PKM General Purpose Machine Gun

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
Description

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.

History / Summary

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.