The new weapons will be in demand by assault units, experts say
Russian designers have developed a compact PKZ machine gun. It is made on the basis of the well-known PCM, but it is much shorter and lighter than its prototype. The PKZ is well balanced, which allows the fighter to throw it up with one hand and immediately open fire, and the small dimensions ensure concealed carrying. The machine gun is currently undergoing field tests and after their completion will be sent to the area of its own. Experts note that the PKZ will be in demand by our assault units — light and compact weapons are indispensable in urban battles.
Compact and killer
The PKZ short machine gun of 7.62 mm caliber, according to the developers from the Perm design bureau Labi, is needed when storming buildings, structures, field strongpoints, as well as when guarding automobile columns — where fighters have to fight in cramped conditions. The length of the novelty is only 850 mm, the weight is about 7 kg without a box with cartridges. It is 1.5 kg lighter than the PKM machine gun.
— Several conditions were set in the technical specification for the new machine gun, — chief designer Andrey Malkov told Izvestia. — One of them is that the machine gun must be hidden under the arm, covered with a raincoat tent. On their own, they are the first to try to hit fighters with a "long black paddle", that is, machine gunners and snipers. This immediately reduces the firepower and capabilities of the unit. In addition, according to the technical task, a fighter should be able to raise a machine gun with one hand and immediately open fire. A small length, a special handle moved forward, and a new comfortable forearm allow you to do this. The center of gravity is located right between the arms, the distance from the shoulder to the center of mass of the weapon is small — thanks to this, it is easy to work with it.
Moreover, the box for 100 rounds of PKZ is located in the very center of the product.
— As a result, when the ammunition is consumed, the balance of the weapon does not change, — explained Andrey Malkov. — Before that, they tried to make a short machine gun — bullpup, but the balance of the weapon was constantly disturbed. The main problem: the ammunition is consumed, and the barrel involuntarily rises. Shooting only gets more difficult as a result.
The designers also fulfilled the second point of the technical task — the fighter must work through all windows from the PKZ, sitting on any of the seats in the UAZ Patriot car.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexey Maishev
— It's not just to keep the barrel in the window all the way, but to jump up, work through all the windows. One of its purposes is a transport machine gun," Andrei Malkov clarified.
The third and last task that the designers managed to solve was to ensure the accurate operation of the machine gun from the ground.
— For this, the machine gun received short folding bipods and a Z-shaped butt, which provides good ergonomics when firing, — explained the designer.
PCZ trials are in full swing right now.
— We have tested the machine gun in action at home ranges and now we are moving to work on 10 ranges "blindly" — with people we do not know, so that an objective opinion about the weapon can be formed. Only after that, the PKZ will go to the SVO zone — this will happen in three to five months, - said Andrey Malkov.
According to the designer, the PKZ allows for targeted shooting at a distance of up to 1200 m, but now in its zone the real working range is 600 m.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Evgeny Biyatov
— And most often you have to work at a range of up to 300 m, — said the developer. — Our machine gun has interchangeable barrels. You can also put a barrel from the PKM on it.
Such a machine gun is required by our assault units, military expert Alexei Leonkov told Izvestia.
"Storming trenches and fighting in an urban environment requires high intensity and accuracy of fire," he noted. — The new machine gun will be able to provide this. In such clashes, the length of the barrel and the ability to hit at 800 m and beyond do not matter: all distances are 200-300 m maximum. The Kalashnikov assault rifle is good, but to suppress the enemy's firing point, not to let him stick out, is the job of a machine gun. And in modern combat, you can't do without it.
The expert noted that the weight and dimensions of the new weapon allow the machine gunner to act alone, without a second number.
The fact that the machine gun is made for a standard 7.62 mm cartridge is a big plus, since it does not need to produce new ammunition, the expert noted.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Pavel Lisitsyn
— For this caliber, we have a wide range of cartridges, up to armor—piercing, which can penetrate or destroy brick and concrete walls, - he noted.
The chairman of the Union of Paratroopers of Russia, Colonel Valery Yuryev, believes that the effectiveness of the new weapon can be discussed in detail after the end of military tests.
— Not in the shooting range and not at the factory, but after using the machine gun in the troops, — he stressed.
The designers are moving forward
The special operation in Ukraine gave a strong impetus to the creation of new and refinement of existing rifle systems. In particular, based on the experience of fighting in the first year, the Ak-12 assault rifle was upgraded. The design changes mainly affect ergonomics and are designed to increase reliability and combat effectiveness.
In the updated version, the firing mode was removed on the machine in a burst with a cutoff of two shots and a two-way safety translator flag was installed. An adjustable cheek was attached to the butt. The weapon received a new forearm, more durable and ergonomic. The changes also affected the flame suppressor-compensator.
Photo: TASS/Sergey Bobylev
Earlier, Izvestia reported that at the end of 2023, the Russian army units received the first serial samples of the Chukavin sniper rifle (microwave). The new weapon has improved characteristics and higher accuracy, it was created to replace the famous Dragunov rifle, the main military sniper weapon since the 1960s.
Microwave began to be developed in 2016 and was first shown a year later at the Army military Technical Forum. Starting in 2021, a number of rifles were transferred to the army for trial operation. They were adopted in May 2023.
Bogdan Stepovoy
