Inside Russia's RPL-20 Machine Gun

Summary

The article provides an in-depth mechanical analysis of the Russian RPL-20 machine gun, chambered in 5.45x39 and weighing 11-12 lbs. It highlights the weapon's unique bottom-feed tray, its smooth recoil impulse despite not being a true constant-recoil system, and its design influences from the Soviet-era PK/PKM and RPD machine guns. The RPL-20 features a conventional gas-operated system with a long-stroke piston and a full M1913 rail, positioning it as an "assault machine gun" due to its light weight and lack of a quick-change barrel.