The Daewoo Precision Industries K5 or K5/DP51 series is a
9×19mm semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actuall ...
produced by
S&T Daewoo
SNT Motiv Co., Ltd (formerly S&T Motiv and previously Daewoo Precision Industries/S&T Daewoo) is a South Korean firearms and auto parts manufacturer founded in 1981. Its firearms equip most frontline units of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
H ...
of South Korea.
The K5 was introduced in 1989. It is recoil operated and uses a conventional Browning-type locking system. It is mostly carried by commissioned officers in the
South Korean military
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (), also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength o ...
.
Design
The K5 is a compact, lightweight pistol with an unconventional trigger mechanism called "fast action". The frame is made of forged
7075-T6 aluminum alloy with a matte anodized finish, while the slide is constructed out of forged
4140 steel
41xx steel is a family of SAE steel grades, as specified by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Alloying elements include chromium and molybdenum, and as a result these materials are often informally referred to as chromoly steel (common ...
with a matte finish. The
barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...
is made of forged 4150 steel with a (6 grooves) right twist.
The pistol features an unusual "fast action" trigger mechanism which allows the hammer to be decocked while still keeping the mainspring compressed. The "fast action" (also known as Triple Action, and most recently known as Double Action Plus+) mode allows the trigger travel of the double-action mode and the trigger weight of single-action mode. This allows a more accurate first shot due to the lighter weight of the trigger. It is also safer due to the longer trigger travel required to fire the pistol. A light pull on the trigger causes the hammer to flick back, after which the pistol would behave in conventional
single-action
A trigger is a mechanism that actuates the function of a ranged weapon such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow, or speargun. The word may also be used to describe a switch that initiates the operation of other non-shooting devices such as a trap, a ...
mode.
The pistol can also be fired in traditional
double and single-action modes.
The factory double-column type
box magazine
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). The magazine functions by holding several cartridges withi ...
s hold 13 or 15 rounds for the full size variant or for the compact variant 10 rounds. Smith & Wesson 59-series magazines are known to be compatible with the DP51 but will protrude slightly. The magazine release is of the push button type.
The pistol has three-dot
iron sights
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly ...
. The
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
consists of an ambidextrous
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
external safety and a passive firing pin block which (as its name implies) blocks the
firing pin
A firing pin or striker is a part of the firing mechanism of a firearm that impacts the primer in the base of a cartridge and causes it to fire. In firearms terminology, a striker is a particular type of firing pin where a compressed spring ...
from moving forward unless the trigger is pulled.
The handgrip panels are made of one piece polymer.
Commercial sales
The K5 was marketed commercially in the United States between the early to late 1990s through various importers, including FirstShot, Inc., Kimber of America, Inc., B-West Imports, Inc., and Davidsons, Inc. as the DP51, with a compact version known as the DP51C and S&W caliber version known as the DH40.
It was reintroduced to the U.S. market through collaboration between Daewoo (now S&T Motiv) and Lionheart Industries of Redmond, WA in 2011 as the LH9, LH9C, and LH9 MKII (amongst other variants), featuring numerous updates including a redesigned hammer, wider slide serrations with added serrations to the front of the slide, redesigned grips, Cerakote finish, and optional Picatinny rail (as the MKII).
The internal design and basic functions remain identical to the original and all the parts interchange between the original and the Lionheart variants.
![White BG - Alpha Black Ejection(1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/White_BG_-_Alpha_Black_Ejection%281%29.jpg)
A later variant of the pistol was introduced in 2016 by Lionheart called the REGULUS, chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. The REGULUS was made in the United States, not imported, as was the case with prior models of Lionheart pistols.
The REGULUS built on the LH9 by adding Novak sight cuts, an accessory rail on the dust cover, and an overall change of the pistol's aesthetic. In 2019 the REGULUS was re-released by Lionheart's new owner when the company moved from Renton, Washington to Winder Georgia. Further refinements were made to the pistol including a redesign of the extractor, redesign of the recoil spring assembly, the addition of G10 grips, and an update to the pistol's finish using Cerekote Elite.
Variants
* XK5: Experimental prototype.
* K5: Standard mass-produced variant.
** DP51: Commercial version of K5.
*** DP51S: Semi-compact version with compact slide and full-sized frame.
*** DP51C: Compact version of DP51.
** DH40: Commercial version of K5 chambered in
S&W.
** DH45: Commercial version of K5 chambered in
.
** LH9: Updated Version of the DP51 introduced by Lionheart Industries in 2011.
*** LH9C: Compact version of the LH9.
*** LH9 MKII: LH9 equipped with integral picatinny rail.
**REGULUS: Updated version of LH9
***REGULUS Alpha: Full size pistol
***REGULUS Beta: Compact pistol
Users
*: Purchased in 2011.
*: Purchased in 2011.
*: Standard sidearm.
*:
Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation
Commandos is the special forces formation of the Singapore Army responsible for conducting special operations. Commandos are tasked with infiltrating behind enemy lines by raiding and reconnaissance operations using airborne raids, helicopter ...
(CDO FN)
*:
Macedonia Armed Forces
*: 200 K5s transferred according to a 2019 SIPRI small arms report.
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
{{Commons category, Daewoo K5
S&T Daewoo HomepageUS Distributor Lionhart Industries Homepage*
ttp://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/03/foghorn/gun-review-lionheart-lh9-2/ Gun Review: Lionheart LH9 By Nick Leghorn on March 4, 2013Gun Review: Lionheart LH9 – Take 2 By Joe Grine on May 31, 2013
9mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistols
Post–Cold War weapons of South Korea
Semi-automatic pistols of South Korea