In this image From the BBC, a militia leader makes sure that the PKM is up front and center. As in the picture of the Al Shabab marchers, it makes sense to put some of the more powerful weapons up front, to show that you are well armed, perhaps to intimidate enemies, or gain some political clout. This might be considered a local version of the Soviet May Day military parade.
With both side and bottom shots of the soldier/militiaman with the PKM, the use of the feed box/ammunition box is clear. They are conspicuously lacking in the photo of Al Shabab, in Africa, below.
The following screen shot shows another Iraqi militiaman in Anbar province, in the same group as the first photo, with a PKM without an ammunition box. He has an ammunition belt over his left shoulder.
I do not know if use of the PKM without a feed box/ammunition box is common. The rest of the armed men appear to have AK variants. Perhaps someone with sharper eyes can spot a different model rifle. Vast numbers of all sorts of rifles were discovered in Iraq. Iraqis prize weapons, and rifles have likely been accumulated there from the time of their invention until the present.
©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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2 comments:
Surprised I missed that, I check English news around the world.
I just think that much extra weight to a weapon is to much. I would prefer to carry magazines on my in pouch's than have that weight added to the weapon. I can write my name with an M-60 but it is a very heavy weapon. I would rather have an M-14 with lots of 20 round mags. I never did like the M-16 for a combat weapon. There are far better weapons to use with better fire power.
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