Degtyarev KPV-14.5 (Krupnokaliberniy Pulemyot Vladimirova)

Degtyarev KPV-14. 5 (Krupnokaliberniy Pulemyot Vladimirova) History

In the post-World War II period, the Soviet army entered a period of massive modernization and re-equipment, which included the introduction of a new system of large-caliber machine guns - "KPV-14.5" (KPV = "Krupnokaliberniy Pulemyot Vladimirova"). In development since 1944, it is loaded with the same large 14.5x114mm cartridge as the wartime Simonov PTRS and Degtyaryov PTRD Anti-Tank Rifle (ATR).

Since its inception in 1949, KPVs have been used as vehicle/coaxial machine guns, specialized anti-aircraft (AA) machine guns, and naval/ship machine guns.

The KPV has a cylindrical receiver with a perforated jacket on the barrel (for air cooling) and a conical flash suppressor attached to the muzzle. The entire gun weighs 108 pounds, is 78 inches long, and the barrel assembly is 53 inches long. Internally, the action has short recoil and is fed through a 40-round belt. Simplicity is key inside the gun, which can be easily cleaned, repaired and replaced with little formal training. The barrel is chrome-lined for durability and quick replacement when hot.

Aiming is via standard iron fittings, but the weapon supports optics for long-range precision fire.

The 14.5 rounds exit the barrel at 3,300 feet per second and have a range of up to 4,000 yards (3,000 yards effective). The rate of fire is 600 rounds per minute.

The KPV supports three types of bullets: The B-32 bullet is an armor-piercing (AP) incendiary round with a tungsten core that can be used to penetrate the armor of modern light vehicles. Similar to the BZT cartridge but with a steel core, the MDZ cartridge is a general purpose high-explosive (HE) incendiary cartridge.

For decades, KPV has had a reputation for simplicity, reliability and durability, so much so that it has been adopted by a wide range of countries - from Afghanistan and Albania to Vietnam and Zimbabwe. It has seen combat operations in modern wars from the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975) to the Libyan Civil War (2011) and the Syrian Civil War (2011-present).

This range has been producing this gun since 1949.

"KPVT" is a vehicle version derived from the KPV design for trainable (trunnion mounted) and coaxial weapon mounts on tanks and armoured fighting vehicles (AFV). Changes to the weapon included a stronger barrel jacket and a shortened length receiver, but the weapon's basic efficient and lethal features remained.

This form is also powered by a 50-round conveyor belt.

The KPV machine gun is also featured on the ZPU series of towed air defense systems (ZPU-1, ZPU-2 and ZPU-4). The ZPU-1 was a single-gun system, while the ZPU-2 and ZPU-4 used two and four guns, respectively, and these products were also widely used by countries and peoples allied to the Soviet Union.

Despite its Cold War origins, the KPV series of heavy machine guns are still in service around the world - a testament to their excellent design. Modern Russian militaries rely on this type, as do many foreign militaries, security forces, and insurgent groups.

The machine gun model produced in China is 75-1.

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