RPL-20
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| RPL-20 | |
|---|---|
 RPL-20 light machine gun at the Army-2020 exhibition | |
| Type | Light machine gun |
| Place of origin | Russia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2025-present |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Kalashnikov Concern |
| Designed | August 2020 (prototype unveiled) |
| Produced | 2025 |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 5.2–5.5 kg (11–12 lb) |
| Length | 1,085–1,145 mm (42.7–45.1 in) |
| Barrel length | 590 mm (23.2 in) 415 mm (16.3 in) |
| Cartridge | 5.45×39mm 7.62×39mm (RPL-7) |
| Action | Gas operated, rotating bolt, open bolt |
| Rate of fire | 800 rounds/min |
| Feed system | 100-, 200-round pouch of non-disintegrating belt |
The RPL-20 (Russian: Ручной Пулемёт Ленточный 20, РПЛ-20, romanized: Ruchnoy Pulemot Lentochnyy 20, RPL-20, lit. 'Belt-fed Machine Gun 20, RPL-20') is a light machine gun developed by Kalashnikov Concern for the Russian military. The "20" in the designation indicates the year 2020.
Adoption
The Soviet military have not fielded a squad-level, intermediate caliber, belt-fed machine gun since the retirement of the RPD machine gun in the early 1960s.[1][2]
Since the rejection of the PU-21 (IP-2) project[3][4][5][6] and adoption of the PKM, the Russian military has not indicated any desire for a belt-fed, intermediate caliber machine gun.
The MVD solicited designs for a similar machine gun in the beginning of 2011, for use by counter-terror teams, though it did not follow through with any actual orders.[7]
There have, however, been competitions to replace the RPK-74, leading to the selection of the RPK-16 for field trials.[8]
Kalashnikov Concern has provided video of the RPL-20 being handled and fired, demonstrating that they have at least completed a fully-functioning prototype RPL-20.
Based on feedback from these field trials, Kalashnikov Concern independently began development of the RPL-20.
The RPL-20 was unveiled at the Army-2020 event in late August, 2020.
If adopted, the RPL-20 will become the first light machine gun to be used by Russian forces since the RPD machine gun that isn't magazine-fed or of the standard Kalashnikov pattern.
The RPL-20 is anticipated to serve as a squad automatic weapon in Russian military use, supplementing the heavier-caliber PK machine guns currently used for suppressive fire while still providing a higher practical rate of fire than the RPK series.
As of January 2024, Kalashnikov Concern completed preliminary tests of the RPL-20 machine gun, and Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation plans to conduct state trials of the machine gun in 2024.[9]
The first serial batch was produced in May 2025 and shipped to the Russian military the following month. The RPL-20 was ordered in MultiCam camouflage pattern.[10][11]
Design details
The RPL-20 is a belt-fed, open bolt, fully automatic light machine gun with a rotating bolt and a long-stroke gas piston.[12] Kalashnikov Concern has stated that the RPL-20 is a new design, rather than being a derivative of the ubiquitous Kalashnikov-pattern rifle series.
With an empty weight of 5.2-5.5 kg, the RPL-20 rivals the weight of an RPK-74 while providing belt-fed, open-bolt operation and quick-change barrels to enhance sustained fire.[13]
The RPL-20 uses a non-disintegrating linked belt similar to the RPD machine gun. Alternative designs experimented with a dual-feed option (i.e., capable of both magazine- and belt-feed), considered to be an improvement over the RPK-74.
The choice to keep it belt-fed only was made to lighten the machine gun and make it less complex than a dual-feed model, allowing the troops in the field to top off spent belts as a trade-off for not accepting standard-issue assault rifle magazines.[14]
The RPL-20 is designed with two barrel length options: 590 mm (23.2 in) for regular troops and 415 mm (16.3 in) for assault units.[11]
Variants
RPL-7
The RPL-7 is a 7.62×39mm variant of the RPL-20. It features 415 mm (16.3 in) and 590 mm (23.2 in) barrel lengths, and uses a soft ammunition box that holds 80-rounds through a non-disintegrating belt.
