Successful PKM 7.62 mm Machine Gun Live Fire Testing

Mechanical Engineering Capstone group advised by LTC Joshua Keena successfully conducted live fire testing of their senior design project on the PKM 7.62 mm machine gun. Cadets Kenny Dailey, Logan Schmidt, and Kyle Reeves tested a blank firing adapter (BFA) and feed tray discriminator (FTD) that they designed and prototyped. The BFA and FTD allows the 7.62 mm PKM machine gun to safely and effectively fire blank ammunition. The devices were tested at a cyclic rate of +760 rounds per minute with the 7.62 mm × 54 mm cartridge. The test was supported by armorers from the West Point Supply Services Area (SSA) Facility as well as weapon system engineers from Picatinny Arsenal, NJ. Special thanks to Mr. James McTamaney for his approval for use of the test stand and arms room.