Place | Middle East: Iraq |
---|---|
Accession Number | REL31391 |
Collection type | Technology |
Object type | Firearm |
Physical description | Metal, Wood |
Location | Main Bld: Peacekeeping & Recent Conflicts Gallery |
Maker |
State Arsenal, USSR |
Place made | Russia |
Date made | c 1990 |
Conflict |
Iraq, 2003-2013 |
PKM General Purpose Machine Gun
PKM general purpose machine gun. It has a machined steel and pressed metal receiver that is marked on the top with CF within a triangle over M 80 and the serial number 400097. It has a lacquered laminated wooden (cut-out centre) butt stock and the pistol grip is made from brown plastic. A folding pressed steel bipod is attached to the under side of the gas tube and a carry handle with a two-part brown plastic grip is fitted to the barrel at the point of balance. All external metal surfaces are parkerised with minimal wear in evidence. The barrel is chrome lined to reduce wear. Light spot rust is evident on external metal surfaces and a retaining butt bolt is missing. Cleaning brush is located to the rear of the stock.
This weapon was captured by the Royal Australian Navy diver clearance team during the 2003 Iraq War. It is the standard general purpose machine gun of the Russian and Iraqi armed forces. The weapon is a select-fire, gas operated, air cooled, belt fed, general purpose machine gun based on the Kalashnikov operating system. PKM stands for Pulemot Kalashnikova Modernizirovannyi.