Type 73 light machine gun
| Type 73 | |
|---|---|
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | First Machine Industry Bureau[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 10.6 kg |
| Length | 1190 mm |
| Barrel length | 608 mm |
| Cartridge | 7.62×54mmR |
| Caliber | 7.62 mm |
| Action | Gas |
| Rate of fire | 600–700 rpm |
| Feed system | Box magazine Belt |
| Sights | Iron |
| Type 73 light machine gun | |
| Hangul | |
|---|---|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | 73 sing daedae gigwanchong |
| McCune–Reischauer | 73 shing taedae kigwanch'ong |
The Type 73 is a light machine gun designed and manufactured by North Korea's First Machine Industry Bureau. It is used primarily by the Korean People's Army,[1] and via Iran, has been exported throughout the Middle East. It has a passing resemblance to the Bren light machine gun.[2]
History
The Type 73 is based on a 1960s-era Soviet design, most likely the PK machine gun (PKM), although the date of its first production in North Korea is currently unknown. The weapon was reportedly seen in the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 2002, when a United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission team told media outlets that North Korean soldiers had set up numerous Type 73s in positions 100 to 400 meters north of the demarcation line. The weapons were reportedly removed at the end of each day.[3]
Due to the North Korean government's policy of secrecy, information on the weapon is hard to obtain. One example has been acquired by South Korea.
Since mid-2015, North Korean or Iranian-built copies of belt-fed Type 73s have been seen in use by Iranian-supported militias like the
Design
The design is heavily based on the 1960s-era Soviet PK machine gun.[6] However, the Type 73 does have certain indigenous modifications, including removable muzzle sleeves and a dual magazine/belt feed system, patterned after the Czechoslovak Vz.52 LMG,[8] allowing the user to fire the weapon from indigenous box magazines or ammunition belts that can be used with the PKM.[9] One unusual feature is a special barrel attachment to enable the gun to fire rifle grenades.[5]
The weapon's intended combat role is thought to be as a squad automatic weapon. However, it uses a 7.62×54mmR cartridge, not the 7.62×39mm round used by the Type 58 assault rifle, North Korea's standard infantry rifle.
This is unusual as most armies' squad automatic weapons use the same ammunition as rifles, so all members of a unit may share ammunition and only one type needs to be supplied. A larger cartridge is a characteristic of a
Users
Iran[7]
Iraq: Popular Mobilization Forces[6]
North Korea[6]
Syrian Arab Army[6]
Non-State Actors
- Hezbollah[10]
Houthis[6]- Islamic State[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ a b Bermudez (2001), p. 50.
- ^ "North Korean Type 73 Light Machine Gun". Historical Firearms.
- ^ "U.N.: North Korea has violated DMZ agreement". CNN. 27 December 2002. Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ a b Shea, Dan (27 March 2013). "North Korean Small Arms". Small Arms Defense Journal. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ Medium.com.
- ^ armamentresearch.com.
- ^ a b Beckhusen, Robert (30 May 2017). "The North Korean Type 73 Machine Gun is Everywhere". The National Interest.
- ^ "Type 73 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun (Korea, North), Machine guns". Jane's. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ "Type 73". Modern Firearms. 13 January 2011.
- ^ https://dev.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/29317
Bibliography
- Bermudez, Joseph S. Jr. (2001). The Armed Forces of North Korea. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-86064-486-4.
