PM M1910

Pulyemyot Maksima obr. 1910
PM M1910/30
TypeHeavy machine gun
Place of originRussian Empire[1]
Service history
In service1910 – Present
Used bySee § Users
WarsSee § Conflicts
Production history
Designed1909 – 1910[2]
ManufacturerTula Arsenal
Developed fromMaksima obr. 1905
Produced1910 – 1939
1941 – 1945
No. builtAt least 176,000[3]
Up to 600,000[4]
VariantsSee § Variants
Specifications
Mass
  • Gun body:
    23.8 kg (52.47 lb)
  • On wheeled mount:[1]
    62.66 kg (138.14 lb)
Length1,067 mm (42.01 in)
Barrel length721 mm (28.39 in)
Cartridge7.62×54mmR[1][5]
Caliber7.62 mm
ActionShort recoil, toggle locked
Rate of fire600 round/min[1]
Muzzle velocity740 m/s (2,400 ft/s)
Effective firing range2,700 m (3,000 yd)[4]
Maximum firing range5,000 m (5,500 yd)[4]
Feed system250-round belt[1]

The Pulyemyot Maksima M1910 (Russian: Пулемёт Максима образца 1910 года, romanized: Pulemyot Maksima obraztsa 1910 goda, lit. 'Maxim machine gun model 1910'), or PM M1910, is a heavy machine gun based on the Maxim gun, that was used by the Imperial Russian Army, Navy and Air Service during World War I, then by the Red, White and Green armies during the Russian Civil War, and later by the Soviet Armed Forces during World War II. Later the gun saw service in the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

History

It was adopted in August 1910 and was derived from Hiram Maxim's Maxim gun, chambered for the standard Russian 7.62×54mmR rifle cartridge. The M1910 was mounted on a wheeled mount with a gun shield.[5]

In 1918–1920, 21,000 new Maxim M1910 machine guns were manufactured in Revolutionary Russia for the Red Army.[1] In 1930, a modernized version M1910/30 was adopted by the Red Army.[5] M1910/30 can be equipped with optical sight.[6] In 1941, the gun was modernized once again.[5] In May 1942, an order was given to begin the development of a new machine gun to replace the Maxim M1910/30. On May 15, 1943, the SG-43 machine gun was adopted and since summer 1943 Maxim guns were replaced in Soviet service by the SG-43, which retained the wheeled and shielded carriage. However, production of the Maxim did not end until 1945.[5]

In addition to the main infantry version, there were aircraft-mounted and naval variants. Some were fitted with a tractor radiator cap fitted on top of the water jacket to allow handfuls of snow to be packed in to melt while firing.

After World War II, the Maxim was phased out of service, but was still sent in some quantities to the Korean War and Vietnam War. In 2014 during the war in Donbas, some Maxims in stock were captured by the Pro-Russian separatists while others were taken from storage to be used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.[7] A number were used by the Ukrainian military during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine due to their reputation for accuracy and reliability.[8]

Variants

Gun variants

Russian Empire/Soviet Union
Finland[9][10]
Second Polish Republic
  • Maxim wz. 1910 — Polish Maxim M1910.[11]
  • Maxim wz. 1910/28 — Polish Maxim wz. 1910 converted to 7.92 mm Mauser.[11]

Designations

Russian Empire
  • Maxim M1910 MG on the Sokolov M1910 wheeled mount (Russian: Пулемёт Максима образца 1910 года на колёсном станке А. А. Соколова образца 1910 года, romanized: Pulemyot Maksima obraztsa 1910 goda na kolosnom stanke A. A. Sokolova obraztsa 1910 goda, lit. 'Maxim machine gun model 1910 on the A. A. Sokolov wheeled mount model 1910')[2]
  • Maxim M1910 MG on the Kolesnikov M1915 wheeled mount (Russian: Пулемёт Максима образца 1910 года на колёсном станке И. Н. Колесникова образца 1915 года, romanized: Pulemot Maksima obraztsa 1910 goda na kolosnom stanke I. N. Kolesnikova obraztsa 1915 goda, lit. 'Maxim machine gun model 1910 on the I. N. Kolesnikov wheeled mount model 1915')[2]
Soviet Union
  • Maxim M1910 MG on the Kondakov M1928 anti-aircraft tripod (Russian: Пулемёт Максима образца 1910 года на зенитной треноге М. Н. Кондакова образца 1928 года, romanized: Pulemyot Maksima obraztsa 1910 goda na zenitnoy trenoge M. N. Kondakova obraztsa 1928 goda, lit. 'Maxim machine gun model 1910 on the M. N. Kondakov anti-aircraft tripod model 1928')[2]
  • Maxim M1910/30 machine gun on the Vladimirov M1931 wheeled mount (Russian: Пулемёт Максима образца 1910/30 года на колёсном станке С. В. Владимирова образца 1931 года, romanized: Pulemot Maksima obraztsa 1910/30 goda na kolosnom stanke S. V. Vladimirova obraztsa 1931 goda, lit. 'Maxim machine gun model 1910/30 on the S. V. Vladimirov wheeled mount model 1931')[2]
  • M-4 quadruple anti-aircraft machine gun mount (Russian: Счетверённая зенитная пулемётная установка М-4 образца 1931 года)[2][12]

Users

Conflicts

1900 – 1920s
World War I[2]
Russian Revolution
Russian Civil War[1]
Turkish War of Independence
Polish–Soviet War
Finnish Civil War
Estonian War of Independence
Warlord Era[20]
1930s – 1990s
Mäntsälä Rebellion
Spanish Civil War
2nd Sino-Japanese War
Korean War
Vietnam War
21st century
Syrian Civil War
  • Ottoman soldiers with a captured Russian Maxim machine gun during WWI
    Ottoman soldiers with a captured Russian Maxim machine gun during WWI
  • Soviet Red Army military personnel with a Maxim M1910 machine gun, late 1920s and early 1930s
    Soviet Red Army military personnel with a Maxim M1910 machine gun, late 1920s and early 1930s
  • A Makhnovist tachanka on display in the Huliaipole museum; notice that it is mounted with the PM M1910/30
    A Makhnovist tachanka on display in the Huliaipole museum; notice that it is mounted with the PM M1910/30
  • Soviet troops receiving instruction on the PM M1910/30
    Soviet troops receiving instruction on the PM M1910/30
  • Soviet Red Army machinegunners with the PM M1910/30 in the Battle of Kursk
    Soviet Red Army machinegunners with the PM M1910/30 in the Battle of Kursk
  • Soviet female military personnel with the Maxim M1910/30 machine gun on the Kondakov M1928 anti-aircraft tripod, 1941
    Soviet female military personnel with the Maxim M1910/30 machine gun on the Kondakov M1928 anti-aircraft tripod, 1941
  • M-4 quadruple anti-aircraft machine gun mount (rear view)
    M-4 quadruple anti-aircraft machine gun mount (rear view)
  • M-4 quadruple anti-aircraft machine gun mount (front view)
    M-4 quadruple anti-aircraft machine gun mount (front view)

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Пулемёты // Гражданская война и военная интервенция в СССР. Энциклопедия / редколл., гл. ред. С. С. Хромов. — 2-е изд. — М., «Советская энциклопедия», 1987. стр.490-491
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Fedoseyev 2010, pp. 40–46.
  3. ^ Forty 2024, p. 81.
  4. ^ a b c PM M.1910 (quartermastersection).
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "На вооружении Советской Армии состояли станковые пулемёты Максима образца 1910, модернизированные в 1930 и 1941"
    Пулемёты // Великая Отечественная война 1941 - 1945. Энциклопедия. / редколл., гл. ред. М. М. Козлов. М., "Советская энциклопедия", 1985. стр.594-595
  6. ^ Описание пулемётного оптического прицела обр. 1930. Москва, Ленинград; Отдел Издательства Народного Комиссариата Обороны Союза ССР. 1951 г.
  7. ^ a b c Trevithick, Joseph (5 February 2020). "Ukrainian Troops Are Still Using This Pre-World War I-Era Maxim Machine Gun In Combat". The Drive.
  8. ^ "Why Ukraine's army still uses a 100-year-old machinegun". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  9. ^ a b "MACHINEGUNS PART 1: 7,62 mm Maxim machineguns". jaegerplatoon.net. Finland. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Anti-Aircraft Machineguns". jaegerplatoon.net. Finland. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c Andrzej Konstankiewicz. Broń strzelecka i sprzęt artyleryjski formacji polskich i Wojska Polskiego w latach 1914-1939. Warszawa, 2003. str.113
  12. ^ Quad Maxim M4.
  13. ^ a b Lugosi, József (2008). "Gyalogsági fegyverek 1868–2008". In Lugosi, József; Markó, György. Hazánk dicsőségére: 160 éves a Magyar Honvédség. Budapest: Zrínyi Kiadó. p. 382-383. ISBN 978-963-327-461-3.
  14. ^ Out, Roger (May 2005). "La mitrailleuse russe Maxim modèle 1910". Gazette des armes (in French). No. 365. p. 47.
  15. ^ a b Kinard, Jeff (9 April 2010). "Machine guns". In Tucker, Spencer C.; Pierpaoli, Paul G. Jr. (eds.). The Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social, and Military History. Vol. 1. A-L (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 535. ISBN 978-1-85109-849-1. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  16. ^ Ермаков В. Ф. Из истории советско-чехословацкого боевого содружества // «Военно-исторический журнал», 1988, № 3. стр.11-16
  17. ^ "The Finnish Maxims: M09/21 & M32/33". mosinnagant.net. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  18. ^ Terry Gander, Peter Chamberlain. Enzyklopädie deutscher Waffen 1939–1945. Handwaffen, Artillerie, Beutewaffen, Sonderwaffen. Motorbuch Verlag, 2008.
  19. ^ Сведения штаба Московского военного округа о материальном обеспечении 1-й румынской пехотной дивизии, 1 апреля 1944 г. // Освободительная миссия Советских Вооружённых Сил в Европе во второй мировой войне: документы и материалы. М., Воениздат, 1985. стр.87-88
  20. ^ a b Jowett, Philip (20 Nov 2013). China's Wars: Rousing the Dragon 1894-1949. General Military. Osprey Publishing. pp. 129, 147. ISBN 9781782004073.
  21. ^ 35,000 Maxim guns stored.
  22. ^ Розпорядження Кабінету міністрів України № 108-р від 29 лютого 2012 р. "Про утилізацію стрілецької зброї"
  23. ^ 2 Maxim guns scrapped.
  24. ^ Минобороны Украины вернуло на вооружение пулемет "Максим"
  25. ^ Boffey 2023.
  26. ^ a b Gault, Matthew (2023-03-21). "Ukraine Is Successfully Using a 140-Year-Old Machine Gun Against Russia". Vice. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  27. ^ "Age old weapons are shaping Russia-Ukraine war, here is the list".

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