RPK-16 machine gun: specifications. Kalashnikov light machine gun

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

At the international presentation of weapons "Army-2016", held in September 2016, the RPK-16 machine gun, the brainchild of domestic gunsmiths, was demonstrated. It will be discussed in this article.

New domestic Kalashnikov light machine gun

RPK-16 was created with the aim of potentially replacing the RPK-74 machine gun both in the conventional arms of Russia and among special forces.

Not deviating from the traditional design of Kalashnikov's weapon models (machine gun or machine gun), the designers implemented all the developments obtained during the creation of the AK-12 assault rifle model. All the same automatic gas exhaust system with a long piston stroke, a lockable bolt, firing from a closed bolt.

Mounting an additional body kit on Picatinny rails is provided. Drawing an analogy with the latest innovations in domestic weapons, it should be noted that the RPK-16 is presented with an interchangeable barrel. It is possible to install a short barrel for firing at a short distance or in a confined space, as well as a long one for fighting in open areas. The kit also includes a quick-release muffler forconducting special operations.

The RPK-16 machine gun can use any magazines from AK-74M or RPK-74. Also specially designed for this model is a drum magazine for 96 rounds.

Machine gun-rifle

In the conditions of warfare in our time, it is always necessary to have weapons at hand that can adapt as much as possible to the conditions in which the battle takes place. This was the goal pursued by the Kalashnikov concern, creating a new machine gun RPK-16.

Creating a weapon that combines a machine gun and an assault rifle is far from the first attempt. Suffice it to recall the Israeli Galil assault rifle, the development of Israel Galili based on the Kalashnikov assault rifle. An attempt to combine these types of weapons was unsuccessful.

Singapore model Ultimax 100, created by James Sullivan's engineering team, is another matter. This model is still in demand today. It is for this reason that the concern was given the task of creating such weapons, which will not only be in demand as weapons for military units or special forces, but will also be exported.

Pros and cons

The appearance of the new weapon allows us to conclude that the product is intended for combat in urban environments. Power is supplied by cartridges of caliber 5.45x39 mm. It is believed that the National Guard of Russia and the special services will be interested in the new product.

• Due to its light weight, the RPK-16 with interchangeable barrel is easy to use. The drum shop allows you to forget about frequentrecharge.
• There is no need to collect ammunition, because the classic common caliber of the AK cartridge is used.
• The RPK-16 light machine gun has a low recoil coefficient, which increases the accuracy and accuracy of fire.

Of the negative aspects of the new weapon, only the assumptions of a number of skeptics regarding whether this weapon will justify itself. If the already proven "Pecheneg" was created in order to maintain control over the territory, then the new RPK-16 was created more for lightning attacks.

However, a capacious magazine for 96 rounds and the possibility of installing an elongated barrel make it clear that the possibility of using it for the same purpose as the mentioned "Pecheneg" is still present.

Ultimax 100 vs RPK-16

The machine gun, performance characteristics and other information about which have been kept secret for a long time are of interest to many. But at the moment there are no official sources that allow us to draw conclusions about the existing characteristics of the new weapon.

However, if we assume that the concern's intentions include the goal of pushing the Ultimax 100 out of the world market, then we should consider the characteristics of this weapon in order to get an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat the RPK-16 is in the first place - a machine gun.

The characteristics of the Ultimax 100 reveal that the machine gun was designed to be powered by 5.56 caliber, has 1024 millimeters of length from the beginning of the butt to the end of the barrel. At the same time, the muzzle itself is 508 mm long.

4 kilograms and 900 grams is the weight of the gun withoutcartridges. Accordingly, the rate of fire varies from 400 to 600 rounds per minute. With a magazine capacity of only 100 bullets, you won’t shoot much. Sighting range covers 800 meters. The characteristics of the most common model Mk 3, which has been mass-produced since the second half of the 1980s, are presented.

Compared to ancestor

Speaking about the new Kalashnikov RPK-16 light machine gun, we should also mention its predecessors.

The RPK model was put into service in 1961 to replace the obsolete Degtyarev RPD-44 machine gun. The novelty was almost a third lighter than its predecessor and has proven itself in the ranks of Soviet motorized rifles, paratroopers and marines.

Models with a folding buttstock were also developed, called RPKS, later, after modernization, it became possible to mount optical sights of the NSPUM and NSPU brands of domestic production.

The appearance of the PKK was a landmark event in the domestic defense industry, because the Soviet military received an automatic machine gun and a machine gun of similar designs for the first time in the world.

The RPK-16 machine gun inherited the best qualities inherent in the manufacturer of this weapon line: high strength, reliability and a very long service life.

TTX RPK

Due to the analogy of the structure of a machine gun and an assault rifle, there is no need to search for the necessary spare parts.

Caliber	7, 62 x 39mm
Unloaded weight	4, 900kg
Weightwith drum magazine for 75 rounds	7, 140 kg
Weight with carob for 40 rounds	5, 860 kg
Total item length	1040 mm
Barrel	591mm
Bullet speed	745 m/s
Magazine Capacity	40, 75 rounds
Rate of Fire	600 rpm
Sighting range	1000 m

For 15 years, the PKK remained the leader in the armament of the Soviet army.

PKK in other countries of the world

In addition, the PKK is in service in about 19 countries around the world to this day. In 1964, the machine under the code Model K was adopted by the troops of the GDR army. In terms of its functions and appearance, this is the same domestic PKK.

Yugoslavia, Romania and Vietnam still produce exact copies of the RPK or slightly modernized versions of the domestic machine gun.

The appearance of RPK-74

With the development of domestic weapons and the emergence of a new cartridge for the AK-74 assault rifle, the next step was to create a machine gun that would be powered by a new caliber.

So the RPK-74 was born. This model suffered the same fate - a folding version of the RPKS-74 appeared and variations with optical sights RPKN-74 and RPKSN-74.

It was mentioned above that the new Russian machine gun RPK-16 should replace the RPK-74. For a better understanding, consider the performance of the predecessor machine gun.

Manufacturer	Izhevsk Engineering Plant, Tula Arms Plant
Caliber	5, 45 x 39mm
Weight with a full magazine	5, 46 kg
Weapon length	1060mm
Barrel length	590mm
Muzzle velocity	960 m/s
Magazine Capacity	45
Rate of Fire	600 rpm
Sighting range	1000 m

Obvious flaws

With the spread of the RPK-74, the question of the advantages and disadvantages of the new model began to develop widely.

The 45-round magazine has a not very convenient design in terms of both use and transportation in military uniforms. Foreign analogues at that time already had a much more convenient tape-box ammunition supply. Because of this, I had to use magazines from AK-74, designed for 30 rounds.

Another drawback is common to all world machine guns, developed on the basis of a machine gun or an assault rifle - this is a non-removable barrel. The muzzle of a machine gun, subject to wear, begins to have a negative effect on the rate of fire over time.

These shortcomings identified long ago formed the basis of the task of creating a new RPK-16 5, 45 mm. These missteps should have been avoided.

Dignity

These should include the most obvious advantages based on the identity of the machine gun and machine gun from the same manufacturer. itthe undoubted presence of interchangeable nodes and elements.

An innovation in the design of the RPK-74 was a chrome-plated barrel with a thick wall, which allows for the most intense shelling, and folding bipods were also installed on the machine gun for firing prone or from cover.

Compared to the RPK, the stock has been reinforced many times over. The new Russian light machine gun RPK-16 incorporates all the best from its predecessor.

Feed or shop?

Returning to the global arms market, one should pay special attention to the fact that simultaneously with the advent of the PKK in the 70s, there was an increasing interest in weapons with replaceable power. And here you can't get past the Belgian FN Minimi machine gun, which proved to be excellent at that time.

The Minimi system is powered by a small caliber NATO cartridge. It is worth noting that the developers abandoned the idea of bringing the machine gun model into line with the range of assault rifles manufactured by the same company. That is, FN Minimi was created from scratch and has a unique design.

What this is fraught with, what risks associated with the search for the necessary parts (in case of need for replacement), the designers went, we can assume without going into a detailed study of the design documentation. The risk paid off.

The main feature of the Minimi is its interchangeable power supply. The choice between tape feed and magazine feed is the subject of long-standing discussions among weapon designers around the world. More than a dozen children and more than a dozen people worked on this issue. Andeach time one of the parties prevailed in the discussion, while the other remained in its own opinion and on its own path of development. As a result, various models of weapons with various types of ammunition were created. That is, machine guns and assault rifles (with magazine type separately), belt machine guns.

On the one hand, the belt links weigh extremely little, equipped with cartridges - they fit comfortably into machine gun boxes of any shape, which allows you to carry a significant amount of ammunition. On the other hand, the details of the tape are easily susceptible to corrosion, which, once in the cartridge chambering system in a machine gun, can lead to a misfire or completely disable the weapon. Not to mention the fact that with such a system for supplying cartridges, dirt, dust and sand can also get into the chamber, which will definitely lead to a stop in the operation of the weapon, if not immediately, but after a certain time.

Shops make this task much easier. It is assumed to use an assault rifle magazine, which is very convenient, but this way of feeding is bad for the amount of ammunition and transportation, which is not in line with the carrying weight.

Loose machine-gun belt, designed for 200 rounds, is placed in a plastic box. The ribbon supply compartment is located on the left side of the product. In this case, the box with cartridges is attached from below. This functionality was implemented on the Soviet RPD long before the appearance of the FN Minimi.

If the tape ends, and the other was not at hand, the use of an assault rifle magazine with the samecartridges. This is the principle that the new RPK-16 has incorporated.

Guarded Detention

If we take into account all the listed samples that the designers intend to surpass when creating the RPK-16 weapon, and also remember that in addition to this machine gun, the Turner assault machine gun is also being developed as part of the Soldier of the Future equipment called "Warrior", the brainchild of the domestic arms industry should make a splash on the world market.

Progress does not stand still, the need to create advanced types of weapons that meet modern realities of warfare and objective global integration processes requires constant improvement of both the economic and defense industries. The products of the Kalashnikov concern are known all over the world. Samples of the famous machine gun are still in service in many states.

What will be the new Kalashnikov RPK-16 light machine gun, how it will prove itself, will be known very soon.