Russian Machine Guns since 1945

Russian Machine Guns since 1945, written by noted authority Leroy Thompson, is a fully illustrated study that describes and depicts the machine guns used by Soviet and Russian troops after 1945.

Following the USSR’s victory in World War II, the Soviet armed forces adopted a series of new or improved machine guns. At the squad level, the 7.62mm RPD and RP-46 light machine guns replaced the DPM, and they were eventually supplanted by the RPK from 1961. Firing the lighter 5.45×39mm cartridge, the RPK-74 was issued in 1974 and remains in use today. The 5.45mm RPK-16 entered Russian service in 2018.

Having served alongside the 7.62mm PM M1910 Maxim during World War II, the 7.62mm SG-43 medium machine gun was updated as the SGM before being replaced by the 7.62mm PK general-purpose machine gun, first issued in 1961. The improved PKM made its debut in 1969 and continues to equip Russian troops today, complemented by the PKP in 2001 and the AEK-999 in 2008.

First issued in 1938, the formidable 12.7mm DShK heavy machine gun remains in Russian service today as the DShkM. It has been joined by the 14.5mm KPV from 1949, the 12.7mm NSV from 1971, and the 12.7mm Kord from 1998.

In this illustrated survey, Thompson investigates the origins, development, combat use, and legacy of all these machine guns since 1945, from the start of the Cold War to the 2020s, shedding light on their battlefield effectiveness and tactical influence.