PKP Pecheneg

PKP Pecheneg
PKP Pecheneg with its bipod deployed
TypeGeneral purpose machine gun
Medium machine gun
Place of originRussia
Service history
In service2001–present[1]
Used bySee Users
WarsSecond Chechen War
Russo-Georgian War
Syrian Civil War[2]
War in Iraq (2013-17)[2]
Russo-Ukrainian War
Production history
DesignerMikhail Kalashnikov
Designed1995
ManufacturerTsNIITochMash, Degtyaryov Plant
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass8.2 kg (18 lb) without a bipod[3]
8.7 kg (19 lb) with a bipod
12.7 kg (28 lb) with an infantry tripod mount[4]
Length1,200 mm (47 in)
Barrel length658 mm (25.9 in)[4]
Cartridge7.62×54mmR[4]
ActionGas-operated[4]
Rate of fire600–800 rounds/min[5]
Muzzle velocity900 m/s (2,953 ft/s)[6]
Effective firing range1,500 m (0.93 mi)[7]
Maximum firing range6,000 m (6,600 yd)
Feed systemBelt feed: 100-, 200-, 250-round, non-disintegrating links[6]

The PKP Pecheneg (Russian: Pulemyot Kalashnikova Pekhotny "Печенег"), GRAU index: 6P41,[8][9] is a Russian 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun,[4] developed as a further modification of the PKM machine gun.[10] The Pecheneg designation refers to the Pecheneg people, a warlike tribe of Turkic origin who lived in what later became the steppes of southern Russia and Ukraine.

The PKP Pecheneg is currently in use by the Russian Army and Spetsnaz units in significant numbers. Even though the PKP Pecheneg was developed mainly for infantry use, it also has been fitted to several light armoured vehicles.[10]

Design details

The PKP Pecheneg is said to be more accurate than the PK/PKM due to a heavier, removable, partially forced-air-cooled barrel with radial cooling ribs and a handle which eliminates the haze effect from hot gases and keeps the barrel cooler, making the machine gun more reliable.[11] Furthermore, the PKP Pecheneg is capable of mounting a telescopic sight or other optical sights by the use of a dovetail rail mount, which increases its accuracy and effective range. In general, the PKP Pecheneg retained up to 80% parts commonality with the PKM.

According to the manufacturer, the PKP Pecheneg can fire 600 rounds in rapid fire without damaging the barrel. During prolonged combat engagement, it can safely fire up to 1,000 rounds of ammunition per hour without degrading its combat effectiveness and reducing barrel life.

A steel jacket encloses the barrel from the front of the trunnion to the muzzle. Middle part of the barrel, from the front of the trunnion, to the gas block has transverse grooves to increase the surface area for better cooling. There are oval holes on the jacket in the ribbed section of the barrel for access of air.

From the gas block to the muzzle there are 4 longitudinal grooves cut in the barrel. They are covered by the jacket. The grooves connect 4 holes in the gas block and 4 holes on the front end of the muzzle device. Low pressure created at the front of the jacket during firing draws cool air through the grooves, cooling the front part of the barrel, similarly to the Lewis machine gun.

Constant forced cooling of the front part of the barrel reduces dispersion when firing, and also increases the durability of the barrel. The service life of the barrel is estimated at 25,000 to 30,000 rounds.

Variants

  • PKP Pecheneg-N (GRAU index: 6P41N) – similar to the PKP Pecheneg but features a side mounting rail for night vision sights.
  • Pecheneg-SP (GRAU index: 6P69) – an improved variant and a further modernisation of the PKP Pecheneg that uses a titanium material for its construction. The "SP" stands for special forces machine gun. It features a redesigned barrel and comes in two different lengths (standard and shortened configurations). It is also capable of mounting a suppressor to minimise noise and flash signature. Additional features such as a Picatinny rail for mounting various optical sights, such as the 1P89-3 unified optical sight, a telescopic folding stock, which makes it 30 mm (3 cm) shorter compared to the Kalashnikov rifles when folded, and an optional vertical foregrip for easier recoil management, which was requested by the Russian military.[12] Its serial production started in February 2017.[13]
  • Pecheneg Bullpup – a prototype bullpup conversion of the PKP Pecheneg that was developed by the Degtyarev plant.[14][15]
  • STrL-P – Vietnamese unlicensed copy of the PKP Pecheneg, made by Z111 Factory.[16]

Users

References

  1. ^ "Эхо Москвы :: Новости / Россия приступила к серийному производству нового пулемета 'Печенег'". Эхо Москвы. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  2. ^ a b "British Accuracy International AW sniper rifle in Syria – Armament Research Services". armamentresearch.com. 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Open Joint Stock Company "V.A.Degtyarev Plant" / 7.62mm 6P41 Pecheneg machine gun". www.zid.ru. Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e Popenker, Max R."PKP Pecheneg machine gun Archived 22 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Open Joint Stock Company "V.A.Degtyarev Plant" / 7.62mm 6P41 Pecheneg machine gun". Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  6. ^ a b "7.62mm Pecheneg Machine Gun ", warfare.ru, Retrieved 2010-04-05
  7. ^ "7.62-mm "Petcheneg" Machine Gun Archived 17 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine", TsNIITochMash, Retrieved 2010-04-05
  8. ^ Lawrence, Erik (13 March 2015). Practical Guide to the Operational Use of the PK/PKM Machine Gun. Erik Lawrence Publications. ISBN 9781941998212. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Bonds, Ray; Miller, David (13 February 2003). Illustrated Directory of Special Forces. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9780760314197. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b "Pecheneg | Weaponsystems.net". weaponsystems.net. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  11. ^ "Modern Firearms". 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  12. ^ Schooler, Lynndon (20 February 2025). "The Russian 6P69 PKP-SP Special Forces Machine Gun". thefirearmblog.com. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Самый секретный пулемет России- глубокая модернизация пулемета "Печенег" | Еженедельник "Военно-промышленный курьер"". vpk-news.ru. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017.
  14. ^ "BREAKING: Pecheneg PKP BULLPUP Machine Gun -". The Firearm Blog. 23 September 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  15. ^ "PKP tuning from "Zenit" (with photos)". Retrieved 27 November 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ^ Schooler, Lynndon (3 September 2025). "TFB Exclusive: Vietnam's PKP Pecheneg - The New STrL-P Machine Gun". TheFirearmBlog.com. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  17. ^ "YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 9 June 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  18. ^ "ОДКБ планирует укрепиться мощной авиационной группировкой". 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 25 April 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  19. ^ Defence Web (June 2016). "Namibia receives Russian small arms". defenceweb.co.za. defenceweb. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  20. ^ Gao, Charlie (31 January 2020). "Pecheneg-SP: Russia's Insanely Deadly Machine Gun?". The National Interest. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  21. ^ "Syrian army general's weapons request". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  22. ^ Oryx (17 August 2015). "Oryx Blog: From Russia with Love, Syria's PKP Pechenegs". Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  23. ^ Tiwari, Sakshi (10 March 2022). "Ukraine's 'Trophy Hunters': Images Of Top Officials With 'Seized' Russian AK-12 Assault Rifles Take Internet By Storm". Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  24. ^ "Small Arms of the War In Ukraine". 23 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pecheneg machine gun.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pecheneg-SP.
External videos
Video of Pecheneg Bullpup being fired

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