Which one has better actual combat effectiveness, the Russian RPK or the American M249?

RPK is actually a large-capacity AK. The 7.62x39 bullet used does not have any special advantages compared to the 5.56x45 bullet.

RPK is a machine gun modified from an assault rifle and is fed by a magazine. , the barrel is not replaceable. The power is only a little more powerful than the AK;

The M249 is a pure-blood machine gun, fed by a belt, the barrel can be quickly replaced, and it can also be used as a platoon/company weapon when necessary. It is a machine gun (M240 level), and its tactical positioning is completely different from that of the RPK.

However, the M249 is not light at all. The empty gun weighs 7.5kg, the same as the Soviet PKM general-purpose machine gun. When equipped with 200 After the magazine is issued, the total weight is close to 10kg. The RPK is only 4.8kg, which is heavier than the AK.

The Russian army now uses the PKM as a squad machine gun, with a 7.62x54R caliber.