The PKP Pecheneg (Pulemyot Kalashnikova Pekhotny "Pecheneg", russian: Печенег) is a Russian

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 ...

general-purpose machine gun A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an air-cooled, usually belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for light and medium machine guns. A GPMG typically features a quick-change barrel design calibered for v ...

.Popenker, Max R
PKP Pecheneg machine gun
It is a further development and modification of the

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 ...

(PKM). It is said to be more accurate than all its predecessors due to a heavier, removable, partially

forced-air A forced-air central heating system is one which uses air as its heat transfer medium. These systems rely on ductwork, vents, and plenums as means of air distribution, separate from the actual heating and air conditioning systems. The return ...

-cooled barrel with radial cooling ribs and a handle which eliminates the haze effect from hot gases and keeps the barrel cooler, making the weapon more reliable. Furthermore, the weapon is capable of having a

telescopic sight A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a '' reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate ...

or other sights mounted on it, which increases its accuracy and effective range. The

GRAU index The Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (), commonly referred to by its transliterated Russian acronym GRAU (), is a department of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is subordinate to the ...

of the PKP Pecheneg is "6P41" or "6P41N" (''PKP Pecheneg-N'') when fitted with a mounting rail for a night vision sight. It is currently in use by Russian Army

Spetsnaz Spetsnaz are special forces in numerous post-Soviet states. (The term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or .) Historically, the term ''spetsnaz'' referred to the S ...

and other troops in significant numbers. Even though it was developed mainly for infantry use, it also has been fitted to several light vehicles.

Name

The PKP Pecheneg is named after the Pecheneg people, a warlike tribe of Turkic origin who lived in what later became the steppes of southern Russia and Ukraine.

Design

According to the manufacturer, the PKP Pecheneg can fire 600 rounds in rapid fire scenarios without damaging the barrel. When conducting a long firefight, it can fire up to 10,000 rounds of ammunition per hour ( effective rate of fire ≈ 166 rounds per minute) without degrading the combat characteristics and reducing the life of the barrel. In general, the PKP Pecheneg retained up to 80% parts commonality with the PKM A steel jacket encloses the barrel from the front of the trunnion to the muzzle. Middle part of the barrel, from the front of the trunnion, to the gas block has transverse grooves to increase the surface area for better cooling. There are oval holes on the jacket in the ribbed section of the barrel for access of air. From the gas block to the muzzle there are 4 longitudinal grooves cut in the barrel. They are covered by the jacket. The grooves connect 4 holes in the gas block and 4 holes on the front end of the muzzle device. Low pressure created at the front of the jacket during firing draws cool air through the grooves, cooling the front part of the barrel, similarly to the Lewis machine gun. Constant forced cooling of the front part of the barrel reduces dispersion when firing, and also increases the durability of the barrel. The service life of the barrel is estimated at 25,000 to 30,000 rounds.

Variants

* Pecheneg-N: GRAU index is "6P41N", similar to the Pecheneg but features a mounting rail for night vision sights. * Pecheneg-SP: GRAU index is "6P69", is an improved variant of the PKP Pecheneg. It has two main versions; a standard version and a special forces version. Titanium is now used for its construction. It was also reported that it now features a

Picatinny rail The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was ...

for mounting the 1P89-3 unified optical sight and other optical sights, a telescopic folding stock and at the request of the Russian military, an additional tactical handle for convenience when firing. According to the manufacturers, during transportation the gun can be folded, making it 30 mm (3 cm) shorter than the regular Kalashnikov rifle. It uses a shortened barrel and a suppressor for noiseless and flameless fire. Its serial production started in February 2017. * Pecheneg bullpup: is a bullpup conversion of the PKP Pecheneg developed by the Degtyarev plant.

Users

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Name

Design

Variants

Users

References

External links