In May 2010 the Russian Ministry of Defence launched a program for developing the new assault rifle for the Russian armed forces. Afterwards it’s been speculated that the original goal of that program was to replace the AK-74-type assault rifle with the AEK-971 rifle, which was developed by the Kovrov arms plant. This project was a part of the Russian army Ratnik program that’s the comprehensive individual soldier equipment system.

According to public information, Izmash started the AK12 development from scratch, but it’s likely based on earlier work developed in Ishevsk in decades past. The project was originally known as the AK200 and its goal was to get the rifle included into the Russian Army Ratnik program. The AK200 type rifle included certain features like the hinged receiver, ambidextrous cocking handle, thumb operated safety, among others. Many of these features were not common with the standard AK rifles. Most of these features were rejected and the following AK400 rifle resembled the AK74. To make a long story short, the AK400 was adopted by the Russian armed forces as the AK12 in 5.45×39 and the AK15 in 7.62×39.

The Saiga TR3 is a semi-auto only version of the AK12/AK15. It shares most features with the AK12, but it bears some differences. It’s currently available in 5.45×39 and 7.62×39 calibers as well as in the 366 TKM (9.55×39) smoothbore caliber aimed primarily at the Russian domestic market.

RECEIVER AND BARREL

The receiver is a U-section of stamped 1.5 mm sheet steel and assembled by rivets and spot welds. The bolt rails are likely laser cut sheet steel parts riveted inside the receiver section. The barrel extension and rear trunnion are machined from steel and pinned to the receiver.

The receiver cover is stamped from sheet steel and it is basically similar to previous AK-variations. However, it’s mounted in a far different way. At the front end of the cover is a machined eyelet that fits into a recess on the gas tube base. The cover is locked in place with a cross pin that goes through the gas tube base. The rear end of receiver cover has machined steel hooks that fits the receiver rear trunnion. The receiver cover fitting is much tighter than that found on AK47/AKM/AK74 type rifles. The receiver cover mounting is far different from the standard AK because of how the optical sights mount on top of the receiver cover.

The barrel is mated on a barrel extension (trunnion) by threads. The barrel is a four groove model with a right hand twist and a 16.38 inch length (416 mm) as measured from muzzle to bolt face. The chamber and bore are chrome-plated. The twist rate was not measured or given with technical data, but the 5.45×39 caliber barrels have usually 1 turn in 200 mm (7.87 in) twist. In theory the barrel is free floating as the lower part of the forearm is mounted on the receiver, not on the barrel. However, the gas tube is fixed on the barrel, so the barrel is actually not free floating.

There is no muzzle thread, but the muzzle brake is mounted by rotating until it catches a QD lug and secured with a spring-loaded plunger.

BREECHBLOCK AND TRIGGER

The bolt carrier and bolt are of the basic AK-type with a long stroke gas piston. Even as it’s intended for the 5.45 mm cartridge, its weight and dimensions are similar to an 7.62 mm AK. However, the 5.45 mm and 7.62 mm parts are not interchangeable. The gas piston is chrome-plated and it has no circular grooves like the AK47or the AKM. Like the AK military versions, the TR3 bolt has a floating firing pin. The bolt handle is on the right side of receiver and it’s the same finger-hook type as used with the AK rifles.

The trigger mechanism is a basic AK-type in semi auto configuration and there’s no auto sear or even a place for it. The trigger is two-stage with a pull weight of 4.2 pounds. The safety lever operation is of the basic AK type and the lever has second shelf for easier access. The safety lever is similar to the Krebs Enhanced Safety.

FURNITURE

The buttstock is both collapsible and folding. The buttstock length of pull has 4 positions from 10.7 to 13.2 inches (273 to 335 mm). The buttstock and its tube look similar to those of the AR15, but the dimensions are different and the parts are not interchangeable. A rubber recoil pad is fixed on a removable buttplate that covers a compartment inside the stock tube. The stock is held open with a spring-loaded button/latch located at the rear of the left side of receiver.

The stock folds on the left side and it locks on the side by a spring-loaded hook. The stock hinge includes a mechanism that locks the trigger mechanism and prevents bolt and slide movement. There is no provision to fire the rifle with the stock folded; that feature is likely omitted to comply with Russian firearm laws.

The plastic pistol grip is ergonomically shaped with finger grooves and an ambidextrous thumb rest. The pistol grip has a removable core that stores an oil bottle and some tools.

The handguard is also made from plastic and it has two halves. The lower half is mounted on the receiver with a large cross pin. The upper half of the handguard is mounted on the lower half with a snap-on coupling. The handguard has fixed Picatinny rails on top and bottom. There is also a provision to mount short plastic rails.

SIGHTS AND MAGAZINE

The iron sights are more similar to the Valmet/Galil pattern than typical AK open sights. The front sight is mounted on the gas block. The front post is adjustable for elevation with a separate tool and it has protective ears.  The rear sight is mounted on the rear of the receiver cover. The rear sight is anaperture type with sliding tangent adjustable from 100 meters up to 600 meters, and with a battle sight setting of 400 meters, marked with a Cyrillic ”P”. The rear sight is also adjustable for windage with 0.22 MRAD clicks. The adjustment mechanism is similar to the RPK rear sight. On the top of the receiver cover is a fixed Picatinny rail for mounting an optical sight.

The polymer magazine has a steel reinforced rear spine and front locking lugs. The magazine is a staggered row type and it is compatible with AK74 rifles. It has the size and shape of 30 round magazines, but its capacity is 10 rounds. Inside the magazine is a limiter made from heavy steel wire. The limiter is quite easy to remove; it’s likely there to meet current European Union gun legislation and perhaps Russian gun laws, too.

TEST FIRING AND HANDLING

For test firing of the 5.45×39 Saiga TR3, the only ammunition available was Barnaul 60-grain lead core FMJBT. Shooting from a sandbag support with iron sights at an outdoor range in snowy conditions and 14°F (-10°C) temperature, produced 3.6 MOA groups while shooting seven, 5-rounds groups. That’s not the best the AK platform can produce but the TR3 produced groups typical of many AKs.

In addition to accuracy testing, the Saiga TR3 saw some faster shooting situations. The TR3 performed well in fast, close range situations. It’s easy handling and fast shooting. With double taps, it was easy to keep the sights on target. The safety selector was stiff, but the rifle was also brand new. A feature that makes the safety selector stiff is the mechanism that locks trigger and bolt when the buttstock is folded. The safety lever has a second shelf, similar to the Krebs safety. On the other hand, it makes safety manipulation easier with gloves on, but it may also catch on clothing or equipment.

As previously noted, the iron sights were far from the familiar AK-style. The rear sight has a small diameter aperture that works well on bullseye targets, but the aperture is too small for quicker shooting. But, mount a red-dot up top, and the TR3 does much better.

The included 5.45 mm plastic AK magazine is bit trickier to fill than the 7.62 mm steel magazine. The magazine fit in the receiver is tight and requires more care to insert properly than with a 7.62 mm AK magazine.

Disassembly of the Saiga TR3 follows the usual AK sequence with few exceptions. The receiver cover is mounted differently and held in place by a cross pin at the front end of the cover. The gas piston tube is fixed and cannot be removed. But, for cleaning, it has a removable end plug.

There are no muzzle threads to mount a sound suppressor. However, the muzzle brake QD lug can be used to mount a sound suppressor. B&T make suppressors that mount on TR3’s QD lug.

The Saiga TR3 comes with cleaning kit, oil bottle, sight tool and one 10-round magazine. The Saiga TR3 isn’t the cheapest AK-type rifle available. In Europe the TR3 costs about 2,100 Euros; that is more than the price tag of the average AR15 rifle. Yet the TR3 is likely one of the best AK rifles currently available.

While machine guns were used in real conflicts since the Matabele War in 1893, followed by the Boer War (1899 – 1902) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904 – 1905), the First World War changed views on full automatic infantry weapons forever. Mobile warfare required portable automatic weapons, and to a great extent machine gun development mutated from tripod or wheeled carriage mounted water cooled machine guns, to lighter guns, which were air-cooled and magazine-fed. These new guns were called light machine guns or automatic rifles depending who was talking about them. The Danish Madsen light machine gun originally designed by Jens Torring Schouboe, was one of first LMG designs available at that time. It was followed by Lewis, Chauchat and a few others, which were all fired in anger during the Great War.

During the First World War, a serviceable machine gun was almost worth its weight in gold. If the machine gun was a highly prized war “booty” for major armies like the Germans, French and British, one can anticipate how smaller nations like Finland greatly regarded captured machine guns. After the WWI, a newborn Finnish Army had a limited number of machine guns and an even more limited number of man portable light machine guns. In the latter category the most common types were the German MG 08/15 and its less successful aircooled variation, the MG 08/18, both in original caliber 7.92 x 57 mm. The MG 08/15’s and MG 08/18’s were acquired from German expeditionary forces and purchased from France in 1919. Other LMG types including the Lewis, French Chauchat and the Danish Madsen were captured in small numbers from Soviet-Russian forces or Soviet-backed Finnish Red Guards. Some Lewis light machine guns, mainly in caliber 7.62 x 54 R, were imported after the war. To meet increasing needs for maneuverable warfare and to standardize a miscellaneous selection of automatic weapons, the Ordnance Department of Finnish armed forces selected the Danish Madsen LMG in 1920. Until 1928, the Finnish Army and National Guard purchased more than 700 Madsen light machine guns of various models from Denmark, mainly in caliber 7.62 x 54 R. Although in the early 1920’s Finns even aspired to license manufacturing of the Madsen, it was later considered too complicated and liable to malfunctions in the Finnish northern climate. However, it is also quite obvious that buying armament from abroad was quite hard for the economy of a young nation.

At this point, the L/S-26 light machine gun arrives on stage. In the early 1920’s young ordnance NCO Aimo Johannes Lahti (1896 – 1970) designed a submachine gun which later became the renowned Suomi M1931 SMG. At that point in time, the submachine gun wasn’t yet considered a serious military weapon. Therefore, his supervisors urged Lahti to develop a new light machine gun as the army was looking for a successor for the Madsens and MG 08’s. Lahti started to develop a light machine gun, first at his own expense, and after October, 1924, with an official assignment from Ministry of Defense.

In October of 1924, the Finnish Ministry of Defense established the Light Machine Gun Committee (Pikakiväärikomitea), to select a new LMG for the Finnish armed forces. While the LMG Committee was officially selecting a new weapon, it was quite obvious that they would all rather that the new LMG would be of Finnish design and manufacture as opposed to an imported one. Certain specifications, including that it should operate properly with the Finnish 7.62 x 53 R (*) service round, gave some advantage to a native design.

* The 7.62 x 53 R is a Finnish designation for the Russian/Soviet rimmed 7.62 x 54 R round. Despite a different name, the Finnish round is interchangeable with the 7.62 x 54 R.

Although Lahti had independently developed a submachine gun, to the bureaucrats he was only a self-educated inventor without any formal competence in small arms designing. Therefore lieutenant (later general-major) A.E. Saloranta was appointed as Lahti’s instructor and supervisor. Lieutenant Saloranta, who later became an important character in Finnish military small arms circles, had studied ordnance technology at the Royal Danish Military Academy. Perhaps due to this, it was quickly apparent that Lahti and Saloranta couldn’t work together, so Lahti continued his design work alone. While not close friends, Saloranta later helped Aimo Lahti to get sufficient compensation for his design, as Lahti had designed the L/S-26 mainly at his own expense, and the government at first refused his compensation. While the L/S-26 is a brainchild of Aimo J. Lahti, from the viewpoint that Saloranta worked on it, and helped Lahti with his government contract, it is justified that Saloranta has his name in that designation as well.

General-Major Saloranta’s career was a contradictory one. He was associated with the ill-fated “Lining Affair” (refurbishing worn-out Mosin-Nagant M1891 barrels by lining them using a so called Salerno-method) and the inoperative administration of the State Rifle Factory, which caused lengthy delay of issuing the first L/S-26’s to Finnish armed forces. Later he designed a military pistol which was, however, rejected in favor of Lahti’s L-35, and the Salobellum .22 rimfire conversion kit for the Parabellum pistol.

The first LMG prototype chambered for the 7.92 x 57 mm round was finished in the summer of 1925. In comparative trials arranged during the late part of 1925, the L/S-26 was fired against the Madsen, Swiss Ferrer MG 25, Colt-made BAR 1918, Anglo-French design Vickers-Berthier, French Hotchkiss and Italian Breda. After trials the L/S-26 light machine gun was found the most suitable type, and it was officially adopted on August 13, 1926, as “Pikakivääri m/26”, better known as the Lahti-Saloranta 26 or simply, the L/S-26.

As stated above, it took almost four years before the first L/S-26 light machine gun manufactured by VKT was issued to the Finnish Army in 1930. Established in Jyäskylä„ to manufacture the L/S-26 light machine guns, Valtion Kivääritehdas (State Rifle Factory) or VKT had serious administrative and technical problems with starting production of the L/S-26.

When production finally started in 1930, about 500 guns per year were manufactured. The last batch of the L/S-26 light machine guns was delivered to the Army in 1942. Altogether around 4700 L/S-26 light machine guns in caliber 7.62 x 53 R were fabricated for the Finnish Army. The main reason for ceasing production during WWII was that twice as many (around 10,000) Soviet DP light machine guns were captured from the Red Army. Nicknamed the “Emma” (*) by Finns, the gas-operated DP was highly respected by many first-line units, particularly due to its exceptional reliability in extreme conditions. The DP and its armoured vehicle variation known as the DT, became the standard weapons of the Finnish Army during WWII, and the Finnish arms industry started manufacturing magazines and spare parts for captured Degtyarev light machine guns.

* The Emma waltz was performed by various artists since 1929, and was one of Finland’s top hits in the 1930’s and during WWII, but why is the DP called “Emma”? The connection between a gramophone turntable and DP’s 47 rd flat drum magazine was obvious…

When Finland became involved in WWII in November 1939, the L/S-26 was the principal light machine gun of the Finnish armed forces. Virtually all existing stockpiles of the MG 08/15s, MG 08/18s and Madsens were sold abroad in the early 1930’s. The number of existing L/S-26’s was insufficient for a war-time army, but the situation became far better as Degtyarev LMGs captured from Soviet forces in large numbers during the Winter War (1939 – 1940), and the Continuation War (1941 – 1944) provided needed relief.

No commercial success

In early 1930’s Aimo J. Lahti developed an improved variation of the L/S-26 which accepted a 75 round drum magazine. Known as the L/S-26/31 it was originally intended as an observer’s machine gun for aircraft, but was soon adapted for ground use. The first models were designed to accept a 75 rd drum only, but very quickly they introduced a model which accepted both box and drum magazines. After minor modifications it was renamed as the L/S-26/32. The L/S-26/31 or the L/S-26/32 was officially adopted by the Finnish Army, while the few guns remaining at the VKT factory were put into service during the Winter War.

VKT invested a lot of money for marketing Lahti designs, but the improved models of the L/S-26 successors gained no significant commercial success. In the early 1930’s, VKT offered Lahti-designed machine guns and machine cannons to several European and South American countries, but without success. All that was changed in 1937, when the National Chinese government ordered 40,000 LS-26/32 LMG’s in caliber 7.92 mm Mauser. The first batch of 1200 guns was delivered to China in 1937. Soon after that the Japanese government asked the Finnish to cease arms sales to China. Although this single sale would have compensated all the establishment cost of the VKT factory at Jyväskylä, politics played a more important role. In addition to the 7.62 x 53 R and 7.92 x 57 mm caliber models, the prototypes were also made for the 6.5 x 51 mm Arisaka, 7 x 57 mm, 7.65 x 53 mm Argentine Mauser, .303 British and 8 x 56 R Solothurn (Hungarian) cartridges.

Recoil operated

The L/S-26 light machine gun fires from an open bolt and operates by the short recoil principle. The short recoil principle means that at the early stages of the recoiling stroke, the barrel and bolt engaged on the barrel will withdraw together for a short distance. Motion of the barrel discontinues, and the bolt continues alone on its backwards path. When the bolt comes back with a fresh round, it will chamber the cartridge and engage again on the barrel assembly. If the recoil operated gun fires from an open bolt, the striker will usually hit the primer before the barrel assembly is fully in the battery position. This principle is often referred to as “advanced ignition” or “floating fire”.

The L/S-26 works just that way. The upper receiver and barrel shroud permanently mated on the upper receiver, comprises the cradle for the barrel assembly. The upper receiver has bedways for the barrel assembly, and a guideway to control locking block movement. The muzzle of the barrel rests against the front of the barrel shroud, which serves as the bearing surface for the barrel. The L/S-26 barrel assembly includes a long, tubular barrel extension, which houses the bolt. The barrel extension has a tilting locking block that is connected on the receiver guideway via a pivot arm. The locking block will rise and fall according to the barrel extension movement. The barrel extension also includes an accelerator lever, which pushes the bolt backwards while the locking piece disengages from the bolt. The accelerator used with the L/S-26 also appears on other Lahti designed recoil operated small arms including the L-35 pistol. The barrel assembly weighs 5.11 lbs (2.32 kg), and the cyclic rate is moderate, 450 – 550 rpm depending on the ammunition used. The highest rates of fire in 7.62 x 54 R caliber weapons can usually be obtained with the Soviet silver tipped “LPS” light ball, which is usually judged the hottest service ammunition available for this caliber.

The upper receiver has a hinged top cover, which houses the cocking handle assembly. The cocking handle engages the bolt from above. It has no return spring, so it requires manually returning it to the front position.

Many gas-operated machine guns firing from an open bolt have fixed firing pins, which will hit the primer as the bolt goes to battery. Recoil operated L/S-26 employs a different and more complex system. The L/S-26 has a horizontally moving striker, which cocks as the bolt goes rearwards, and releases when the bolt goes to battery. The striker assembly is located inside the recoil spring capsule in the buttstock. The striker/recoil spring assembly is an Achilles’ heel of the system, and it is highly liable to jams while dirty or greased during the cold weather. Keeping the capsule absolutely dry and clean was a lesson learned the hard way during the early stages of the Winter War. The pre-War period Finnish Army regulations distinctly forbade disassembly of the lower receiver for all except armourers. The Winter War lessons were learned here, too, and regulations were checked. I have an army ordnance department manual printed in 1942, which gives instructions for disassembly of the striker/recoil spring assembly. However, those soldiers who received their advanced training with the National Guard (Suojeluskunta) knew well what was required to keep L/S-26 firing in the deep freeze of the Winter War.

The L/S-26 selective fire trigger mechanism provides both single shots and full auto fire. The sliding fire selector is located between the magazine catch and trigger guard. The selector has no markings, but it fires full auto on forward, and when pulled backwards it fires single shots. The safety is mounted just in front of the trigger guard. As the L/S-26 fires from an open bolt and employs a vertically moving striker, no hammer is required. The trigger mechanism has a tripping sear similar to most submachine guns. The L/S-26 trigger mechanism was nothing special, but in the pre-WWII era the construction of the trigger mechanism was classified as top secret. Revealing the construction details to foreigners, especially to those of the Soviet Union, would have been judged as treason.

The trigger mechanism, recoil spring and striker assembly are mounted on a separate lower receiver, which covers the receiver at the back and bottom. The lower receiver also mounts the buttstock assembly.

The L/S-26 has a heavy fluted and tapered barrel with a length of 19.7 inches (500 mm). The barrel is mounted on the barrel extension by means of a thread. The barrel assembly includes the barrel, barrel extension and bolt can be removed in the field, but as each assembly requires a specific bolt with correct, individually fitted headspace, it is not a true quick change barrel. Most L/S-26’s were originally issued with an additional barrel assembly carrying the same serial number. The spare barrel assembly, which is called the “Varamekanismi” in Finnish (the spare mechanism) was stored and carried in a scabbard made from leather or later from birchwood. As most L/S-26’s saw hard usage during WWII, spare barrel assemblies are currently scarce. Owning a gun and a spare barrel assembly with the same numbers is more than good luck.

The barrel shroud has an internal thread, which mounts the flash hider and alternatively, the blank firing attachment. A separate blank firing barrel assembly, the “Paukkupatruunamekanismi” (blank firing mechanism) was used with the BFA. A spanner wrench was used for fastening/dismounting the flash hider and blank firing attachment. The spanner wrench is a part of a combination tool including wrench, hammer and screwdriver. Blank firing barrel assemblies were usually converted from worn-out or rejected parts.

The magazine is mounted by the common method underneath the receiver. The 7.62 x 53 R caliber L/S-26 has a curved, staggered row 20 round box magazine. The L/S-26 box magazine has tapering lips so that it will feed from a single position at the middle of the magazine. Five to ten magazines were issued for each gun, varying by the date of delivery. Carrying the L/S-26 magazines in the field was accomplished with an issued olive drab canvas bag with a shoulder strap.

Two magazine filling tools were issued for the L/S-26 20 round box magazine. The most common type was a simple depressor crudely made from sheet steel. The other type was a sophisticated magazine filling machine manufactured by VKT. The magazine filling machine was better suited for arsenal use than for front-line use under fire.

The L/S-26/32 came into Finnish service during the Winter War. The LS-26/32 has a removable magazine well, which allows the use of both 20 round box and 75 round drum magazines. In the Winter War, most 75 round magazines were issued for the Finnish Air Force, who needed them even more desperately than the ground forces did. As the drum magazines were not available for the L/S-26/32, most guns had the removable magazine wells welded or pinned in place to accept 20 round box magazines only.

Sights are slightly offset to the left because of the wide receiver. The rear sight mounted on the receiver cover has a sliding tangent arm graduated from 300 meters to 1500 meters with 100 meter steps. The foresight is mounted on the tall post attached over the barrel shroud. Detachable anti-aircraft sights were also developed for the L/S-26.

Scoped L/S-26’s are not pictured in any books or included in public collections, but a few guns were converted, apparently on field level, to accept a prismatic sight taken from the 32/33 (Finnish Maxim) machine guns. These guns, as well as scoped Maxims, were used as counter-sniper weapons to eliminate Soviet snipers.

The L/S-26 has a folding bipod mounted near the muzzle. Similar to most other designs of its era, the L/S-26 bipod is machined from solid steel with fixed height legs, but with provisions for rotating and canting the gun while it is standing on the bipod. The bipod was not liked by many of those L/S-26 or DP gunners of the Finnish Army who were on long range patrols or otherwise involved in mobile warfare. The bipod was not considered necessary when the L/S-26 was fired at short distances in the forests, the gun was fired from an underarm carry position using the sling as a support, or it was alternatively supported over the gunner’s rucksack or a natural rest.

No tripod was developed for the L/S-26. Instead of that, the Army developed an anti-aircraft mount, which was constructed over the Army issue rucksack’s tubular metal frame. The AA-mount/rucksack was intended to be worn on gunner’s assistant while the gunner stood behind him and fired upwards. The L/S-26’s AA-mounts were never made in quantity.

The L/S-26 furniture, including the buttstock and pistol grip panels, are made from birchwood. The buttstock has a steel buttplate, and some examples were fitted with a hinged shoulder strap.

The manufacturing methods of the L/S-26 were both expensive and complex, similar to many other small arms of the same era. Most parts for the L/S-26 were laboriously milled from solid steel billets or forgings, with very close tolerances. In practice the tolerances are too close to expect that the gun would operate properly in adverse conditions. This became very clear during the cold days of the Winter War, when temperatures dropped below -40 degrees Fahrenheit. In these conditions it requires very careful maintenance and absolutely no oil. Properly prepared, the L/S-26 will cycle reliably in freezing weather. However, it got a bad reputation among Finnish troops due to problems with reliability, which were after all caused by improper maintenance.

The L-34 – an unsuccessful rival

From this author’s current viewpoint the recoil principle looks like too complicated an operating method for a mil-spec shoulder fired weapon, but in the early 1920’s it was an obvious choice. Many authorities were attracted by the reliability of the Maxim machine guns. Conversely, gas operated guns were usually judged as being more unreliable designs- like WWI-vintage French Hotchkiss machine guns.

In the late 1920’s some high-ranking army officials started speculating about adopting a new gas operated machine gun. Some early attempts were made to adopt the 1918 BAR, which was adopted a few years earlier by the Swedish Army as the Kulspruta m/21. However, the ordnance department suggested the creation of a domestic design. In 1934 Aimo Lahti was assigned to develop a new gas operated LMG. Lahti had already sketched a gas-operated weapon, so it took only one month to finish the new LMG, which was later known as the L-34 “Sampo”. The L-34 was an outstanding light machine gun, in different circumstances it would have been a serious rival for the Bren/Czech ZB-series. It has a gas piston mounted beneath the barrel, a quick change barrel and a top mounted magazine. In addition to that, the L-34 was more than 2.2 lbs (1 kg) lighter than the L/S-26. The L-34 would have been simpler and cheaper to manufacture than the L/S-26.

The Ordnance department seriously considered replacing the L/S-26 with the new L-34, so seriously that in 1935 production of the L/S-26 was almost ceased. However, all of the Army officials rejected the gas operated L-34, and the L/S-26 was placed back into production.

Later Lahti’s designs were mostly gas operated: L-34 heavy machine gun chambered for the French 13.2 x 99 mm cartridge, the 20 x 138 mm caliber L-39 anti-tank rifle and the 7.62 x 53 R caliber L-41 general purpose machine gun.

Production numbers of the LS-26 and its derivatives were limited. Altogether around 4700 LS-26 light machine guns were delivered to the Finnish Army in 7.62 x 53 R caliber. As described above a limited number (around 50) of 7.62 x 53 R caliber L/S-26/32 were used during WWII. Most LS-26/32’s were built in 7.92 x 57 mm for China.

The L/S-26 served the Finnish Army throughout WWII, and also during the post-war period until it was replaced in the early 1960’s with the 7.62 x 39 mm M43 caliber belt-fed KVKK 62 (KVKK = kevyt konekivääri – light machine gun). However, the L/S-26’s remained in FDF inventory until 1986. Some guns were destroyed, while others were sold to collectors.

Since the 1960’s sighting devices specifically designed for assault rifles have been developed for many NATO armies and other western powers. In the mid-1980’s the Soviets fielded their own version of an assault rifle optical sight, known as the 1P29. Although recently recognized mounted on top of the new Russian assault rifle AN-94 (see SAR March 1998) and therefore nicknamed as “the Nikonova’s Eye”, the design is not new and not originally Russian. The 1P29 appears to be a very close copy of the British L2A2 or the SUIT (Sight Unit, Infantry Trilux) sight, originally developed by RARDE (Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment) and produced by AVIMO Ltd. The 1P29 sight is currently in service with the Russian army and it seems to be available – either officially or unofficially – to civilian purchasers in Russia.

The 1P29 sight, known also as the USP-1, is currently issued for Russian infantry small arms including the 5.45 x 39 mm caliber AK-74 series assault rifle and RPK-74 LMG and the 7.62 x 54 R caliber PKM GPMG. Not every AK, RPK or PKM has a provision for mounting an auxiliary sighting device, but arms furnished with a scope rail mounted on the left side of the receiver are known as the AK-74N, RPK-74N and PKMN. The N-series guns will also accept the 1PN58 and 1PN51 passive night sights. New generation AK-74M and AK100 series assault rifles have a scope rail as a standard feature.

The 1P29 has construction and most of its features similar to the British SUIT. It has fixed 4 x magnification with a 28 mm diameter objective. Optical part of the sight is a fully sealed and quite simple unit, constructed with a limited number of parts, including three lenses and two prisms. The configuration reveals that construction differs from conventional “see-through” riflescopes. The 1P29 employs a Porro prism principle, which means that the ocular lens lies offset from the objective lens, and the image is composed by two reversed prisms. This design is widely used with traditional-style binoculars, old-style machine gun prismatic sights, but seldom with modern small arms sights. The 1P29 has 8 degrees field of view. In other words, this means a 14 yard strip at a distance of 100 yards.

The mounting system of the 1P29 is similar to one used with other Soviet/Russian small arms optics. All current Russian small arms optical sights will be mounted on the rail at the left side of receiver, because construction of most of their shoulder weapons does not allow mounting the sight on the top of receiver. The 1P29 is fully interchangeable with the 1PN51 and 1PN58 passive night sights. Mounting the 1P29 on the PSO-1 rail is possible, but because the 1P29 rail is placed further back than the PSO-1 rail, it won’t provide good ergonomics. The 1P29 rail mounted on the gun is 0.55 inch wide. It is short in length and features a slot for a locking latch. The locking mechanism includes an eccentric cam and its operating lever. The locking mechanism used with the 1P29 and also with the new passive night sights, is more robust than the vertically moving bar employed with the PSO-1 scope. A very similar scope mount mechanism is used with the Galil sniping variation.

The standard issue AK won’t provide good ergonomics while the optical sight is used. As the 1P29 is mounted high, the configuration allows use of open sights and firearm disassembly without removing the scope, but obliges the operator to stretch his neck to see through the scope and provides no cheek rest.

The scope body is a one-piece construction machined from aluminum alloy casting. The eyepiece is a separate part mounted on the body with five screws. The joint is sealed with a rubber gasket. Most other seams are sealed with yellow wax-like packing. The scope has a detachable rubber eyeguard mounted over the eyepiece. The eye relief is very short, just 1.4” (35 mm), and there is no provision for manual focusing.

All adjustments are external. The scope is mounted over two adjustable support points by means of a strong spring. At rear, there is a cam for basic elevation adjustment. The cam is changeable and calibrated for used calibers. The 5.45 mm cam can be adjusted from 400 m to 1000 m with 100 m increments. For a 5.45 mm caliber bullet, in this authors opinion the ranges over 400 m are pure fantasy. The 7.62 mm cam is similar, but it can be adjusted from 400 m to 1200 m. Ballistic cams will be made at least for the 5.45 mm M74 AK-74, 5.45 mm M74 RPK-74, 7.62 mm M43 AKM, 7.62 mm M43 RPK and 7.62 mm M1891 PK series machine guns.

Elevation fine-tuning is done with an adjustment screw, placed at the front of the sight. The elevation screw has no clicks, but a scale with 3.6 MOA steps. The windage adjustment screw is placed at the right side of the sight, just next to the elevation cam operating knob. Unlike the elevation adjustment, the lateral adjustment screw has audible clicks. Each click will move the point of impact laterally by 0.7 MOA.

The optics of the 1P29 sight are very good in quality and more clear than, for instance, the PSO-1 optics. Generally speaking, the Russian military industry produces high quality and cost-effective optical devices. Lenses and other optical components are carefully made from high-quality glass. However, outdated mechanical construction and obsolescent electronics (in night vision equipment) will reduce their utility value.

The 1P29 has a reticle that is similar to one used with the British SUIT. It is a fixed vertical bar hanging out from the ceiling of the visual field. The bar is a transparent glass needle, and it has outlines smudged for better visibility in daylight. In dim light, the reticle appears a pale greenish color and easily stands out from the surroundings. The reticle is illuminated with a tritium gas ampoule and no batteries are needed. Although moderately radioactive, the tritium causes no harm to the operator since the gas is packed in a hermetically sealed glass ampoule. Unlike to the SUIT, brightness of the reticle is non-adjustable. Similar to the PSO-1, the 1P29 sight picture includes a range estimation scale, graduated for a 1.5 m high object. The 1P29 operator’s manual states that the AK-74 assault rifle fitted with an 1P29 scope should fire three shots out of four inside a six inch circle at a range of 100 meters (109 yds). Otherwise it should be sent for repair. No great demands for accuracy here.

The 1P29 scope comes from factory with three ballistic cams (“AK” marked for 5.45 mm M74 caliber AK-74 assault rifles, “RPK” marked for 5.45 mm RPK-74 and “PKM” marked for 7.62 mm M1891 caliber PK/PKM general purpose machine gun), adjustment tool, replacement eyeguard with mounting hardware and a Russian-language 32 page operators manual. All material is packed in green colored heavy canvas pouch.

Proper assault rifle scopes have low power magnification. Assault rifle optics should not be compared with sniper grade scopes. They are intended to improve accuracy and hit probability in fast situations as well as increase the effective range of an assault rifle, but not to turn every rifleman to a part-time sniper. The 1P29 has fixed 4 x magnification, which is actually too great for most applications where a scoped assault rifle is employed. Greater magnification is fine, if the assault rifle is used for long-range shooting. But long range shooting is not the most important role of the assault rifle. Greater magnification makes fast target acquisition more difficult and fatally handicaps the operator in fast situations.

Likely inspired by the German MG34 and MG42 general purpose machine guns they encountered during WWII, Soviet designers started to develop their own version of a portable, belt-fed multi-purpose machine gun during the Second World War. While many attempts were made to replace their aging Maxims, since the 1930’s no satisfactory design had been found. A brainchild of Vasily Degtyarev, the DS-39 medium machine gun was issued to the Red Army just before WWII, in 1939. It was quickly discovered that the DS-39 had an improperly engineered belt feed mechanism which damaged the cartridge cases while stripping them off from the belt. Tested in the Finnish-Russo Winter War (1939 – 1940), the DS-39 was found to be too complicated and liable to malfunctions, especially in cold and dusty conditions. The DS-39 was withdrawn from service.

The next step was the SG-43 (followed later by an improved variation known as the SGM) designed by Petr and Mikhail Goryunov. Goryunov’s machine gun was far more reliable than the DS-39 and lighter than the old Maxims. Mounted on a wheeled carriage or tripod it served well in the medium MG role, and was converted into a coaxial MG as the SGTM. For infantry the SG43/SGM was just a medium machine gun like the DS-39 or Maxim, however, shortly after WWII, a belt fed version of Degtyarev’s DPM light machine gun, the RP-46 was adopted as ‘the company machine gun’. The RP-46 was lighter and more maneuverable than its predecessors, but poorly suited in roles other than as a light machine gun.

The RPD light machine gun firing an intermediate 7.62 x 39 mm M43 round was considered for the GPMG role. The 7.62 x 39 mm M43 cartridge was already standardized for the AK-47 assault rifles and SKS semi-automatic carbines. One caliber for all infantry small arms would have been an ideal situation, but the 7.62 mm M43 seriously lacked both the penetration and effective range needed in a GPMG. It was dropped and interests were turned for developing a whole new GPMG, firing the more potent 7.62 x 54 R caliber round.

In the early 1950’s two Soviet designers, Grigory Nikitin and Yuri Sokolov, started to design a belt fed machine gun chambered for the 7.62 mm rimmed round, while the renowned Mikhail Kalashnikov worked with his own design. Both Nikitin-Sokolov and Kalashnikov weapons were gas operated having rotating bolts and quite similar external appearance. Tests arranged in 1960 revealed that Kalashnikov’s design, the PK (Pulemyot Kalashnikova) was more reliable. The PK was also less expensive to manufacture, and it was selected over the Nikitin-Sokolov design. The time for Nikitin and Sokolov would come ten years later. In 1972 the 12.7 x 108 mm NSV heavy machine gun designed by Nikitin, Sokolov and Vladimir Volkov was adopted to replace the DShK and DShKM heavy machine guns-but that is another story.

In 1961 the Kalashnikov-designed PK-series was adopted as the standard GPMG of the Red Army. Eight years later, in 1969 a product improved version called the PKM (Pulemyot Kalashnikova Modernizirovanniy) was introduced. The PKM can be easily recognized because of its lighter, unfluted barrel and a hinged shoulder strap on the buttstock. The PK/PKM series has changed into four configurations:

The PK/PKM is a basic LMG version with bipod.

The PKS/PKMS (PKS – Pulemyot Kalashnikova Stankoviy) is a tripod mounted PK/PKM. Every PK or PKM can convert to a PKS/PKMS while it is placed on the tripod.

The PKT/PKMT (PKT – Pulemyot Kalashnikova Tankoviy) is a solenoid-fired armored vehicle coaxial machine gun, which has no pistol grip or shoulder stock. The PKT is the standard machine gun in recent Russian armored vehicles including the T-72 and T-80 main battle tanks and BMP infantry fighting vehicles.

The PKB/PKMB (PKB – Pulemyot Kalashnikova na Bronetransportere) is a vehicle flex mount MG, and externally quite similar to the SG-43 and SGM. It has no shoulder stock or pistol grip, but is fitted with the spade grips and butterfly trigger.

General purpose machine guns chambered for the 7.62 mm rimmed cartridge are quite scarce. However, in addition to those mentioned below, there exists (or have existed) a few other GPMG’s chambered for the 7.62 x 54 R cartridge. Czechoslovakia didn’t adopted a Soviet machine gun, but fielded the VZ 59 GPMG of their own design. The VZ 59, also produced in the 7.62 mm NATO caliber, has not been distributed widely outside the borders of former Czechoslovakia. During WWII, famous Finnish arms designer Aimo J. Lahti designed the L-41 “Sampo” general purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62 x 54 R round, which was used by the Finnish Army in a limited capacity during the Second World War. The L-41 didn’t stay in service after the war. In addition to this, there was the 7.62 x 54 R caliber variation of German MG42 developed and built in Finland. The 7.62 x 54 R caliber MG42 never went beyond the prototype stage.

During the Cold War, the PK-series machine guns were widely distributed to Soviet ‘friendly’ nations all over the world and fired in anger in many communist-backed conflicts. PK-series machine guns have been manufactured or are still in production at least in Former Soviet Union/Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Rumania, mainland China Type 80 (Export only), Yugoslavia (M84) and probably in Poland and the former East Germany.

The brand new PKM acquired for SAR evaluation was manufactured in Hungary. It came with an extra barrel with the same serial number, several belts and belt boxes, tripod, padded sling and blank firing attachment, all packed in a heavy wooden transport chest.

Construction

Like all other true machine guns, the PK fires from an open bolt. Despite that, the basic operating principle follows the familiar Kalashnikov pattern. The PK has a rotating bolt with two locking lugs, similar to the AK bolt. The PK bolt is larger and more robust; it has a larger face to accept a 7.62 mm rimmed round and a single claw extractor similar to the AK assault rifles. Because the PK fires from an open bolt, the firing pin is temporarily fixed on the bolt carrier. The firing pin can be removed with the bolt, but while the bolt is rotating along its bolt carrier guideway, the firing pin stays locked on the bolt carrier. It will project and strike a primer while the bolt rotates to engage on the locking lugs. The PK’s bolt carrier is somewhat similar to the AK slide, except it is turned upside down, it is bigger, heavier and has a less complex shape. The PK is gas-operated with a long stroke piston i.e. the gas piston is permanently mounted on the bolt carrier and moves with it. The gas piston and its rod are chrome-plated for better corrosion resistance and pivoted on the bolt carrier. The hinge allows for a slight bending of the carrier/gas piston while it is removed/installed. Not all PK series machine guns have a slide buffer, but the Hungarian and Yugoslavian made ones do. If you have examined buffers in other machine guns, the buffer may be a fancy name for a 1/4 inch thick plate of fiber-reinforced reddish plastic placed at the rear end of the recoil spring guide. It will reduce recoil by preventing a straight contact between the bolt carrier and the receiver, and it also helps with removing and installing the recoil spring guide. The PK family has the gas piston and tube mounted beneath the barrel. The gas tube is fixed on the receiver by a spring steel latch, and it can be separated for cleaning.

The gas block is mounted permanently on the barrel, and connected to the gas tube via the gas regulator. The infantry versions have an exhaust type three-position regulator. Position “1” is a basic setting, which is used with a clean gun, and the positions “2” and “3” are used while the action gets more dirty. The gas regulator can be adjusted by using a cartridge or empty case as a tool. Theoretical cyclic rate is 650 rpm, according to Russian literature. Because the PK action has no proper buffering device, which is required for higher cyclic rates, increasing the cyclic rate with regulator settings is not recommended, because it increases the wear of the receiver and operating parts, and will reduce service life of the gun. The PKT and PKB type machine guns have a different “Venturi” type gas regulator, which doesn’t exhaust fumes to the vehicle interior.

The receiver is a U-section stamped from 0.06 inch (1.5 mm) sheet steel and assembled by riveting and spot welding. The receiver has double walls made from two 0.06 inch plates welded one upon another. The receiver top cover is stamped from sheet steel and hinged at the front to the receiver and locked at the back with a spring loaded latch. The ejector is similar to the AK’s and riveted inside the receiver. The PK ejects empty cases through the ejection port located at the left side on the receiver. The ejection port has a spring-loaded dust cover. With proper gas selector setting, the ejection cycle is not as violent as the AK cycle and the PK won’t damage ejected cases. The PK expels empty cases straight to the left at a distance of about 3 ft (1 m).

The barrel extension is riveted on the front of the receiver in the AKM manner. The barrel extension mounts the gas piston tube and includes the quick-change barrel locking mechanism borrowed from the SG43/SGM machine gun. The barrel extension has a straight boring to accept a cylindrical mounting piece of barrel, and two indexing studs to keep the barrel in the correct position. A horizontally sliding locking latch fixes the barrel to the receiver.

The barrel is the easiest way to distinguish the PK and its modernized variation, the PKM. The PK has a heavier, fluted barrel, while the PKM barrel is lighter (it weighs 2.35 kg (5.2 lbs.) and has no longitudinal grooves. The armored vehicle variations PKT/PKTM and PKB/PKBM have even heavier barrels, better suited to the sustained fire role. Like most other small arms of Com-Bloc origin, the PK family barrels have chrome-plated bores and chambers. The PKM bore has four grooves with a right-hand twist of one turn in 9 inches (225 mm). The barrel length is 23.7 inches (602 mm), which doesn’t include the flash hider. The muzzle has a left-hand metric M18 x 1.5 thread to mount a flash hider or a blank firing adapter. There is an AK-type spring-loaded plunger to hold the muzzle device in the correct position. There exist at least two different PK-series flash hiders. The earlier and most common type is similar to the M14 flash hider with five longitudinal slots. The more recent model is shorter and conical, also having five slots. The PK series blank firing adapter is a scaled up AK-design. Barrels have a pivoted handle, which can be used as the lever to crank the barrel out from its housing.

The trigger housing is mounted permanently underneath the receiver, and it includes the trigger guard. This trigger mechanism, very similar to the RPD, is simple, and also very similar to many submachine guns firing from an open bolt. The rotating safety catch located on the left side of trigger housing has two settings: safe and full-auto. There is no provision for semi-automatic fire, which is, after all, generally considered useless in General Purpose Machine Guns. The trigger mechanism cannot be separated, and it is difficult to clean after extensive firing.

The PK/PKM machine guns will usually appear with a skeletonized buttstock made from laminated wood. However, there is no rule without a few exceptions: some examples of Bulgarian-made PK machine guns have appeared with plastic buttstocks, the Chinese Type 80 has a skeletonized buttstock, but made from solid wood, and the Yugo M84 also has a solid wood buttstock. The PK and PKM have steel buttplates with a trapdoor compartment for cleaning gear. The PKM has a steel shoulder strap. The integral oiler is located in the buttstock. Pistol grip and barrel handle grip plates are usually made from reddish brown, Bakelite type plastic material.

Like most other small arms of Soviet and Warsaw Pact origin, the PK series machine guns will usually feature a black baked enamel finish. Some other examples have a blued or manganese phosphate (parkerized) finish.

Feed mechanism

The belt fed machine gun firing a rimmed ammunition has a more complicated feed mechanism than a counterpart chambered for a rimless cartridge. The Russians/Soviets have used the rimmed 7.62 x 54 R cartridge for more than 100 years, so they have a lot of experience in designing belt-fed mechanisms for rimmed cartridges. Russian-designed belt-fed ground machine guns, chambered for the 7.62 mm rimmed round include Degtyarev-designed DS-39, the RP-46 based on a magazine fed DPM light machine gun, Goryunov-designed SG-43 and SGM to name only those entered in service. There was also a series of fast firing, belt fed ShKAS (Shpitalniy-Komaritsky) aircraft machine guns with a noteworthy 1800 rpm rate of fire.
The PK series belt-feed mechanism, which is located over the breech block, includes some similarities to the RP-46 and Goryunov designs. The double hooked cartridge gripper is similar to one used in the SG 43 and SGM machine guns. Double receiver covers, the feed cover which includes the feed tray and the top cover, are also similar to the Goryunov’s. The spring-loaded depressing arm is a take-off from the RP-46.

The PK family utilizes a non-disintegrating, closed pocket metallic belt. Actually it is the same as used with the Soviet Maxims, the DS-39, RP-46 and SG43/SGM machine guns. The PK belts will usually appear in three lengths; for 100, 200 or 250 rounds. The 100 round belt is used with a small belt box that can be snapped beneath the receiver. In light machine gun configuration, the 100 rd belt with that assault box is usually employed. The 200 rd and 250 rd belts will fit in the bigger belt box, which is the same as is used with the Goryunovs. The 250 rd belt box is a logical choice if fired from the tripod, and it can be readily mounted on the tripod. Both Russian belt boxes are stamped from sheet aluminum. The 250 rd type is all aluminum, while the 100 rd box has an aluminum frame with a steel cover. Both types have canvas carry handles.

Pull-out type belts are usually used with machine guns chambered for rimmed rounds, but that is not the only way to go. The most ingenious feed system for rimmed rounds that I have seen was designed during WWII by Aarno Lahti of Finland, brother of the famous small arms designer Aimo J. Lahti, for the 7.62 x 54 R caliber version of the MG42. The 7.62 x 54 R caliber MG42 used a “push-through” type belt, which allowed the use of a standard MG42 fed mechanism. Few prototypes were converted from German-made guns, but license-production never started. The 7.62 x 54 R caliber MG42 was left as a technical curiosity.

The PK series belt feed mechanism works as follows: The belt comes to the feed tray from the right side of the PK. The feed tray is located over the chamber, and cartridges are pulled out from the belt to rearwards. While the bolt carrier starts to withdraw after a shot is fired, the cartridge gripper pulls the next cartridge from the belt, and bolt carrier movement activates the feed pawl to move leftwards to pull the belt inwards. After traveling about 3.5 inches (9 cm) backwards the cartridge stops at the feed cam mounted on the top cover, and is dropped over the feed lips of the feed tray by a spring-loaded depressing arm. Just before that the ejector expels an empty case through a spring loaded ejection port on the left side of the receiver. The bolt carrier continues to withdraw for about 1.6 inches. When the forward motion begins, the bolt pushes the fresh round towards the chamber, and bolt carrier movement forces the feed pawl to move back to the right. A holding pawl located on the top cover retains the belt.

Sights

The PK series machine guns (except a coaxial version PKT, which has no sights) have fully adjustable iron sights. The front sight is similar to the AK assault rifles. The post-type front has curved protective ears, and like the AK’s front sight, the PKM front sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation. The tangent-type rear sight has an open, U-shaped notch, and it is similar to ones used with the RPD SAW and RPK LMG, and it is adjustable for both windage and elevation. The PKM rear sight is graduated from 100 m (109 yds) to 1500 m (1640 yds) with 100 m (109 yds) increments and 300 m (328 yds) battle sight setting. The sight picture is identical to the AK assault rifles and RPK light machine guns.

Our test specimen has no provision for mounting an optical sighting device, but recent PKM GPMG’s will accept the four power 1P29 daytime sight (a copy of British SUIT) or the second-generation 1PN51 passive night sight. The scope mounting rail is located on the left side of receiver.

Bipod and tripod

The PK and its modernized version are issued with a folding bipod, which is mounted on the gas tube. The bipod non-adjustable legs are stamped from sheet steel, and it is somewhat similar to the RPK bipod. The bipod stays automatically in it’s firing position by use of a spring-loaded hinge. While folded, the legs are kept together by a stamped hook. The three-piece cleaning rod is stored on the bipod right leg.

The PK machine gun was originally introduced in 1961 with a tripod designed by Evgeniy Samozhenkov. Samozhenkov’s tripod weighed 17 lbs. (7.7 kg); almost half the weight of the SGM tripod, and it converted easily to both ground fire and anti-aircraft configurations. When the improved the PKM pattern was introduced in 1969, it was issued with a new and remarkably lighter tripod designed by Leonid Stepanov. The Stepanov mount can easily be described as a “light” tripod. Made almost entirely from steel stampings, it weighs only 4.5 kg. It has no buffering mechanism of any sort, and the cradle, which mounts the gun, is connected directly on a traverse and elevation mechanism. The Stepanov light tripod can be easily modified from the ground fire role to AA-configuration.

Each tripod leg can be folded for transport or adjusted for proper height or finding equilibrium in rugged terrain. While folded for transport, one man can easily carry the tripod into the field. Like any other tripod, the Stepanov light tripod requires sandbags for maximum stability.

The Stepanov tripod issued with our test gun was manufactured in Kovrov (marked with an arrow inside oval ring) in 1977. It appeared to be unused. The tripod was clean and dry; apparently stored 20 years ago by wrapping it in paper treated with corrosion inhibiting agent and putting it in a sealed container. During these years all the lubricants had dried and frozen most of the moving parts. It required some muscles and lots of gun oil to get all the hinged parts to operate properly. Please note: if you are handling wrappings etc. treated with Soviet/Warsaw Pact corrosion inhibiting agent, bear in mind that it is very poisonous.

In addition to the mounts described above, there exists a flexible vehicle mount, which accepts a standard PK or PKM.
Test firing

The Hungarian-made PKM was fired from both tripod and bipod rest, and my first impression was one of good controllability. Even an inexperienced operator can fire short bursts (three or four shots) from the bipod rest and keep the gun completely in control. From the tripod, firing longer burst with an acceptable accuracy up to 985 – 1100 yds (900 – 1000 meters) is possible. On this point accuracy doesn’t mean sniper grade accuracy, as the machine gun is an area weapon, not a point target weapon.

For test firing we used two different types of 7.62 x 54 R ammunition: Lapua-made training ammo fitted with a 123 gr. (8 g) FMJ bullet (in fact just the same as used with the 7.62 x 39 mm caliber ball) loaded to about 2950 fps (900 mps) velocity, and the military-type ball ammo fitted with a 200 gr. (13 gr.) FMJBT bullet, duplicating the Finnish D166 heavy ball, having muzzle velocity of c. 2300 fps (700 mps). The PKM cycled reliably with both types, but the feed mechanism didn’t like cartridges with light bullets. Since the depressing arm and gravity together are intended to turn the cartridge to the correct position, the bullet should be long and heavy enough that the center of gravity would lie far enough from the base, and the cartridge would easily go into the chamber. With the D166-type ammo, the PKM operated without malfunctions.

There exist a lot of people in this world who can’t read or write, but they know very well how to handle Kalashnikov assault rifles. Operating Kalashnikov’s belt fed machine gun is almost as simple as operating Kalashnikov’s assault rifles. To load the PK series machine gun, first make sure that the gun is not cocked and then set safety to “ON”. Then open the top cover and place the belt over the feed tray so that the first round’s base sets in the gripper claws. Holding the belt, close the top cover. Cock the action, and return cocking handle manually to front position. Turn the safety “OFF” and the PK is ready to fire.

A third generation of the PK machine gun?

In 1993 a new member of the PK family chambered for the unique 6 x 49 mm round was introduced. Called the Unified Machine Gun (UMG), it is basically similar to the PK/PKM, but has a shorter receiver, apparently with a simplified feed mechanism. The UMG has a longer barrel, while overall length (45.3 inches or 1150 mm) is approximately equal to the standard issue PK/PKM. This new Russian machine gun is relatively light in weight, as it weighs only 14.3 lbs. (6.5 kg) with a bipod. The revealed prototypes have no iron sights, but were fitted with an optical sighting device. In addition to the improved PK machine gun, the SVD based sniping rifle and AK assault rifle chambered for the 6 x 49 mm cartridge are also being developed.

Presumably inspired by the U.S. Army SAW research, the Soviets started developing the 6 mm ammunition primarily intended for infantry machine guns and sniping rifles in about 1980. The first type revealed was the 6 x 53 mm, which launched an 80-gr. (5.2 g) bullet with a muzzle velocity of 3770 fps (1150 mps).

About ten years later the 6 x 49 mm cartridge was introduced. It has a rimless case with approximately the same rim diameter (0.449”/11.4 mm) as a classic 7.62 x 39 mm round. The 6 x 49 mm round has muzzle velocity equal to the 6 x 53 mm, it is also extremely hot having higher chamber pressures than the 6 x 53 mm. While there is a risk for case separation, the case has a circular groove formed near the extractor groove to allow case stretching without risk of separation. For reliable operation, adequate headspace is critical in self-loading firearms. On the other hand, high pressure ammunition will require tight headspacing to be safe. Controlled case stretching as used with certain aircraft cannons allows use of workable headspacing, yet the gun is also safe to fire.

While not so prolific as Mikhail Kalashnikov’s assault rifles, his belt fed general purpose machine gun is really an outstanding design. Not the least because it fires a complex rimmed round, but also because it is reliable, easily controllable and easy to operate. It will serve to the foreseeable future in existing forms or firing a new rimless cartridge, which might be a less complicated choice for belt fed weapons.

SAR would like to thank Peter G. Kokalis for his help in editing this article

In a different time, in a different place, he would probably have been another Browning, Stoner or Kalashnikov, but the Finnish political climate in the 1970’s and the 1980’s wasn’t favorable for Jali Timari’s designs or any other private ventures of the small arms industry. Development of Timari’s most successful brainchild, the Jati-Matic submachine gun, started in the 1970’s, and it was introduced in 1980. Personal Defense Weapons (PDW) were not the focus of procurement personnel yet, but it was a time when design trends began to favor creation of compact and lightweight submachine guns.

It all started with a low recoil .22 Short caliber Olympic rapid-fire pistol, which Timari was developing in the mid-1970’s. While Timari was doing test firing with his the.22 Short caliber prototype, an untempered trigger sear suddenly broke, and the pistol switched to full auto. The fully automatic .22 Short pistol shot tight patterns due to its lack of muzzle rise. Exceptional low recoil was achieved by means of a principle borrowed from 19th century coastal artillery pieces (like the 1870’s Armstrong cannon). The pistol had an upward slanting bolt path, guiding the bolt upward to turn a part of the recoil force against the muzzle climb. Jali Timari patented the small arms application of this principle. It led to the creation of two pistols, a blowback operating JAT-22 and recoil operated JAT-9, and most important of all, the Jati-Matic submachine gun.

Since the mid-1970’s, Jali Timari has been a designer and co-owner of Tampereen Asepaja (TAP), a small sporting arms manufacturer located in Tampere, a birthplace of the Finnish machine industry. The origin of TAP traces back to 1923, when Niilo Lahtinen founded it. In the post-WWII period TAP’s main products were sporterized military rifles, but in the 1960’s and 1970’s they switched to manufacturing rifles mainly designed by Jali Timari and Torsti Laaksonen. Their main product was an excellent Lakelander bolt action hunting rifle. Other notable designs were the Caribou pump-action rifle and the Finnbiathlon straight-pull action .22 rimfire target rifle designed for biathlon competitions.

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s TAP attempted to enter the military small arms business. Timari designed a series of military small arms: 9 mm JAT-9 pistol, 9 mm Jati-Matic submachine gun, 5.56 mm assault rifle, 7.62 mm bolt action sniping rifle and a plastic body hand-grenade, called the “Wildcat”. The Jati-Matic submachine gun and the Wildcat hand-grenade were produced in limited quantities in the 1980’s, and the TAP sniping rifle in caliber 7.62 x 54 R participated in the FDF sniping rifle trials, but was not selected. The 9-mm pistol and 5.56 mm assault rifle never proceeded beyond the drawing board or prototype stage.

Tampereen Asepaja manufactured about 400 Jati-Matics, and around 20 Jati-Matics were manufactured by Gunsmith Esa Tiittanen. The Jati-Matic received a lot of publicity through the world; it was evaluated in numerous American publications including Soldier of Fortune and the Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons. The strict Finnish export regulations for military small arms guarantied that it found no commercial success. In the late 1980’s Tampereen Asepaja went out of business and production of the Jati-Matic ceased for several years.

In 1994 Jali Timari sold all rights and production tooling to a new company, Golden Gun, Ltd. formed by Reijo Parviainen and Kari Kurki. In 1995 Golden Gun, Ltd. (Humalistonkatu 9, FIN-20100 Turku, Finland, Phone +358 2 233 0120, fax +358 2 233 0610) began production of an improved model of the Jati-Matic. Re-named as the GG-95 PDW, the new model has the external appearance and basic construction similar to the original TAP-made Jati-Matic, but included several improvements to the original design.

The current political climate is slightly different, and Golden Gun is now marketing the improved version of the Jati-Matic to military and law enforcement purchasers. The GG-95’s were also sold to private collectors in Finland.

SUBMACHINE GUN OR MACHINE PISTOL?

While two hands are required to operate the Jati-Matic, it lacks a shoulder stock, and therefore falls into the machine pistol category. The general design of the Jati-Matic family is very simple. The total number of parts in the GG-95 is 50. Since 1980 the Jati-Matics were manufactured only in caliber 9 x 19 Luger, but caliber conversions, such as the .40 S & W caliber will require only minor modifications to the bolt, a new barrel and new magazine. However, the .40 S & W version or conversion parts do not presently exist.

Operating principle of the original Jati-Matic and the GG-95 is the common unlocked blowback. The gun fires from an open bolt with a fixed firing pin. According to Timari’s patented idea first employed in his .22 Short caliber target pistol, it has the bolt guided upwards at a 5 degree angle to produce a vertical resultant force to work against the muzzle rise. Due to the wrap-around bolt design adapted from the Czech vz23/24/25/26 series, UZI, Beretta M 12 etc, a majority of bolt mass lies at the front of the gun’s center of gravity. The barrel line is low and close to the shooter’s hand to minimize the torque of recoil force. The general configuration of the gun will also help to reduce the muzzle climb. The breechblock construction together with the long bolt travel (4.4 inches or 112 mm) reduces the rate of fire to a practical level of 600 – 650 rpm, depending on the ammunition used.

The bolt is machined from an investment cast blank and weighs 0.6 kg (1.42 lbs). It is of two piece construction, consisting of the bolt body and a separate bolt face insert including a fixed firing pin. The bolt body and face are held together by an extractor stamped from spring steel. Bolt face and body can be easily separated for cleaning or replacing damaged parts. The word ‘FIRE’ on the bolt’s left side will appear in the ejection port while gun is cocked. This is a necessary feature, since there is no other cocking indicator and the bolt seals the ejection port in all positions except while ejecting. The bolt has a single recoil spring. The recoil spring’s guide rod rests against the rear buffer, made from elastic, rubber-type material and placed on the joint of the upper and lower receivers.

The GG-95 upper receiver is stamped from a single sheet of 1.2-mm steel plate, while the first Jati-Matics had upper receivers assembled from two pieces by means of spot-welding. The GG-95 upper receiver has no other openings, so it is well sealed against dirt and moisture. The upper receiver has a rectangular cross-section with reinforcing ribs, which will also accumulate dirt and powder residues. The receiver top cover is hinged from its front end to the receiver by a cross pin. The sloping outline of the original Jati-Matic’s top cover led to sighting problems- many operators had a tendency to shoot over the target. The new model is fitted with a receiver cover parallel to the barrel axis, making it better suited for instinctive shooting. The newest TAP-made Jatis appeared with this feature. The GG-95 top cover latch is similar to the original Jati-Matic design, but without an integrated rear sling swivel. The old pattern swivel had a built-in possibility of accidentally opening the top cover. Pulling the sling in the wrong direction opened the cover. The GG-95 has detachable sling swivels that can be mounted on either side of gun.

THE LOWER RECEIVER IS MADE FROM PLASTIC

General coloring of the GG-95 is matte black. For some reason the barrel has a bright blue finish, but all other metal surfaces are bead blasted and then blued. The result is a matte surface, resembling the manganese phosphate (Parkerized) finish. The lower receiver and other plastic parts have similar coloring.

The GG-95’s lower receiver is injection molded from polymer material called Polyphtalamide, shock resistant and insensitive to oils, solvents and powder residues. The foregrip/cocking handle assembly and some components of the trigger mechanism are also molded from the same polymer. Plastic parts were also widely used with the original Jati-Matic. It was not a surprise that many components of his submachine gun were made from polymer materials. Jali Timari, who had worked in the plastic industry since 1946, has a broad knowledge of manufacturing plastic components and the tools for the process.

Four screws mate the GG-95 upper and lower receivers. The lower receiver includes the magazine well with the AK-type magazine catch. The lower receiver also houses the trigger mechanism, which is built in a steel-framed module. This trigger module is mounted by means of one cross-bolt, and it can be easily removed for maintenance.

The original Jati-Matic has the fire selector integral to the trigger, similar to the Steyr AUG. A short trigger pull is required for firing single shots and a long pull allows fully automatic fire. Skilled operators can successfully master this type of mechanism, but inexperienced operators will face problems with finding the desired fire mode, especially while working under stress. The GG-95 has a selector switch placed on the left side of the lower receiver with two fire modes, semi-auto and full-auto. Timari designed a trigger mechanism capable of firing single shots, 2 or 3 rd bursts and continuous full auto fire, but the Jati-Matic with this feature never went beyond the prototype stage. Personally, I consider a single shot mode pointless, because the role of this type of firearm will seldom require single shot firing. In any case, there is now a thumb-operated fire selector for all kinds of submachine gunners.

The operation and location of the Jati-Matic and GG-95 safety catch is far from where we are accustomed to using it. The trigger mechanism has no separate safety catch, but the cocking handle/foregrip serves as the safety and locks bolt movement while folded into the carry position. While the foregrip is folded, the gun can safely be carried in Condition One (cocked and locked). A sliding forearm/cocking handle patterned after a typical pump action shotgun forearm was designed after the request of some law enforcement officials. In my opinion, the folding foregrip should be fitted with an integrated, “D”-shaped finger loop, which would speed up bringing the gun into action. The GG-95 has no shoulder stock, but handling and firing characters would improve a great deal if a well engineered folding stock was added on this system. Although Jali Timari didn’t favor the shoulder stock, there was a top folding stock for the original Jati-Matic, made in very limited quantities. The shoulder stock for the current GG-95 could be of the side folding type, which could be removed if desired.

The GG-95 has an 8-inch (203-mm) barrel. The bore has six grooves with a right hand twist of one turn in 9.84 inches (250 mm). The barrel rests over the upper receiver. It contacts the receiver at two points, one at the rear end and the other near the muzzle end. The barrel is held in the correct place and position by two circular rims turned on the barrel, and an indexing stud at the front end of the receiver. The barrel is clamped securely while the top cover is folded down. The barrel has no feed ramp; cartridges are fed into the chamber straight from the magazine. The standard barrel has a plain muzzle without any mounting device for a sound suppressor. After the manner of the original Jati-Matic, a separate suppressor barrel with a threaded muzzle is available for the GG-95. This threaded barrel has a left-handed metric M14 x 1 thread to accept all Kalashnikov-compatible sound suppressors. The left-handed thread prevents suppressor loosening caused by interaction of barrel twisting and the suppressor’s inertia. In the 1980’s, the Jati-Matics were usually equipped with the famous Vaime suppressors, while in the 1990’s the GG-95s are fitted with Finnish BR’s KRS (Kalashnikov Reflex Suppressor) muzzle cans.

The Jati-Matic and GG-95 magazines are of double column type and available optionally with 20 rd, 30 rd and 40 rd capacity. The magazine is very similar to the Carl Gustav 36 round stick magazine but unfortunately not interchangeable with them. The GG-95 won’t accept Carl Gustav, Smith & Wesson etc. magazines or vice versa. The magazine body is made from extruded aluminum alloy and the follower is injection molded from plastic. The similar sized 40 rd magazine is remarkably lighter than the all-steel Carl Gustav/Suomi 36 rd stick, and it is as reliable and easy to fill as original Swedish (for the Carl Gustav M/45) and Finnish (for the Suomi M/31) magazines. No loading tool is required for filling the Jati-Matic family of magazines.

Sights are rather crude, but it doesn’t matter because this gun won’t be used for target competitions. Both the original Jati-Matic and the GG-95 have a vertically adjustable foresight and a fixed open notch type rear sight. The GG-95 rear sight is integrated on the top cover latch, while the original Jati-Matic has the rear sight integrated on the lower receiver. The Jati-Matic family will also accept additional sighting devices, which this author considers to be of questionable value. In the early 1980’s, large first generation laser sighting devices of D-cell Maglite size were occasionally fitted on the original Jati-Matics. Currently Golden Gun, Ltd. offers a separate top cover to mount tactical lights and auxiliary sighting devices.

HANDLING AND FIRING

The Jati-Matic and GG-95 are “two hand” weapons without a shoulder stock. They fit in the same category as the H & K MP5K, Famae Mini-SAF and Steyr TMP. The Jati-Matic is apparently less expensive than any of its competitors.

The most significant feature of the Jati-Matic family is exceptional controllability. Even operators without experience with a small sized full-auto firearm can fire long (10 shots or more) bursts and keep every bullet hole in a 12 inch (0.3 m) diameter target at distances up to 15 meters. An experienced operator will achieve far better patterns. Adding an extra weight on the muzzle e.g. in form of a sound suppressor will help to control recoil. In addition the sound suppressor will reduce the risk for hearing damage if the firearm is discharged indoors, as many CQB scenarios will usually require.

Old TAP brochures used the slogan “Full-Auto Fire With One Hand”. Firing long bursts with any member of the Jati-Matic family with a “one hand” hold will cause poor controllability. The same goes for using a Weaver stance “Two hand” hold. There is a foregrip, so always use it while firing bursts. Some operators fire the Jati’s frequently from underarm and use bullet strikes on target to correct fire. Generally speaking, this is just spraying bullets around, and in conflict with the professional principle that the first shot should count. This is an especially unsuitable method to use in crowded places. Personally I prefer firing aimed bursts holding the gun at eye level with both hands.

While the gun is carried in cocked & locked position, it is brought into action quickly by turning the foregrip to the downward position. Golden Gun, LTD supplies both belt and shoulder holsters, which are patterned after handgun holsters. Larger and heavier submachine guns will require somewhat different rigs. For carrying the original Jati-Matic or the GG-95, I prefer to use a shoulder rig, e.g. similar to the one developed by Eagle Industries for the MP5K.

In our test firing, two types of 9-mm ammunition were used. We had Finnish Lapua-made 9 mm ball fitted with a 115 gr. (7.5 g) FMJ bullet loaded to nominal muzzle velocity of 1330 fps (405 mps) close to NATO specifications, and Lapua 9 mm subsonic round fitted with a 150 gr. (9.7 g) CEPP (Controlled Expansion Police Projectile) bullet. During the course of test firing, about 400 shots were fired. No malfunctions were observed.

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about successors to the 9-mm Luger. While it would be interesting to test fire a 5.7 x 28 mm caliber version of the Jati-Matic, it seems that the 9 mm Luger caliber handguns and SMG’s will remain as the world standard in the foreseeable future. Advanced ammunition technology and millions of guns around the world chambered for that cartridge make this likely. The 9 mm Luger, a workhorse of many wars and different ideologies, is still going strong and even more popular than ever before.

One feature in the Jati-Matic and the GG-95 bothers me little: there are accessory components required for mounting other accessories. Personally I think that the basic implements like a sound suppressor or a tactical light should be mounted on any firearm of this type with a minimum effort.

In this form or rather with some diminutive modifications including the re-engineered cocking handle and shoulder stock, the attractively priced GG-95 will be a potent competitor for other subguns or machine pistols of similar size.

The GG-95 submachine gun specifications

• Caliber: 9 x 19 mm Parabellum
• Operation: Blowback, fires from an open bolt. Selective fire trigger mechanism fires both single shots and burst fire.
• Feed mechanism: Detachable staggered-row box magazine for 20, 30 or 40 rounds
• Barrel: Six grooves with a right hand twist of one turn for 9.84 inches (250 mm).
• Lengths: Overall: 14.8” (375 mm) Barrel: 8” (203 mm)
• Weights: (empty) 3.63 lbs (1.65 kg)
• Sights: Protected post front, adjustable for windage. Fixed rear.
• Finish: Blued
• Manufacturer: Golden Gun, Ltd, Humalistonkatu 9, FIN-20100 Turku, Finland. Phone +358 2 233 0120. Fax +358 2 233 0610.