Our author tried to solve an incredibly difficult problem in the arms business - to create an increased capacity power system for light machine guns, / while keeping the weight of the shooting systems within reasonable limits.
Is it possible to embrace the immensity
Different people have different requirements for automatic firearms, including small arms: designers defend their point of view, generals - theirs, military officials - theirs, production workers - theirs, and experts from the closed Central Research Institute, All-Russian Research Institute and Design Bureau often "bend" such that it is even difficult to imagine. In addition, now the Ministry of Internal Affairs has its own views on "weapons cases." Finally, the unfortunate infantryman, who has to carry all this "iron" on himself, disassemble - collect "on his knee" (in the mud, without tools and instructions), and also fire, handing the "soulless iron" his life - thinks about it … However, his opinion, as a rule, is not asked. In other words, everyone has their own truth.
From all this heap of completely contradictory and sometimes even quite fair demands, the following follows.
Those who directly operate small arms and whose life directly depends on them wants them to be smaller in size and weight, in terms of arrangement and maintenance - simpler, the capacity of the Power System, rate of fire and survivability would be higher, so that at a high rate of fire change ribbons and magazines less often, and equip them with ammunition faster and more conveniently, and, in addition, so that the wearable ammunition load would be small in weight and large in terms of the number of shots.
Multilevel (two-level) Power supply system of the machine gun "Revelli-Fiat"
The manufacturer of small arms is trying with all his might to make it constructively and technologically convenient in production, he simply dreams that it would not have scarce materials, that it would be suitable for production on existing (and, as a rule, outdated) equipment, if possible, would use previously prepared assemblies and components from earlier samples (for example, magazines, tapes, etc.), and would require minimal time and energy during production.
The main buyers of weapons (the army and other "power" structures) want it to be cheap and repairable at high rates, so that old ammunition, lubricants and maintenance materials, spare parts, cartridge belts and magazines from earlier samples, prepared earlier items of ammunition and equipment (such as: pouches, containers, covers of various kinds, belts, etc.), as well as the corresponding devices for its storage (boxes, pyramids, etc.) would be docked with this weapon.
Here is only a part of the requirements for any sample, and which only marks the beginning of a long series of problems. Of course, all these varied and varied requirements cannot be fully combined with each other. However, there are two or three problems, the solution of which allows you to satisfy at least half of the above requirements and get high performance for new weapons.
German rifle G-11
Rifle G-11 in section
There are two very important aspects to keep in mind.
Firstly, since almost any weapon does not exist by itself, but is part of a certain Weapon Complex (OK), then small arms automatic weapons are also part of such a Complex, consisting of three equal and interconnected components - Ammunition (cartridges), System power supply (devices for their placement / short-term storage and supply to the Launch Part) and from the Launch (Armory) Part, which, in fact, is considered a weapon. In addition, there are some third-party organizations, both technical and biological, which are not formally included in the Complex, but ensure its operability. Therefore, any problem facing the OC is solved jointly in all three of its components; the slightest change in one of them should be closely linked to the functioning of the others, on which it inevitably affects. Therefore, the solution of any issues cannot be a single solution, but turns into a system of measures that affects all three components.
Secondly, there is another "trinity" - three so-called Essential Features, also closely interconnected with each other: rate of fire, capacity and weight. Not only do they not exist separately, but they still appear in full force with enviable constancy in all three components of the Weapon Complex.
Disassembled caseless ammunition for the G-11 rifle
Caseless cartridges for IV-I in a plastic transparent magazine
How to ensure a high rate of fire
Since the time of the Crimean War, there has been a need for small arms that provide the maximum rate of fire for the longest possible time. This is true today. But the rate of fire is ensured not only by the presence of automatic (re) loading, but also by the presence of a sufficiently capacious Power System. And the larger its capacity, the greater (total) weight of the array of ammunition (cartridges) introduced into it. This results in an increase in the weight of mechanisms and units of both the Power System itself and all weapons (or rather, the Weapon Complex).
One of the most difficult problems for small arms is the problem of weight, or rather, the task of reducing it. Simply put, there are approximate boundaries: for such and such ammunition, an automatic machine or a light machine gun with loaded magazines must have weights within strictly allotted limits. The task is to increase the capacity of the Power Supply System (for example, a store) without leaving the set weight limits.
Let's see what can be done for this in each component of the OK.
Weight reduction in the "Ammunition" component is possible due to the transition to a new, reduced caliber (with a corresponding change in the geometrical dimensions of the cartridge); by replacing traditional materials and components in ammunition with lighter and more modern ones; seriously (deeply) changing the design of the ammunition (cartridge) or switching to a different principle of its action.
In case of switching to a reduced caliber, the standard size of the ammunition changes, the transition to another cartridge. For example, in the AKM Kalashnikov assault rifles, cartridge 7, 62x39 mod. 1943 on 5, 45x39 arr. 1974 The first cartridge has a weight of 16, 2 g, the second - only 10, 5 g. This led to the birth of a new model - AK-74.
If we go along the path of replacing traditional materials with lighter and more modern ones, then the changes will primarily affect the device that combines all the elements of the ammunition (shot) into one whole, into a unitary cartridge - we are talking about the sleeve. For example, replacing brass or steel in it with light alloys (possibly based on aluminum) or even plastics will significantly reduce the weight of the entire ammunition.
In the event of a serious change in the design of the ammunition, it is precisely "the device that combines the elements of the ammunition placed in a unitary cartridge in a certain sequence and with its help rigidly fixed relative to each other in the appropriate positions". The most famous and common of such devices is the cartridge case, but this is far from the only unifying or connecting structure. In addition to the liner, there are at least five such structures; no one will guarantee that there are not more of them.
Machine gun "Revelli-Fiat" mod. 1914 g.
9mm MP-40 / I submachine gun mod. 1942 g.
Fragment of a submachine gun MP-40 / I mod. 1942 The movable cartridge receiver with two windows for standard box magazines is clearly visible
If we refuse from the case, then we refuse from the caseless unitary cartridge and, most likely, go to the caseless unitary. This is a very serious step with far-reaching and not entirely predictable consequences. Firstly, this significantly changes the design of the Armory part of the complex, and, secondly, caseless cartridges are also different: "checker cartridges" - similar to the 4, 7-mm ammunition of the "Dynamite Nobel" company for the German rifle 0-11.; "Skirt" - similar to the 9-mm cartridge of the Italian submachine gun of the firm "Armie Benelli" M2; and other designs. Changes may be required - and will be required! - not only in the Armory part of the complex, but also in the Power System. For example, caseless cartridges of the "checkerboard" type have an interesting feature - they can form the so-called "phantom" conveyors, that is, some analogs of cartridge belts. Built with this feature in mind, the Power System has a traction element in the form of a rail or tape, the weight of which is zero: if there are cartridges - there is a traction element, there are no cartridges - there is no traction element either. Such a “weightless” rail or tape, which disappears as the cartridges are expended, can significantly reduce the weight of the Power System. All this is true, but the changes that will entail "just" the transition to a caseless cartridge will change the entire Weapon Complex so much that the question of the technical and economic feasibility of this step may arise: colossal problems with the production of new ammunition will arise; equipment at arms factories will have to be replaced by 80 percent, etc.
Well, if we talk about the transition to a different principle of the operation of weapons, then this means not so much a change in the principle of action of the ammunition, as the transition to a different type of destructive principle, and therefore, to completely new models, to other Weapon Complexes - perhaps not even firearms.
RPD-44 machine gun with accessories
RPK and RPKS machine guns chambered for 7, 62x39. These samples differed from each other in butts - the RPK had an awkward one, and the RPKS had a folding one.
RPKS-74 machine gun chambered for 5, 45x39
Weight reduction in the "Power System" component is solved primarily by placing the maximum amount of ammunition at the minimum space. This requires:
- to select the longest, but with the minimum number of curves of small radii, the trajectory of ammunition supply, "packed" in a given space (dimensions);
- to create a mechanism for supplying ammunition, which ensures their reliable passage along the selected trajectory of supply;
- to ensure the lowest possible "dead" weight of the Power System - that is, to solve the problem of the ratio of the capacity of the Power System and its weight in the empty state: to make sure that the unit of capacity of the Power System would have as little weight of its components and mechanisms as possible.
Any feed trajectory can be made, but not every one of them can be matched with an easy and reliable ammunition supply mechanism, even if we consider that it is impossible to lengthen the feed trajectory indefinitely. The simpler it is, that is, the closer to the straight line, and the shorter, the simpler in design, lighter in weight and the more reliable the ammunition feed mechanism functions. Experiments with feed trajectories and the corresponding ammunition feed mechanisms have been carried out by gunsmiths from different countries since the 70s. XIX century, and by the middle of the XX century there was already a solid "collection" of heterogeneous feeders, bunkers, belts, drums and stores - tubular, box-shaped, rotary, screw, rack, multi-chamber, box, snail, saddle-shaped …, all possible types of feed trajectories - both in "pure" form and in various combinations. Roughly the same can be said about the mechanisms for supplying ammunition - in general terms they are known; although the original designs of such mechanisms can still be created, but they are unlikely to have a "breakthrough" character.
Product "RPKS-SP No. 2" (bottom) and "RPKS-SP No. 3" (top). View from above. Receiver covers, bolts with bolt frames, trigger parts, barrels and magazines are missing for clarity. The mechanism for controlling the feed of the cassette is clearly visible, located in the so-called. "Pocket" of the receiver under the breech
Cassettes for standard stores of products "RPKS-SP No. 2" (left) and "RPKS-SP No. 3" (right)
Product "RPKS-SP No. 2" (bottom view). The spring feed mechanism of the cassette is clearly visible
Product cassette "RPKS-SP No. 3" with three 30-cartridge standard plastic magazines
For the Power System, the “dead” weight is the ratio of the weight of the emptied power system to its maximum capacity (the number of cartridges) and is expressed in grams - this is the “dead” weight “in grams”. "Dead" percentage weight is the ratio of "dead" weight "in grams" to the tabular weight of one ammunition (cartridge) and expressed as a percentage of the weight of the ammunition, that is, multiplied by 100.
Very often, and to be honest, almost always for automatic weapons with belt feed - most of the cartridge feed mechanism is fixed on the weapon itself and does not separate from it when reloading the emptied Power System (that is, it serves as a so-called non-replaceable part). In practice, this leads to the fact that one has to consider the absolute and “dead” weights (simple and percentage) of two objects: the replaceable part of the Power System (store, tape with a box) and the “dead” weights of the completely emptied Power System (replaceable + non-replaceable parts) together with the weapon on which all this is installed.
"Dead" weights of the replaceable part of the Power System are determined in the same way as for store Power Systems. The "dead" weight in grams for an emptied Power System together with a weapon is the ratio of the weight of a weapon with an emptied Power System to its maximum capacity, and the percentage "dead" weight is the ratio of the "dead" weight of a weapon in grams with an emptied Power System to the tabular weight of one ammunition as a percentage of its weight, that is, multiplied by 100.
Weight reduction in the "Arms" component is the main direction of arms art (at least abroad). It suggests two ways:
- development of highly effective original mechanisms of weapons, which, due to the advantages of the design, are small in size and low in weight. This is a hard, complicated and costly path;
- replacement of heavy and metal-consuming parts and assemblies in well-known and already developed designs of weapons with parts and assemblies made of light alloys (based on aluminum, titanium, etc.), composite materials, some types of cermets, plastics and synthetic rubbers.
The latter way requires, in addition to the use of the named materials, the use and appropriate technologies. Today they use "injection molding", special types of welding, various types of stamping and drawing, "powder" metallurgy, soldering, gluing, etc. General technical fasteners are also widely used - "scroll" and tubular axles and pins, lock washers, etc. e. All this really significantly reduces not only the weight of the weapon, but also the cost of its production; however, in parallel with this, there is a decrease in its operational characteristics. Reduced resistance to heat, shock, pollution; maintainability is significantly reduced. Repair is possible only by replacing components (assemblies) - and then only if the weapon is designed according to the so-called. modularity. In fact, in recent years, abroad, they have been following the path of creating a disposable weapon that is not designed for repair: he fired the prescribed number of shots or, until the appearance of malfunctions, and threw it away.
Power supply problems
Taking into account the military-economic situation in our country, we hardly need to copy the decisions of foreign gunsmiths. Yes, their experience should be taken into account, but we should go our own way - our developments should not stand still.
From all of the above, it is obvious that at the moment, when developing new and modernizing old small arms, the ammunition should be left unchanged, and minimal, non-fundamental changes should be made to the weapon itself.
Thus, in OK, two components ("Ammunition" and "Weapon") are not subject to fundamental changes; a leap in quality and, first of all, a solution to the problem of weight should be achieved practically only at the expense of the Power System. The situation is difficult, but not hopeless.
Characteristics of stores for domestic 7, 62-mm rifle cartridges mod. 1891-08-30 (aka 7, 82x0411), used in automatic small arms
The shops |
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| Sample weapon | DKT-35 / SVT-38 | ABC-38 | 13-26 | DP-27 | DT-28 |
| Ammunition capacity | 10 | 15 | 20 | 47 | 63 |
| Store body material | Steel | Steel | Steel | Steel | Steel |
| Magazine weight without cartridges, g | 300 | 350 | 330 | 1175 | 1730 |
| "Dead" weight, g | 30, 0 | 23, 3 | 16, 5 | 25, 0 | 27, 5 |
| "Dead" weight,% | 137, 6 | 107, 0 | 75, 7 | 114, 7 | 126, 0 |
| Weight with cartridges, g | 518 | 677 | 766 | 2200 | 3104 |
Note. DKT-35 - automatic carbine of the Tokarev system mod. 1935, S8T-38 self-loading rifle systems,! Tokareva arr. 1938, AVS-38 - automatic rifle of the Simonov system mod. 193V, LS-26 - Lahti Saloranta light machine gun mod. 1926 (Finnish, under the Russian vttoch cartridge), DP-27 - light machine gun of the Degtyarev system mod. 1927, DT-28 - tank, aka light, machine gun of the Degtyarev system mod. 1928 g.
Product "RPKS-SP No. 3" - cassette and stores
Power systems have always been the "unloved sons" of the developers of shooting systems. There are many classifications of automatic weapons and weapons themselves, fundamental works on its evolution have been written, there are very complex calculation methods for almost everything related to weapons and ammunition. But there is not a single detailed classification of Power Systems, just as there is not a single serious work on them.
So, it is necessary to create a Power System of increased capacity, but at the same time with a minimum weight - both absolute and "dead". Where to begin? From the analysis of the situation! Table 1 shows the characteristics of magazines for 7, 62-mm rifle cartridge 7, 62x54R.
The ratio "weight - capacity" for them is marked in fig. 1 as curve 1. This curve is very close to a parabola; if we continue it, that is, create magazines with a capacity of 80-100 rounds, then it may, in general, go parallel to the ordinate axis. Even without this, it is clear that an increase in the capacity of magazines chambered for a rifle cartridge will be paid for by their excessive, disproportionately large weight. The weight of "iron" per unit of capacity will negate the feasibility of creating such a store. Despite the emergence of new materials, the question of reliable, capacious and light magazines for the domestic rifle cartridge remains open, and while the cartridge tape reigns supreme here.
Characteristics of magazines and belts used in domestic machine guns for automatic cartridges
The shops |
ribbon |
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| Capacity, cartridges | 30 | 40 | 45 | 60 | 75 | 100 | |||||
| Cartridge | 7.62x3V | 5, 45x39 | 7, 62x39 | 5, 45x39 | 7, 62x39 | ||||||
| Material, magazine case / tape and its boxes | Steel | Plastic | "Light" alloy | Plastic | Steel | Plastic | "Light" alloy | Plastic | Steel | ||
| Weight without cartridges, g | 330 | 245 | 190 | 200 | 410 | 375 | 200 | 280 | 320 | 935 | 800 |
| "Dead" weight, g | 11, 0 | 8, 16 | 6, 33 | 6, 66 | 10, 25 | 6, 37 | 5, 0 | 6, 22 | 5, 33 | 12, 46 | 8, 0 |
| "Dead" weight,% | 67, 90 | 50, 41 | 36, 06 | 63, 49 | 63, 27 | 57, 87 | 30, 86 | 59, 25 | 50, 79 | 76, 95 | 49, 40 |
| Weight with cartridges, g | 816 | 731 | 676 | 515 | 1058 | 1023 | 848 | 752, 5 | 950 | 2150 | 2420 |
A somewhat different situation with power systems for domestic automatic 7, 62x39 and 5, 45x39 mm cartridges. Table 2 shows the characteristics of magazines and belts of light machine guns of the RPK type (magazine feed) and RPD (belt feed). Weight-capacity relationships are also shown in fig. 1 curves 2, 3, 4, 5.
It should be immediately noted here that these curves are closer to straight lines in appearance. Moreover, they do not “fly up” as steeply upward as the above curve 1. Curve 2, although it “risks” turning into a parabola in its continuation, is not as steep as 1. Curves, or rather, straight lines 4 and 5 are located much closer to the abscissa than to the ordinate. But this is all at the stores, the capacity of which does not exceed 75 rounds; attempts to create reliable stores with a larger capacity will inevitably “lift” the curves upward, repeating the situation with curve 1. Reasons? Objective! Even if you use "ultra-light" modern materials, it is impossible to create a reliably working, rigid and light box magazine with a capacity of 100 rounds in their staggered arrangement. Firstly, it must have a very powerful feeder spring in order to move the entire array of cartridges placed in the magazine housing, but then in a fully loaded state of the magazine, the shutter of an assault rifle or machine gun simply does not have the strength to "rip" the cartridge out of the magazine bends and send into the barrel, and in fact it is necessary not only to close the bolt, but also to lock it. Secondly, having such a long magazine, it is very difficult to shoot from a prone position; it looks like you will have to dig a separate trench for the magazine. Thirdly, in order to ensure the rigidity of such a store, it is necessary to significantly increase the thickness of its walls and strengthen the neck, which will cause an increase in weight disproportionate to the capacity, and so on. Known examples of this kind of "arts", obviously, Chinese production - box monsters for 50 and 80 rounds 7, 62x39.
Product "RPKS-SP No. 3". Bottom view
General view of the product "RPKS-SP No. 3"
To get away from such a curved shafts sticking out of the receiving window of an assault rifle or machine gun, it is necessary to more compactly place the ammunition supply trajectory in space, that is, to bend it even more, turn it into a circle, a spiral or a helical line, in other words, go to drum, disk and screw magazines. But these stores have more complex and material-intensive bodies, more complex and capricious mechanisms for feeding cartridges, which means that their weight is growing - both absolute and "dead". In addition, these types of stores are much more difficult to operate than box stores. It remains, when creating a Power System with a capacity of 100 cartridges and above, to switch to tape power supply, which, by the way, has no less disadvantages than advantages …
All of the above indicates that none of the feed trajectories used and none of the corresponding cartridge feed mechanisms provide an increase in the capacity of the power supply system with acceptable weight and operational characteristics.
The graph of the dependence of the weight of the emptied replaceable parts (magazines and cassettes with magazines) of the power supply systems of automatic small arms using cartridges 7.62x54R (1), 7, 62x39 (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8) and 5.45x39 (5, 9))
Weight characteristics of interchangeable parts of experimental high-capacity power supply systems for domestic RPKS-type light machine guns
RPKS-SP No. 2 |
RPKS-SP No. 3 |
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| Applicable cartridge | 7, 62x39 | 5, 45X36 | ||||||||
| Cassette weight without magazines, g | 280 | 200 | ||||||||
| Number of magazines in a cassette, pcs. | 4 | 3 | ||||||||
| Weight of the replaceable part of the Power supply system (weight of a cassette with magazines made of various materials), g | The shops | Absolute | "Dead" | Absolute | "Dead" | |||||
| Cap. | Mat. bldg. | empty. | shell. | gram | % | empty. | shell. | gram | % | |
| 30 | Steel | 1600 | 3544 | 13, 33 | 82, 30 | |||||
| 30 | Plastic | 1260 | 3204 | 10, 50 | 64, 8 | 800 | 1745 | 8, 88 | 84, 7 | |
| 30 | Easy. alloy | 1040 | 2084 | 8, 06 | 53, 5 | |||||
| 40 | Steel | 1920 | 4512 | 12, 0 | 74, 1 | |||||
| 40 | Plastic | 1780 | 4372 | 11, 12 | 68, 7 | |||||
| 40 | Easy. alloy | 1080 | 3672 | 6, 75 | 41, 7 | |||||
| 45 | Plastic | 1040 | 2458 | 7, 70 | 73, 4 | |||||
Well forgotten old
To create a satisfactory power supply system, it is necessary to change the principle of ammunition supply, move away from simple, single-level feed and go to complex, multi-level feeds. Of the complex power supply systems, the simplest are two-level systems, characterized by the presence of supply at two levels - upper and lower. At the lower level, ammunition is supplied, familiar to everyone, from "ammunition placement devices" made in the form of clips, packs, magazines, cartridge belts, etc. At the upper level, "two or more" pre-equipped "ammunition placement devices" are supplied to the Armory part of the Complex to the so-called "power position". Formally, the feed paths at both levels can be of any complexity, but in practice, the shortest paths close to straight lines should be used. This approach provides:
- in "devices for placing ammunition" - their minimum weight and maximum compactness;
- maximum compactness and minimum weight of devices providing the supply of "devices for placing ammunition".
When powered by automatic cartridges, all this creates the preconditions for the successful creation of power systems with capacities ranging from 80 to 200 cartridges with quite acceptable mass-dimensional indicators. Such systems may well become an alternative to tape feeding.
This idea is not new, although it is little known even to specialists. For the first time in serial small arms, such power systems were used on Italian 6, 5-mm heavy machine guns of the Perino system mod. 1909 and "Revelli-Fiat" arr. 1914, as well as on the German 9-mm submachine gun MP-40 / I arr. 1942 (aka GERAT 3004).
In our country, various aspects of building two-tier systems were quite seriously worked out and outlined in the work "Power system for automatic and semi-automatic firearms", compiled in 1984 at the insistence of Colonel Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Semyonov - at that time the head of BRIZ GRAU of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
One of the main issues discussed in the named work was the task of using two-level power systems on light RPK-type light machine guns. First of all, I was interested in the fundamental possibility of using such power systems on RPK machine guns, as well as the capacitive, weight and dimensional characteristics of the resulting products. The mock-up items were counted - the weight and size mock-ups of both machine guns and the power supply systems installed on them. To the greatest regret, combat prototypes were never built and were not subjected to operational tests. Some materials from the work "Power system for automatic and semi-automatic firearms", adjusted to take into account the latest data, are used in this article.
To use a two-tier power system with standard box magazines in RPK machine guns, regardless of caliber, the following changes must be made:
1. Make a through transverse cut in the receiver in the area of the receiving window;
2. Ensure that the U-shaped guides are mounted on the receiver in the block with the mechanism for feeding the cassette with magazines;
3. Provide placement in the so-called "pocket" of the receiver of the stepping mechanism for controlling the supply of the cassette with magazines;
4. Change some parts of the trigger - in particular the fuse, self-timer and introduce a shutter stop;
5. To abandon the monolithic folding stock, but to make it skeletal (frame);
6. Change the configuration of the bolt handle.
These transformations do not require large material costs, especially since the shutter stop is already on some Izhevsk and Yasnaya Polyana products, the shutter handle is planned to be changed, the frame stock is produced in at least two types and it is only necessary to slightly change its geometry near the shoulder rest, well and finally, some products are fitted with a fuse of almost the required type.
The power system developed for the RPKS machine gun chambered for 7, 62x39 mod.1943, designed to accommodate four full-time box-type magazines with cases of steel, plastic or "light alloy" with a capacity of 30 or 40 rounds. This system carries the conditional index "RPKS-SP No. 2". It is attached to the chute of the standard RPK receiver and is shown in Fig. 1 without shops.
The power supply system for the RPKS machine gun chambered for cartridges 5, 45x39 mod. 1974 is designed to accommodate three regular box magazines with plastic housings with a capacity of 30 and 45 rounds. It carries the conditional index "RPKS-SP No. 3", and is also attached to the receiver RPK-74M and is shown in Fig. 1 with shops.
In both cases, the receiver has standard dimensions. The changes consist in the presence of cutouts on the sides and bottom in the area of the receiving window to ensure the unimpeded movement of the cassette with magazines through the receiver in the transverse direction - from right to left and vice versa.
Both power systems include a non-removable part - inseparable from the machine gun when reloading ammunition and a replaceable part that can be removed from the weapon for easy filling with cartridges. For each machine gun, a non-replaceable part is presented in a single copy, while there may be several replaceable parts for ease of use (two or more).
The non-replaceable parts for both power systems are almost identical and include U-shaped rails attached to the receiver at the cutouts, a spring-type cassette feed mechanism attached to both rails and the bottom of the receiver, and a cassette feed control mechanism. The feed control mechanism is stepper, plunger type and differs only in the controls - in the product "RPKS-SP No. 2" it has a lever, and in "RPKS-SP No. 3" with a button.
The replaceable parts for both models also differ little and consist of a cassette with three or four box magazines. Frame type cassettes, steel; the stores slide into the cassette with their necks when its door is open. The latter closes and closes with a latch, securely holding the magazines inside the cassette. The magazine cassette is manually pushed from right to left into the guides and moves through the receiver to the extreme left position. At the same time, the spring of the cassette feed mechanism is compressed, and the stepping feed control mechanism works idle until the rightmost magazine in the cassette takes a place in the receiver of the machine gun, which makes it possible to feed cartridges from the magazine into the receiver to the chambering line, that is, it will take the power position. Attention: all the above-described manipulations with the cassette and magazines moving along the guides through the receiver are possible only when the bolt carrier of the machine gun is retracted to the extreme rear position, therefore, it became necessary to stop the bolt. Accordingly, the replacement of the empty magazine with the loaded one is also carried out with the bolt carrier retracted to the extreme rear position; to move the cassette with magazines from left to right, press and release the button or lever of the cassette feed control mechanism.
The total weight of the array of ammunition introduced into the power system
7, 62x39 |
5, 45X39 |
||
| Number of cartridges, pcs. | 1 | 16, 2 | 10, 5 |
| 30 | 486 | 315 | |
| 40 | 648 | 420 | |
| 45 | 729 | 472, 5 | |
| 60 | 972 | 630 | |
| 75 | 1215 | 787, 5 | |
| 90 | 1458 | 945 | |
| 100 | 1620 | 1050 | |
| 120 | 1944 | 1200 | |
| 135 | 2187 | 1417, 5 | |
| 160 | 2562 | 1680 |
The characteristics of the 7, 62-mm light machine gun of the Degtyarev system mod. 1944 RPD-44 - chambered for 7, 62x39. In addition to a number of positive qualities, especially operational, this machine gun is distinguished by a capacious and light replaceable part of the Power System - a box with an empty cartridge belt for 100 rounds weighs only 800 g. power supply, then in general it has a more impressive weight, but, due to the enviable simplicity of the automation of this machine gun, its total weight, together with the Power System without cartridges, is only 7400 g and 9020 g with cartridges.
The dependence of the weight on the capacity of the replaceable parts Power supply systems of the products "RPKS-SP No. 2" and "RPKS-SP No. 3" are marked in the graph by curves 6, 7, 8 and 9. The replaceable parts are designated respectively "SP No. 2" and "SP No. 3 ".
The proposed Power Systems can use standard box magazines with hulls of various materials and different capacities, which is noted on the graph and in tables numbered 2, 3, 4. Table 4 is a summary, it contains all the data of interest to us on RPKS machine guns as with standard power supply systems, and with the experienced "RPKS-SP No. 2" and "RPKS-SP No. 3".
Practice shows that a light machine gun with a power supply system loaded with cartridges should not exceed a weight of 9000 - 9500 g. That is why the RPD-44 machine gun is taken as a standard; all weapon options exceeding its weight are hardly acceptable.
Table 5 shows the data of the most successful variants of RPKS-type machine guns with power systems of maximum capacity with the weight of the samples in the equipped state not exceeding 9500 g.
At the same time, for "RPKS-SP №2" chambered for 7, 62x39, the author excluded from consideration options with magazines made of "light alloy" (most likely, silumin), since they are very rare. Also excluded are box magazines with steel cases - since in our country they are practically out of use.
Analysis of results
One glance at Table 5 is enough to establish that the increase in the absolute weight of the RPKS-SP # 2 machine gun relative to the RPKS with a 75-cartridge magazine of 2 kg is justified by a more than 1.5-fold (120 rounds!) Increase in capacity. And this with very good indicators of "dead" weight - it is reduced by 20 g. Compare with the RPD-44: the weight of the empty "RPKS-SP No. 2" is 200 g less, in the equipped state there is less than 100 g difference between them, and in terms of capacity RPKS-SP # 2 is 20 rounds (20%) higher than RPD-44, and is ahead of the standard in terms of dead weights.
RPKS-SP # 3 is doing quite well. When comparing it and RPKS-74 with the latest 60-cartridge plastic magazine, we see that the absolute weight of RPKS-SP No. 3 in equipped condition is 1900 g more, but the capacity of the Power System is more than twice as high (135 versus 60 !). At the same time, the "dead" weight is reduced by half.
Let's compare "RPKS-SP No. 3" and RPD-44 - although this is not entirely correct due to the large difference in the tabular weights of cartridges (7, 62x39 ammunition weighs 16, 2 g, and 5, 45x39 weighs 10, 5 g). Even here it is noticeable that the capacity has been increased by 35 rounds, the curb weight is by a kilogram and a quarter less, and the "dead" weight in percentage is almost the same.
Thus, it has been proved that, in terms of weight characteristics, the RPKS-SP # 2 and RPKS-SP # 3 machine guns have very good performance in terms of
"Weight-capacity", and surpass the existing RPKS-type machine guns. It should also be noted that the proposed products, at least, do not lose to the RPD-44 machine gun.
Those interested can check the validity of the calculations given in the tables.
In the process of working on the RPKS-SP # 2 and RPKS-SP # 3 samples, it was found that the dimensions of the main parts, assemblies and assemblies of the AK-47, AKM, AK-74 assault rifles and RPK-type machine guns remain unchanged. The aforementioned prototypes were created only to clarify the fundamental possibility of creating new power systems, and therefore had a minimum margin of safety. When developing on the basis of these samples of military weapons, improvements and changes are inevitable. So, the profile of the guides is likely to change without a noticeable increase in weight, the weight of the receiver and USM parts is likely to remain the same or slightly more, the weight of the cassette will significantly decrease due to the optimization of profiles and the use of light alloys and plastics, the design may change. cassette feed mechanisms and feed control. In other words, the usual weight correction will take place. But this will not change the fundamental aspect of the issue. What conclusions can be drawn based on the results obtained?
Well, first of all, it is quite possible to create "complex" "multilevel" power supply systems. Like any phenomenon, they have very specific characteristics, which means they have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Secondly, by the fact of their existence, the devices "RPKS-SP No. 2" and "RPKS-SP No. 3" confirm not only the possibility, but, I am not afraid of this word, the need to modernize the Kalashnikov small arms system.
Thirdly, the devices "RPKS-SP №2" and "RPKS-SP №3" so successfully and harmoniously fit into the system of small arms of M. T. Kalashnikov that it was not even necessary to change the basic dimensions of the samples. And this, first of all, is not the merit of the above-mentioned devices, but evidence of the plasticity, survivability and enormous design potential embedded in the Kalashnikov's shooting systems. This indirectly, but very eloquently, indicates that the attempts of some officials in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to abandon the Kalashnikov assault rifles and machine guns are irrational.
It is not the Kalashnikov assault rifle and its machine guns that are outdated. Over the past 20 years, practically everything, including the military, bureaucracy of the Russian Federation, has become obsolete in the methods of management and in views on the problems of the state. Therefore, the problem of Complex Power Systems is a purely technical problem, it threatens to turn into a political problem, which can be solved only by the first persons of the state.
