Can confirm. Was at the range getting qualified on the M60E3 (no optics mounts), and guys were getting yelled at for single shots. Didn't have enough ammo available for me to get there, but I was very happy getting 3rd bursts every time.
@@baronofhell2277 My older brother used to say the same thing, he was the equivalent of Conan the barbarian "Conan the Punarian" "Pun your enemy's, see them driven before you"
@@thejackal5099 I was listening tight and thought it was up around 1000rpm. Edit. Counting out the last burst I got 40 rounds exactly in a shade over 2.5s I haven't done a frame count but you're probably right on at just over 900. Edit... I counted the rounds of the final burst at 1/8 speed and got 41.
@@timothybayliss6680 I'm with yall. It sounded to me like 950 to 1000 rpm. I wonder what you would get on gas position 3, with a clean but warm weapon? Probably getting close to an MG42! Yall Take Care and be safe, John
"Once you get to the end of the first belt, it disintegrates, and you have another airplane come over." for a joke, that seems far too realistic if its during a war
Then design the PKM which people consider one of the best machine guns out there which isn’t friendly to those that are right handed as it ejects from the left super violently.
@@devanmullins4180 maybe they thought feeding from the right would result in a speedy reload? It always amuses me how, through engineering or other design refinements that other problems or quirks manifest. Losing the forest for the individual trees, kinda thing.
@@AdairTheSkull Nah, it was supposed to be feature for mounted platforms and coax in tanks and armoured vechicles. Russians were not keen on modularity concept (no use teaching grunts mantain their weapons, far easier to make those weapons virtually inkerfukable and really easy to use) so they assumed one feeding mechanism pattern will suffice for both troops and mounted mobile soldiers and tankers. And those mobile platforms dictate using feed mechanism from the right. Remember Soviet doctrine assumed MASSIVE motorized forces usage in their army, far more than contemporary western ones.
"the more i shoot it, the more i think i like it" It is a machinegun, you loved it until you need to carry it for prolonged periods of time and need to clean it
"Little unpleasant, but not as unpleasant as being downrange" has some of the same energy as Othais's recent remark about the effects a gun has on the people at the far end also being part of the ergonomics, just at a higher speed.
You can see the barrel changing colour from black to grey during the vid, and you can see the grey creeping forwards in real time during that last belt dump.
@@iank6897 it means stop shooting asap because if you continue shooting mag dump style you will destroy the heat treat and rifling of the barrel if you continue to shoot beyond heat warping point Look up over heated Mini 14s because straight up the barrel will start to curve like a round about eventually from overheating. Everything has a heat limit and has to cool down eventually because of it.
@@iank6897 the weapon showing heat is normal, you will know when its to hot. If your mag dumping into trash AK guy style you can do multiple mags without an issue, but do be aware there is a limit and if you push that limit you will wear out that barrel faster. Same as shooting hotter loads or cheap corrosive ammo, its all stuff to keep in mind but don't let it stop you from enjoying your firearm the way you want. Unless your shooting competition levels of ammunition (many thousands of rounds a year) it will last you for many years, and by then maybe you will looking for a barrel upgrade anyway so it won't be the end of the world. I've got weapons that I've had since I was a child, and as a young man I put them through absolute hellish abuse shooting down trees and such and all of them still function exactly as they should to this day.
There's actually a tiny Russian man in there grabbing cartridges. You can see his finger on the slowmo. His name is Gregori and he runs on tea from a huge urn and weird Uzbeki cigarettes. Say hello when you strip the gun every 12 months.
Ive always loved RPD's, they were ahead of their time when they came out. Newer better guns since eclipsed them, but they were one of the first intermediate light machine guns that could throw a ton of supressing fire.
You ever hear about how there was supposed to be a trial done with the Abrams running RPD's and the person in charge just said "A Russian gun on an American tank? Get that shit out of here". No care to the effectiveness of the platform, no mind given to it being considered one of the best, most reliable LMG's going by the reports of people using them in the field, just that it wasn't kosher to admit that a Russian made a damn fine weapon. America should be more like Rome, if a thing is more effective than what they do, start doing that.
@@fuzzythoughts8020 I don’t believe the RPD would have be a good choice for being mounted on a tank as it is in an intermediate caliber and GPMGs are generally better suited for mounted use. Plus, I don’t believe the RPD's reliability is that much superior to the M240 to warrant choosing it over what they actually went with. The receivers, from what I understand, are also not as durable as one would believe if the examples from Battlefield Vegas are evidence enough. Also, do you have a source for that anecdote regarding Abrams running RPDs, as I cannot seem to find it myself?
He mentioned the gun seemed over gassed already - the increase in ROF would have come from over gassing it even more. It really would be very bad for an old gun.
Very important point you make about the heat capacity of the barrel versus the basic load of ammo. The same thing holds true with the PKP (Pecheneg) with the forced air cooling - the gun is basically designed to take the heat generated by a basic load of ammo in fairly typical combat rates of fire without damage. Fire more than that (or faster than that, like Battle of Wanat belt dumps), and you'll skrag the barrel by the time you run out of ammo. Which will cause the armorer tasked with rebarrelling it to curse your name. But from the POV of the infantryman with a burned out barrel, well, you're out of ammo anyway so it's not like the gun would be any more useful if the barrel was still good. And from the POV of Big Army, those situations don't come up that often, and you're probably burning fewer barrels than a lighter quick change barrel that can be burned out with a single basic load fired at the "book" sustained rate without changing the barrel (because the squad left that extra weight at home).
I had the chance to shoot an RPD and make videos a few years back, the one we shot was so soft shooting you could easily hit small targets offhand. That one there, I agree looks overgassed or something else is slightly different with the Chinese version. My favourite machine-gun to shoot out of the 50+ I have tried so far.
@@randomidiot8142 I've found little difference in the various flavours of M43 ball. The Norinco military surplus ammo is very good and plentiful where I live.
@@MrDugbo171 what would your top 3 most desired rounds be? I bought Golden Tiger hp for hunting because it was supposedly good, although I'll shoot whatever is reasonably consistent and affordable for targets/practice.
@@randomidiot8142 I live in Canada, so what I can get is not usually avail in the US. or other parts #1 Norinco silver box non corrosive lead core #2 Norinco bulk non corrosive steel core #3 for hunting, hornady steel match ballistic tip. There is lots of corrosive surplus ammo here cheap too but I hate the xtra cleaning required,
Hello, I'm Marwan from Iraq, and my friend Miles, who reminded me in a meeting with you about the Tabuk weapon, and I had an audio interview with him and with several experts. I'm a lover of the RBD weapon, and I updated it to the M249. They finished a very clever doctor when he made the RBD for us.
Nice catch, i didn't notice that during the vid. That's very loose indeed, I wonder how much it has to rotate to change gas settings and if that can happen by accident during use.
If it's that loose maybe it was letting a lot more gas through which could explain why Ian was feeling like it was over gassed and why it has a higher rate of fire. I'm not familiar with what it's supposed to look like normally, but in any other application nuts aren't supposed to be that loose lol.
@@asterisk606 Yeah that was my thought - that nut is directly linked to gas regulation and ought to be at least tight enough to withstand recoil inertia.
@@fletcherreder6091 a compute cluster...? You mean a cluster of computers that all conglomerate to do a specific thing...? That's kind of cool, thinking of them as a single entity
You can hear how lowd the ammo box is rattling around in the video. I've read that in the Vietnam War SEALS used captured RPDs and put a sheet of linoleum to keep the rattling down.
On the M249 SAW. I used to pop open the plastic cases and insert a piece of cardboard. To keep the rounds from going kachunk kachunk every time I took a step.
I just googled an image of a Seal used chopped down rpd. It looks slick, and as a captured weapon you toss it when the barrel is toast and grab another one from the pile. I imagine it’s be easier to lug than an M60 with a 50rd reaction belt.
Yeah! As I understand the MACV-SOG special forces guys in Vietnam would capture RPDs and chop the barrels off just ahead of the gas blocks. Lighter, handier gun and lighter ammo than carrying an M60
Light, higher rate of fire than a 60, better barrier penetration than .223, and ability to scrounge ammo made it perfect. They were able to clear ambushes quickly and cause pure chaos.
@@HugoEckener127 I also remember reading that they'd scrounge up linoleum flooring and cut a piece to fit inside the drum to dampen the rattle of the belt against the metal.
Super video as always from Ian! I like the RPD very much. Here in Canada, the only thing that we can have as a taste is the semi auto chinese Type 81 LMG.
One thing you don´t to do for RPD is adding silencer... Unless A it doesn´t add backpresuare. B you are wearing a gasmask while shooting. been there done that never again, once was enough Otherwise very good gun to shoot.
I'm interested now, can it be suppressed without those side effects? I'm not sure why someone would need a suppressed RPD, but damn if it wouldnt be fun.
@@mawfackinmoodyakamoodstera9615 A lot smoke coming out of the breech instead out of muzzle - creating a choking smoke cloud around the shooter's head.
@@Bee-N64 There are some fancy suppressors with flow-through designs that vent the excess gas out of the front rather than the breech that would presumably fix or at least mitigate the problem.
Ian, can you do an episode discussing the development of disintegrating links…pros and cons relative to original cloth belts, and this example of segmented linked belts?
Because of you I know that the belt has a notch that holds the bullet in place,but makes it harder to reload! Information I probably will never ever need yet I feel cooler for knowing that 😎, hahaha!
The later model variant of this MG got a Muzzle-Brake not unlike the AK-74, just in 7.62 caliber. This tames any recoil, lowers the muzzle flash and mostly eliminates the dust kicked up by the muzzle blast.
I've wondered for some time how an RPD chambered for 5.45x39 and with some of the less-inspired features corrected would perform. Those features being, among others... - a quick-change barrel - bipod moved back to the gas block (would likely happen automatically with the quick-change barrel) - more easily adjustable gas system - soft ammunition pouch I've never really thought very highly of the RPK, frankly. I believe that re-visiting the RPD would result in a much better support weapon to pair with the AK-74.
there was prototypes of such 5,45 LMGs in 70’s. first models was based on RPK and had added belt feed mechanism on the left side (PU, PU-1). but in those versions belt was like secondary variant of feeding. later completely new platform were made (PU-2) which had belt feeding mechanism on the top which might switch feeding side (belt might go both from left or right depending on user’s preference). and it had magwell on the left side of the receiver. later slightly simplified version were made (PU-21). but army tested them and desided that they don’t need belt fed gun in such class. at the point of price/performance/effectiveness RPK-74 seemed like much better option. so whole development was shut down.
I'd like to see some of the automatic fire on paper even if it's large paper at close range. It could show us what Ian experiences on controllability. And compare.
Excellent weapon, it could have been modified slightly to improve it. I read that US special forces in Vietnam would use a 'cut-down' the RPD and "125 round" belts; making this (on some ways) conceptually the original SAW.
The Gas Block Regulator Screw is loose. That is what could be causing it to be over gassed. It was set in the 1 position but it is moving around and may not be able to vent the gas properly. You can see it starting @ 2:15. I know the pin (and carbon!) holds them in place pretty well even if it is loose but it shouldn't run that fast. I'd replace the recoil spring also. Everyone likes to see fast machine guns but a little TLC will get them to run a lot better and last longer.
Ran across these in Africa, that were flogged across half the continent behind a land cruiser for two decades probably, and they still functioned. Impressively so if you were standing in the wrong direction. Both Soviet, and Chinese versions. So impressed I later bought an updated tactical semi-auto version from DSA before they stopped making them. Stupid light, and fun to shoot for an LMG. Just wish mine went bang more than once a pull.
The RPD was one of the first machine guns I ever shot. Then it jammed on me and the owner sliced his hand trying to clear the malfunction and had to go to the ER.
I love it when Ian discovers his left from right 🤣 Next episode we will discuss tying our shoes and our favorite color. 🥴️ Just breaking your Balls Ian, awesome episode as always, The RPK is a certifiable lead thrower.
@@StoutProper I'm a network engineer for the largest telecommunications company in the world. Your 100 percent wrong. They may have the most towers but for the country with the largest population in the world that makes sense. Also there style of government allows them to push projects like this quickly. Theres a reason they copy everything we do and steal anything they can get their hands on.
I know you need to keep the amount of equipment you travel with to a minimum, but if you could start bringing a shot timer with you for these kind of events so we can see exactly what the ROF really is, that would be great.
Shooting from hip, short controlled bursts, alongside advancing infantry. Never long burst as that was the Pk's job. Type 56 (RPD) still very common in Asia and Africa.
@Solar General i mean the overal rifle shape not only the handgard though. And don't even try to bother me with your sarcastic comments. Maybe the handgard is from RPD, but overall shape is taken from AKS-74U. Try to find pictures and compare, man)
@@453543ification I wasn't arguing that point the back half of the gun takes inspiration from the AK-74u for sure but the hand guard is nothing like the ak-74u definitely closer to the RPD being more bulky and the barrel is longer sorta like an ak-47 since it lacks the AKM style muzzle and it's clearly designed for 7.62 ammo due to how curved the magazine is I'd say in all likelihood they just kit bashed a bunch of features from various guns to make it look real but still different from real life since this is a post apocalyptic game set in the future
as an italian i'm an enjoyer of everything that has a drum magazine also i love that the gun just scream russian design PS i know it's not as cool as the RPD but when RPK?
“You won’t need more than 300 rounds so it doesn’t get a quick change barrel.” What if I need more than 300? “You won’t.” But what if I do? “You didn’t hear us: you won’t.” Oh, and, Wolverines!!!
The villages in Germany are 10 kilotons apart. It's also why the G11 only came with 150 rounds in 3 magazines. Troops weren't expected to live past that.
As a C2 gunner in the CDN Infantry, I found that digging the back edges of the bipod feet into the ground - extend your arm holding the pistol grip out and then drag the bipod back as you shoulder the weapon - the weapon became much more stable. I've fired over 500 rounds through an RPD at a range near my place in Asia and did the same thing. No problem hitting steel plates out to 500m consistently.
The whole mechanics and look is very Soviet of the period. So, I guess the echo of the Korean War but not after the border skirmishes with the USSR in the 60's.
@@nikitaananjevas1614 Bulgarian parts kit built by Vektor Arms, I'm not sure about the condition of the barrel but the thing barely has a scratch on it anywhere. Unless they refinished everything I'd guess it's almost new.
@@breadman32398 You could take a bullet and somewhat forcefully turn it 1-2 times on the exit of the barrel to see how low from the top of the bullet the scrathes from barrel twists are. This generally gives pretty good indication of the actual wear of the barrel if visual inspection fails to provide any clear conclusions.
That shooting mat has impeccable comic timing.
More like a shooting snuggie
Looks more like a moving blanket
I was waiting for the doorknob to make an appearance
When the gun is respectable, but the mat is impeccable.
you insulted the magic carpet
When shooting a semi-auto: How quickly can I shoot it.
When shooting a full-auto: Can I achieve single shots.
You can't shoot it fast enough.
Can confirm.
Was at the range getting qualified on the M60E3 (no optics mounts), and guys were getting yelled at for single shots.
Didn't have enough ammo available for me to get there, but I was very happy getting 3rd bursts every time.
We always want what we can’t have
A combloc SAW, so... you could call it a WarSAW?
GET OUT! I mean DISSOLVE!
I must upvote any pun that makes me groan out loud.👍
@@maxkronader5225 A pun that does not induce physical pain is not a proper pun.
Boo this man.
Boo I say!
(Very well done.)
@@baronofhell2277 My older brother used to say the same thing, he was the equivalent of Conan the barbarian "Conan the Punarian"
"Pun your enemy's, see them driven before you"
That sounds more like 800 rpm than the actually advertised 650!
Definitely sounds faster than the 240B I carried.
Looking at the audio it is between 0.060 and 0.070 seconds between each shot, making the RPM around 920.
@@thejackal5099 I was listening tight and thought it was up around 1000rpm.
Edit. Counting out the last burst I got 40 rounds exactly in a shade over 2.5s I haven't done a frame count but you're probably right on at just over 900.
Edit... I counted the rounds of the final burst at 1/8 speed and got 41.
@@timothybayliss6680 I'm with yall. It sounded to me like 950 to 1000 rpm. I wonder what you would get on gas position 3, with a clean but warm weapon? Probably getting close to an MG42!
Yall Take Care and be safe, John
Well.. we Chinese are the understatement sort of folks, even when reporting machine gun firing rates.
"Once you get to the end of the first belt, it disintegrates, and you have another airplane come over." for a joke, that seems far too realistic if its during a war
Genuine Afghani experience complete with NATO jets.
High rate of fire and light weight to avoid that napalm smell
The Russians designed a bottom ejection gun that still isn't kind to left handers. Makes me chuckle.
Then design the PKM which people consider one of the best machine guns out there which isn’t friendly to those that are right handed as it ejects from the left super violently.
In the first slo-mo you can see the cases hitting Ian in the forearm
@@devanmullins4180 maybe they thought feeding from the right would result in a speedy reload? It always amuses me how, through engineering or other design refinements that other problems or quirks manifest. Losing the forest for the individual trees, kinda thing.
@@devanmullins4180 Personally never felt the PKM ejected any brass on me and Im right handed.
@@AdairTheSkull Nah, it was supposed to be feature for mounted platforms and coax in tanks and armoured vechicles. Russians were not keen on modularity concept (no use teaching grunts mantain their weapons, far easier to make those weapons virtually inkerfukable and really easy to use) so they assumed one feeding mechanism pattern will suffice for both troops and mounted mobile soldiers and tankers. And those mobile platforms dictate using feed mechanism from the right. Remember Soviet doctrine assumed MASSIVE motorized forces usage in their army, far more than contemporary western ones.
"the more i shoot it, the more i think i like it"
It is a machinegun, you loved it until you need to carry it for prolonged periods of time and need to clean it
But this one is light and simple enough to make the carrying and cleaning less of a chore...
I expect paying for the ammunition might put you off machine guns
I think every machine gun gets heavy fast if its being carried around anywhere.
@@michaelmccarthy4615 I volunteered to carry them.
Kept me from carrying the radio.
@@lairdcummings9092 yea definitely, compared to the m60
"Little unpleasant, but not as unpleasant as being downrange" has some of the same energy as Othais's recent remark about the effects a gun has on the people at the far end also being part of the ergonomics, just at a higher speed.
What effect?
@@rhetoric5173 Oh, you know. Sudden holes, blood loss, death. That kind of thing.
Pepe get killed in the range? I think he was referring to the competitive aspect, or rather the lack of it@@ZGryphon
'I can't keep a good sight picture with sustained fire' That's what the tracers are for, Comrade.
You can see the barrel changing colour from black to grey during the vid, and you can see the grey creeping forwards in real time during that last belt dump.
That happens on my AR on binary too, just not as fast.
So what's going on there when it does that? I'm new to shooting and I'm seeing this same sort of wear on my AR gas piston
@@iank6897 It is burning off oil
@@iank6897 it means stop shooting asap because if you continue shooting mag dump style you will destroy the heat treat and rifling of the barrel if you continue to shoot beyond heat warping point
Look up over heated Mini 14s because straight up the barrel will start to curve like a round about eventually from overheating.
Everything has a heat limit and has to cool down eventually because of it.
@@iank6897 the weapon showing heat is normal, you will know when its to hot. If your mag dumping into trash AK guy style you can do multiple mags without an issue, but do be aware there is a limit and if you push that limit you will wear out that barrel faster. Same as shooting hotter loads or cheap corrosive ammo, its all stuff to keep in mind but don't let it stop you from enjoying your firearm the way you want. Unless your shooting competition levels of ammunition (many thousands of rounds a year) it will last you for many years, and by then maybe you will looking for a barrel upgrade anyway so it won't be the end of the world. I've got weapons that I've had since I was a child, and as a young man I put them through absolute hellish abuse shooting down trees and such and all of them still function exactly as they should to this day.
There's actually a tiny Russian man in there grabbing cartridges. You can see his finger on the slowmo. His name is Gregori and he runs on tea from a huge urn and weird Uzbeki cigarettes. Say hello when you strip the gun every 12 months.
He also likes bread rusks.
I thought his name was Ivan
@@comfortablynumb9342 Ivan is his cousin on the Navy.
This made me waaaaay happier than it probably should have... and part of me really, really wished that that was how machine guns actually worked. =)
@@comfortablynumb9342 No no. Ivan runs the RPK
"Once you get to the end of the first belt, it just disintegrates, and the gun automatically calls in air support."
Or that is enemy's air support, because thats their one of a few options left.
Ive always loved RPD's, they were ahead of their time when they came out. Newer better guns since eclipsed them, but they were one of the first intermediate light machine guns that could throw a ton of supressing fire.
You ever hear about how there was supposed to be a trial done with the Abrams running RPD's and the person in charge just said "A Russian gun on an American tank? Get that shit out of here".
No care to the effectiveness of the platform, no mind given to it being considered one of the best, most reliable LMG's going by the reports of people using them in the field, just that it wasn't kosher to admit that a Russian made a damn fine weapon.
America should be more like Rome, if a thing is more effective than what they do, start doing that.
Not sure what to make of that in the face of the fact they use Belgian GPMGs or something.
@@typehere6689 did the US have a cold war with Belgium? Lol, it was entirely political, nobody has anything to say about Belgium in North America.
@@fuzzythoughts8020 I don’t believe the RPD would have be a good choice for being mounted on a tank as it is in an intermediate caliber and GPMGs are generally better suited for mounted use. Plus, I don’t believe the RPD's reliability is that much superior to the M240 to warrant choosing it over what they actually went with. The receivers, from what I understand, are also not as durable as one would believe if the examples from Battlefield Vegas are evidence enough. Also, do you have a source for that anecdote regarding Abrams running RPDs, as I cannot seem to find it myself?
Teases us with the "it can actually fire faster but we're not going to do it"
I know, I was like "damn really"
Hard on the barrel and basically everything else , dont want to be breaking things that are borrowed.
@@jaydunbar7538 ik but still. I'd almost rather not even mention it then because its tempting as hell
He mentioned the gun seemed over gassed already - the increase in ROF would have come from over gassing it even more. It really would be very bad for an old gun.
Thing is already running about 900rpm on Port 1.
Doesn't need to go faster!
For its time period, that is a pretty damn good gun. Even outside soviet standards, it fills its role very well.
If upgraded it's a good gun now - optics mount, new handguard and a barrel from a better heat resistant steel alloy.
I'd miss the longer range from 7.62 NATO or x54R, but I wouldn't feel under gunned with an RPD!
@@tsorevitch2409 Agree. I think if anyone were to modernize this, it would be excellent, especially for urban fighting.
what wrong with "soviet standarts"?
@@molokofreak clunky ergonomics, usually heavier than western equivalent.
Mostly the ergonomics, as far as I am concerned.
MrsForgottenWeapons: Honey! Where has the hallway carpet gone?
Ian: Ummmmmm..............
thats a moving blanket lol wouldnt make for a good carpet
I think Ian is single. He looks too happy
@@mattyallen3396 He’s married. I think he said something about this in one of his Q and A video. But don’t quote me on that
@@zopEnglandzip I thought the same lol
@@mattyallen3396 No. We have seen her.
Both the MACV SOG during the Vietnam War and later the Rhodesian SAS used modified/shortened RPD´s. There are some very cool pictures of them in use!
Ground to pilots. Quick go! He's changing belts.
He missed a great opportunity to demonstrate the RPD’s AA capabilities.
th-cam.com/video/J2IdN4mmp_Y/w-d-xo.html
Think the guy behind the technical is using a RPD for AA
Very important point you make about the heat capacity of the barrel versus the basic load of ammo. The same thing holds true with the PKP (Pecheneg) with the forced air cooling - the gun is basically designed to take the heat generated by a basic load of ammo in fairly typical combat rates of fire without damage. Fire more than that (or faster than that, like Battle of Wanat belt dumps), and you'll skrag the barrel by the time you run out of ammo. Which will cause the armorer tasked with rebarrelling it to curse your name.
But from the POV of the infantryman with a burned out barrel, well, you're out of ammo anyway so it's not like the gun would be any more useful if the barrel was still good. And from the POV of Big Army, those situations don't come up that often, and you're probably burning fewer barrels than a lighter quick change barrel that can be burned out with a single basic load fired at the "book" sustained rate without changing the barrel (because the squad left that extra weight at home).
Ian: "...by going to a larger gas port..we're not going to do that"
Me: "sad boom boom noises"
Ooh boy, i have waited for this all day
Same haha!
Same :^D
I wait since the end of the last video, and then two days after Saturdays videos. Ugh
I had the chance to shoot an RPD and make videos a few years back, the one we shot was so soft shooting you could easily hit small targets offhand. That one there, I agree looks overgassed or something else is slightly different with the Chinese version.
My favourite machine-gun to shoot out of the 50+ I have tried so far.
Maybe they 'overgassed' to compensate for lower power Chinese ammo? Or is the 7.62*39 consistent across nations?
@@randomidiot8142 I've found little difference in the various flavours of M43 ball.
The Norinco military surplus ammo is very good and plentiful where I live.
@@MrDugbo171 what would your top 3 most desired rounds be? I bought Golden Tiger hp for hunting because it was supposedly good, although I'll shoot whatever is reasonably consistent and affordable for targets/practice.
@@randomidiot8142 I live in Canada, so what I can get is not usually avail in the US. or other parts
#1 Norinco silver box non corrosive lead core
#2 Norinco bulk non corrosive steel core
#3 for hunting, hornady steel match ballistic tip.
There is lots of corrosive surplus ammo here cheap too but I hate the xtra cleaning required,
“Drum Shaped Box” is the name of Ian’s new Nirvana cover band!
Hello, I'm Marwan from Iraq, and my friend Miles, who reminded me in a meeting with you about the Tabuk weapon, and I had an audio interview with him and with several experts. I'm a lover of the RBD weapon, and I updated it to the M249. They finished a very clever doctor when he made the RBD for us.
I think the PLA probably didn’t shoot it in a T-shirt…
PLA now have new machine guns
What if field zeroing? :0
wrong! They shot it in T-shirts that say "I shot the RPD and all I got was this T-shirt".
Ive always wantwd to see an RPD let rip, and that last belt dump was a wish granted!
The kalashnikov media channel shot an RPD until the handguard caught fire.
2:30 that ricochet sound was crazy!!!
*slaps feed cover shut*
*mat flies up*
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction
The gas regulator nut seems to have alot of play @2:11 , dunno if that's behaving as intended.
Nice catch, i didn't notice that during the vid. That's very loose indeed, I wonder how much it has to rotate to change gas settings and if that can happen by accident during use.
If it's that loose maybe it was letting a lot more gas through which could explain why Ian was feeling like it was over gassed and why it has a higher rate of fire. I'm not familiar with what it's supposed to look like normally, but in any other application nuts aren't supposed to be that loose lol.
@@asterisk606 Yeah that was my thought - that nut is directly linked to gas regulation and ought to be at least tight enough to withstand recoil inertia.
Something about shooting an RPD from the shoulder just looks so cool, whereas doing so with most other LMGs just seem awkward/ ungainly
Certainly a 'handy little LMG'.
Free airplane every 50 rounds? That really is an amazing weapon!
haha I really like your pic, did you draw it?
@@ScumfuckMcDoucheface Yeah, that's Norman. I drew him as a mascot for a compute cluster I ran in college.
@@fletcherreder6091 a compute cluster...? You mean a cluster of computers that all conglomerate to do a specific thing...? That's kind of cool, thinking of them as a single entity
You can hear how lowd the ammo box is rattling around in the video. I've read that in the Vietnam War SEALS used captured RPDs and put a sheet of linoleum to keep the rattling down.
On the M249 SAW. I used to pop open the plastic cases and insert a piece of cardboard. To keep the rounds from going kachunk kachunk every time I took a step.
really cool watching the belt feed in slow mo
The gun looks incredibly stable while fireing
I’m glad Ian understands the nuances of being left handed and dealing with firearms developed for right handed people
"You are not supposed to do that" - and then he did it.
None of they guys that were shooting at me with an RPD seemed to have any trouble with their shooting mat.
I just googled an image of a Seal used chopped down rpd. It looks slick, and as a captured weapon you toss it when the barrel is toast and grab another one from the pile. I imagine it’s be easier to lug than an M60 with a 50rd reaction belt.
Yeah! As I understand the MACV-SOG special forces guys in Vietnam would capture RPDs and chop the barrels off just ahead of the gas blocks. Lighter, handier gun and lighter ammo than carrying an M60
@@HugoEckener127 I've read of that, too. When you're in a jungle ambush a light, short-barreled LMG would generate a lot of havoc very quickly.
@@davidcox3076 that and it wasn't having problems like the new 5.56, and .30 vs .22 on flesh..
Light, higher rate of fire than a 60, better barrier penetration than .223, and ability to scrounge ammo made it perfect. They were able to clear ambushes quickly and cause pure chaos.
@@HugoEckener127 I also remember reading that they'd scrounge up linoleum flooring and cut a piece to fit inside the drum to dampen the rattle of the belt against the metal.
And next Ian will show us how to switch it to left eject on the field.
Wait, what...?
Yep it will switch to RPK 😁
Super video as always from Ian! I like the RPD very much. Here in Canada, the only thing that we can have as a taste is the semi auto chinese Type 81 LMG.
That was fun. The head shake and "whoo!" At the end showed it to be spicy.
One of the best lmg ever designed. Don’t see this everyday.
One thing you don´t to do for RPD is adding silencer...
Unless
A it doesn´t add backpresuare.
B you are wearing a gasmask while shooting.
been there done that never again, once was enough
Otherwise very good gun to shoot.
I'm interested now, can it be suppressed without those side effects? I'm not sure why someone would need a suppressed RPD, but damn if it wouldnt be fun.
I don't follow
@@mawfackinmoodyakamoodstera9615 A lot smoke coming out of the breech instead out of muzzle - creating a choking smoke cloud around the shooter's head.
@@Bee-N64 There are some fancy suppressors with flow-through designs that vent the excess gas out of the front rather than the breech that would presumably fix or at least mitigate the problem.
@@Bee-N64 it's mostly to avoid blowing out your own ears while clearing buildings.
Ian, can you do an episode discussing the development of disintegrating links…pros and cons relative to original cloth belts, and this example of segmented linked belts?
Last time I was this early, the RPD was still in service!
Last time I was this early, that war in Vietnam was supposed to be a small scale conflict!
Because of you I know that the belt has a notch that holds the bullet in place,but makes it harder to reload! Information I probably will never ever need yet I feel cooler for knowing that 😎, hahaha!
That spray at the end was perfect
The later model variant of this MG got a Muzzle-Brake not unlike the AK-74, just in 7.62 caliber. This tames any recoil, lowers the muzzle flash and mostly eliminates the dust kicked up by the muzzle blast.
I've wondered for some time how an RPD chambered for 5.45x39 and with some of the less-inspired features corrected would perform.
Those features being, among others...
- a quick-change barrel
- bipod moved back to the gas block
(would likely happen automatically
with the quick-change barrel)
- more easily adjustable gas system
- soft ammunition pouch
I've never really thought very highly of the RPK, frankly. I believe that re-visiting the RPD would result in a much better support weapon to pair with the AK-74.
Might as well chamber the PK in 5.45 given your requirements
@@aqui1ifer Agreed. A 25% scaled down in size PKM chambered in 5.45 would be a very fine weapon. Basically would be a Russian M249
there was prototypes of such 5,45 LMGs in 70’s. first models was based on RPK and had added belt feed mechanism on the left side (PU, PU-1). but in those versions belt was like secondary variant of feeding. later completely new platform were made (PU-2) which had belt feeding mechanism on the top which might switch feeding side (belt might go both from left or right depending on user’s preference). and it had magwell on the left side of the receiver. later slightly simplified version were made (PU-21). but army tested them and desided that they don’t need belt fed gun in such class. at the point of price/performance/effectiveness RPK-74 seemed like much better option. so whole development was shut down.
I love the slow-mo shot of brass being flung into Ian's arm at terminal velocity
Ah, the venerable harbor freight moving blanket.
I'd like to see some of the automatic fire on paper even if it's large paper at close range. It could show us what Ian experiences on controllability. And compare.
I really wish I was Ian sometimes he has the best job in the entire world.
Excellent weapon, it could have been modified slightly to improve it.
I read that US special forces in Vietnam would use a 'cut-down' the RPD and "125 round" belts; making this (on some ways) conceptually the original SAW.
3:21 When the USAF see a bearded man shooting a RPD
USAF needs to disturb gun Jesus to see if he brings wrath of that F-16
The Gas Block Regulator Screw is loose. That is what could be causing it to be over gassed. It was set in the 1 position but it is moving around and may not be able to vent the gas properly. You can see it starting @ 2:15. I know the pin (and carbon!) holds them in place pretty well even if it is loose but it shouldn't run that fast. I'd replace the recoil spring also. Everyone likes to see fast machine guns but a little TLC will get them to run a lot better and last longer.
in the words of Cooper from Dog Soldiers "SHORT CONTROLLED BURSTS"
Ran across these in Africa, that were flogged across half the continent behind a land cruiser for two decades probably, and they still functioned. Impressively so if you were standing in the wrong direction. Both Soviet, and Chinese versions. So impressed I later bought an updated tactical semi-auto version from DSA before they stopped making them. Stupid light, and fun to shoot for an LMG. Just wish mine went bang more than once a pull.
I've never seen this gun represented authentically in any game or movie. I always thought it was a box mag not, belt fed. Cool vid
They are known to be overgassed even on the lowest setting. Some people weld them up and drill a smaller gas slot in the gas block
3:20, once you get to the end of the belt, it just disintegrates... and then the VVS takes over *cue aircraft flying over*
I'm ready for the Forgotten Weapons calendar.
Brilliant. I’d buy one.
"I would not call this a good, introductory beginner machine gun" classic Ian hilariousness right there.
Sweet thank you for the great video as always Ian you do not disappoint.
The RPD was one of the first machine guns I ever shot. Then it jammed on me and the owner sliced his hand trying to clear the malfunction and had to go to the ER.
Keeping your bursts to three to five rounds keeps the gun on target. The barrels on the ones we had were chrome lined.
"Once it get to the end of the first belt, it disintegrates and you have another airplane flyover", enjoying the afghan experience Ian?
Had a nice double feature, Armormax demonstration ad with CIT legend himself Leo Prinsloo followed by Ian firing a RPD.
"I'm ready to shoot!"
Rug: Imma end this man's whole career
I love it when Ian discovers his left from right 🤣 Next episode we will discuss tying our shoes and our favorite color. 🥴️ Just breaking your Balls Ian, awesome episode as always, The RPK is a certifiable lead thrower.
At 02:20 you can see gas venting from the gas plug.
love seeing the barrel turn from black to grey as it heats up through the video!
Oddly enough the Chinese belts are an improvement.
The Chinese have competent engineers; and every once in a while they sneak a good design past their idiot communist masters.
You realise they’re decades ahead of the us when it comes to 5g technology
Wait...I thought the Hungarians designed this belt and then the Chinese stole/copied the design?
@@StoutProper I'm a network engineer for the largest telecommunications company in the world. Your 100 percent wrong. They may have the most towers but for the country with the largest population in the world that makes sense. Also there style of government allows them to push projects like this quickly. Theres a reason they copy everything we do and steal anything they can get their hands on.
@@StoutProper that was started in other countries and stolen
Nice job you have there, that certainly is what it's advertised to be. Thanks for sharing.
I know you need to keep the amount of equipment you travel with to a minimum, but if you could start bringing a shot timer with you for these kind of events so we can see exactly what the ROF really is, that would be great.
Shooting from hip, short controlled bursts, alongside advancing infantry. Never long burst as that was the Pk's job. Type 56 (RPD) still very common in Asia and Africa.
This thing gives a lot of finnish KVKK-62 vibes when shooting, which is not So surprising!
Simply the best channel and host on TH-cam!!
Classic military reliability, "it breaks at 300 so we gave you 299, service weekly."
Wow, that's neat - would love the see the cut down version! Also, I would hate to be to your right! that's some hard ejection!
I now see Adam Adamowicz's Inspiration for the Chinese Assualt Rifle for Fallout 3. Nice!
If I'm not mistaken Chinise Assault rifle is more resamble AKS-74U rifle to me)
@@453543ification the handguard is definitely from the RPD though
@Solar General i mean the overal rifle shape not only the handgard though. And don't even try to bother me with your sarcastic comments. Maybe the handgard is from RPD, but overall shape is taken from AKS-74U. Try to find pictures and compare, man)
@@brendonbewersdorf986 don't want to argue with you, man, but overall shape is taken from AKS-74U, if you examine it carefully enough)
@@453543ification I wasn't arguing that point the back half of the gun takes inspiration from the AK-74u for sure but the hand guard is nothing like the ak-74u definitely closer to the RPD being more bulky and the barrel is longer sorta like an ak-47 since it lacks the AKM style muzzle and it's clearly designed for 7.62 ammo due to how curved the magazine is I'd say in all likelihood they just kit bashed a bunch of features from various guns to make it look real but still different from real life since this is a post apocalyptic game set in the future
That one really THROWS that empty bel out like violently.
as an italian i'm an enjoyer of everything that has a drum magazine
also i love that the gun just scream russian design
PS
i know it's not as cool as the RPD but when RPK?
Thank you , Ian .
A simple and ingenious Russian weapon...
that's why the author shoots from it, and blows away dust particles in the museum from the other one !...
I couldn't decide what to take to the range today and this has inspired me to bring my Type 81 LMG with 5-round mags and cry a little bit
“You won’t need more than 300 rounds so it doesn’t get a quick change barrel.”
What if I need more than 300?
“You won’t.”
But what if I do?
“You didn’t hear us: you won’t.”
Oh, and, Wolverines!!!
The villages in Germany are 10 kilotons apart.
It's also why the G11 only came with 150 rounds in 3 magazines. Troops weren't expected to live past that.
Makes a beautiful sound
The Rhodesian SAS and Selous Scouts liked the RPD too. Very common in Africa .
As a C2 gunner in the CDN Infantry, I found that digging the back edges of the bipod feet into the ground - extend your arm holding the pistol grip out and then drag the bipod back as you shoulder the weapon - the weapon became much more stable. I've fired over 500 rounds through an RPD at a range near my place in Asia and did the same thing. No problem hitting steel plates out to 500m consistently.
Who owned that RPD?
@@typehere6689 The Mongolian Army.
The whole mechanics and look is very Soviet of the period. So, I guess the echo of the Korean War but not after the border skirmishes with the USSR in the 60's.
Great video, brother! Thank you!
Weapon of choice of many in Rhodesian SAS to multiply firepower. Would be nice to hear your opinion on accuracy.
pretty bad. my semi auto one is like 5moa. accuracy through volume.
@@breadman32398 thanks for valuable input. Was your barrel worn out or new and where it was made?
@@nikitaananjevas1614 Bulgarian parts kit built by Vektor Arms, I'm not sure about the condition of the barrel but the thing barely has a scratch on it anywhere. Unless they refinished everything I'd guess it's almost new.
@@breadman32398 You could take a bullet and somewhat forcefully turn it 1-2 times on the exit of the barrel to see how low from the top of the bullet the scrathes from barrel twists are. This generally gives pretty good indication of the actual wear of the barrel if visual inspection fails to provide any clear conclusions.
Thank you for sharing Ian!
You know you want to see what the fire rate is on the RPD with the gasport set to max!!! XD
I think it beats the piss out of the gun for no reason.
I love that little "Woo!" at the end.
That last burst of fire literally rattled Ian's dome. Yep, a very violent gun indeed.
that last belt dump - Ian knows what we expect, and he delivers :')
Does the Chinese version have a higher cyclic rate, or has that got an eroded gas port?
better ammo belt
I'm guessing eroded gas port. But I also wouldn't want to crank up the gas past port 2, just in case.
2:30 I enjoyed the stereotypical ricochet sound.