Garanin general-purpose machine guns

{{refimprove|date=December 2012}}

{{infobox weapon

| name = Garanin machine gun

| image =

| caption = 2PB10 Garanin

| origin = Soviet Union

| type = General-purpose machine gun

| is_ranged = YES

| service =

| used_by =

| wars =

| designer = {{ill|Georgy Garanin|ru|Гаранин, Георгий Семёнович}}

| design_date = 1957

| manufacturer =

| unit_cost =

| production_date =

| number =

| variants = 2B-P-10
2B-P-45 (gas-operated){{cite journal|last=Ponomaryov|first=Yury|title=Догнать и перегнать|trans-title=Overtake and Surpass|language=Russian|magazine=Kalashnikov|year=2011|pages=64–73|issue=2011–11|publisher=IPSC Russia, Association of Russian Gunsmiths|url=http://www.kalashnikov.ru/upload/medialibrary/0ff/dognat-peregnat.pdf|format=PDF}}

| spec_label =

| weight =

| length =

| part_length =

| cartridge = 7.62×54mmR

| cartridge_weight =

| caliber = 7.62mm

| barrels =

| action = Lever-delayed blowback (first variant), gas operated (second variant)

| rate =

| velocity =

| range =

| max_range =

| feed = Belt

| sights = Iron

}}

The Garanin machine guns (Пулемёт Гаранина) were a series of general-purpose machine gun prototypes developed by Soviet designer Georgy Semenovich Garanin at OKB-575 in Kovrov. These guns were developed in the context of a contest, started in December 1955, for replacing the company-level RP-46 light machine gun and the battalion-level "heavy" (in the old sense of the term) machine gun SGM with a single new machine gun that could fulfill both roles using different mounts.

Garanin's first prototype for this competition operated on the principle of lever-delayed blowback. This prototype was rejected in 1957 for failing to meet several of the technical requirements for accuracy and reliability. A later prototype of Garanin relied on gas operation; this one was rejected in 1960, because it was considered inferior to the front-runner designs of Nikitin and Kalashnikov.Сергей МОНЕТЧИКОВ, [http://www.bratishka.ru/archiv/2003/7/2003_7_9.php РУССКИЕ ОРУЖЕЙНИКИ: Создатель единого пулемета] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226052214/http://www.bratishka.ru/archiv/2003/7/2003_7_9.php |date=2015-02-26 }}, Bratishka issue of July–August

2003 (in Russian) Ultimately, Kalashnikov's PK machine gun won the competition.{{cite book|title=Пулеметы России. Шквальный огонь | author = Семен Федосеев|pages=282–285|year=2009|publisher=Яуза / Коллекция / ЭКСМО|isbn=978-5-699-31622-9}}