Degtyarev DP Series
Notes:
This weapon was perhaps the first truly original small arms design made
by the Russians. It was adopted by
the Soviets in 1928, and continued in use as the standard Soviet light
machinegun until the 1950s. The DP
was built in huge numbers and some can still be found in use in China, Southeast
Asia, and Africa today.
The DP uses a
simple design called the Friberg-Kjellman operating system; it is simple to
build and maintain, yet is tough and highly resistant to dirt.
The problem with the DP was the ammunition itself; the 7.62mm Nagant
cartridge was not really suited to any of the automatic weapon designs of the
time, and was difficult to load without jamming.
The pan magazine helped greatly in this respect, but was in of itself a
weak point. The DP has no
semiautomatic fire setting, but the rate of fire is low enough that squeezing
off single shots is not too difficult.
No provision for tripod mounting is provided.
The 23.8-inch barrel was tipped with a conical flash suppressor.
The barrel could be changed in the field by the gunners, but required a
special wrench – woe unto the crew that lost that wrench.
The DP-27 has a rifle-type stock with a semi-circular grip at the bottom
to steady the weapon while prone; the stock has a pistol-grip wrist with a
conventional trigger. Though there
is no manual safety, the DP-27 has an automatic grip safety.
The DPM was an
upgraded version of the DP-27 introduced in 1944, and used by the Soviets for
about two decades in front-line units and into the 1980s in Category 3 and
Mobilization-Only units. The DPM’s
recoil spring was moved to the rear of the receiver, and contained in a short
steel tube. The grip safety was
replaced by a selector switch with safe and automatic settings, and a true
pistol grip was added. A more
robust bipod replaced the DP-27s bipod.
For game purposes, the DPM is identical to the DP-27.
The RP-46 is a
further improved DPM, introduced just after World War 2.
Most of the differences are in the feed system; though the RP-46 can use
the pan magazines of the DPM, it can also feed from non-disintegrating steel
belts. The RP-46’s primary feed was
to be by belt; if the belt-feed mechanism is removed (it can be removed as a
unit), then pan magazines can be used.
The second major differences was the use of a slightly longer and much
heavier barrel with better cooling and a larger conical flash suppressor.
The RP-46 also had a quick-change barrel, aided by a carrying handle
attached to the barrel.
Construction was on the whole stronger and more robust.
The RP-46 proved to be too light to be a GPMG (and had no provision for
tripod mounting), and too heavy to be used as a light machinegun.
Though long out or Russian and Chinese service, the RP-46 can still be
found in some Chinese militia units, in the Vietnamese Army, and in use by
several African nations and bandit groups.
In the US,
Century Arms has imported from Eastern Europe DPMs which have been demilled to
the point that modifying them for automatic fire would be difficult if not
impossible. Most of these weapons
are of new manufacture, with receivers purpose-built in the US for
semiautomatic-only fire. These are
essentially semiautomatic versions of the DPM, machineguns without the
“machine.” They load, feed, and fire in otherwise the same manner as a standard
DPM. Trigger action is described as
mushy and the bolt is very difficult to pull back.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
DP-27 |
7.62mm Nagant |
8.5 kg |
47 Pan, 49 Pan |
$2503 |
RP-46 |
7.62mm Nagant |
13 kg |
47 Pan, 49 Pan, 50 Belt, 250 Belt |
$2506 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
DP-27 |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
3 |
7 |
81 |
With Bipod |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
3 |
105 |
RP-46 |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
9 |
2 |
6 |
81 |
With Bipod |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
9 |
1 |
3 |
105 |
Degtyarev/Shpagin DShK
Notes: This
design was a pre-World War 2 cooperative effort between Russian gun designers
Degtyarev and Shpagin. It remained
the standard Soviet and Russian heavy machinegun for almost the next 50 years
before being replaced in Russian service by the NSV series. Most
Russian-designed tanks in the world are still using the DShK as
antiaircraft/commander’s machineguns.
Operation of the
DShK is by gas, with a long-stroke gas piston and capable only of automatic
fire. (With a cyclic rate of fire
of 550 rpm, however, squeezing off single shots is generally not difficult.)
The DShK has a gas regulator, but this requires a wrench to adjust.
The internal mechanism sounds complex in description, but in reality it
is not that complicated. The
42.13-inch barrel is heavy, finned for cooling, and is fitted with a large
muzzle brake on the end. The barrel
is definitely not “quick-change,” as changing a barrel requires it to be
unscrewed a long way from the receiver, and before this is done, a cross-bolt
must also be removed. Fire is by
spade grips and a butterfly trigger.
Sights consist of ladder-type rear sight and a hooded front sight post.
A kit exists to affix AA sights onto the DShK.
The DShK ground mount is usually a wheeled carriage, but some countries
have devised a variety of tripod mounts, and a special AA mount also exists.
In the design
phases, the DShK was to be magazine-fed.
This was changed to belt-feeding, but not until the design process was
nearly over, and belt-feed was almost an afterthought. The feed mechanism is
therefore a bit complex, but does reliably feed the rounds into the gun; it
essentially links what would have been the magazine well with the belt-feed
gate, using a mechanism similar to the running wheels one finds in a hamster’s
cage. The charging handle of the
DShK is really too small to be gripped in the heat of battle; most crews put
extensions on the handles or at least jam a spent cartridge case into a hole
that is on the end of the charging handle.
After World War
2, several design changes were made to the DShK, resulting in the DShK-38/46
(also called the DShKM). The
DShK-38/46 fixed the overly-complicated and somewhat jury-rigged belt-feed
mechanism, making it much simpler and giving the option of changing the feed
direction of the belt. The muzzle
brake was made lighter and easier to produce.
Otherwise, it is identical to the DShK for game purposes.
The Chinese made
the DShK-38/46 under license for nearly 50 years, though since the 1990s these
guns were primarily built for export.
The Chinese nomenclature was the Type 54.
Recently, China sold its license to Pakistan, where it is still being
manufactured as the Type 54. It is
identical to the DShK-38/46 for game purposes, with the exception of an extended
charging handle being standard.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
DShK |
12.7mm Russian |
35.5 kg |
50 Belt |
$10275 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
DShK |
5 |
9 |
2-2-3 |
11 |
1 |
3 |
326 |
Degtyarev DS-39
Notes: Just
before World War 2, the Russians decided to replace the Russian version of the
Maxim with a lighter, simpler, air-cooled weapon.
This was the DS-39, and some 10,300 were built from 1939-41.
The DS-39 by long-stroke gas piston, firing from an open bolt and on
automatic fire only. The DS-39 has
a dual cyclic rate of fire, either 600 or 1200 rpm.
The 600-rpm rate of fire allows a practiced gunner to fire single shots;
the 1200-rpm rate of fire was meant primarily for antiaircraft use, but could be
employed in other roles. In
addition, the DS-39 had a manually-adjustable gas regulator.
Fire is by spade grips and a butterfly trigger. The standard mount was a
light 28-kilogram tripod with a thin gun shield attached (AV1 to the gunner
only), and the 28.5-inch barrel was finned for cooling and tipped with a conical
flash suppressor.
The problem with
the DS-39 was, while it was in fact much lighter and simpler than the Maxim, it
was also much less reliable than the Maxim or any other machinegun the Soviets
had in service at the time. The
biggest reasons for this lack of reliability was a feed mechanism that was not
properly engineered to take the rimmed 7.62mm Nagant rounds, and the use of the
Maxim’s non-disintegrating fabric belts, which also did not work well in the
DS-39. In addition, the feed
mechanism has a rather violent movement, one that can literally rip the bullet
out of the casing before it can be fired, and rip or greatly deform the spent
casings upon extraction (reloading spent casings was very important to the
Soviets in World War 2. Another
problem was the relatively thin gas piston, which could become quickly mired in
carbon and unburned powder.
The Tula Arsenal
tried to fix the problems, but by 1941, the Russians decided to go back to
producing the Maxim and later, the SG-43.
The DS-39 was used as little as possible in World War 2 after the German
invasion of the Soviet Union, but it could still be encountered.
After World War 2, most were scrapped.
The Finns tried to use some 200 captured DS-39s against the Soviets, but
despite the best efforts at fixing the DS-39’s problems (by Ahmo Lahti himself),
they too realized that the DS-39’s feed mechanism could not be fixed without
basically starting from scratch.
These guns were warhoused by the Finns until 1986 and then scrapped.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
DS-39 |
7.62mm Nagant |
14.3 kg |
100 or 250 Cloth Belt |
$3385 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
DS-39 |
5/10 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
1/3 |
202 |
Goryunov SG-43
Notes: This
weapon was designed to replace the Maxim M-1910 in Russian service after the
failure of the DS-39. As such, the
SG-43 is a rather heavy weapon for its role, and normally retains the wheeled
carriage of the Maxim; a second wheeled tripod is designed for AA fire.
A tripod mount was also designed, but initially rejected by the Soviet
High Command; later in World War 2, it was adopted for airborne and mountain
troops. Like most Soviet
machineguns of period, the machinegun uses a long-stroke gas piston operation,
with automatic-only firing; also like most guns of the period, the cyclic rate
is slow enough to allow for single shots.
Fire is by spade grips and a butterfly trigger.
Despite the complication of its mechanism, the Goryunov is surprisingly
reliable and stoppages are quite uncommon; in addition, the SG-43 is also less
complicated and cumbersome than the Maxim, and easier to manufacture.
The 28.35-inch barrel is a quick-change type, but the handle tends to get
as hot as the barrel, and gloves are normally necessary. The barrel is tipped by
a conical flash suppressor.
The later SGM
version was used exclusively with the tripod mount (with the exception of the
initial models). The barrel was
fluted to reduce weight, and dust covers were added to the feed and ejection
ports. The charging handle was
moved from the rear of the receiver to the right side.
The SGMB is essentially the same, but designed for pintle mounts on APCs.
Hungarian models of the SGM have a pistol grip, stock, and bipod.
For game purposes, the SGM is the same as the SG-43, with the exception
of the mount (30 kilograms for the wheeled mount vs. 14.2 kg for the tripod) and
some minor weight differences.
By 2003, few
countries are employing the Goryunov any more, but some Third World countries
still have them, particularly as pintle-mounted guns for BTR-40 armored cars.
However, Century International Arms has come out with a semiautomatic
only (very difficult to convert to automatic fire), which is identical to the
early SG-43 except for the lack of an automatic fire capability.
They market this as the SA-43 Goriunov, and it is sold on a wheeled
carriage.
Twilight 2000
Notes: As Category 3 and Mobilization-Only units began reaching the front lines,
the Goryunov began to appear more and more often.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
SG-43 |
7.62mm Nagant |
13.8 kg |
250 Belt |
$2547 |
SGM |
7.62mm Nagant |
13.6 kg |
250 Belt |
$2547 |
SGM (Hungarian Variant) |
7.62mm Nagant |
14.3 kg |
250 Belt |
$2644 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
SG-43 |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
1 |
1 |
202 |
SGM |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
1 |
1 |
202 |
SGM (Hungarian) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
9 |
2 |
6 |
101 |
SGM (Hungarian, Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
9 |
1 |
3 |
131 |
SGM (Hungarian, Tripod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
9 |
1 |
1 |
202 |
Kalashnikov PK
Notes: This
standard GPMG in Russian service fills the same role as the M-60, MAG, MG-3, and
other such weapons in other armies.
As such, it can be found in the armies of almost every country that is or was
once a Russian or Soviet client state, or did business with China.
The PK is sort of a mix of ideas from several previous machineguns;
however, it is for the most part basically the same Kalashnikov action of the AK
series of assault rifles, turned upside down and enlarged.
This is added to the belt feed mechanism of a VZ-59, the trigger group of
the DP, and the cartridge feed and quick change barrel of the Goryunov (though a
shorter barrel). The
Kalashnikov/Goryunov action makes it a very reliable and robust weapon, despite
the light weight.
Introduced in
1964, the PK replaced the RP-46 and SGM in Russian service.
The PK was designed to be used from a bipod or tripod (the tripod is
known in Twilight 2000 as the PLT, or
Pact Light Tripod, though the weight is actually 7.47 kilograms), or pintle and
vehicular mounts. The barrel is
heavy, fluted for most of its length, and is 25.9 inches long with a short,
conical flash hider at the end. The
bipod folds forward and is attached to a reinforced section of the gas tube just
behind the gas block. Feed is from
the right, and the PK has been seen fed by several different lengths of
non-disintegrating link belts and with several different types of ammunition
boxes and containers ranging from small canvas bags holding 25 rounds to large
boxes containing 250-round belts.
(The box for the 250-round belt is not designed to be attached directly to the
PK, but the others can be hung on a bracket on the side of the receiver.)
Even larger containers are found for variants of the PK used as internal
vehicular weapons. The pistol grip
is of high-impact plastic, but the stock is made of wood, and its distinctive
skeletonized shape is well-known to the troops of most countries.
The PKS is a
variant of the PK designed for use as a support weapon and for antiaircraft use;
it is normally issued in the Russian Army at the company level.
It is essentially the same weapon as the PK, but the bipod is deleted,
and the tripod used for the PKS is designed for use in both the ground role and
antiaircraft role (the legs are collapsing and can be quickly raised up or
collapsed again as necessary). This
tripod weighs 9.3 kilograms.
The PKT is
designed only for use in an internal vehicle mount, such as a coaxial weapon or
the bow weapons found on some Russian-built vehicles.
As is typical for such a weapon, it has no sights, stock, pistol grip,
trigger mechanism, etc. – it is electrically fired by whatever trigger is used
on the vehicle in question, using the vehicle’s sighting devices.
The PKT also uses a much longer 28.4-inch barrel.
Kazakhstan has
converted many PKT’s into a new version of the PK, which they call the PKD.
They essentially took the PKT and put all the manual features back on,
turning it into a PK with a longer barrel.
The stock is also different, being made from simple tubular metal with an
additional buttplate which has a thick rubber recoil pad.
The PKM is the
current Russian production version of the PK (and has been since 1969); it is
version of the PK which has been lightened by removing the flutes from the
barrel and making it from lighter (but stronger) steel, as well as removing any
excess metal possible, using almost entirely steel stampings instead of machined
steel, and replacing the stock with one made from high-impact plastic (and
later, polymer). A hinged support
plate was also added to the stock to help support the weapon on the shooter’s
shoulder when it is fired from a bipod.
There are several variants of the PKM which differ only in minor details;
the PKMS uses a different bipod which allows the ammunition boxes (even the
large one) to be secured to the right rear leg so that the gun and ammunition
can be moved easier. The PKMSN is a
PKMS with a bracket allowing the use of Russian night vision devices.
The PKMB is a PKM with the stock, pistol grip, and trigger mechanism
replaced with spade grips and the associated trigger, for use as a helicopter
door gun. Later, a bracket for
night vision devices was added to the PKMB.
Though the
current standard production version
is the PKM, there is in fact another, newer version of the PK, called the 6P41
Pecheneg. The Pecheneg is
apparently in limited production and issue, and has been observed in the hands
of Russian troops in Chechnya. The
Pecheneg looks generally similar to the PKM, but the PKM’s light, quick-change
barrel has been replaced by a heavy, fixed barrel tipped with a slightly
different flash hider. The Pecheneg
also has a carrying handle attached on top of the barrel at the gun’s point of
balance. The Pecheneg’s bipod is
also attached near the muzzle instead of being near the gas block.
The barrel is the same length as that of the PK and PKM (25.9 inches),
but the Russians say that the Pecheneg is 2.5 times more accurate than the PKM
when fired from a bipod and 1.5 times more accurate when fired from a tripod –
something most Western analysts consider impossible simply by making the barrel
heavier and fixed. (One also has to
wonder about barrel heating during sustained fire.)
The Pecheneg does, however, have a mount which can take a wide variety of
optics and accessories – which might account for the added accuracy the Russians
claim. A new tripod has also been
designed for the Pecheneg, which weighs only 4.49 kilograms and is made of
lightweight alloys.
Perhaps the
newest version of the PK series is KMZ’s AEK-999 Barusk.
This weapon is meant to address some of the biggest complaints from the
troops about the PK series: a fragile, rapidly-heating barrel, deafening report,
a point of high stress where the bipod is attached to the barrel, and a
highly-visible firing signature. As
with the PKM and Pecheneg, the Barusk utilizes primarily polymer instead of
wooden parts. The new barrel has
stiffening flutes on its length, and the barrel is made of the same grade of
steel as those for aircraft cannons. The bipod is moved further back and is
attached to rib under the barrel instead of to the barrel itself.
Above the barrel, there is a long bar to reduce aiming errors due to
barrel heat. The entire weapon is
reduced in length. Perhaps the most
unusual feature is a large, removable muzzle brake/low-efficiency suppressor
that almost totally removes the muzzle flash of the Barusk, as well as making
the muzzle cracks of the ammunition inaudible beyond 600 meters.
The Polish have
a version of the PKM called the UKM-2000; this version is chambered for 7.62mm
NATO ammunition, and the UKM-2000 can be mounted on both NATO and Eastern
tripods, and in both NATO and Eastern armored vehicles and pintles.
The barrel is also short at 21.5 inches, making a handier weapon.
A version of this gun, the UKM-2000D, is designed for airborne troops and
close combat and has a side folding stock that does not inhibit reaching the
trigger.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The Pecheneg and PKD do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
PK/PKS |
7.62mm Nagant |
8.8 kg |
25 Belt, 50 Belt, 100 Belt, 200 Belt, 250 Belt |
$2569 |
PKT |
7.62mm Nagant |
* |
* |
* |
PKD |
7.62mm Nagant |
8.8 kg |
25 Belt, 50 Belt, 100 Belt, 200 Belt, 250 Belt |
$2726 |
PKM |
7.62mm Nagant |
8.21 kg |
25 Belt, 50 Belt, 100 Belt, 200 Belt, 250 Belt |
$2574 |
Pecheneg |
7.62mm Nagant |
8.21 kg |
25 Belt, 50 Belt, 100 Belt, 200 Belt, 250 Belt |
$2609 |
Barusk |
7.62mm Nagant |
8.74 kg |
25 Belt, 50 Belt, 100 Belt, 200 Belt, 250 Belt |
$2530 |
Barusk Suppressor |
N/A |
4 kg |
25 Belt, 50 Belt, 100 Belt, 200 Belt, 250 Belt |
$800 |
UKM-2000 |
7.62mm NATO |
8.4 kg |
50 Belt, 100 Belt, 250 Belt |
$2327 |
UKM-2000D |
7.62mm NATO |
8.4 kg |
50 Belt, 100 Belt, 250 Belt |
$2347 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
PK/PKS |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
3 |
7 |
91 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
3 |
118 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
2 |
182 |
PKT |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
* |
* |
* |
202 |
PKD |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
2 |
6 |
101 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
3 |
131 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
1 |
202 |
PKM |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
3 |
7 |
91 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
3 |
118 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
2 |
182 |
Pecheneg |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
3 |
7 |
94 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
3 |
123 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
2 |
189 |
Barusk |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
3 |
7 |
84 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
3 |
109 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
1 |
167 |
Barusk (w/Suppressor) |
5 |
4 |
2-4-6 |
9 |
2 |
6 |
77 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-4-6 |
9 |
1 |
3 |
100 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
4 |
2-4-6 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
154 |
UKM-2000 |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
3 |
7 |
69 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
1 |
3 |
90 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
7 |
1 |
1 |
139 |
UKM-2000D |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
5/7 |
3 |
7 |
69 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
5/7 |
1 |
3 |
90 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
5/7 |
1 |
1 |
139 |
*Since this is strictly an internal vehicular-mounted version, these factors are
not important with regards to the
Twilight 2000 v2.2 rules.
Notes: When the
Soviet Union broke up, one of the (many) problems Russia faced was that the
facilities for the design and manufacturing of the NSV series of heavy
machineguns (their standard heavy machinegun) was located in the then-new
country of Kazakhstan, a country reluctant to supply Russia with any weapons.
The Russians needed a domestically-produced version of the NSV.
At the same time, Kovrov had some new ideas for the NSV.
The result is the KORD, which entered service in 1998.
Externally, the
KORD looks almost identical to the NSV, but internally, it is essentially a new
weapon. The biggest change internally is the new locking mechanism, called by
Kovrov a “tilting breech slide.”
Essentially, the tilting breech slide makes the entire action work more
smoothly. Kovrov also modified the
gas mechanism to work less violently, and added a multi-baffle muzzle brake to
the barrel; the result of those changes significantly reduces vibration of the
action, increases the stability of the KORD, and reduces the recoil – so much
that the KORD can actually be fired from a bipod (and some sources say, from the
hip) without wrecking the shooter’s shoulder.
The KORD can also use any NSV tripod, pintle mount, or internal vehicular
mount, as well as the tripods or pintle mounts designed for the AGS-17 and
AGS-30 automatic grenade launchers.
The barrel (approximately 41 inches in length, but I have not been able to find
any solid figures on this) is designed to distribute and dissipate heat evenly
without requiring fluting or fins.
Sights for the infantry versions consist of a protected front post and a rear
folding adjustable tangent sight; provisions are also made for mounting an SPP
telescopic sight or special antiaircraft sights.
There are at
least six variants of the KORD, most of which vary only in minor details from
each other. The 6P49 is designed
for internal vehicular mounts, is electrically fired, and is aimed using the
vehicle’s sights; the 6P49 is also designed so that the spent shells are ejected
forward, outside of the vehicle.
The 6P51 is similar, but further specialized (somewhat more compact) for use as
a coaxial weapon or for mounting in turrets with limited space, such as that of
the BTR-60, 70, and 80. The 6P50 is
the basic infantry model, equipped with spade grips and designed to be fired
only from tripod or pintle mounts.
Feed is from the left, and spent rounds are ejected to the left and forward.
The gun portion of the 6P50, 6P50-2, 6P50-3 are identical; they simply
have different designations depending upon what they are mounted upon (6P50
refers to the KORD when it is on standard 16.01-kilogram NSV-type tripods or
pintles; 6P50-2 refers to the KORD when it is mounted on the heavier
26.99-kilogram 6T99 tripod; 6P50-3 is the KORD when it is mounted on the
49.99-kilogram 6U6 multipurpose mount.)
The 6P50-1 is also an infantry model, with a bipod, standard trigger
unit, and NSV-type stock added. The
bipod is designed to allow traverse up to 15 degrees in either direction.
In 2005, an
export variant of the Kord was being offered, chambered for .50 Browning
Machinegun ammunition. Parts are
80% interchangeable with those of the standard KORD, but a quick caliber change
is not possible.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The KORD never got very far, but did appear on mounts on some armored
vehicles such as T-90, T-94, T-95, and Black Eagle tanks and on ground and
vehicular mounts in some airborne, air assault, and special operations units.
The .50 Browning Machinegun chambering does not exist in the Twilight
2000 timeline.
Merc 2000 Notes:
Budget problems led to the premature cancellation of the KORD.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
KORD 6P50-1 |
12.7mm Russian |
31.99 kg |
50 Belt, 70 Belt |
$10571 |
KORD 6P50/-2/-3 |
12.7mm Russian |
24.99 kg |
50 Belt, 70 Belt |
$10377 |
KORD 6P50-1 |
.50 Browning Machinegun |
31.13 kg |
50 Belt, 70 Belt, 105 Belt |
$10007 |
KORD 6P50/-2/-3 |
.50 Browning Machinegun |
24.32 kg |
50 Belt, 70 Belt, 105 Belt |
$9977 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
KORD 6P50-1 (12.7mm) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
12 |
4 |
7 |
156 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
12 |
2 |
4 |
203 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
12 |
1 |
2 |
313 |
KORD 6P50/-2/-3 (12.7mm, With Tripod) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
11 |
1 |
2 |
313 |
KORD 6P50-1 (.50) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
12 |
4 |
7 |
167 |
(With Bipod) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
12 |
2 |
4 |
217 |
(With Tripod) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
12 |
1 |
2 |
334 |
KORD 6P50/-2/-3 (.50, With Tripod) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
11 |
1 |
2 |
334 |
Maxim PM-1910
Notes:
The first machineguns the Russians had were Maxims supplied to the Tsar’s
Army by England. By 1905, Tula was
capable of reproducing the design and the Russians began producing their own
copy as the PM-1905, with a bronze water jacket.
The next step was to replace the bronze jacket with a steel one and
produce the Maxim in a local caliber, 7.62mm Nagant, with the feed mechanism
suitably altered to properly use the rimmed round.
The PM-1910 also has a very large port to fill the water jacket to allow
it to be filled or topped off faster.
This version of the Maxim was produced in huge numbers and remained in
service until replaced by the SG-43.
It can still be seen in reserve formations of the Chinese Army,
Vietnamese Army, Mongolian Army, and even some Eastern European military forces,
as well as some of the Third World countries once aligned with Russia or China.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
PM-1910 |
7.62mm Nagant |
23.8 kg (27.8 kg with Water) |
250 Belt |
$2634 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
PM-1910 |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
9 |
1 |
1 |
202 |
Maxim/Tokarev MT
Notes: The MT
was an interim light machinegun design; about 2500 were produced at Tula in
1926-27. Most were later sold to
Republican Spain, and they were not used for long in the Soviet Army.
The MT was sort of a combination of the German IMG-08/18 and the Russian
version of the Maxim, the M-1910.
The water-filled barrel jacket was discarded at the outset, and a shorter
25.8-inch barrel was used with a barrel jacket that helped cool the barrel.
The barrel could be changed in the field, but it takes several minutes to
do so. The spade grips were
replaced with a rifle-type stock with a pistol-grip wrist and a conventional
trigger. A folding bipod was
located at the end of the barrel jacket; this bipod had spikes at the end of it.
No provision for tripod mounting is provided.
The MT was fed by non-disintegrating belts; the standard was a 100-round
belt contained in a drum that attached to the gun, but older 250-round belts
could also be used.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
MT |
7.62mm Nagant |
12.9 kg |
100 Belt, 250 Belt |
$2551 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
MT |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
2 |
6 |
90 |
With Bipod |
5 |
4 |
2-3-Nil |
8 |
1 |
3 |
118 |
Notes: Work on
the machinegun that became the NSV began in 1969, but the first examples were
not observed by the West until several years later.
The NSV heavy machinegun was designed to replace the DShK in Russian and
Warsaw Pact service, as well as for export sales, and it can be found almost
anywhere in the world now. Until
recently, the Russians no longer manufactured the NSV; however, it
is still being manufactured -- by
Metallist Uralsk and Kaspex in Kazakhstan, where the facilities for NSV
manufacture were located after the breakup of the Soviet Union, as well as by
Molot.
The NSV is for
the most part a conventional gas-operated heavy machinegun.
The gas system uses a three-position gas regulator, which allows the
gunner to compensate for fouling or dirt.
The barrel, approximately 41 inches long (as with the KORD, I have not
been able to find any solid figures on this) is tipped with a large conical
flash hider, and though the barrel looks thin and flimsy, it is actually quite
robust. Feed may be from the right
or left, but the side from which the NSV feeds is set at the factory according
to the needs of the buyer and cannot be changed afterwards without considerable
work by an armorer. The receiver is
of stamped steel with a combination of welds and rivets holding it together.
For the most part, sights consist of a front hooded post and a rear
folding adjustable tangent leaf sight.
Ground-mounted versions and those on pintle mounts may also mount an SPP
telescopic sight; this sight is a 3x/6x sight with an illuminated reticle
similar to that of the PSO-1 telescopic rifle scope.
The ground-mounted NSV is also able to mount a 1PN52-1 night vision
device. There are a several
versions of the NSV, both for ground and pintle use and for internal vehicular
use, most of which differ little from each other except in the direction from
which they feed or the iron sights they use (or in the case of internal
vehicular mountings, the use of electrical triggers instead of manual ones).
Ground-mounted versions have what amounts to a rudimentary wooden stock
on a strut attached to the bottom of the receiver and a conventional trigger
group, while pintle-mounted models normally have spade grips and the associated
trigger group. Many NSVs on Russian
and Eastern European-built or designed tanks can often be aimed and fired from
either inside the turret by the commander, or directly by the commander while
standing in his hatch; these use electrical firing mechanisms and the firing
controls are just inside the commander’s hatch.
The NSV can be fired only from a tripod, pintle, or vehicular mount;
while early rumors stated that the NSV could be fired from a bipod, this is in
fact incorrect (though it can be fired from the prone position using the
rudimentary stock). The standard
ground-mount tripod weighs 16.01 kilograms, but there is also a version of this
tripod which has a thick armored gun shield in front (AV3) which is meant for
used in fixed fortified positions.
A special antiaircraft tripod is also available, which is essentially a taller
version of the standard tripod that also comes with an antiaircraft sight
reticule and lead arms.
After the
breakup of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan began manufacturing an updated form of
the NSV, called the NSVP. This
version is for the most part identical to the standard NSV, but the barrel of
the NSVP is tipped by a muzzle brake, and a new soft-mount-type tripod was
designed specifically for use with the NSVP (and can only be used by the NSVP).
This soft mount also has a special cradle on the right side of the tripod
for the ammunition box, which improves the balance of the NSVP.
The weight of this special soft mount is approximately 27 kilograms.
The NSVP is also able to use a standard NSV tripod or pintle mount.
Twilight 2000
Notes: the NSVP does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
NSV |
12.7mm Russian |
24.99 kg |
50 Belt, 70 Belt |
$10261 |
NSVP |
12.7mm Russian |
25.19 kg |
50 Belt, 70 Belt |
$10345 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
NSV (With Tripod) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
10 |
1 |
3 |
312 |
NSVP (With Soft Mount) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
10 |
1 |
2 |
312 |
NSV (With NSV Tripod) |
5 |
9 |
2-3-4 |
10 |
1 |
3 |
312 |
Vladimirov KPV
Notes: Design
work on the KPV began shortly after World War 2; it was at the time the
machinegun firing the largest round in the world, and is still the
heaviest-caliber machinegun in any sort of mass production.
(Much bigger, and you cross into autocannon land…)
At first, the KPV was meant for single, double, and quadruple
antiaircraft mount use (the ZPU-1, ZPU-2, and ZPU-4), but it was quickly
realized that the KPV could be easily adapted to vehicle use, and it quickly
became the primary armament of the BTR-60, BTR-70, BTR-80, and BRDM-2, and some
other Russian and then-Warsaw Pact vehicles.
The basic KPV is
a short recoil-operated machinegun with a muzzle booster, using a heavy
quick-change 53-inch barrel tipped with long conical flash hider.
The standard belts are 100 rounds, but cases of these belts are split
into 10-round sections which must be linked together to produce these belts.
In addition, the belt-pulling strength of the KPV is such that it can
easily use belts 10 times that length without compromising the reliability of
the KPV. The standard mount is
either one of several antiaircraft mountings, a heavy wheeled mount (called the
Pact Heavy Carriage by the Twilight 2000
rules. There are some rare
pintle mountings, but most of those seen are actually makeshift pintle mounts
(such as sometimes seen in use by the pickup trucks used by “techincals” in some
parts of Africa). The KPV (as a
ground weapon) sometimes includes a rudimentary sort of “stock” (more something
to brace one’s shoulder against than anything else), and antiaircraft mountings
generally include a seat, special antiaircraft sights, and in some cases, a
small electrical motor to allow quick traverse and elevation of the weapons. The
very rare infantry version uses a wheeled carriage similar to that of the DShK,
and fires from spade grips; the feed box is attached to the right-side axle with
feed being from the right side.
Versions of the
KPV designed for internal mounting in vehicles (such a version is known as the
KPVT) differ in that they use electrical firing instead of a trigger, and do not
have the shoulder brace or the necessary parts to allow them to be mounted upon
a PHC or pintle.
Weapon |
Ammunition |
Weight |
Magazines |
Price |
KPV |
14.5mm KPV |
49.08 kg |
100 Belt |
$13794 |
Weapon |
ROF |
Damage |
Pen |
Bulk |
SS |
Burst |
Range |
KPV (With Carriage) |
5 |
11 |
2-2-3 |
13 |
1 |
3 |
475 |