Nikonov machine gun

Nikonov machine gun

The weapon was developed on Nikonov's own initiative, from work connected with competitions and technical tasks. The weapon has no bolt, but a stationary breech and movable barrels, each with its own gas cylinders and pistons connected to the adjacent barrel. Upon firing one barrel, the next one is forced backwards, and thus causes the next barrel to move forward (a Gast gun principle). Firing operates a feeding device that channels rounds into the barrels, with the spent cartridges being ejected from both sides. The barrels move back and forth the full length of the cartridge. The double-barreled design, in combination with the shortest possible stroke, allows for a high rate of fire at more than 3,000 rounds per minute. The prototype is now in the M.T. Kalashnikov museum in Izhevsk.