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Small arms1949–present
Heavy machine gun
KPV heavy machine gun is a heavy machine gun originating in Soviet Union. It was built by Degtyarev Plant. Reported operators include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, China, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, India, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran, Islamic State, Ivory Coast, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, North Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Syrian Democratic Forces, Togo, Ukraine, Yemen, Vietnam, Tanzania, Zimbabwe.
Technical data
Heavy machine gun
Soviet Union
1949–present
See operators
Korean War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Rhodesian Bush War Western Sahara War Angolan Civil War South African Border War Soviet–Afghan War Libyan–Chadian conflict Iran–Iraq War Gulf War First Chechen War Second Chechen War Russo-Georgian War Iraq War Lebanese Civil War First Libyan Civil War Syrian Civil War War in Iraq (2013–2017) Russo-Ukrainian War Second Libyan Civil War Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Saudi–Yemeni border conflict (2015–present)
Semyon Vladimirov
1944
Degtyarev Plant
1949–present
KPVT
49 kg (108.03 lb)
1,980 mm (78.0 in)
1,346 mm (53.0 in)
162 mm (6.4 in)
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 1.98 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
225 mm (8.9 in)
14.5×114mm
14.5 mm
Short recoil operation
600 rpm
1,005 m/s (3,297 ft/s)
3,000 m (9,800 ft)
4,000 m (13,000 ft)
40-round belt
iron or optical
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Bangladesh
Benin
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Cameroon
Congo
China
Cuba
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Finland
Georgia
Guinea-Bissau
Hungary
India
Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iran
Islamic State
Ivory Coast
Laos
Lebanon
Libya
Malawi
Mali
Malta
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
North Korea
Nicaragua
Pakistan
Panama
Poland
Romania
Russia
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
São Tomé and Príncipe
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Slovenia
Somalia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Syrian Democratic Forces
Togo
Ukraine
Yemen
Vietnam
Tanzania
Zimbabwe
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
KPV heavy machine gun equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Bangladesh
Benin
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Cameroon
China
Cuba
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Finland
Georgia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Hungary
India
Iran
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Laos
Lebanon
Libya
Malawi
Mali
Malta
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nicaragua
North Korea
Pakistan
Panama
Poland
Republic of the Congo
Romania
Russia
São Tomé and Príncipe
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Slovenia
Somalia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Tanzania
Togo
Türkiye
Ukraine
Vietnam
Yemen
ZimbabweAfghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, China, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, India, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran, Islamic State, Ivory Coast, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, North Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, São Tomé and Príncipe, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Syrian Democratic Forces, Togo, Ukraine, Yemen, Vietnam, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
Equipment reference ↗