PK machine gun
HCP PKM-NATO prototype and UKM-2000 (Poland)
#### HCP PKM\-NATO prototype and UKM\-2000 (Poland)

In the early 1990s, as part of the preparations to join NATO, the Polish armed forces were looking for a replacement for the PK\-series machine guns then in service. The [H. Cegielski \- Poznań S.A.](/wiki/H._Cegielski_-_Pozna%C5%84_S.A. "H. Cegielski - Poznań S.A.") Works in [Poznań](/wiki/Pozna%C5%84 "Poznań") modified the PK/PKS to feed standard [7\.62×51mm NATO](/wiki/7.62%C3%9751mm_NATO "7.62×51mm NATO") cartridges and use [NATO standard ammunition belts](/wiki/M13_link "M13 link"). The new model received the code\-name PKM\-NATO (or PKM\-N). The modifications included a heavier barrel, a larger chamber, and a redesign of the lock, bolt, extractor, and the entire feeding mechanism. The prototype was tested from 1997 to 1999, but was rejected.

The [Polish Army](/wiki/Polish_Army "Polish Army") adopted the [UKM\-2000](/wiki/UKM-2000 "UKM-2000") machine gun instead in 2007, which was also based on the PKM.


What is the purpose of modifying the PK/PKS machine gun?