1970s U.S. Army Test of the PKM

Summary

A 1975 U.S. Army report, "Attribute Analysis of the Armor Machine Gun Candidates (ADA018625)," evaluated the Soviet PKM along with other 7.62mm machine guns to replace the M219 coaxial weapon. The PKM scored perfectly in durability and high in accuracy, but showed issues with stoppages due to inconsistent ammunition. Despite testing limitations, it ranked third overall behind the U.S. M60E2 and Belgian FN MAG 58.