Video have been circulating on youtube of a Russian Spetsnaz soldier apparently testing out a PKM heavy machine gun with an unusual backpack style ammunition belt storage and feeding system called Scorpion. The system developed, patented and manufacture by Russian company Front Tactical Systems. Scorpion system allows the machine gunners to carry more ammunition and at the same time have all the ammunition readily available, without a need to reload. Russian special forces requested such a feeding system a long time ago and the FRONT finally came up with a solution.
The system holds 550 rounds of 7.62x54R ammunition on standard PKM non-disintegrating belts. The main backpack compartment contains 475 rounds and there are additional 75 rounds in the feeding arm. The ammunition is held in a metal case which is then placed inside the backpack. So if the backpack gets damaged, the mentioned case can be placed inside any other backpack with similar dimensions. Scorpion’s backpack has the following dimensions: 18″x12″x4″.
The feeding arm is made of a high strength steel with a special anti-corrosion coating. It is pretty long (5.25 feet (160 cm)), which makes weapon manipulations relatively easy with the system attached. The feeding arm attaches to the ammunition can attachment bracket on PK type machine guns.
The backpack and feeding arm cover come in many color and camouflage options: black, tan, OD green, coyote brown, foliage green, ACU etc. The setup is straight out of Predator, and is similar to a backpack-fed machine gun rigged by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Vincent Winkowski in 2011 during a 2 1/2 hour firefight in Afghanistan.
The Russian PKP Pencheneg machine gun is nearly four feet long and fires 7.62x54mm ammo at 600-800 RPM. It is a further development and modification of the PK machine gun.[14] It is said to be more accurate than all its predecessors due to a heavier, non-removable, forced-air-cooling barrel with radial cooling ribs and a handle which eliminates the haze effect from hot gases and keeps the barrel cooler, making the weapon more reliable. Furthermore, the weapon is capable of having a telescopic sight or other sights mounted on it, which increases its accuracy and effective range.
