Yugoslav M84 PKM: History, Mechanics, and Disassembly

The PKM is presented as a highly effective and surprisingly lightweight General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), weighing only 16 pounds. Its design, often described as an 'upside-down AKM,' features an inverted gas system and a barrel more in line with the stock for improved control. Operating from an open bolt, it fires the powerful 7.62x54R cartridge and boasts a quick-change barrel system and a sturdy bipod.

The Yugoslav M84, a PKM variant, is highlighted as a top-tier General Purpose Machine Gun due to its efficient design, offering significant firepower with manageable weight and recoil. The review covers practical loading procedures, including feeding the belt through a closed gun or manually chambering the first round. Shooting demonstrations showcase its surprising balance and controllability in various stances, from prone to 'Rambo style' hip firing.

This video from Shot Show 2026 provides an in-depth look at new and surplus firearms from Zastava Arms USA. Key highlights include discussions on M70 parts kits with differing receiver thicknesses, the historical significance of trench art on surplus rifles, and the functionality of Zastava's grenade launching spigots. The review also covers the M57 surplus pistol, a new M90 configuration with a pinned and welded flash hider, a .300 Blackout M85 variant, and the highly anticipated semi-auto M84 (PKM). The information is presented by Ranko, a representative with deep knowledge of Zastava products and history.

This video provides an expert look at the semi-automatic Zastava M84 PKM, a firearm based on the Russian PKM design, chambered in 7.62x54R and featuring a heavy barrel. It also highlights the Zastava AK Suppressor, claimed to be the lightest and quietest in the U.S. based on Pew Science testing, with compatibility across several Zastava models. The firearm is currently awaiting ATF approval for the U.S. market.

This video provides a detailed comparison between the Soviet RPD and PKM machine guns. It highlights the RPD's rifle-like ergonomics and AK-inspired internals, contrasting it with the PKM's lighter feel due to stamped construction and its more powerful 7.62x54R caliber. Key differences in features like charging handles, barrel systems, and receiver construction are discussed.

This review details an experimental Romanian paratrooper PKM variant, the PKMSF, featuring a shortened barrel and a side-folding stock for enhanced portability. Modifications include a B&T tri-rail handguard and optics rail, improving modularity. Despite its unique design, only around 400 were produced in the early 1990s and never officially adopted.

This video details the unique 'French Finger Trap' issue with the MAS-36 rifle's bayonet, where two rifles can become unintentionally locked together. A 1951 French arsenal memorandum identified this problem, proposing a simple modification to the bayonet handle. Drilling a small hole allows a tool, like a firing pin, to depress the internal spring, enabling the separation of locked rifles.

The M134 Minigun is a scaled-down 7.62 NATO rotary cannon, requiring 24V DC power and consuming 1.5 kW. Its high rate of fire (3,000+ RPM) is essential for aircraft engagement windows. The complex delinker mechanism is critical for feeding ammunition, and practical hand-held use is impossible due to weight and recoil. Live fire demonstrates rapid ammunition consumption and the need for indirect aiming.

The H&K G11 is a revolutionary prototype assault rifle designed in the late 20th century, notable for its caseless ammunition and unique rotating drum bolt mechanism. Despite advanced features like a 2000 RPM burst fire rate and integrated optics, its development was ultimately halted by geopolitical shifts and cost concerns.

This video demonstrates the assembly and live-fire of the German 1936 pattern light mortar (L.Gr.W.36). It highlights the mortar's leveling mechanism for accuracy and the difficulty in visually tracking its 50mm projectiles after firing. The content showcases historical military hardware and its operational use.