KK 62

The KK 62, short for konekivaari 62 or machine gun 62, is a Finnish light machine gun chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge. Its design began in the late 1950s, a first prototype was ready for testing in 1960, and the Finnish Defence Forces adopted it in 1962 as the standard infantry support weapon, with the first weapons delivered in 1966. It is gas operated and belt fed, fires from an open bolt and locks with a tilting bolt; the operating system is modelled on the Czech LK vz. 52/57 machine gun. The receiver is machined from steel, a tubular buttstock houses the recoil spring, and there is no trigger guard so that it can be fired with heavy mittens. Ammunition comes in 100-round belts carried in pouches that clamp to the receiver. It has no quick-change barrel, a drawback in sustained fire, because the original doctrine favoured hit-and-run tactics. Valmet built the prototypes and the production guns. The KK 62 remains in service although the PKM has entered use as its replacement, and Qatar is also listed as a user.