Tag: Polymer PK Belt

Russian Company Develops Polymer PK Belts

In previous videos we’ve looked at Ukrainian efforts to manufacture polymer belts for PK-pattern general purpose machine guns. These were developed by Ukrainian company RAROG who has been selling them since the summer of 2022. Now PUFGUN, a Russian company has also developed a polymer PK belt.

Traditionally, the 7.62x54mmR belts used by the PK series of guns have been made from metal and are non-disintegrating, meaning they remain linked together after they’ve been used, while NATO machine guns tend to use disintegrating belts that fall apart once the rounds held in them have been fired.

On 3 September, PUFGUN announced the introduction of the new disintegrating belts, explaining some of their features:

“The tape is made of high-strength polymer – a light and durable material. 3 times lighter than metal analogues. The total weight of the package for 100 links is 220g
Due to the physical properties of the polymer, the loading of the PUFGUN loose belt is carried out faster than that of a metal belt.
Maintains functionality in temperature conditions from -40C to +70C.
Not subject to corrosion, does not require special conditions for long-term storage.”

Packs of 100 links are being sold for 548 Rubles or $5.75 on PUFGUN’s website.

PUFGUN shared a pair of photos, on 10 September, comparing the weight of a loaded traditional metal belt with one of their non-disintegrating belts, with the metal belt weighing 2.8kgs while the polymer belt weighed in at 2.37kgs. In the caption they claim that the photos were taken by Russian special forces unit Grom. OSN “Thunder”, who they state has been testing the belts since late August. The post claims Grom’s first impression was ‘quite good’. The post on PUFGUN’s telegram has since been deleted.

On 14 September a video showcasing the belts was posted by Mikha Mikhalych, a Russian gun content-creator, reviewing the belts. In the video two types of belt are featured; the disintegrating belt and a non-disintegrating one. The video also features a polymer belt box developed by PUFGUN, which is said to weigh around 150g. Combining the box with the polymer belts appears to be a meaningful push towards reducing the weight of the PK’s ammunition carriage system.

On 26 September, PUFGUN announced the non-disintegrating polymer belts on their social media. These belts share the same technical specifications as the disintegrating belts but notable are made from a clear plastic rather than a black plastic. While these have previously appeared in the earlier video they are not, at the time of publication, available for purchase on the company’s site. It appears that the links will be sold in packs of 100, with a starter tab and four disintegrating connector links which allows 25-round belts to be linked together.

On 9 October, PUFGUN shared a short clip showing their non-disintegrating belt being loaded by an Rakov belt-filling machine. This video was made in collaboration with ‘Granit’, a Russian living history group which appears to have links to the Russian military. Granit also shared their own longer video showing the belts being used in a variety of old and new Russian machine guns ranging from a vintage SG-43 to the latest PK variant the 6P41M.

Much like the Ukrainian KS-122 polymer belts from RAROG, the PUFGUN belts do significantly reduce the weight on the gun itself and more broadly for transporting ready ammunition. PUFGUN have sought to address the need for both disintegrating belts, useful for troops on the move that don’t want to be encumbered by trailing empty belts, while the non-disintegrating belts are more easily reloaded and better suited to use in vehicles or static positions. It’s interesting to see both sides commercially developing polymer belts to address a perceived need shared by both sides.

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RARGOG Polymer Belts

Back in July we looked at polymer belt links developed for PK series machine guns made by a Ukrainian company, the Kharkiv Plant of Personal Protective Equipment – who trade under the name RAROG. Development of the links began back in 2015, and since the Russian invasion in February production of the links has increased.

Unlike the classic metal 7.62×54mmR belts, the new polymer belts are disintegrating – meaning once the round held in the belt link is fired and the next round is loaded it falls out of the gun just as with NATO standard disintegrating belts. This has the advantage of there are no longer being a long empty section of belt trailing from the gun.

A PK with RAROG’s polymer belt links at the range (RAROG)

One question that was regularly asked in the comments of the first video was – can the links not be made from a biodegradable material?  

Speaking RAROG they made it clear that there is currently no possibility of using biodegradable materials to make the belt links as they would not be strong enough for them to work properly. Unsurprisingly, the reality of the situation means a reliable, durable product that won’t fail, with dire consequences, during a firefight is a much more important consideration.

Polymer belt links and fabric belt box (RAROG)

The company relocated from Kharkiv to Lviv following the invasion but quickly re-established manufacturing and tell me that on average 100,000 links are shipping per month, although they have the capacity to produce far more. They are often shipping with their fabric belt bags. The bags and links are largely privately purchased by Ukrainian combatants.

7/2/24 – Update: An 3 OSHBr PK was seen in the field with RAROG links.

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Bibliography

Thanks to Anton at RAROG for sharing some information and these videos with us. 

RAROG’s Polymer Belt Links, RAROG, (source)

RAROG’s Fabric Belt Bad, RAROG, (source)

Ukraine’s Polymer Machine Gun Belts

Ukraine’s Plastic Machine Gun Belts

A Ukrainian company, the Kharkiv Plant of Individual Means of Protection (HZISZ), which operates under a number of trade names including RAROG, have developed disintegrating plastic machine gun links for various Soviet/Russian-pattern 7.62x54mmR chambered belt-fed machine guns. The ‘KS-122 Machine Gun Tape’ can be used in PK, PKM, and PKT pattern guns as well as the older Goryunov-pattern machine guns, the SG-43 and SGM.

‘Plastic machine gun tape’ demonstrated from a container of dry ice (HZISZ/RAROG)

Development of the links reportedly began back in 2015. According to Maksym Plekhov, the company’s deputy director, the links were originally developed following feedback received during RAROG’s development of their ‘Predator’ PK Machine gun ammunition backpack system.

Between 2015 and 2017 the company refined the design but did not go into large-scale production of the links. In a 2017 promotional video for the links RAROG state that they tested over 200 types of plastic and made 26 design changes during development. The links are made by injection moulding with a material based on polycarbonate. The initial videos and photographs of the links being tested and demonstrated show them as translucent but RAROG have confirmed that the final colour of the production links will be black.

In February 2021, the company shared a new video showing a demonstration of the links at a wintery outdoor range to showcase their cold-weather performance. Over the last couple of weeks RAROGhave begun posting about the links on their social media again, sharing new videos of them being tested at the range and announcing that sample bags of the links have been sent to Ukrainian troops.

RAROG confirmed that the links had been placed on the back burner for a time while the company focused on other projects, noting that the company has supplied their other products to “the armed forces and the National Guard of Ukraine, as well as NATO special forces, for example, the special operations forces of Bulgaria.”

A month ago the company announced that they had shipped pre-production sample batches with some of their PK belt box pouches to allow troops in the field to provide feedback, noting that “serial production without performance statistics cannot be started.”

‘Plastic machine gun tape’ being tested, seen here are translucent links (HZISZ/RAROG)

Unlike the classic metal 7.62×54mmR belts, the new polymer belts are disintegrating – meaning once the round held in the belt link is fired and the next round is loaded it falls out of the gun just as with NATO standard disintegrating belts. While this means the links are difficult to collect and reuse when in the field, it has the benefit of not having the empty portion of the belt dangling from the gun.

While the links are marketed as disposable, the company claims that in trials they have been reused as many as 10 times without issues. The links are shipped in packs of 1000. RAROG list the links at 4,900 Ukrainian Hryvnia or $165.

RAROG’s website states that the “Plastic machine gun tape is already on sale” and has been “tested in battle” with the product listing stating that: “Since 2017, a large batch of tape has undergone battle tests to identify possible problems during its use in difficult exploitation conditions. Recently, the Kharkiv plant of personal protective equipment has resumed the issue of the improved tape.”

‘Plastic machine gun tape’ – black and grey polymer links (HZISZ/RAROG)

RAROG state the plastic link belts to be three times lighter than metal link belts, with a 250-round belt with polymer links weighing 0.5kg (1.1lbs) instead of 1.5kg (3.3lbs). They also emphasise that the polymer links are also not susceptible to corrosion. RAROG’s product listing for links also notes that they are ‘significantly cheaper in production’. As demonstrated in the videos featuring dry ice, the links are said to be resistant in temperatures ranging from -70°C up to +120°C [-94F to 248F] – details on the exact polymer used to make the links hasn’t been shared.

RAROG confirmed that a large batch is currently in production. While we haven’t seen the links in photos and videos from the field yet with them going into larger production they might appear in the future.

 

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