remained in military use ...
and Vepr shotguns in
12 gauge,
20 gauge
The 20-gauge shotgun, also known as "20-bore", is a type of smooth-bore shotgun that fires a shell that is smaller in caliber () than a 12-gauge shotgun (). It is often used by beginning shooters for target practice and for hunting small game.
D ...
, and
.410 bore
The .410 bore is one of the smallest caliber of shotgun shell commonly available (along with the 9mm Flobert rimfire cartridge, and the less common .22 rimfire shot shell). A .410 bore shotgun loaded with shot shells is well suited for small g ...
.
The hallmark of Vepr rifles is their heavy RPK receiver and barrel. The barrel, gas block, and bore are chrome lined throughout.
They are intended for the civilian market, and are marketed as high quality hunting rifles. Due to this designation, they lack features seen on most AK type rifles. Vepr rifles do not include a bayonet lug, integrated cleaning rods or tool kits, can not accept standard AK magazines, and have wooden thumb-hole stocks. Some buy these rifles to "convert" into a traditional style AK rifle, installing new pistol-grip stocks and adding tactical accessories.
Early generations of the Vepr rifle were manufactured with slant-back receivers, making them incompatible with most AK furniture sets without a converter. The receivers were changed to straight-back in the second generation. Subsequent versions of the rifle reverted to slant-back.
Due to this rapid change between designs, it is not uncommon to find some second generation Vepr rifles with rough, incomplete stocks that have not been sanded or painted.
Users
![Спецназ 0074 (23458020139)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/%D0%A1%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%86%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B7_0074_%2823458020139%29.jpg)
*
[Jones, Richard D. ''Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010''. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). .]
* :
Uses both Soviet and locally produced ASh-78 Tip-2 rifles.
* : RPK-47
* : Produced by
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
as the LMG in three different calibers, 7.62×39mm, 5.45×39mm and
5.56×45mm NATO. Uniquely had milled receivers. A folding stock variant is known as the LMG-F.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* :
RPK-201 variant.
* :
''RPK-74'' variant is still in use by the Georgian Army and special forces.
*
*
* :
Locally known as "BB-Kalash".
*
Also manufactured locally as Al Quds
* : RPK-74
*
*
* : ''RPK-74'' variant is used by the ''
Grup Gerak Khas
The 21st Special Service Group (Abbr.: 21 SSG, ) is a command for Malaysian Army special forces, the '' Gerak Khas''. The 21 SSG and 10th Parachute Brigade are elite fighting formations of the Malaysian Army. Both units are independent units unde ...
'' (GGK) of the
Malaysian Army
The Malaysian Army ( ms, Tentera Darat Malaysia; Jawi: تنترا دارت مليسيا) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do th ...
.
* :
Armed and Security Forces of Mali.
*
*
*
*
*
* : Type 64.
*
* : Built by Fabrica de Arme Cugir SA as the Puşcă Mitralieră model 1964 ("model 1964 light machine gun") and later, a 5.45mm version based on the
PA md. 86—the Mitralieră md. 1993 ("model 1993 light machine gun").
* :
RPK-74, RPK-74M and RPK-16
*
* : Manufactured locally as the
Zastava M72
The Zastava M72 is a light machine gun developed and manufactured by then Yugoslav Zastava Arms company. The M72 was patterned after the Soviet RPK light machine gun.
Overview
The Zastava M72 chambers and fires the 7.62×39mm M67 round. It is a ...
.
*
*
*
*
*
Transnistria
Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester riv ...
*
**
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), also known as the Lord's Resistance Movement, is a rebel group and heterodox Christian group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Co ...
* : RPK-74 and RPK, also used by
separatists
Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...
*: Used during the
Iraq War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
![Muleskinners train Triple Canopy(2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Muleskinners_train_Triple_Canopy%282011.09.04%29.jpg)
*
*
*
*
Former users
* : Manufactured locally as the LMGK (''Leichtes Maschinengewehr Kalashnikov)''
*
* : Manufactured locally as the
Zastava M72
The Zastava M72 is a light machine gun developed and manufactured by then Yugoslav Zastava Arms company. The M72 was patterned after the Soviet RPK light machine gun.
Overview
The Zastava M72 chambers and fires the 7.62×39mm M67 round. It is a ...
.
See also
*
PK machine gun
The PK (russian: Пулемёт Калашникова, transliterated as ''Pulemyot Kalashnikova'', or "Kalashnikov's machine gun"), is a belt-fed general-purpose machine gun, chambered for the 7.62×54mmR rimmed cartridge.
Designed in the Sov ...
*
PKP Pecheneg machine gun
The PKP Pecheneg (Pulemyot Kalashnikova Pekhotny "Pecheneg", russian: Печенег) is a Russian 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun.Popenker, Max RPKP Pecheneg machine gun It is a further development and modification of the PK machine gun ...
*
M249 light machine gun
The M249 light machine gun (LMG), also known as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), which continues to be the manufacturer's designation, and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is the American adaptation of the Belgian F ...
*
IWI Negev
The IWI Negev (also known as the Negev NG-5) is a 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun developed by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), formerly Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI).
In 2012, IWI introduced the Negev NG-7 7.62×51mm NATO general-p ...
*
QJY-88
The QJY-88, also known as the Type 88 LMG (Chinese: 88式通用机枪, 1988 shì tōngyòng jīqiāng; English: 1988 model general purpose machine gun), is a 5.8x42mm Chinese light machine gun designed in the late 1980s by China North Industries ...
*
FN Minimi
The FN Minimi (short for french: Mini Mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun/squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. First introduced in the late 1970s, it is now in service in more th ...
*
ČZW-762
*
Nikonov machine gun
Gennadiy Nikolaevich Nikonov (russian: Геннадий Николаевич Никонов; August 11, 1950 – May 14, 2003) was a Russian gun engineer. His most famous accomplishments were probably as the designer of the AN-94 assault rifle, ...
*
IP-2
The PU-21 (Russian: ''ПУ-21 Пулемёт с унифицированной подачей)'' is a 5.45x39mm machine gun designed by V. M. Kalashnikov and M. E. Dragunov between 1972 and 1977. The PU-21 can be fed from either a 45-round magaz ...
*
Valmet M78
The RK 62 (from Finnish , 'assault rifle 62'), officially 7.62 RK 62 and commercially M62, is an assault rifle manufactured by Valmet and Sako. It is the standard issue infantry weapon of the Finnish Defence Forces.
The RK 62 was designed in 19 ...
*
Zastava M77
The Zastava M77 is a 7.62x51mm light machine gun developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms. It is a Kalashnikov pattern rifle
Overview
The Zastava M77 rifle chambers and fires the 7.62×51mm NATO round. It is gas-operated, air-cooled, magazin ...
*
RPL-20
The RPL-20 is a prototype light machine gun developed by Kalashnikov Concern for the Russian Military. Though designed in response to feedback following the purchase and testing of the company's magazine-fed RPK-16 light machine gun, the RPL-20 i ...
References
* Rottman, Gordon. (2011) ''The AK-47: Kalashnikov-series Assault Rifles.'' Osprey Publishing
External links
* Юрий Пономарёв
Битва трёх «К», Kalashnikov magazine, 2010/6, pp. 76–85 (in Russian, covers the design competition)
Manual-Kalashnikov-1973 Soviet RPK Manual Covering Operation and RepairModern Firearms – RPKModern Firearms – RPK-74Technical data, instructional images and diagrams of the RPK-47M *
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rpk
5.45×39mm machine guns
7.62×39mm machine guns
Cold War firearms of the Soviet Union
Light machine guns
Infantry weapons of the Cold War
Kalashnikov derivatives
Long stroke piston firearms
Machine guns of the Soviet Union
Kalashnikov Concern products
Squad automatic weapons
Vyatskiye Polyany Machine-Building Plant products
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1961