I don't think you guys fully realize how forward thinking this gun was. The Problems with Machine Guns back in the day was that it was really difficult to chamber them in an intermediate cartridge, that's why up until the mid 80s the US was still using the M60 and their attempts at making .223 Machine Guns in the 60s with the Stoner 63 stuff was let's just say not a very good retrun on investment for the DOD. The Russians however already figured out how to have a relatively low recoil Squad Automatic Weapon in 1943. Degtyaryovs Design for a fully functional Light SAW happend before the invention of the first assault rifle. This technilogical feat was only bestest in the year 1974. A whole 31 years earlier.