SG43 Stankovyi Goryunova
| Caliber: 7.62x54mm R; rimmed rifle cartridge |
| spitzer bullets, 180 gr |
| Muzzle Velocity2625 ft/sec |
| Muzzle Energy: 2700 ft-lb |
| Weigth: 13.8 kg gun body; 41 kg on wheeled mount |
| Length: 1150 mm |
| Length of barrel: 720 mm |
| Feed: belt, 200 or 250 rounds |
| Rate of fire: 500 - 700 rounds/min |
The Goryunov was developed during
WWII as a replacement for the PM1910 (Maxim). Goryunov
used a tilting breechblock, moving sideways and
locking into the side of the receiver. The feed
is not straightforward, as the gun fires the
7.62mm rimmed rifle round, and this has to be
withdrawn rearwards from the belt before ramming
into the breech. The reciprocating motion is
achieved by using two claws to pull the round
from the belt, and then an arm pushes the round
into the cartridge guide ready for the bolt to
carry it to the breech. Despite this
complication, the Goryunov was remarkably
reliable and feed jams were apparently few.
The barrel is air-cooled and
massive, contributing to a fairly high overall
weight. The bore is chromium-plated and able to
withstand continuous fire for long periods. The
barrel can also be easily changed by releasing a
simple lock, and the carrying handle allows a hot
barrel to be lifted clear without difficulty. The
WWII version of the gun (i.e., the captured
weapon pictured above) had a smooth outline to
the barrel, and the cocking handle was under the
receiver, with no dust covers to the feed and
ejection ports.
The SG43M included the first
improvements to the primitive original gun. Dust
covers and a new barrel lock were fitted, and a
splined barrel was fitted to improve cooling. The
CCF manufactured their own version of the SG43M.
It was virtually obsolete at its inception, but
the CCF probably appreciated the gun's
extreme ruggedness and reliability.
American forces used the light and heavy machine guns mostly at a
few hundred yards or less, contrary to their
design concepts. This was the nature of the
battles our company and platoon sized forces
faced, which were mostly defensive. The Chinese
used them at greater distances but, at least in
the early phases of the Korean war, used them
sparingly at these distances. Probably because of
the difficulty of transporting the heavy guns and
ammunition over long distances on foot, which was
often their only available method. They were used
most effectively in defensive positions, and
blocking positions for their attacking units to
safely fall back to and re-group.
