The RK 62 (from
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
, 'assault rifle 62'), officially 7.62 RK 62 and commercially M62, is an
assault rifle manufactured by
Valmet
Valmet Oyj is a Finnish company and a developer and supplier of technologies, automation systems and services for the pulp (paper), pulp, paper and energy industry, energy industries.
Valmet has over 200 years of history as an industrial oper ...
and
Sako Sako or SAKO may refer to:
People with the surname
* Bakary Sako (born 1988), French-born Malian footballer
* Hygerta Sako, Albanian beauty pageant contestant
* Louis Raphaël I Sako (born 1948), Iraqi cleric, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church
...
. It is the
standard issue Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
infantry weapon of the
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces ( fi, Puolustusvoimat, sv, Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime the Finnish Border Guard (which i ...
.
The RK 62 was designed in 1962 and is based on the Polish licensed version of the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
design. The RK 62 uses the same
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...
cartridge as the AK-47. Between 1965 and 1994 350,000 M62 rifles were produced jointly by Valmet and Sako. It is the basis of the
IMI Galil
The IMI Galil ( he, גליל) is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was first produced ...
, an Israeli-made assault rifle with many similarities. The RK 62 has a three-pronged
flash suppressor
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the burning gases that ...
, and a groove for a specially designed
knife bayonet
A knife bayonet is a knife which can be used both as a bayonet, combat knife, or utility knife. The knife bayonet became the almost universal form of bayonet in the 20th century due to its versatility and effectiveness. Spike bayonets proved usel ...
, which can be used alone as a
combat knife
A combat knife is a fighting knife designed solely for military use and primarily intended for hand-to-hand or close combat fighting.Peterson, Harold L., ''Daggers and Fighting Knives of the Western World'', Courier Dover Publications, , (2001) ...
.
The
RK 95 TP is a more modern, improved version of the RK 62. One of the most distinctive features of the Valmet rifles, including the M62 and all subsequent variations, is the open-ended, three prong flash suppressor with a bayonet lug on its lower side. In addition to the flash suppression, the end can quickly cut barbed wire by pushing the muzzle onto a strand of wire and firing a round.
History
The development of a Finnish assault rifle began in the 1950s. Various foreign models were looked at, the Soviet AK-47 being the most important. The first version was called the RK 60.
The RK 62 was produced in 1960 at the Valmet factory in Tourula and was internally almost a copy of the AK-47. It featured a metallic buttstock, a plastic handguard and
pistol
A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...
grip but lacked the trigger guard (it was hoped that it would make firing this weapon easier in cold Finnish winter when soldiers wore warm mittens). The very first prototypes, closely modeled after Polish licence made AKs, had tinted
birch
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
wood stocks. After testing by the military, the RK 60 was slightly modified (trigger guard was reinstated) and adopted as the 7.62 RK 62.
In August 2015, the Finnish Defence Forces announced that they will gradually modernize existing RK 62 rifles. The old tubular butt and leather sling will be replaced with a telescopic stock and tactical sling. An option for mounting a top rail for telescopic sights and night vision devices will be added to all rifles; likewise the barrel will get an attachment point for tactical lights and lasers. The upgraded model will be known as RK 62 M.
Design
The RK 62 is considered a high quality AK-47 variant. The biggest single improvement, apart from the metallurgical quality of the receiver and the overall quality of the barrel, are the sights: most AK variants have the rear sight mounted on top of the gas piston housing on top of the receiver. In the Rk62 the rear sight is mounted on the rear of the receiver cover with tritium illuminated night-sights. The sight radius is doubled enhancing the accuracy along with the hammer-forged match CM barrel. Aperture rear sight on a sliding tangent with flip tritium night sight, forward hooded post, 470 mm sight radius.
This is apparent especially in its accuracy, as it can frequently achieve less than one
minute of arc
A minute of arc, arcminute (arcmin), arc minute, or minute arc, denoted by the symbol , is a unit of angular measurement equal to of one degree. Since one degree is of a turn (or complete rotation), one minute of arc is of a turn. The na ...
. The rifle uses a "peep" diopter sight, which is flipped over to reveal the open
tritium
Tritium ( or , ) or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with half-life about 12 years. The nucleus of tritium (t, sometimes called a ''triton'') contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus o ...
enhanced rear night sight. The forward sight also has a mode for night operation. The gas tube is dove tailed into the front trunnion, and is a single-diameter tube, unlike the AK/AKM tube, which has a star-shaped cross-section to guide the piston while allowing gasses to vent behind it. The gas piston has a cog shaped ring on the stem, behind the piston head. The ring's diameter matches the tube diameter, and it acts as the guide within the gas tube, the notches on the ring allowing excess gasses to be vented behind the piston head/guide. This system reduces the number of parts, and simplifies manufacturing as well as assembly/disassembly. This design made its way into the IMI Galil. A port in the shoulder pad allows storing items (e.g. the cleaning kit) in the tubular buttstock.
All RK variants are designed to withstand the extreme environmental conditions of
Northern Europe
The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...
.
Variants
Military
* m/58 - the very first prototype with which Valmet beat the Sako prototype in the competition for designing a locally produced Kalashnikov-pattern rifle. The prototype had a wooden stock, pistol grip and handguard instead of the iconic tubular stock and plastic pistol grip and handguard.
* RK 60 - the first factory production prototype.
The first variant included a hinged trigger guard and no muzzle device, second variant had an open trigger guard and an experimental muzzle brake, which was later on changed to the well-known three-pronged flash suppressor.
* RK 62 PT - the initial production type rifles, with the PT suffix added after the main RK 62 production run started.
These lacked the tritium illuminated night sights and had a buttstock and rear and front sight similar to the RK 60.
Most have since been converted to RK 62 standard, the remaining have been phased out of service.
* RK 62 - the main production runs since the mid 1960s. These have the new style sights with tritium illuminated night sights, strengthened buttstock, and a new style gas port. Earlier runs featured the older type plastic furniture, while the production since the early 1970s has the new style plastic furniture, which has been retrofitted to the earlier rifles as well if the parts were in need of maintenance.
Later production runs have the rear of the receiver simplified and the buttstock tube attachment system was changed to the same roll pin system as in the Israeli Galil. The versions with the later style plastic hardware weight a total of 3.5 kg. When rifles in circulation return to the FDF armories they have holes drilled to them for attaching a rail for optical sights, adding VV to the end of the name.
** RK 62 TP - a folding stock version, from the later batches of the RK 62, with a Galil-type buttstock attaching system and hinge. The hinge of the folding stock makes the rifle slightly longer than the standard RK 62 when the buttstock is extended.
** RK 62 95 TP - a folding stock version of the
Finnish Border Guard
The Finnish Border Guard (; ) is the agency responsible for enforcing the security of Finland's borders. It is a military organisation, subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior in administrative issues and to the President of Finland in issue ...
, which features the folding stock and selector switch from the
RK 95 TP, as well as a rail for optics.
** RK 62 M1 - an FDF baseline modernisation of the existing RK 62 rifles with a telescoping stock and mounting rails for optical sights and tactical lights as well as a new, improved selector switch.
** RK 62 M2 - a more extensive modernsation over the RK 62 M1, with a new front handguard with
M-LOK
M-LOK, for Modular Lock, is a firearm rail interface system developed and patented by Magpul Industries. The license is free-of-charge, but subject to an approval process.
M-LOK allows for direct accessory attachment onto the "negative s ...
rail interface, and a new Ase Utra BoreLock flash hider which can mount a silencer or a
rebar
Rebar (short for reinforcing bar), known when massed as reinforcing steel or reinforcement steel, is a steel bar used as a Tension (physics), tension device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures to strengthen and aid the concr ...
cutter.
** RK 62 M3 - RK 62 M2 with OD Green Cerakote surface treatment.
** RK 62 kromattu - a fully functional chrome plated version of the late RK 62 production variant for FDF conscript band displays.
** M/74 - an FDF HQ Infantry Weapons Technical Department
RPK
The RPK (russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова/РПК, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, link=no, English: "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"), sometimes retroactively termed the RPK-47, is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine ...
-style prototype ''ratsuväen konekivääri'' ('Cavalry LMG'). Had a different sight layout with a
KvKK 62
The KK 62 (from Finnish , 'machine gun 62'), officially 7.62 KK 62 (previously also 7.62 KvKK 62, from Finnish ''kevyt konekivääri'', 'light machine gun') and colloquially KVKK or KVKK 62, is a Finnish 7.62×39mm light machine gun designed in la ...
sight on top of the gas tube and front sight at the front end of the barrel, a conical flash suppressor, bipod and modified buttstock and handguard. Developed separately from the Valmet M78.
** ''unnamed short prototype'' - an AKS-74u -inspired folding stock carbine prototype variant by the HQ Infantry Weapons Technical Department.
* RK 62 76 - stamped steel receiver version, which resembles the RK 62 with newer style plastic furniture, but features a lighter weight receiver. The total weight of the RK 62 76 is 3.27 kg. Unlike between AK-47 and AKM, the internal parts are fully interchangeable between RK 62 and RK 62 76, the only difference being the receiver.
** RK 62 76 TP- stamped steel receiver version with an early type folding stock.
** M/82 - a bullpup prototype assault rifle using the RK 62 76 receiver.
*
RK 71
The RK 71 (from Finnish , 'assault rifle 71'), commercially M71, is a Finnish assault rifle designed and manufactured by Valmet. It is based on the RK 62, which in turn is based on the Soviet AK-47. Finnish Defence Forces tested the 7.62 RK 71 ...
- a stamped steel receiver rifle, which has a different sight layout from the RK 62: rear sight is an open notch with distance adjustment welded on the gas tube and front sight is at the front end of the barrel, behind the flash suppressor. The internal parts of the receiver aren't fully compatible with the RK 62 or RK 62 76.
**
RK 71 TP - folding stock version of the RK 71 with an AKS-47 type folding stock.
** TAK - Valmet sniper rifle prototype for FDF, based on the RK 71, chambered in
7.62×53mmR
The 7.62×53mmR (also known as the 7.6×53R Finnish) rifle cartridge is a Finnish design based on the Russian 7.62×54mmR round dating back to 1891.
History
After gaining its independence in 1917 and after the Finnish Civil War of 1918, large nu ...
and fed from 20-round
Lahti-Saloranta M/26
The ''Lahti-Saloranta M/26'' (alternatively ''LS/26'') is a light machine gun which was designed by Aimo Lahti and Arvo Saloranta in 1926. The weapon was able to fire in both full automatic and semi-automatic modes. Both 20-round box and 75-roun ...
magazines.
* RK 90 - a Sako prototype for the FDF incorporating many features from the Galil.
* RK 92 - a Sako prototype for the FDF, returning from the RK 90 to conventional Kalashnikov-type decisions in many aspects.
*
RK 95 TP - newer Sako production derivative of the RK 62 with several features inspired by the Galil and other assault rifles.
Export (Military/LE)
* Valmet M62 - RK 62. Exported for the
Qatar Armed Forces
The Qatar Armed Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة القطرية, Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Qatariyyah) are the military forces of the State of Qatar. Since 2015, Qatar has implemented mandatory military conscription with an average of ...
.
* Valmet M72 - a chrome plated variant of the RK 71 for the Royal Guard of the
Qatar Armed Forces
The Qatar Armed Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة القطرية, Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Qatariyyah) are the military forces of the State of Qatar. Since 2015, Qatar has implemented mandatory military conscription with an average of ...
in
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...
.
* Valmet M76 - RK 62 76. Exported for the
Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard
The Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard Unit ( id, Kesatuan Penjagaan Laut dan Pantai Republik Indonesia – KPLP) is an agency of Government of Indonesia which main function is to ensure the safety of shipping inside the Indonesian Maritime Zone. K ...
in
.222 Remington
The .222 Remington or 5.7×43mm (C.I.P), also known as the triple deuce, triple two, and treble two, is a centerfire rifle cartridge. Introduced in 1950, it was the first commercial rimless .22 (5.56 mm) cartridge made in the United Stat ...
.
*
Sako M95 - a proposed export variant of the RK 95 TP, in
5.56×45mm NATO
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, and ...
and 7.62×39.
Civilian
* Valmet M62/S - a civilian semi-automatic variant of the RK 62 with early type plastic hardware, some models had also wooden buttstock. Produced only in
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...
.
*
Valmet M71/S - a civilian semi-automatic variant of the RK 71. Features all wooden, plastic and tubular stock versions, with both plastic and wooden front handguards.
* Valmet M76 (stamped) - a civilian semi-automatic variant of the RK 62 76, produced in
.222 Remington
The .222 Remington or 5.7×43mm (C.I.P), also known as the triple deuce, triple two, and treble two, is a centerfire rifle cartridge. Introduced in 1950, it was the first commercial rimless .22 (5.56 mm) cartridge made in the United Stat ...
,
.223 Remington
The .223 Remington (designated as the 223 Remington by the SAAMI and 223 Rem by the CIP) is a rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was developed in 1957 by Remington Arms and Fairchild Industries for the U.S. Continental Army Command ...
/
5.56×45mm NATO
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, and ...
and 7.62×39.
** Valmet M76W - a wooden stock version
** Valmet M76F - a folding stock version
** Valmet M76P - a plastic stock version
* Valmet M76 (milled) - a civilian semi-automatic variant of the RK 62, produced in
.243 Winchester, 7.62×39 and
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge widely used for hunting, target shooting, police, military, and personal protection applications globally. It is similar but not identical to the 7.62×51mm NATO ...
.
*
Valmet M78
The RK 62 (from Finnish , 'assault rifle 62'), officially 7.62 RK 62 and commercially M62, is an assault rifle manufactured by Valmet and Sako. It is the standard issue infantry weapon of the Finnish Defence Forces.
The RK 62 was designed in 19 ...
(stamped) - an export variant of the RK 62 76 with a strengthened front trunnion, heavier barrel and sight layout of the RK 71, which led to external resemblance to the Soviet
RPK
The RPK (russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова/РПК, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, link=no, English: "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"), sometimes retroactively termed the RPK-47, is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine ...
. Developed separately from the FDF M/74 prototype; experiences from the FDF/Valmet TAK prototype were used in the development of the M78, which led to the decision to strengthen the front trunnion. Produced in .223 Rem/5.56 NATO, 7.62×39 and .308 Win. This weapon is also notorious among Canadian gun owners, as when Canada banned the AK, and any variant, the Valmet M78 was one of the only rifles that were specifically excluded.
** Valmet M78/83s - a modified DMR variant of the M78, in which the stock and pistol grip are replaced by a thumbhole grip and a scope mount with a Mauser Mark X Electro-Point 4×40 scope.
* Valmet M78 (milled) - a milled (RK 62) receiver variant of the stamped M78.
*
Valmet M82
The Valmet M82 is a bullpup assault rifle with a Valmet RK 62 76 internal design created by Finnish company Valmet.
History
The M82 was introduced in Finland in 1978 and discontinued production in 1986. Only around 2,000 were manufactured, mo ...
- a civilian semi-automatic variant of the M82 bullpup assault rifle. Produced in .223 Rem/5.56 NATO.
* Valmet M83 - a civilian semi-automatic variant of the late-production RK 62.
*
Valmet Petra/Hunter M/83 - a civilian semi-automatic hunting rifle using the RK 62 action. Sold in Finland as the Valmet Petra M/83 and outside Finland as the Valmet Hunter M83. Produced in .223 Rem/5.56 NATO, .243 Win, .308 Win and
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced "thirty- aught-six" ), 7.62×63mm in metric notation, and called the .30 Gov't '06 by Winchester, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and later standardized; it remained in military use ...
. In Finland there are also series of a bullpup aftermarket modification chambered in
9.3×62mm
The 9.3×62mm (also known as 9.3×62mm Mauser) is a rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge designed in 1905 by German gunmaker Otto Bock. It is suitable for hunting medium to large game animals in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. At ...
.
** Valmet Petra/Hunter M/88 - modified version of the Valmet Petra, with a push safety replacing the Kalashnikov-type selector lever, and a different sight layout (front sight at the front end of the barrel).
*
Sako M92 S - a civilian semi-automatic variant of the RK 95 TP. Most have a fixed stock in place of the folding stock.
Derivatives
*
IMI Galil
The IMI Galil ( he, גליל) is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was first produced ...
- Israeli assault rifle family which were made with the assistance of and on machinery bought from Valmet. "In fact, the first Galils were manufactured using Valmet Rk 62 receivers."
**
Vektor R4
The Vektor R4 is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle designed in 1979 based on the IMI Galil rifle. It entered service as the standard service rifle of the South African Defence Force (SADF) in 1980. The R4 replaced the R1, a variant of the 7.62×51mm ...
- South African licensed variants of the Galil.
** Bernardelli VB - Italian licensed variants of the Galil.
**
FFV 890
The FFV 890 was a Swedish assault rifle manufactured and designed by Försvarets Fabriksverk. The FFV 890 was based on the Israeli IMI Galil through a manufacturing licence, which in turn was based on the Finnish Valmet RK 62 and ultimately the ...
- Swedish licensed variants of the Galil, most notably the FFV 890C which was a competitor in the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...
assault rifle trials in the 1980s but lost against
FN FNC
The FNC (french: Fabrique Nationale Carabine) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed by the Belgian arms manufacturer FN Herstal and introduced in the late 1970s.
Development
The FNC was developed between 1975–1977 for NATO standardiza ...
. Valmet bought the licence to the FFV 890 and it was used in the development of some aspects in the RK 90, RK 92 and RK 95 models.
**
IWI ACE
The IWI Galil ACE is a series of assault rifles and battle rifles originally developed and manufactured by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI). It is produced in three different calibers: 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62×39mm and 7.62×51mm NATO. IWI USA ...
- Israeli new generation assault rifle family based on the original Galil. Licence produced also in Chile, Colombia, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Users
*
*
*
Gallery
File:RK-62 Assault rifle magazine with bullets.jpg, Loaded RK 62/95 magazine
File:RK 62 MILES 2002.JPG, RK 62 rear sight
File:Maneesi univormunäyttely 27 kokelas 1960-luku rynnäkkökivääri.JPG, A mannequin of a Finnish reserve officer candidate from the 1960s with an RK 62
File:Varusmiessoittokunta Kokonaisturvallisuus 2015 01.JPG, FDF Conscript Band soldiers handling chrome plated RK 62 rifles
File:7,62_RK_62M_Kokonaisturvallisuus_2015_02.JPG, A Finnish soldier with an RK 62M
See also
*
Valmet M82
The Valmet M82 is a bullpup assault rifle with a Valmet RK 62 76 internal design created by Finnish company Valmet.
History
The M82 was introduced in Finland in 1978 and discontinued production in 1986. Only around 2,000 were manufactured, mo ...
*
RK 95 TP
*
IMI Galil
The IMI Galil ( he, גליל) is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was first produced ...
*
Madsen LAR
The Madsen LAR was a battle rifle of Danish origin chambered in the 7.62×51mm NATO caliber. It is based on the Kalashnikov rifle and was made from lightweight, high tensile alloys and steel similar to that used on the M16 rifle. Its layout is ...
References
*
;Notes
External links
Finnish Defence Forces: RK 62 (in Finnish)
Buddy Hinton Valmet Photos
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Valmet
7.62×39mm assault rifles
Rifles of the Cold War
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1965
Infantry weapons of the Cold War
Cold War rifles of Finland
Assault rifles of Finland
Kalashnikov derivatives
Finland–Soviet Union relations