Russia turns to North Korean arms amid machine gun crisis
Due to increasing equipment shortages, Russia is importing more solutions from North Korea. One example is the Type 73 machine guns, which are helping the Russians alleviate the shortage of PK/PKM machine guns. Here's what the Russian PK looks like after modifications inspired by Czechoslovakia.
It appears that Russia has run out of PK/PKM machine guns using the 7.62x54 mm R cartridge, forcing them to use North Korean Type 73 machine guns. Due to their very unusual design, these guns have not gained a good reputation among Russians.
The design has been described as unconventional, featuring unusual elements and weighing approximately 33-35 pounds, which has drawn criticism. In one recording, a Russian individual expresses reluctance to work with it.
Type 73: when the Russian PK meets North Korean fans of Czech weapons
The Type 73 was developed in the 1970s to replace the RP-46 machine gun, a belt-fed variant of the WWII-era DP-28. As noted by the well-known firearms expert Ian McCollum, the then-leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, was a huge fan of Czechoslovakian firearm designs.
He was particularly inspired by the Czechoslovakian vz.52/57 carbine, which could be fed from chargers and magazines. A similar dual-feed system became required for North Korea, leading local engineers to modify the Soviet PK. The result was a machine gun for the 7.62x54 mm R cartridge that can be fed from both a belt and replaceable magazines.
The idea was that when moving to a firing position, the Type 73 would only have the replaceable magazine attached from above and the cartridge belt container would be attached on-site or when providing suppressive fire. In theory, this would make it easier to carry the weapon because, for example, the PK/PKM box, along with a 100-round section of the 7.62x54 mm R tape, is almost 9 lbs. A steel magazine containing 20 or 30 rounds is incomparably lighter in this context.
However, the adaptation for dual feeding necessitates additional elements, so the weight reduction may have been lower than anticipated. Furthermore, it required installing the sight on the side of the barrel, reminiscent of weapons from the World War era. Another unusual feature is the ability to launch rifle grenades or use a muzzle brake, an interchangeable part.
It is a very strange weapon, which was replaced in North Korea by the Type 82, a model more closely resembling the Russian PK, designed in the 1980s. This seems to be another example of North Korea trying to clear its warehouses of old goods that no one, except a desperate Russia, is willing to take.
