Infantry Weapons

Type 80/PKM-T80 general-purpose machine gun

The Type 80 is a Chinese PKM-pattern, belt-fed 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun. AP and The Times of Israel reported Hamas fighters in Gaza carrying Type 80 weapons during the Israel-Hamas War, while noting Iranian copies renamed PKM-T80.

Israel-Hamas WarHamas

Conflict side: Hamas
Built by: Norinco
Built in: China

Type 80/PKM-T80 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons

Profile

Type: 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun
Conflict side: Hamas
Origin: China
Service note: Introduced in 1983 and still in service

machine gunbelt-fedportable small arms

Service History

In service: 1983-present
Used by: Hamas
Wars: Israel-Hamas War

Production History

Designed: 1980
Built by: Norinco
Built in: China
Produced: 1983-present
Variants: Type 80, PKM-T80

Specifications

Caliber: 7.62×54mmR
Operation: Gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed, fully automatic
Weight: 12.6 kg
Length: 1,192 mm
Rate of fire: 700-800 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity: 846 m/s
Max effective range: 1,500 m
Feed: 100-, 200-, or 250-round belts/boxes

Conflict Usage

Israel-Hamas War: Side: HamasRole: Infantry fire supportfire support
Israel-Hamas War: used by Hamas fighters in Gaza; AP and The Times of Israel reported Type 80 weapons in Hamas hands and noted the Iranian PKM-T80 copy designation.

Type 80/PKM-T80 general-purpose machine gun Images

Type 80/PKM-T80 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 1

Type 80/PKM-T80 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 2

Type 80/PKM-T80 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 3

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Sources

NORINCO Type 80 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG)Publisher: Military Factory | Note: Supports the Type 80's Chinese Norinco background, PKM-family lineage, 1983 introduction, and general performance details. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Type 80 GPMGPublisher: CAT-UXO | Note: Supports the Type 80's 7.62×54mmR caliber, gas-operated belt-fed design, and general technical background. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Who builds the weapons that Hamas fighters usePublisher: AP News | Note: Israel-Hamas War: used by Hamas fighters in Gaza, with AP identifying a Chinese Type 80 version and noting Iranian copies renamed PKM-T80. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Hamas's cobbled together weapons arsenal still proving deadly to IDF troops in GazaPublisher: The Times of Israel | Note: Israel-Hamas War: used by Hamas fighters in Gaza, with the article identifying a Chinese Type 80 version and the Iranian PKM-T80 rename. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 File:Bangladesh Army Type 80 machine gun on display.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing for the primary Type 80 photo, which is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 File:Chinese pkms.pngPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing for the Type 80 schematic, which is a U.S. government work in the public domain. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 File:BPLA Fighter using Type 80 GPMG.pngPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing for a public-domain Type 80 clone photo used as a contextual gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20