The most powerful serial machine gun. Vladimirov's KPVT machine gun is the most powerful in the world

In 1938, the 14.5x114 mm cartridge was developed, which was originally intended for anti-tank guns, such as the Simonov self-loading gun (PTRS) and the Degtyarev system gun (PTRD) of the 1941 model. They coped with their task very well, confidently hitting light and medium tanks and other armored vehicles of the Wehrmacht initial period war. The 14.5x114 cartridge was structurally designed for use in automatic weapons. During the war, it became necessary to make a rapid-fire weapon for this powerful ammunition to combat not only armored targets on the battlefield, but also enemy personnel, as well as to destroy air targets.
Imagine if, at the beginning of the war, the Red Army had already been armed with such an “anti-tank machine gun” of 14.5 mm caliber? A hail of large-caliber bullets would simply tear armored vehicles and other lightly armored targets, along with all their contents, to shreds. But the creation of new weapons was delayed.

Vladimirov heavy machine gun (KPV)
In December 1942, the Main Artillery Directorate approved the tactical and technical requirements for a 14.5 mm machine gun. When designing the machine gun, problems immediately arose with the creation of automatic machine guns, the reason for this was high pressure, obtained when firing a 14.5 mm cartridge. The bullet energy was almost twice as high as that of a 12.7 mm DShK machine gun, and even higher than that of a 20 mm aircraft gun SHVAK.
In 1943, Semyon Vladimirovich Vladimirov (pictured), an employee of the Kovrov plant, began developing his own version of the 14.5 mm machine gun. The design of the 20-mm B-20 aircraft cannon, also developed by Vladimirov, was taken as the basis. The aircraft gun did not go into production, but the developments in its creation were very useful in the design of a new heavy machine gun.
After several months of hard work on the weapon, the machine gun entered factory testing. By April 1944, it was ordered to produce an anti-aircraft version. The machine gun received the designation KPV-44 (Vladimirov heavy machine gun model 1944). But the machine gun entered the army for testing after the end of the Great Patriotic War, in May 1945.
Unlike most domestic machine guns, the operating principle of the automatic Vladimirov machine gun is based on the use of recoil energy during a short barrel stroke: after the shot, the bolt along with the barrel moves back, compressing two springs, the reciprocating spring and the barrel. The trigger mechanism is designed for automatic fire only. Shooting can be carried out in short and long bursts. Interesting feature The design of the machine gun made it possible to change the direction of feed of the belt: the machine gun could be loaded from the left or from the right. The cartridges are fed from a metal strip. The machine gun's ammunition capacity was determined by the capacity of the cartridge boxes. In the infantry version, the box capacity was 40 rounds.

PKP machine gun

The metal tape was made up of pieces connected together by a cartridge during the process of equipping the tape.
The new machine gun used ammunition: B-32 - armor-piercing incendiary bullet with steel core; BS-39 - armor-piercing bullet with a steel core mod. 1939; BS-41 - armor-piercing incendiary bullet; BZT - armor-piercing incendiary tracer bullet; ZP - incendiary bullet; MDZ - instantaneous incendiary bullet (explosive); BST - armor-piercing-incendiary-tracer.
In 1949, under the designation PKP (large-caliber infantry machine gun), a version of the machine gun on a wheeled machine was adopted.
However infantry machine gun, partly due to the heavy weight of this weapon, did not receive widespread. The same cannot be said about anti-aircraft machine gun installations, which were made in different versions - from a single-barrel to a four-barrel system.
A mountain modification of the machine gun was also developed and entered into service in the late 60s: during the war in Afghanistan, ZGU-1 installations were used by both sides of the conflict.

But the most numerous modification of the machine gun was the version intended for installation on tanks and other armored vehicles.
The tank version of the machine gun, designated KPVT, is equipped with an electric trigger and a pulse shot counter. The barrel casing is expanded to facilitate maintenance of the machine gun. Otherwise it has the same characteristics as the KPV.

IS-7 heavy tank, both KPVT machine guns are clearly visible.

Initially, KPVT was installed on domestic heavy tanks – experienced tank IS-7 (this tank had two KPVT machine guns: one was installed in the gun mantlet, the second on a turret on the roof of the turret) and on the serial T-10M, which was located in the turret, coaxial with a 122-mm cannon.

Since the mid-60s, the KPVT has become the main armament of domestically produced wheeled armored personnel carriers (APCs), such as the BTR-60PB, BTR-70 and BTR-80.

KPVT installed in the turret of an armored personnel carrier

Also, Vladimirov’s heavy machine gun was used on navy— for installation on combat boats. As experience has shown combat use machine gun, it is capable of hitting lightly armored ground targets at ranges up to 1000 m, unarmored targets and fire weapons at ranges up to 2000 m, air targets at altitudes up to 1500 m and at a distance of up to two kilometers.
The Vladimirov machine gun is considered the most powerful in the world, and rightfully so: a bullet fired from it retains destructive power throughout its entire flight distance, which is more than 7 kilometers! Well, in terms of ammunition caliber, this machine gun is already close to automatic cannons.
Despite its considerable age, the machine gun is already more than 70 years old, this weapon combines the armor-piercing ability of an anti-tank rifle with accuracy and rate of fire heavy machine gun, there is every chance to celebrate the centenary anniversary!

Characteristics of KPVT:

Weight – 52.2 kg (without ammunition)

Barrel length – 1350 mm

Caliber – 14.5 mm

Rate of fire – 600 rounds per minute

Combat rate of fire - 70-80 rpm.

Initial bullet speed – 1000 m/s

Barrel cooling - air

Sighting range:

For ground targets - 2000 m

By air – 1500 m

Unfortunately, humanity is constantly trying to improve its weapons, to make them more modern and powerful. We offer an overview of the most dangerous weapons in the world, which have been tested and proven destructive force on practice. Pistols and machine guns are toys for big boys. True, they are not fun, since by pressing the trigger once, you can take someone's life.

The 9mm Uzi submachine gun is on par with larger submachine guns, but is easy to use in combat thanks to its small size. You can easily pack this weapon into a suitcase and transport it across the border; it fits perfectly on a tray with a lid. Despite its compact size, it is very powerful weapon. It is difficult to find an assault rifle with the same functionality, mobility and high rate of fire.

The M1911 pistol very often took part in dismantling mafia structures and was considered the most dangerous and popular weapon among bandits. For more than 50 years it has been a tool of terrorism and crime. The gun is equipped with accessories such as a flashlight and a small optical sight. Often a 45-caliber pistol is used to carry out assassin orders. It shoots almost silently.

The 45mm MG4 light machine gun is one of the most dangerous weapons, ever produced by man, is on a par with the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle. It is characterized by a high rate of fire and functionality. A special footrest allows you to install a machine gun for comfortable shooting everywhere. It can be installed on armored personnel carriers and fired from any vehicle. The damage this machine gun causes can be compared to that left after using a bazooka. The machine gun fires 770 bullets per minute.

Throughout history, this machine gun has claimed the lives of more than several hundred thousand people around the world. The AK-47 is a very powerful weapon, has a recognizable shape, its mere presence causes tension. The machine gun fires 600 bullets per minute.

It is in service with the army and detachments special purposes. Due to its light weight and ergonomic characteristics, the pistol has gained wide popularity among specialists. Despite its compact size, it is reliable, accurate, powerful and functional.

The new HK416 A5 machine gun does not repeat the mistakes of its “parents”. Among the new products is a winter-type trigger, which allows you to shoot with gloves, and the rate of fire does not decrease, and fingerprints do not remain on the weapon. It is equipped with a night vision scope and fires with high accuracy.

This is one of the most dangerous pistols in the world, its bullets can tear everything into thousands of pieces. Every time a shot is fired, the victim has no chance to escape. This is a powerful and dangerous pistol, capable of causing damage incompatible with life in close combat.

If you remember all the films about cowboys, it becomes clear that the most popular during showdowns in the Wild West would be Colt revolvers 45 caliber. Modern models have not lost past glory. This is a high quality and very powerful weapon used by the police, as well as for hunting and sport shooting.

This rifle is a phantom assassin's dream, as it can be easily camouflaged and hits with precision and power. It can be considered as a weapon of the future. The rifle can be used both for routine combat missions and for missions of special importance and secrecy. The power of the shot is such that it is compared to the explosion of a grenade.

The Tracking Point rifle is considered the most dangerous small arms on the planet. The technologies used in its creation made it a rifle of the future in the truest sense of the word. The cost is $22,000, so a common person will not be able to purchase it. It is equipped with a laser sight and a computer that automatic mode monitors the victim and decides when to make a successful shot. The computer calculates the shot time, range, and effectiveness based on various parameters, taking into account the wind force. The computer operates on WI-FI, records video, and records all information. It is not surprising that you can make calls from a rifle.
When designers come up with their “brainchildren”, they cannot even imagine that their

In this section we will tell you about machine guns, both domestic and foreign. You can learn about the history of the creation of this weapon, get acquainted with the structure of machine guns and their combat use. We have prepared materials about the best machine guns from different historical periods.

A machine gun is an individual or group automatic small weapon that uses the energy of powder gases for operation and has a high rate of fire. Machine guns have a large sighting range and more capacious power supply devices.

Machine gun calibers can vary significantly: most modern light machine guns have a caliber of 6-8 mm, and heavy machine guns have a caliber of 12-15 mm. In addition to manual ones, there are also heavy machine guns, which are mounted on a special machine, also called a turret. Almost all large-caliber machine guns are mounted; ordinary light machine guns are often mounted on turrets - this significantly increases shooting accuracy.

They have been trying to create rapid-fire weapons since the 16th century. However, before the invention of the unitary cartridge and smokeless powder, these attempts were obviously doomed to failure. The first operational example of an automatic weapon was the Gatling machine gun, which was a block of manually rotating barrels.

The first truly automatic example of this weapon was the machine gun, invented by the American Maxim in 1883. It's really legendary weapon, which was first used in the Boer War and remained in service until World War II. The Maxim machine gun is still used today.

How mass weapons The machine gun came into use during the First World War. It was the machine gun that made a real revolution in military affairs. German gunsmiths managed to develop excellent machine guns. German MG 42 machine guns are quite rightly considered the best examples similar weapons from World War II.

It is necessary to say a few words about Russian machine guns. Active development of this weapon began in pre-war years, during this period wonderful domestic samples machine guns: DShK, SG-43, Degtyarev machine gun. After the war, a whole series of Kalashnikov machine guns appeared, which in their reliability and efficiency were in no way inferior to the famous AK-47. Today Russian machine guns are a recognizable brand known all over the world.

There is another type of weapon, the name of which in Russian literature contains the word “machine gun”. These are submachine guns. This type of automatic individual weapon uses pistol ammunition. Submachine guns first appeared during the First World War, they were intended to increase firepower attacking infantry.

The “finest hour” of this weapon was the following World War. All the main countries participating in this conflict were armed with submachine guns. This weapon was very cheap and simple, but at the same time it had great firepower. However, submachine guns also had serious drawbacks, the main ones being a short effective firing range and insufficient power of pistol ammunition.

An intermediate cartridge was soon invented, which led to the advent of modern machine guns and automatic rifles. Currently, submachine guns are used as police weapons.

We have prepared information about the most famous examples of submachine guns. You can learn about Soviet PPSh machines and PPS, the German MP-38, the American Thompson submachine gun, as well as other legendary examples of these weapons.

Weapons often appear in films, some machine guns appear especially often on screens, but here the question of generations arises,
those born in the USSR remember well numerous films about the Great Patriotic War and the corresponding weapons, while children of the 90s remember American action films and “meat grinders” more.

1 3-line / 7.62mm Maxim machine gun model 1910 on a Sokolov machine gun(film "Chapaev")

The Maxim M1910 machine gun is an automatic weapon with a water-cooled barrel. The barrel casing is steel, most often corrugated, with a capacity of 4 liters. On machine guns produced after 1940, the neck for filling the casing with water is made larger (similar to Finnish machine guns the same system), which made it possible to fill the casing not only with water, but also with snow or crushed ice. The automatic machine gun uses the recoil of the barrel during its short stroke. The barrel is locked by a cranked pair of levers located between the bolt and the receiver rigidly connected to the barrel. The cartridges are fed from a canvas (later non-loose metal) tape, from right to left. The machine gun allows only automatic fire. Additionally, machine guns could be equipped with an optical sight of the 1932 model with a 2X magnification, for which a special bracket was made on the receiver.

2 (film “About these days the soldiers marched...”)

The DP (Degtyarev infantry) light machine gun was adopted by the Red Army in 1927 and became one of the first models created from scratch in the young Soviet state. The machine gun turned out to be quite successful and reliable, and as the main weapon of fire support for the infantry of the platoon-company link, it was widely used until the end of the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War. In terms of its combat qualities, the machine gun was superior to similar foreign models, in particular German machine gun MG-13.

3 (films “Rambo”, “Special Forces”)

In the mid-1950s, the Soviet Army began a program to develop a new complex small arms, designed to replace the Kalashnikov AK assault rifle, SKS carbine and RPD light machine gun. The complex was supposed to include an assault rifle and a light machine gun (squad support weapon) that was maximally unified with it, both chambered for 7.62x39 M43 cartridge. Based on the results of the competition in 1961, the SA adopted a modified Kalashnikov AKM assault rifle and a light machine gun, unified with it in design and magazines. Kalashnikov RPK. The RPK served as the main support weapon for the squad until 1974, when it was replaced by its counterpart chambered for 5.45x39 - the RPK-74 light machine gun.

4 (Rambo movie)

The M60 machine gun entered service in the late 50s. The main manufacturer was Saco Defense. The original design allows the rod and shock absorber to move when rolling back into the butt, which reduces the overall length of the machine gun.
The large receiver pad is convenient for carrying weapons, and the folding bipod protects your hands from burns.

5 (film "Predator")

Often such machine guns are called a meat grinder, but this applies to older models with manual drive. The key advantages of modern, apparently Powered Gatling-type cannons are the extremely high rate of fire, typically 4 to 6 thousand rounds per minute (RPM), and sometimes up to 10-12 thousand rpm. This shooting rate is necessary to combat fast-moving targets. Such indicators are mainly of aircraft or ground targets, fire from aircraft. The downfall of many barreled systems is their relative complexity, heavy weight, and requirements for external power supply (electrical, air pressure or hydraulic). There are several self-powered (gas-action) Gatling guns, but they are still much larger and heavier than conventional single-barreled guns. Another disadvantage of Gatling guns, which is important for air combat, is that the machine gun requires some time to spin up the barrels in order to hit the target at full speed (rate of fire). For the M61 Vulcan cannon, for example, the “speed” of barrel rotation is about 0.4, that is, first “from the screw”, and then “fire”

6 (film “The Dawns Here Are Quiet”)

The MG-34 machine gun was developed by the German company Rheinmetall-Borsig to order German army. The development of the machine gun was led by Louis Stange, however, when creating the machine gun, the developments of not only Rheinmetall and its subsidiaries, but also other companies, such as Mauser-Werke, for example, were used. The machine gun was officially adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1934 and until 1942 it was officially the main machine gun not only of the infantry, but also tank troops Germany. In 1942, instead of the MG-34, the more advanced MG-42 machine gun was adopted, but production of the MG-34 did not stop until the end of World War II, as it continued to be used as a tank machine gun due to its greater adaptability to this compared to MG-42.

7 (film “Battalions Ask for Fire” “Rambo”)

heavy-caliber machine guns chambered for 12.7x108 mm.
The machine gun has a fairly high rate of fire, which makes it effective at firing at fast-moving targets. Maintaining a high rate of fire, despite the increase in caliber, was facilitated by the introduction of a buffer device in the butt plate of the machine gun. The elastic buffer also softens the impacts of the moving system in the rearmost position, which has a beneficial effect on the survivability of parts and shooting accuracy.
DShKM was installed on T-54 and T-55 and T-62 tanks.

8 NSV-12.7 “Utes” heavy machine gun(film "War")

The NSV-12.7 heavy machine gun (code designation during development "Utes") was developed in the period 1969 - 1972 by designers Nikitin, Sokolov and Volkov to replace the outdated DShKM heavy machine gun. The development initially took into account the versatility of the new machine gun - it could be used as an infantry support weapon from a light infantry tripod, as an anti-aircraft machine gun from special installations, as well as for arming armored vehicles and small ships. The machine gun was put into service in 1972 and was mass produced in the USSR; in addition, its copies were produced in Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. After the collapse of the USSR, the main manufacturer of NSV machine guns, the Metallist plant, ended up in independent Kazakhstan, and in Russia, the Kord heavy machine gun was developed to replace this machine gun. The NSV version is also produced in independent Ukraine.

9 (film "White Sun of the Desert")

Lewis machine guns appeared in Russia in 1917 (9,600 American-made and 1,800 English-made machine guns). Lewis machine guns were also used during Civil War. In the film “White Sun of the Desert” it is implied that the fighter Sukhov uses it. However, in fact, another famous machine gun was filmed in the film - the DT-29 with a false barrel casing, making it look similar to a Lewis machine gun.

10

In the late twenties and early thirties, the German company Rheinmetall developed a new light machine gun for the German army. This model was based on the design of the Dreyse MG 18 machine gun, created during the First World War in the same concern by designer Hugo Schmeisser. Taking this machine gun as a basis, the designers of Rheinmtetal, led by Louis Stange, redesigned it for magazine feeding and made a number of other changes. During development, this machine gun, according to German tradition, received the designation Gerat 13 (Device 13). In 1932, this “device” was adopted by the Wehrmacht, which began to strengthen itself, under the symbol MG 13,
I remember well this perforated barrel casing in Soviet films about the Second World War. Oh, how we watched these films as boys, everyone brought weapons and we shot at every fascist, helping our soldiers.

Materials used: https://world.guns.ru

Based on your few requests, I am continuing the topic. As we all already know from my previous post. The best submachine gun at that time was the PPS-43, and not the MP-40 or PPSh. In this topic we will not destroy existing myths - you already know him. However, everything is in order.

It is difficult to overestimate the role that machine guns played in history. Including in the history of our country. From the moment of their appearance in service with the Russian Army to the present day, machine guns have undergone a complex evolution. Suffice it to remember that at the beginning of the twentieth century they were still considered special remedy with a very narrow range of combat missions, and in the middle of it they already permeated the entire organization of troops and still remain one of essential means fire defeat of the enemy in close combat, have long become an integral weapon of combat vehicles, aircraft and ships.
The Red Army most often dealt with these machine guns during World War II.
I’m omitting the performance characteristics - they are of little interest to anyone.

1. 7.62 mm light machine gun DP-27

The DP (Degtyarev, infantry) light machine gun was adopted by the Red Army in 1927 and became one of the first models created from scratch in the young Soviet state. The machine gun turned out to be quite successful and reliable, and was widely used as the main weapon of fire support for infantry of a platoon-company link until the end of the Great Patriotic War. At the end of the war, the DP machine gun and its modernized version DPM, created based on the experience of combat operations in 1943-44, were withdrawn from service Soviet army, and were widely supplied to countries and regimes “friendly” to the USSR, having been noted in the wars in Korea, Vietnam and others.
The DP light machine gun is an automatic weapon with automation based on the removal of powder gases and magazine feed. The gas engine has a long stroke piston and gas regulator located under the barrel. The barrel itself is quick-change, partially hidden by a protective casing and equipped with a conical removable flash suppressor. The return spring was located under the barrel and, under intense fire, overheated and lost its elasticity, which was one of the few disadvantages of the DP machine gun.
The food was supplied from flat disk magazines - “plates”, in which the cartridges were arranged in one layer, with bullets towards the center of the disk. This design ensured reliable supply of cartridges with a protruding rim, but also had significant drawbacks: large dead weight of the magazine, inconvenience in transportation and the tendency of magazines to be damaged in combat conditions. (Why wasn’t a box magazine used for the DP, similar to that used in the English Bren RP, also created for rimmed cartridges, although Degtyarev developed a similar power supply circuit for the experimental RP of 1938?) The machine gun’s trigger allowed only automatic fire. There was no conventional safety; instead, an automatic safety was located on the handle, which turned off when the hand covered the neck of the butt. The fire was fired from fixed folding bipods.

2. 7.62-mm heavy machine gun "Maxim" mod. 1941 The enlarged neck of the barrel cooling casing is clearly visible - now you can use snow.

During the Second World War, Maxim heavy machine guns were in service with machine gun companies of rifle and machine gun artillery battalions, machine gun squadrons of cavalry regiments, and were installed on armored trains and armored boats. The Maxim system machine gun is a powerful automatic weapon used to destroy open group living targets and enemy fire weapons at ranges of up to 1000 m. The best results were achieved by sudden fire at ranges of up to 600 m.

The American engineer X. Maxim created his machine gun back in 1883. The Russian and then the Red Army used a machine gun of his 1910 model, created by Tula craftsmen P.P. Tretyakov and I.A. Pastukhov. They made over 200 changes to the design of the machine gun, reducing the weight of the machine gun by 5.2 kg. In 1930 and 1941, some changes were made to the design of the machine gun that improved its operational characteristics, in particular, making it possible to fill the barrel cooling system casing not only with water, but also with ice and snow.

By its design, the Maxim system heavy machine gun is a system of automatic weapons with barrel recoil (short stroke). After the shot, the powder gases throw the barrel back, thereby turning on the reloading mechanism - it removes the cartridge from the fabric cartridge belt, sends it into the breech and at the same time cocks the bolt. After the shot, the operation is repeated. The machine gun has high tempo firing rate is 600 rounds per minute, its combat rate of fire is 250-300 rounds per minute. For firing a machine gun, rifle cartridges with mod. 1908 (light bullet) and mod. 1930 (heavy bullet).

The trigger mechanism is designed for automatic fire only and has a safety lock against accidental shots.

The machine gun is fed with cartridges from a slider-type receiver with a fabric or metal belt that appeared at the end of the war with a capacity of 250 cartridges.

Sights consist of a rack-mount sight and a front sight with a rectangular top. Some machine guns also had an optical sight.

The machine gun was mounted on a wheeled machine designed by Russian Army Colonel A.A. Sokolov. This machine ensured sufficient stability of the machine gun when firing at ground targets and, thanks to the presence of wheels, made it easier to move the machine gun manually when changing the firing position.

Machine gun mod. 1910 was distinguished by its high reliability and trouble-free operation, but its weight was too high: 62-66 kg in the firing position. For maneuverable actions typical of the Second World War, this weight was unacceptable, so for a long time, Soviet gunsmiths were developing a new heavy machine gun, which ended in 1943 with the adoption of the Goryunov system heavy machine gun for service by the Red Army. Nevertheless, Maxim heavy machine guns were used by the Soviet infantry until the end of the Second World War.

3. 7.62 mm heavy machine gun DS-39

Machine gun (DS-39) - automatic firearm of the V.A. system. Degtyarev, developed in the USSR and adopted by the Red Army in 1939.

History of creation.
The heavy weight and technological complexity of the Maxim system heavy machine gun forced work to create a new, lighter and simpler heavy machine gun. This work was carried out in the Soviet Union since the end of the 20s. Their result was the adoption in September 1939 of the Red Army of a 7.62-mm heavy machine gun of the Degtyarev system mod. 1939 Its development was started by Vasily Alekseevich Dyagtyarev at the beginning of 1930, and already at the end of 1930 he presented the first sample for field testing. After identifying a number of shortcomings, the machine gun was sent for modification, which mainly affected only the tape feed mechanism.
In 1934, the modified machine gun was presented for field tests, which lasted from November 1934 to June 1938. During the tests, several changes were made to the design of the machine gun: the pistol grip was replaced with butt plate handles, two firing modes were made, the the position of the reciprocating mainspring, the barrel ribbing appeared, the universal machine I.N. Kolesnikov was replaced by a lighter machine, developed by Dyagtyarev. This version of the machine gun was adopted by the Red Army on September 22, 1939. The machine gun had the abbreviated designation “DS-39” (Degtyarev easel).
The production of the machine gun began at the Kovrov plant, but then moved to the Tula arms plant, which had previously produced heavy machine guns of the 1910 model. As development progressed, the production of DS-39 at TOZ gradually increased, and the production of Maxims decreased accordingly and by 1940 completely stopped.
In total in 1940 - 1941. 10,345 DS-39 machine guns were produced.

Device Descriptions
The automatic machine gun operates by removing part of the powder gases from the barrel. The barrel bore is locked when firing by moving the lugs apart. The trigger mechanism allows only automatic fire in two modes - 600 and 1200 rpm, and the second firing mode was intended for firing at air targets. Switching fire modes occurs by turning the handle of the buffer device, which is located below, on the back side of the receiver. The tape feeder is a slider type, the slider moves along a curved groove, the tape with cartridges is fed from the right side (later this tape feed mechanism was used in DShK machine gun). The charging handle is located on the right side of the weapon's receiver. There are two triggers, they are located in front of each butt plate handle; during shooting they were pressed simultaneously index fingers. The spent cartridges were thrown down. Its characteristic feature is air cooling trunk The diameter of the cooling fins decreases from the gas chamber to the muzzle of the barrel along a cone. During intense shooting, the barrel was replaced with a spare one; to avoid hand burns when replacing it, it has a special handle. A frame-type sight with scales for shooting light and heavy bullets. The tripod machine has a mechanism for precise vertical guidance.

4. 7.62 mm heavy machine gun SG-43

The machine gun was developed by P. M. Goryunov, put into service in 1943 and began to be supplied to the troops to replace the Maxim and Degtyarev DS-39 heavy machine guns.
The Goryunov machine gun was put into service in 1943 under the name “7.62-mm heavy machine gun of the Goryunov system model 1943 (SG-43).” It appeared in the middle of World War II, at the most tragic time for the USSR, when there was a catastrophic shortage of machine guns on the fronts. Thanks to its simplicity and manufacturability, it has had significant influence on the course of military operations with the power of its fire, reliability, and maneuverability. The industry quickly mastered its production, closed the gap in the army's armament and made it possible to create a strategic reserve of machine guns.

However, one important detail should be noted in the fate of the SG-43 machine gun. It appeared in service with the Russian army thanks to V.A. Degtyarev and his high consciousness of civic duty.

This is how D. N. Bolotin describes this story.

“J.V. Stalin kept the development of a new heavy machine gun under his control. He personally knew Degtyarev, trusted him, believed in his talent and did not allow the thought that anyone could surpass him, and therefore gave instructions as a basis for the development of a new heavy machine gun take the Degtyarev DS-30 machine gun. All efforts were devoted to the development of such a machine gun.

Goryunov, together with master V.E. Vorotnikov and his nephew, mechanic M.M. Goryunov, developed his machine gun optionally, in semi-legal conditions. In competitive tests, in which the improved Degtyarev machine gun and a number of foreign models took part, the Goryunov machine gun turned out to be the best. This contradicted Stalin’s instructions, therefore, at the final meeting, when he asked Degtyarev which machine gun was better, Degtyarev stated that Goryunov’s machine gun was simpler and more reliable than his machine gun, industry would master it faster, and therefore Goryunov’s machine gun should be adopted for service. So the army received excellent weapons."

The machine gun was mounted on a Degtyarev wheeled machine or on a Sidorenko-Malinovsky machine. Both machines allowed firing at ground and air targets.

The SGT tank machine gun was developed on the basis of the SG-43 machine gun.

During military operations, a number of shortcomings were identified in the machine gun. And therefore the machine gun was modernized. The following changes were made: the design of the trigger mechanism was changed; removed the shield from Degtyarev’s wheeled machine; introduced the Malinovsky-Sidorenko tripod machine.

The machine gun received the SGM index.

The automatic machine gun operates using the energy of powder gases removed from the barrel through a side hole.

The barrel bore is locked by turning the bolt.

The striker-type trigger mechanism allows only continuous fire.

Sights open type consist of a frame sight and a front sight.

When turned on, the lever-type safety locks the trigger mechanism.

The machine gun is fed with cartridges from a metal belt with 250 rounds of ammunition, consisting of 5 links of 50 rounds each. It is allowed to use canvas tape from a Maxim machine gun.

5. 7.92 mm light machine gun ZB-26/30/37

In the early 20s. XX century in Czechoslovakia, after it gained independence in 1919, at a fast pace industrial development began. In Brno for the purpose of designing and producing small arms various types The company "Czechoslovenska-Zbrojovka" is created.
One of the company's first developments was a belt-fed machine gun, designated ZB mod. 24. The machine gun was designed by Vaclav Holek in accordance with the terms of the competition for the creation of a light machine gun held in 1924 by the Czechoslovak army. Performance characteristics The weapons presented by Kholek turned out to be higher than the machine guns of other systems that participated in the competition. The command of the Czechoslovak army decided to adopt the Holek machine gun on the condition that the belt feed (which, by the way, worked flawlessly during tests) was replaced with power supply through a box magazine installed on the receiver. According to the military, the use of food from the magazine contributed to the mobility of the machine gun on the battlefield. New model machine gun received the designation “model 24”, and after launching into mass production at the Zbrojovka Brno plant - the index ZB mod. 26.
This light machine gun immediately gained popularity among the troops.

In addition to the army of Czechoslovakia, quite large quantities of these machine guns were received by the armies of China, Yugoslavia and Spain. In addition, deliveries were made to another 22 countries around the world. In 1930, a more advanced model appeared - ZB mod. 30. At first glance, both machine guns were completely identical. Arr. 30 was distinguished only by its production technology and some external details, in particular the presence of a gas regulator. This machine gun was adopted by the Romanian army. In 1933, testing of the ZCB-33 modification, created for the English 7.71 mm rifle cartridge, began in England. This machine gun was adopted by the British army under the name Bren.
The automatic machine gun of this modification works on the principle of removing part of the powder gases from the barrel, for which purpose a gas chamber with a regulator is located under the barrel in the front part. The barrel bore is locked by skewing the bolt in a vertical plane using corresponding inclined surfaces on the bolt frame post and on the bolt. The trigger mechanism involves firing both single shots and bursts. Switching the fire mode is carried out by a flag-type translator located on the left side of the trigger guard. The translator also functions as a safety device.
The machine gun has an air-cooled barrel, and to improve cooling conditions the barrel is equipped with ribs. There is also the possibility of quickly replacing an overheated barrel, for which a handle is attached to the barrel, which is also used when carrying the machine gun. A bipod or light machine is also provided, with which you can fire at aircraft (in this case, an anti-aircraft sight is used, the rear sight of which is installed on the left side of the receiver, and the front sight - on the tide of the guide tube). The standard machine gun sight provides targeted shooting at a range of up to 1600 m. It consists of a front sight and a trailer drum, on which divisions are marked. Each division corresponds to a change in range by 100 m. Mauser rifle cartridges are used for firing a machine gun. The cartridges are fed from a box magazine with a capacity of 20 or 30 rounds.
After the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the production of ZB-26/30 machine guns continued for the needs of the Wehrmacht. It should be noted that during the Second World War, this machine gun was widely used on both sides of the front and established itself as a reliable and unpretentious weapon.

The SA came into close contact with the ZB in 1944, during the liberation of Eastern Europe: Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, etc.

6. Here he is, the leader. 7.92 mm single machine gun MG-42. The best of the best.

The MG 42 (an abbreviation of the German Maschinengewehr, which literally translates as "mechanical rifle") is a 7.92 mm Mauser general purpose machine gun developed in Nazi Germany and adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1942.

It complemented, and in some cases replaced, the MG 34 general purpose machine gun in all branches of the German armed forces, although both machine guns continued to be manufactured and used until the end of the war.

The MG 42 is known for its reliability, durability, simplicity and ease of operation, but its main feature- this is the rate of fire. The MG 42 has one of the highest rates of fire for single-barrel portable machine guns - from 1200 to 1500 rounds per minute.

The new machine gun weighed only 12 kg (compare with the Maxim machine gun weighing 60 kg), allowed firing both single shots and bursts, and had a lot of advantages in its versatility. Naturally, minimal changes in the design of the machine gun were necessary when changing fields of activity. Corresponding machines were attached to the different options. As light machine gun on the bipod, the MG-42 made it possible to conduct dense barrage fire. As an easel it could be fired from prone, sitting and kneeling positions. It was even possible to mount an optical sight on it for shooting at a distance of up to 2500 m. In the absence of a machine, the MG-42 could shoot at air and ground targets, holding it on the shoulder of the second crew number, or it could be mounted on an anti-aircraft tripod for shooting at aircraft at an altitude of up to 1 km.

There were other automatic weapon designs with similar firepower. These are machine guns such as the French Darne, the Hungarian tank Gebauer, the Soviet aviation 7.62-mm ShKAS and the British Vickers K. However, the belt feed and quick-change barrel system of the MG 42 allows longer firing compared to the above machine guns .

Production of the MG 42 continued after the defeat of Nazi Germany. On its basis, an almost identical MG1 (MG 42/59) was created, which was then improved into the MG1A3, and this, in turn, into the MG 3. Also, the MG 42 became the model for the Swiss machine guns MG 51, SIG MG 710-3, Austrian MG 74 and for the Spanish 5.56 mm Ameli light machine gun.

Fire from MG-42, change of barrel.

If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer.