CKM WZ-30

     Notes: The WZ-30 is sort of a copy of the Browning M-1917, but has several differences from that machinegun.  First, the WZ-30 is chambered for 8mm Mauser instead of .30-06 Springfield.  The barrel and water-filled barrel jacket is lengthened to allow longer range fire; the barrel is 28.35 inches, with a conical flash suppressor.  The diopter-type rear sight is replaced by a simpler open-notch sight.  Further changes were made to decrease (real-life) cost and suit Polish manufacturing methods.  A lighter 26-kilogram tripod was developed (the one for the Browning M-1917 weighs 29 kg).  Fire is possible only from the bipod; the WZ-30, like the Browning, has only a simple pistol grip, and also has no trigger guard.  The belt is non-disintegrating.

     The WZ-30/39T was an export version made for Turkey, and was chambered for 7.65mm Mauser.  In addition, the pistol grip and trigger were replaced by spade grips and a butterfly trigger.

NSW Utios

     Notes: The name “NSW Utios” will probably sound familiar to most of the readers of these pages – that’s because the NSW Utios is essentially an identical Polish copy of the Russian NSV Utyos heavy machinegun, except for minor changes to suit local manufacturing methods; the parts are even interchangeable.

     The reason I have included the NSW Utios here is not because of the standard version – it’s because of its latest variant, which is believed to have been developed to help with ammunition commonality now that Poland is a part of NATO, and to make the weapon more attractive to export customers.  This version is known as the WKM-B Utios, and it is also for the most part identical to the NSV – except that it is chambered for the .50 Browning Machinegun round, and has a number of changes to the mechanism of the weapon to enable the WKM-B to fire that cartridge. The WKM-B has recently received a large order from the new Iraqi Army, probably due to the fact that a modification kits to allow an NSV or NSVT to be converted to its WKM-B counterpart.

     As with most weapons of this type, both versions can be fired only from a tripod, pintle, or vehicle mount.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The WKM-B does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Pirat

     Notes: This Polish heavy machinegun fires the 14.5mm KPV round.  It is essentially a KPV machinegun mounted on a heavy tripod for use as a heavy support weapon.  As the KPV is normally fired electrically, the Pirat has been modified to allow it to fire mechanically.  Normally the sights of a PK machinegun are employed, but the Pirat is often seen with optical sights.  The Pirat is normally served by a crew of three, and can be broken into three or four loads for transport.  It takes about 5 minutes to ready the Pirat for action from its broken-down state.  The Pirat may only be fired from the tripod or a vehicle mount.

UKM-2000

     Notes: in 1999, the Polish military had a problem.  On March 12, Poland had joined NATO.  This meant that they needed weapons that fired standard NATO cartridges.  This was fine for most of their small arms, as they already had done the work to produce rifles, carbines, pistols, and automatic rifles with necessary calibers.  But the Polish Army had been balking on replacing the PKM – it was lightweight, reliable, digested just about any grade of ammunition, and was a physically very rugged weapon. But NATO membership required ammunition interchangeability, and to that end, they decided to engineer a variant of the PKM that retained the machinegun’s good features while digesting standard 7.62mm NATO made by any of NATO’s members and feeding from standard NATO belts.  The result was the UKM-2000.

     The UKM-2000 works on the Kalashnikov action, like the PKM, but highly modified to use the different gas levels and different recoil levels that a 7.62mm NATO round produces.  The gas action is different, and the action is designed for the difference that the belts of 7.62mm Nagant and 7.62mm NATO feed from – the PKM pulls the round backwards out of the belt and feeds it into the chamber below, while the UKM-2000 pushes the round forward into the chamber like from Western belts. This made the feed mechanism simpler.  It is also designed to feed either from disintegrating or non-disintegrating belt links, while PKM belts are non-disintegrating only. The UKM-2000 is also topped by a Picatinny Rail above the receiver, and three on the sides and underside of the fore-end.  A variety of cans, belts, and soft carriers have been designed for the UKM-2000.

     Variants include the standard GPMG version, the UKM-2000P with a 21.5-inch barrel, a bipod, and an adapter to mount to a tripod. The UKM-2000D version is largely the same, except for its folding stock; the UKM-2000D is designed for use by airborne and air assault troops.  The UKM-2000C and CL are coaxial versions of the UKM-2000, with a 25-inch barrel, and with the stock, pistol grip, and trigger omitted, and with a heavier barrel and gas regulator and electrical firing. The UKM-2000C feeds from the right side, while the CL feeds from the left side.

     The UKM-2013 is an updated version of the UKM-2000.  The primary improvements are to the P and D variants; the UKM-2013P and D have an optional 17.3-inch barrel, a stock which both folds and telescopes, side and underside Picatinny Rails which extend out to the gas block, a foregrip, an ergonomic cocking handle and selector switch, simplified iron sights, and further internal improvements and simplification.  The idea behind the UKM-2013 is to further modernize their GPMG and, particularly in the shorter version, to replace their RPKs.

     The UKM-2000 has seen combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.