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What is the PM md. 63 rifle?

The PM md. 63 is a sturdy assault rifle made in Romania. It was based on the famous Soviet AKM design to help Romania build its own military strength. Workers at the Cugir arms factory started making these rifles in 1963 to give to their soldiers.

What is the most special thing about its look?

This rifle is very famous for a curved wooden handle that sticks down from the front of the gun. This special grip was built to help soldiers keep their aim steady. It made it much easier to control the gun when firing many bullets very quickly.

How did soldiers use this weapon in battle?

Soldiers used this rifle as their main tool during the Cold War. It was designed to fire in short bursts to save ammunition and hit targets more accurately. Because it was built to be very tough, it worked well even in mud, rain, or very dusty places.

What kind of bullets does the PM md. 63 shoot?

This rifle uses a common bullet size called the 7.62x39 mm cartridge. Many other countries used this same size of bullet for their own AK-style guns during that time. Using a standard size meant that soldiers could often find more bullets if they ran out during a fight.

What is the history of this rifle?

The factory in the city of Cugir built millions of these rifles over many years. While most were used by the Romanian army, thousands were sold to other nations around the world. Today, the rifle is remembered as an important piece of technology from the Cold War era.

Home Library RomaniaPM md. 63

Assault Rifle

PM md. 63

The PM md. 63 is a famous Romanian-made Kalashnikov rifle known for its built-in wooden front grip.

Romania Introduced 1963 Uzina Mecanică CugirRole: Infantry assault rifle

Specifications

Weight

7.6 pounds

Caliber

7.62x39 mm

Firing Rate

600 rounds per minute

Magazine Capacity

30 rounds

History

In the early 1960s, Romania began building its own version of the Soviet AKM assault rifle to equip its armed forces during the Cold War. Produced at the Cugir arms factory, the rifle was called the Pistol Mitralieră model 1963. It fired the common 7.62x39 mm intermediate cartridge.

The most distinctive feature of the PM md. 63 was a vertical wooden forward handgrip built into the lower handguard. This wooden handle helped soldiers control muzzle climb when firing rapid bursts on full-automatic. Millions of these reliable rifles were built for Romanian troops, and thousands were exported across the world during the Cold War era.