The Secret PU-21 Machine Gun: It Killed the RPK (but the Russians Said "Nyet")

Рет қаралды 98,174

10 ай бұрын

📃 Today the Russians have the Kalashnikov PK machine gun and the RPK light machine gun. But have you ever seen this weapon?! Let me introduce to you the Soviet PU-21, a machine gun that the USSR began to invent as part of the next-gene weapons project. This machine gun was far better than the RPK, but it was... just forgotten?! What is the PU-21 machine gun capable of and where is it now?
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#pu21 #kalashnikov #machinegun #sovietarmy #militaryhistory #rpk74 #spetsnaz

Пікірлер: 126

@pendantblade6361 10 ай бұрын

They should have painted the whole box a bakelite orange.

@Yeeoldman63 10 ай бұрын

Yeah

@citadelchase8858 9 ай бұрын

Lolll

@Russinh0 9 ай бұрын

Baquelite is Naturally Orange, if you paint it will broke the quimic and will cause Cracks

@fluffthesergal7640 9 ай бұрын

I want a Lada or a Yugo in Bakelite-Orange paint.

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

😂

@spookyengie735 9 ай бұрын

As a PAVN armorer (Vietnamese small arms repairman), i can see partly why the PU series got dropped in favour of keeping the RPK. Here a fews pointer from my point of view: - the PU series is typically heavier than a RPK, being a belt feed it also have more expose part which lead to higher chance of getting mud and debris into the gun. - Due to it having 2 feed system, the PU sacrifice some ergonomic that the RPK have, the PU look like a semi uncomfortable MG to lug around. - It have a similar problem with feeding one of the two system like M249, M249 albeit a reliable belt fed machine gun, feed horrendously with the AR magazine. In the case of the PU, both the PU-1 and PU-2 have different focus on which feeding system should it primary, leaving the other vastly less reliable. The PU-21 attempt to fix this and remain somewhat of a compromise between the 1 and 2, however it still having trouble feeding. - In term of maintenance which is my expertise, the PU system is gonna be a nightmare to clean if mud get into the system, unlike an AK, PU belt fed system mix with a AK mag adaptor leave alot of small crevices that can jam up the mechanism if dirt and mud get into it, washing it with water doesn't alway fix the issue since without enough water pressure, alot of this dirt will get stuck on in this tight spaces and lead to further corrosive damage from the rust it will developed. - Lastly it familiarity, you can train a soldier using a RPK the same as everyone in the squad, it reduce complexity in training and lead to a more cohesive squad.

@AcceptableAsGenerallyDecent 8 ай бұрын

yeahh to be honest you will basically NEVER see an american soldier using their m249 with a magazine since the massive military budget can afford to supply them with belts anyway

@JeanLucCaptain 7 ай бұрын

Ya, it’s always difficult to create a “Swiss army knife” that does everything without some serious compromises.

@mark009vn 3 ай бұрын

kind of sounds like they were trying to go back to the rpd concept, thought that they could make it practical if it could accept box magazine, only to forget about the 20 other problems that doomed the rpd in the first place.

@vudonghai2665 2 ай бұрын

May I know your Facebook account? I would like to discuss with you about this. Thanks.

@Klovaneer 9 ай бұрын

PKM is what killed PU-21 (which is basically soviet M249) as there is no reason for a heavier assault rifle when you have a GPMG light enough for squad level. Same reason you don't see many RPK-74 around - they are simply redundant. No problems with ammo logistics since SVD is already there, might as well accept that intermediate caliber is not in fact the answer to all questions - something americans learned in afganistan being pissed on from the mountains and frantically taking M14 out of storage.

@chryon315 23 күн бұрын

isn't the 240 Bravo a more accurate counterpart since they both fire full-power cartridges?

@user-xc6wd3hb4s 9 ай бұрын

As soon as I saw this belt/magazine machine gun, I immediately thought of the M249. I worked as a small arms repairer, so I am familiar with the mechanisms. If the USSR wanted more firepower for the light MG, why didn't they go back to the RPD? The RPK is really just an AKM with a longer barrel and a bipod. I had a chance to fire the PKM while at Fort Irwin (along with the RPG), and I thought if compared favorably with the M60. Very interesting video. Lots of info that I didn't know. Thanks.

@casperarms 9 ай бұрын

It's always nice to see experts and practitioners in your comments. Thank you!)

@thedesignerblacksmith5953 9 ай бұрын

It's actually a lot more complicated but one thing that can be tell for sure is RPD is about the same weight as PKM. As I heard, there was some thought on using the PKM in squad level. This is not new, but maybe to today standard of LMG and what you heard from "300 meters is enough", you might think it's not worthy, it's overkill. If you remember a little bit, the German, they use MG34 and MG42 in squad level, right? The M60 is also intended to go in pair with M14. Later, it's still used in squad level with the M16. When I talked about this years ago, they thought I was wrong, but now you can see the information on Wiki, and it's not even my edit. After all, if it's far from the day of "1 barrel, no replacement", "200-300 rounds, no more" in RPD, RPK, and even the Bren gun (pls watch Jonathan Ferguson talks about the Bren gun, and the comment section about vet talk)

@ignacio3890 8 ай бұрын

Why he goes for the pkm instead

@mixtapeWA 10 ай бұрын

nice video man! i never knew about this project. i always wondered why the Soviets/Russians had never developed a weapon that employed the same concept as the MINIMI but turns out they did it first lol.

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for your feedback, I am very pleased to realize that my releases can really be useful and interesting to people!)

@danielescobar7618 9 ай бұрын

Would you be pleased to learn that the m9 bayonet (marine and special forces issue) features are directly copied from the akm bayonet? The lug on the scabbard that turns it into a barb wire scissor, the root saw/serration style, blade shape, and whetstone pocket were all fieldcraft and survival features the soviet army developed.

@casperarms 9 ай бұрын

@@danielescobar7618 Wow, really? It is very interesting. I had to deal with the original 6X4 bayonet, during my service many years ago, but I could not even think that the M-9 was based on the achievements of the Soviet bayonet

@danielescobar7618 9 ай бұрын

@@casperarms what is a 6x4? Country of origin? Have to know now!

@casperarms 9 ай бұрын

@@danielescobar7618 This is a bayonet, which in the Soviet / Russian army has an index of 6x4. I had it during my studies at the Military Academy in Russia. It was many years ago, when I still did not understand where it was all going..

@hoppinggnomethe4154 9 ай бұрын

Damn, this and the FN Minimi were developed at the same time

@thedesignerblacksmith5953 9 ай бұрын

@sonhuynh106 9 ай бұрын

I think it's more about a logistics problem, using a 7.62x54R PKM while others use 7.62x39 isn't always a good idea. It's still common to see different types of ammo in a single squad but there are usually a vehicle nearby which uses the same type of ammo (BTR, BMD, BMP...), there for it can carries spare ammo.

@-John-Doe- 9 ай бұрын

The PKM is a GPMG. The RPD was a mistake. The Soviets intended to use 7.62x39 for _everything_ - their general service rifle, _SKS,_ their ‘machine Pistol’ _AK,_ and their belt fed machinegun, _RPD._ They followed the Americans who stuck with a full power rifle cartridge, 7.62x51, and reintroduced 7.62x54r in the PKM. The PKM is not exactly designed to be fired offhand like an M60, from its left hand ejection to its balance and layout. ____________ The M60 and M249 SAW are much different than the M240 or PKM. The M60 is a semi-bullpup design inspired by the FG42, which makes it extremely handy and easy to fire offhand. The M249 SAW is a light machinegun, and again much handier than the M240 medium machinegun, with the ability to be mag fed. _______________ Ironically, the Americans shifted to the box-fed M27 IAR, like the RPK _(or even Browning BAR)_

@thedesignerblacksmith5953 9 ай бұрын

@@-John-Doe- Huh, I don't quite understand the point but okay I'm looking for future M250, MG338 and RPL-20 anyway

@jjjr.1186 4 ай бұрын

@@-John-Doe- the m27 didn't replace belt feed machine guns. It was just a replacement for the m16. But better and more accurate. But it wasn't used as they intended/claimed.

@SSN515 10 ай бұрын

Great presentation. Filled in some blanks on my weapons training.

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

Thank you)

@fuze3107 10 ай бұрын

Is tokar 2 based on AEK-971 or it's varients (A-545, 6P67 Kord) like how RPK was based on AK or is it just happen to be manufactured in ZID (degtarev company)

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

The KORD-5.45 machine gun has nothing to do with AEK-971 and A-545, it is simply produced by ZID. In general, it is worth understanding that the Degtyarev Plant is "Kalashnikov 2.0", only they are not trying to make such clumsy weapons that even a savage from the Stone Age could use)

@Drillz007 9 ай бұрын

I would love to see an SPU device magazine functioning its such a unique solution to the problem i have looked all over the internet and never found anything more than a few photos and its a shame

@FedotDaNeTod 10 ай бұрын

Yeah, that's typical generals - let's save some state's money, to steal more of it later.

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

I would also add that one of the main mottos was "Don't touch anything, don't change anything". [Slowly falling asleep like Brezhnev] 😅😅

@fennydaud6652 10 ай бұрын

I never know this gun even excis thk you for making this vid keep it up❤(sorry for bad english)

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

Thank you very much for your words!) I am not a native English speaker myself)

@nectarromeokilo4509 10 ай бұрын

as always , information that you can't find easily in the internet , great video , thanks for you.

@joe125ful 9 ай бұрын

Its looks great also i never heard about that gun before.

@ivankrylov6270 9 ай бұрын

The red army could have had something really great going had they updated the rpd, and invested in proper optics for the rpk/d

@Klovaneer 9 ай бұрын

RPD is unupdateable - it's a tilting bolt in a machined receiver providing marginally more firepower than standard issue AKs for GPMG weight. Basically reverse SKS redundancy situation, but they were great for jungle clearing.

@ivankrylov6270 9 ай бұрын

@@Klovaneer 1. RPD is flapper lock like all of big D's designs. 2. It only weighs about 16 lbs empty where a pk/m is over 20 3. Intermediate rounds are still lighter than rifle rounds which means more ammo/less fatigue for the gunner

@Klovaneer 9 ай бұрын

@@ivankrylov6270 1. I did mess up the locking but that's even bulkier than a tilter like SKS 2. in soviet russia everything is metric - RPD is 6.6 kg and PKM is 7.5 empty, which is negligible when you take into the account that: 3. out of 9 people in a mechanized/motorized infantry squad at least 5 of them have AKs that fire the same round with virtually the same practical rate of fire as RPD/K, only lacking bipods but gaining UGL capacity. The other 4 fighters are 2 vehicle operators that should stick to their big toys really, a marksman (SVD) and a machine gunner that has the task of providing *overwhelming* firepower and not just marginally better area denial at the same range as the riflemen. If it was indeed a question of not having enough rifles that russians have to sport actual AK-74 (with wooden furniture) as CNN would like us to believe you'd see at least RPK-74M (that were still around for second chechnya) in the field now, which we don't.

@ivankrylov6270 9 ай бұрын

@@Klovaneer none of that proves your original point though. A kilo is around 2lbs which is not a negligible weight. And makes the gun much more mobile and maneuverable. On top of that the rate of fire from a rifle basically means nothing if the burst can't put enough rounds on target which a belt fed with a bipod will do. And the existence of the pkm is not mutually exclusive with the rpd they have different characteristics. All I'm saying is that the rpd needed a weight loss program, an optics rail and modern attachment setup. And everyone is running the RPK in Ukraine and Russian Mod just signed a contract for the RPK -16 based on the ak-12

@Klovaneer 9 ай бұрын

@@ivankrylov6270 AKM being much more mobile than RPD twice the weight was my entire argument. Then why doesn't every automatic weapon come with bipods if they are apparently useless without? RPD is a WW2 design that was viable only due to intermediate cartridge - if you were to scale it for a rifle round it would weigh as much as FN MAG. And if you scale an AKM you literally get PK. Speaking of FN MAG, americans are very hard at work to make it lighter and so far the only solutions were shortening the barrel, gimping the buttstock and milling the receiver out of titanium. Russian MoD is signing lots of things, like indeed the AK-12 which is universally hated by combat troops.

@Procket12 Ай бұрын

I wouldn't be surprised if the PU-21 had some inspiration from the Johnson Light Machinegun.

@imadequate3376 7 ай бұрын

The M249 SAW (FN Mini) has the same capability (not sure if its a factory standard or installed aftermarket wise or by request) but if you run out of ammo you can feed a normal M4/M16 STANAG mag into it and continue shooting. From my understanding its for a "oh s**t moment" when you expend all your ammo and you gotta take mags off team memebers

@JeanLucCaptain 7 ай бұрын

So this was LITERALLY the AK version of the FN Minimi which has a very similar belt or magazine feed

@thegreenfaction 9 ай бұрын

Kord 545? Honestly was wondering what happened to the RPL-20 it seems like vaporware

@casperarms 9 ай бұрын

Do you remember what happened to robots in the first parts of Iron Man? "They are ready for a presentation, but not for a demonstration." This is what has been happening with the RPL-20 for several years now, and it will not change in any way

@royjaber571 10 ай бұрын

The saw before it became cool

@BungSpoot 9 ай бұрын

Its beautiful

@chrismair8161 10 ай бұрын

Oh Gee. A 7.62mm round built around a gun that can chew a tree in half but is an accurate to hit barn door at 500 yards.

@Astrawboy_NameAlreadyInUse Ай бұрын

Cool

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

Good thing they realized that this sort of weapon system is obsolete; Look at the countries that're replacing the FN MINIMI; The modern Russian army, British army & Germanic countries use their GPMG as LMGs in the bipod configuration.

@trashcompactorYT 9 ай бұрын

Well it consisted of more than some cut wood and 4 pieces of stamped sheet metal so I can see why they said no lol

@matthewlewis-zw3tf 3 ай бұрын

Russia already has a RPK-74 replacement. This is misleading.

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

RPK & RPK-74 are classified as a 'squad automatic-rifle'; The light machine gun was the RPD & in modern times the PKM general purpose-machine gun in the bipod LMG configuration.

@casperarms 8 ай бұрын

The RPK machine gun replaced the RPD machine gun, so it performed the same functions. I have never seen or heard that the RPK was called a squad automatic rifle)

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

@@casperarms To be honest, the RPD wasn't a true LMG either; Both of the weapons mentioned i.e. the RPK & RPD are more equivalent to a Squad Automatic-Rifle. Why is that? Because, they're not meant for true sustained fire; For example:- They lack a quick change barrel. Of course, that's why they got rid of the belt-fed RPD, because the RPK can be even lighter but have a heavier barrel; This means that they can use this gun for targeting enemy weapon system teams when it needs to. Of course, there is no concrete classification for weapon systems. If you use it like an LMG instead, it can do an okay job; Not as effective as let's say the BREN LMG, but still okay.

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

@@casperarms And the fact that the eastern-bloc countries as-well-as the British army & Germanic / Scandinavian countries use GPMGs like PKM, FN MAG & MG42 type machine guns in the role of LMGs using bipods in the modern era, is enough evidence to support my assessment.

@casperarms 8 ай бұрын

@@walangchahangyelingden8252 But this is literally not the case) M-249, L-110 and MG-4 are used as LMG (if, for example, we are talking about Germans, Americans and Britons)

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

@@casperarms The M249 & L110 have been dropped from service; Why? Because they were trying to use a light machine-gun (FN Minimi) as a squad automatic-rifle, it wasn't fit for the role because it just wasn't a squad automatic-rifle. Now, the British use the GPMG (FN MAG) as a LMG; Just like the eastern-bloc uses the PKM. While the Americans use the M27 IAR, like the eastern-bloc uses the RPK. As for the Germans, I have no clue what they're doing.

@sionsoschwalts2762 10 ай бұрын

The FG42 we have at home

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

😂 More like the Soviet FN MINIMI; Equally as useless.

@sionsoschwalts2762 8 ай бұрын

@@walangchahangyelingden8252 I was mostly going off that this is Magazine fed and the magazine is mounted on the side

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

@@sionsoschwalts2762 Yes, indeed just as complex as the FG42 without any of the benefits. 😂

@sionsoschwalts2762 8 ай бұрын

@@walangchahangyelingden8252 100% true, might have more use if they added the balanced recoil system from the AK107

@nolo1337 9 ай бұрын

the ak47 came first then the akm one went from being milled to being stamped the 47 was milled the akm stamped the akm replaced the 47

@alexxu3004 9 ай бұрын

compairing a 7.62x39 lmg to a 7.62x54r mmg for weight and saying a 13lb lmg is"not that heavy" compairing to its 10.7lb predecessor, seriously dude 2.3lb is the weight of 60 rounds of ammo that sldier could carry on his chest

@Jack-uv2wh 10 ай бұрын

yup banger

@Jewclaw 7 ай бұрын

Did he have a stroke??? Gah one pet peeve I have is when people can’t enunciate or talk with an over exuberance. He can obviously pronounce words as we see in the interview. Otherwise he jumbles whole sentences together. It’s so counterintuitive, it’s a finance channel, we’re here for the information! And the host turns entire sentences into “gahblabsjsjemsms” How much longer until the whole show is “gahdshsjjskajabsj” You would think

@wongarnold2879 7 ай бұрын

The pkm weights less than a m249, why use this when the pkm does everything better.

@Corrupt66668 10 ай бұрын

Jean Claude Van Damm

@prettyformality137 10 ай бұрын

RPL-20 is also in contenders no?

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

RPL-20 is a very crude thing that has joined the list of "new products" that have been dragged for more than 5 years to each presentation

@chrismair8161 10 ай бұрын

The reason is the amount of Stock Piles.

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

Then how did the AK-74 appear? There were already millions of AKM rifles in warehouses

@Apoc_Bone_Daddy 10 ай бұрын

I want it

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

We all want it, my friend)

@LaughingMan44 9 ай бұрын

It wasn't a "secret", it was just a failed, obscure prototype

@Russinh0 9 ай бұрын

So they Beltfeed their AK?

@casperarms 9 ай бұрын

Yep)

@demolishermusic 9 ай бұрын

1:56 S L I D E

@odanewilson 6 ай бұрын

I need 900000000000 of tjose to buy ok

@user-cg7zw3nh8r 3 ай бұрын

The minimi/m249 did the same and the mag feeding system is shit 😂

@Corrupt66668 10 ай бұрын

Ask Rambo

@Corrupt66668 10 ай бұрын

Not much secret

@jdub7540 10 ай бұрын

What kind of accent is this?

@kutter_ttl6786 10 ай бұрын

Clearly he's an American that bleeds red, white, and blue.

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

Russian. Apparently, before they have time to blame me for all the things that have happened, I have to say. I think Russia, America, France, Canada, Germany, and all European countries as one big family. For me, this is one house, because we are one European Civilization. We have the same everything - from the way of thinking and philosophy to technology, electronics and art. Our coat of arms with a double-headed eagle is what we once took from the Holy Roman Empire. And I dream of living up to the moment when my country returns to the family

@biggerdickus 9 ай бұрын

@@casperarms There is no "European" civilization. You wouldn't call African or Asian civilizations in that way. Let them be different, homogeneous society is creatively defunct.

@LobertERee 9 ай бұрын

@@casperarms It's all prodigal sons over here.

@DurDomlya 8 ай бұрын

Вообще акцента нет , и не спорьте даже , англичанец и комментирует и озвучивает ....

@Ivan-te5rv 9 ай бұрын

ah ah ah... you know nothing about weapons other than the things you got in Wikipedia.

@Corrupt66668 10 ай бұрын

Even Nina Kravis send me picture of this one the other day

@herurichmond8661 10 ай бұрын

First

@doombringer3498 9 ай бұрын

"TXingg" instead of thing. When u trying to speak human language and struggling hard.

@MadCerCells 2 ай бұрын

sex

@Corrupt66668 10 ай бұрын

Even Oprah owns one this

@thetraveller9485 9 ай бұрын

soviet enginering in 2023

@chrismair8161 10 ай бұрын

A NATO 5.56 can hit at a longer range..

@ljubomirculibrk4097 9 ай бұрын

Realy, whole 50 meters more... Back to school kid. And if you dont belive AK is acurate tell to those that where targets at 400m, they are easy to find, all are in cemeteries all ower the world...

@tdfmtig 9 ай бұрын

The 5.45 has better ballistics at long range supposedly

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

@@tdfmtig If I remember correctly, it's because wind drift doesn't affect 5.45's trajectory as much as it affects the NATO 5.56.

@nunopereira265 9 ай бұрын

First of all the ak74 was not creates in the Soviet Union but yes in a country of the Warsaw pact that was the German Democratic Republic, Russia might use it as standard rifle but it was never born in Russian land

@casperarms 9 ай бұрын

Em.. what nonsense. East German versions of the AK-74 under the designation MPi AK-74N began to be produced in the GDR under the license of the USSR from the late 70s to the 90s

@walangchahangyelingden8252 8 ай бұрын

No, not true; The only country that can boast of a unique & equally good design like the AK is the country of Czechoslovakia; Yes, I'm talking about the vz. 58 Asaault-rifle.

@Corrupt66668 10 ай бұрын

Russia using this one against Ukraine

@casperarms 10 ай бұрын

Nope)