Kord 6P50
V.A. Degtyarev Plant · Machine Gun · In Service · 1998
Also known as: 6P50, 6P49, Kord-12.7, Корд, Pulemyot Kord
Overview
The Kord (Russian: Корд, an acronym derived from 'KOvrov - DegtyaRyovets', the names of the development plants) is a Russian 12.7x108mm heavy machine gun developed in the 1990s by the V.A. Degtyarev Plant in Kovrov to replace the Soviet-era NSV after the Soviet Union's dissolution stranded NSV production tooling in the now-independent Republic of Kazakhstan. Adopted by the Russian Armed Forces in 1998 under the GRAU index 6P50 (infantry) and 6P49 (tank), the Kord retains the NSV's general layout, ammunition, belt geometry, and 6T7-pattern tripod compatibility - but introduces a new gas-operated action with redesigned breech mechanism and substantially improved barrel life and accuracy. The most notable mechanical innovation is a 'balanced' recoil action that markedly reduces dispersion during sustained fire, allowing the Kord to be effectively shoulder-fired from a bipod (variants 6P57 and 6P58) - a feat impossible with the heavier and harsher-recoiling DShK or NSV. The standard infantry weapon weighs 25.5 kg with a fluted, chrome-lined quick-change barrel and a distinctive multi-port muzzle brake; cyclic rate is approximately 650-750 rpm and effective range exceeds 2,000 meters. Beyond the basic infantry and tank variants, the Kord serves on Russian Tigr armored vehicles, Tornado-K MRAPs, the Pantsir-S1 air-defense system as a secondary armament, and on coaxial mounts of T-90M, T-14 Armata, and BMP-T 'Terminator' tank-support fighting vehicles. It is currently the standard heavy machine gun of the Russian armed forces and has been exported to several former Soviet republics, India, and Syria.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 25500 g (899.5 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 41500 g (1463.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1980 mm (77.95") |
| Barrel Length | 1100 mm (43.31") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Automatic Only |
| Magazine Capacity | 50 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 860 m/s (2822 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 17800 J (13129 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 6000 m (6562 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 700 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 381 mm (15.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 8 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Chrome Lined Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 12.7x108mm · primary — also known as 12.7 Soviet, 12.7mm DShK, 12.7x108mm Russian
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Belt Fed Non Disintegrating, 50 Round Belt
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Open Bolt Design
- Features: Quick Change Barrel, Fluted Barrel, Muzzle Brake, Side Feed Belt, Balanced Recoil Action, Shoulder Fired Capable, 6t7 Tripod Compatible With Nsv, Modernized Receiver, Increased Barrel Life, Open Bolt Firing
Variants
- Kord 6P50 (infantry) — Infantry Tripod
- Kord 6P49 (tank) — Tank Remote Mount
- Kord 6P51 — Anti Aircraft Mount
- Kord 6P57 — Shoulder Fired Lightweight
- Kord 6P58 — Shoulder Fired With Bipod
Service history
Operators
- Russian Armed Forces · adopted 1998
- Russian Internal Troops · as Kord
- Belarusian Armed Forces · as Kord
- Kazakh Armed Forces · as Kord
- Indian Armed Forces · as Kord
- Syrian Arab Army · as Kord
Conflicts
- Second Chechen War (1999-2009)
- Russo-Georgian War (2008)
- Syrian Civil War (2015-present)
- Russo-Ukrainian War (2014-present)
Production
Production years: 1998-present
Production figures not publicly disclosed by Rostec / Degtyarev Plant. Standard issue HMG to Russian Armed Forces since 1998 with substantial upgrade contracts following the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022.
Origin
Country of origin: Russia
Designer: V.A. Degtyarev Plant Design Bureau (Yu.M. Bogdanov, N.M. Obidin, V.I. Negrulenko, R.S. Sokolov)
Notes
'Kord' (Корд) is an abbreviation for KOvrov-DegtyaRyovets - naming both the city of Kovrov and the V.A. Degtyarev plant that developed it. The Kord's improved barrel manufacturing process and 'balanced' (counterweighted) recoil mechanism reduces felt recoil by approximately 30% compared to the NSV, despite firing the same cartridge. The 6P57 and 6P58 shoulder-fired variants weigh roughly 28-32 kg with bipod and shoulder stock - heavy, but still light enough for two-man infantry use, where the NSV was strictly tripod or vehicle-mounted. Tank version 6P49 includes electric solenoid trigger for remote firing. The Kord is the secondary armament on the BMP-T 'Terminator', and remote-controlled Kord turrets are widely fitted to Russian armored vehicles. The 12.7x108mm cartridge is fully interchangeable with that of the DShK and NSV, simplifying logistics across Russian heavy MG fleets. A version chambered for 12.7x99mm NATO (.50 BMG) was developed for export but has seen limited adoption.
Background
The Kord exists almost entirely because of a paperwork problem - when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the Russian Army discovered the factory making its standard heavy machine gun (the NSV) was now in foreign Kazakhstan, and that those former-Soviet engineers had no obligation to keep producing weapons for Moscow. Rather than license tooling from a now-independent neighbor, Russia spent seven years and millions of rubles having the V.A. Degtyarev plant in Kovrov essentially clean-room reverse-engineer a brand-new heavy MG that could use the same tripod, the same belts, and the same ammunition - and could be made entirely on Russian soil. The Kord is what happens when geopolitics requires a country to reinvent its own machine gun from scratch.