Machine guns introduction
Austria
 Steyr-Solothurn MG 30
 Steyr AUG /Hbar
Belgium
 FN Minimi
 FN MAG
 FN BRG-15
China, People's Republic
 Type 67 GPMG
 Type 88 GPMG
 Type 95 LMG
 Type 77 HMG
 Type 85 HMG
 W-85 HMG
 Type 89 HMG new
 Type 02 / QJG 02 HMG
Czech Republic
 ZB 26
 ZB 53 / Vz.37
 type 52 & 52/57
 type 58 (UK vz.58)
Denmark
 Madsen LMG
 Madsen-Saetter
Finland
 Valmet KvKK 62
France
 MAC M1924/29
 AAT Mod.52
Germany
 MG 08, MG 08/15, MG 08/18
 MG 13
 MG 34
 MG 42 and MG 3
 HK 21 and 23
 HK MG 4
Great Britain
 Vickers Mk.I
 Lewis
 Bren
 L86A1 SA-80 LSW
Israel
 Negev
Japan
 Type 96 & Type 99
 Type 62
Russia / USSR
 Maxim M1910/30
 Degtyarov DP DPM RP-46
 Degtyarov DS-39
 Degtyarov RPD
 Kalashnikov RPK
 Kalashnikov RPK-74
 Gorjunov SG-43 SGM
 Kalashnikov PK / PKM
 Pecheneg
 DShK DShKM 12.7
 NSV 12,7 'Utes'
 Kord 12,7
 KPV 14,5
Singapore
 STK Ultimax 100
 CIS .50 MG
South Africa
 Vector SS-77 / Mini-SS
South Korea
 Daewoo K3
Spain
 CETME Ameli
Switzerland
 Steyr-Solothurn MG 30
 SIG MG 50
 W+F MG 51
 SIG MG 710
USA
 Lewis
 Browning M1917 M1919
 Browning M1918 BAR
 Johnson M1941 M1944
 M60
 M16 LSW / LMG
 M134 Minigun new
 XM214 Microgun new
 Stoner 63
 M249 SAW
 M240
 Mk.48 mod.0
 Browning M2HB .50 cal
 XM312 .50 cal
 LW50MG new

 Gatling, Minigun, Vulcan

all texts and some pictures
copyright © 1999-2008
by Max R. Popenker
and can not be used without author permission

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Gorjunov SG-43 and SGM (USSR / Russia)

Caliber: 7.62x54mm R
Weigth: 13.8 kg gun body; 41 kg on wheeled mount
Length: 1150 mm
Length of barrel: 720 mm
Feeding: belt, 200 or 250 rounds
Rate of fire: 500 - 700 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity: 800 m/s

The Red (Russian) army entered the World War 2 having an outdated and almost obsolete Maxim M1910 machine guns as a main heavy (mounted) machine guns. Very small numbers of the DS-39 adopted in 1939, were quite unsatisfactory, so in 1942 an official request was issued for new heavy machine gun of standard rifle caliber. New machine gun had to be used from ground mounts, AA mounts or vehicle mounts, and be capable of using either a canvas belts from older Maxim guns or a new metallic belts. Development of the new MG was started in the may of 1942, and it was developed by the team lead by the P.M.Goryunov at the Kovrov Machinegun plant. Less than one year later new machine gun had been sent for army trials to the front, and in the may of 1943 this weapon was adopted as a "7.62mm mounted machine gun system Gorjunov", or SG-43 in short. After the end of the WW2, SG-43 was modernised several times, became the SGM. It was also available as a tank gun (SGMT) with electric trigger, or as the armoured cars gun (SGMB) with special mountings. It was used by the Soviet Army until mid-1960s, when it was gradually replaced by the first Russian universal machine gun, PK (PKS). SGM was widely exported to Soviet-friendly countries and regimes, and also manufactured in some countries like China.

SG-43 is a gas operated, belt fed, automatic weapon. It uses gas drive with long piston stroke, located under the barrel. Barrel lock is achieved by side-swinging bolt that locks into the wall of the receiver. Barrel is quick-changeable. On the SG-43 barrels had plain external appearance. On the early SGM guns, barrels had radial cooling fins, and on the latter SGM guns barrels were logitinually fluted to save weight and improove air cooling. SG and SGM machine guns used a belt feed with non-desintegrating links. Due to rimmed ammunition, the feed process was commited in two stages: first, a fresh cartridge was extracted from the belt to the rear and lowered ahead of the blot, and then, on second stage, fresh cartridge was fed into the chamber. Fire control unit included a set of spade grips attached to the rear of the receiver, a safety switch and a push-button like trigger. On the SG-43 the charging handle was located at the rear of the receiver, under the spade grips; on the SGM, it was relocated to the right side of the receiver.

Both SG-43 and SGM guns could be mounted on the universal wheeled mount, designed by the Degtyarev. This mount allowed for both ground and anti-aircraft roles. Early mounts were equipped by the steel shield, but it was latter omitted due to marginal protection and heavy weight. SGM machine guns also could be seen on the more modern tripod mountings.