Quote Originally Posted by Peter Laidlericon View Post
I often wondered why but the intelligence people said that it was because the chicom suppliers were all rearming with RPK's and wanted to get rid of the RPD's. Not sure about that but they were very common captures (and subsequent sea dumps).

I'd prefer an RPD any day!
That is an odd change, I know the RPD is the older design, 1945 or so, and wikipedia claims the RPK was adapted to attempt standardize their logistics, but a belt fed MG is generally preferable to a box magazine gun, at least in my opinion.

However I can see some benefits in favour of the RPK, it's 6 lbs lighter, and uses nearly all the same parts as a Rifleman's AK, but the long magazine options do keep teh gunner from getting very low to the ground.