SG-43 Goryunov

Lore & Background

The SG-43 was developed as the GVG from February 1940 to November 1942, originally intended to be fired from either a magazine or belt-fed, but the magazine feeding was dropped in spring 1942. After field trials on the frontline, it was adopted as the M1943 Goryunov machine gun in May 1943. The design uses a tilting bolt that locks into the side of the receiver. The feed mechanism withdraws the rimmed 7.62×54mmR round rearwards from the belt using two claws, then an arm pushes it into the cartridge guide for the bolt to carry it into the breech. Despite this complexity, the gun was remarkably reliable with few feed jams.

The barrel is air-cooled and massively dense, contributing to a high overall weight. The bore is chromium-plated, allowing sustained fire for long periods. The barrel can be changed easily by releasing a simple lock, and the carrying handle permits removal of a hot barrel. The World War II version had a smooth barrel outline, a cocking handle under the receiver, and no dust covers on the feed and ejection ports.

In 1944–1945, the gun was improved by Alexander Zaytsev and Mikhail Kalashnikov, resulting in the SGM (modernized) variant. This version moved the reloading handle, added dust covers and a new barrel lock, and fitted a splined barrel for improved cooling. A coaxially-mounted stockless electric solenoid-fired variant, the SGMT, was also developed. The SG-43M and SGMB are versions with dust covers used mostly on armored personnel carriers.

Reader's Guide

The SG-43 Goryunov was widely exported and licensed for construction in several countries, including China (as Type 53 and Type 57), Czechoslovakia (Vz 43), and Poland (Wz 43). It saw service in World War II, the Korean War with Communist North Korean and Chinese forces, and later in the Soviet–Afghan War with both the DRA and Afghan mujahideen. In Soviet service, the Goryunov, together with the RP-46, was replaced in the 1960s by the PK machine gun due to the switch to the general-purpose machine gun concept, rendering the gun effectively obsolete. The Hungarian KGK variant, based on the SGM, added a buttstock, pistol grip, conventional trigger, and bipod from the RPD, and redesigned the barrel lock for quick field changes. It was used on a limited scale by the Hungarian army, including as the KGKT turret machine gun on the D-944 PSZH scout car, before being replaced by a domestic copy of the PKM. The SG-43 and its variants remained in service with numerous nations through the late 1960s and beyond, seeing use in the Vietnam War, Congo Civil War, and various conflicts in Africa and Asia.

Did You Know?

• The SG-43 was developed by a team of three designers, known as GVG, from February 1940 to November 1942.
• The feed mechanism uses two claws to pull the rimmed 7.62×54mmR round rearwards from the belt before ramming it into the breech.
• The SGM variant was improved by Alexander Zaytsev and Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1944–1945.
• The Hungarian KGK variant added a buttstock, pistol grip, and bipod from the RPD machine gun.