SG-43 Goryunov
Kovrov Machine Gun Factory (Plant No. 2) · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1943
Also known as: Goryunov SG-43, Stankovyi pulemyot Goryunova obr. 1943, SG43
Overview
The SG-43 Goryunov was a Soviet gas-operated, belt-fed medium machine gun adopted in 1943 to replace the obsolescent water-cooled Maxim PM M1910. Designed by Pyotr Goryunov, it used an air-cooled, quick-change heavy barrel and a laterally-tilting (side-swinging) bolt, making it dramatically lighter, simpler, and cheaper than the Maxim it superseded. It was typically mounted on a wheeled Sokolov-type carriage with a gun shield and fired the standard 7.62x54mmR rifle cartridge from 200- or 250-round belts at roughly 650 rounds per minute. It served through WWII and into the early Cold War before being modernized into the SGM and ultimately replaced by the PK general-purpose machine gun in the 1960s.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 13800 g (486.8 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 41000 g (1446.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1150 mm (45.28") |
| Barrel Length | 720 mm (28.35") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Full Auto Only |
| Magazine Capacity | 250 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 800 m/s (2625 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3500 J (2581 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1100 m (1203 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2300 m (2515 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 650 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x54mmR · primary — also known as 7.62 Russian, 7.62x54R
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Non Disintegrating Metallic Belt 200 250 Round, Canvas Belt Early Production
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Laterally Tilting Bolt, Quick Change Heavy Barrel, Air Cooled, Spade Grips, Push Button Trigger, Wheeled Sokolov Mount, Gun Shield, Chromium Plated Bore
Variants
- SGM — Modernized
- SGMB — Armored Vehicle Mount
- SGMT — Coaxial Tank Variant
- Type 53 (Chinese) — Chinese Copy
- Type 57 (Chinese) — Chinese Sgm Copy
Service history
Operators
- Soviet Red Army · adopted 1943 · as SG-43
- People's Liberation Army (China) · as Type 53
- Korean People's Army · as SG-43
- People's Army of Vietnam · as SG-43
- Egyptian Armed Forces · as SG-43
- Hungarian People's Army · as SG-43
Conflicts
- World War II Eastern Front (1943-1945)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
- Arab-Israeli Wars (1948-1973)
Production
Production years: 1943-1961
Soviet production figures not reliably published in fetched sources; widely license-copied as the Chinese Type 53 and exported across the Eastern Bloc and Soviet-aligned states.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: Pyotr Goryunov
Discontinued: 1961
Notes
Combat weight ~41 kg quoted on the wheeled Sokolov-type mount with shield; the gun alone weighs ~13.8 kg. Overall length cited 1120-1150 mm and barrel 719-720 mm across sources. Rate of fire variously 500-700 rpm; 650 used. Muzzle energy is the cartridge-level figure (not gun-specific).
Background
Pyotr Goryunov adapted a side-swinging bolt-locking scheme from earlier light-MG work; he died in 1943, the very year his gun was adopted, and the production weapons carried his initials in tribute. The air-cooled SG-43 weighed roughly a third of the water-cooled Maxim it replaced, freeing Soviet crews from hauling water cans into battle.