The Rk 62 (M62, Rk 62, Rynnäkkökivääri 62 or "assault rifle 62") is a select-fire assault rifle manufactured in Finland. It is a derivative of the Kalashnikov rifle.
History[]
The Rk 62 (known as the Rk 60 during prototype stages) started off as a slightly modified copy of the AK. It featured a tubular metallic buttstock, a polymer pistol grip, and a polymer handguard (as opposed to the wooden furniture that most other AKs had). The very first prototypes had birchwood stocks.
After testing by the Finnish military, it was modified slightly and adopted as the Rk 62.
Design details[]
The Rk 62 is a short, compact, select-fire assault rifle. It features a 16-inch barrel and a polymer handguard and pistol grip. It also features a longer magazine release than the AK series of rifles, and a larger trigger guard for firing with gloves.
Some variants of the M62 feature a folding stock; these are mainly for the Finnish Navy, though they are issued to other units as well.
Sights[]
Unlike the AK, the M62 has the rear sight mounted on the rear of the receiver cover, rather than the rear part of the handguards. This increases the sight radius greatly and improves the accuracy of the shooter. Also, rather than the open sights that the AK uses, the M62 uses an aperture rear sight. It is adjustable for range, and also features a flip-up tritium night sight.
The front sight is a hooded post. It is adjustable for windage and elevation.
Barrel[]
The M62 features a match-grade, cold hammer forged chrome-moly barrel, and has a thinner barrel profile than the AK. It has an open-ended three-prong flash suppressor (akin to the original M16 rifle), on which a bayonet can be mounted. These barrels are known to be very accurate, more so than normal AK barrels.
Receiver[]
The M62, like the original AK, features a milled steel receiver. However, unlike the original AK, there are no slots milled out to serve as magazine guides, and the steel used is of a higher quality than the standard AK.
Later variants (the M76 and M95, detailed in the Variants section below) use a stamped steel receiver.
Manual of arms[]
The M62 is a short, compact, gas-operated, select-fire weapon. It feeds from 30-round box magazines (AK magazines or the Finnish polymer magazines for the M95), which have a significant curve if the rifle in question is of the 7.62 Soviet variety; 5.56 NATO magazines are straighter.
The magazine is inserted via a "rocking" motion, positioned so that the lug on the front of the magazine engages with its recess in the magazine well, into the magazine well. It should be pulled to the rear until it snaps into place.
In order to operate the charging handle, the selector must be off safe. The charging handle is pulled all the way to the rear and then released to chamber a round. As the bolt carrier goes forward, the lug on the bottom of the bolt will strip a round out of the magazine and feed it into the chamber.
When a round is fired, the gas produced by the propellant in the cartridge goes into the gas tube and impinges upon the operating rod, which then unlocks the bolt and cycles the bolt carrier rearward, which causes it to cock the hammer as it travels. The bolt carrier then strips another round from the magazine and chambers it as it travels forward, and locks the bolt, sealing the round in the chamber.
When the last round is fired, there is no bolt catch mechanism to catch the bolt carrier group and prevent it from closing on an empty chamber. Thus, when the shooter reloads, he will need to rack the charging handle to chamber the next round. If the shooter experiences a malfunction, in most cases racking the charging handle (or reloading, if the magazine is bad OR empty), will solve the problem.
The magazine release is longer than that on a standard AK; this makes reloads a bit easier, especially if the user is wearing gloves.
Variants[]
The M62 has several variants.
M62S[]
This is the semi-auto-only variant of the M62. It is identical to the M62, with the exception of not being a select-fire rifle.
M76[]
This is a modified variant of the M62 rifle, introduced in 1976. It features a stamped and riveted steel receiver, and the receiver, barrel, and bolt carrier group are parkerized.
M78[]
Variant of the M76. It features a heavy barrel and is analogous to the RPK. It is classified as a light machine gun.
Variants were produced in 5.56 NATO as well as 7.62 NATO; the 7.62x51mm variant would be classified as a general purpose machine gun.
M95[]
This variant (also known as the RK 95 TP) featured several upgrades: The selector being moved to the left side of the receiver (this was later changed back to normal); the charging handle being turned upward and the majority of the cutout for the charging handle covered with a strip of metal; the rear sight assembly was installed on a sliding tangent with 150, 300 and 400-meter range adjustments; and the rifle was equipped with a folding tubular stock with a latch modeled on the locking solution employed in the SIG SG 540 rifle.
The flash suppressor was changed out for one that could double as a rifle grenade launcher, and the rifle features adjustable gas flow for use of suppressors and blank-firing adapters (BFAs).
Petra[]
Sporting variant of the Rk 62. Known as the Hunter in the United States and Canada.
RK 62M1[]
One of the modernized Rk 62 variants which entered into primary service with the Finnish Defense Forces in 2019. Features an Magpul MOE Telescoping stock, M95 Handguard, RIS placed infront of the Handguard, A Picatinny rail for mounting optics and a new tactical sling.
RK 62M2[]
One of the modernized Rk 62 variants, designed for urban warfare. Entered service with the Finnish Defense Forces in 2019. Features every M1 variant change and a new Flash hider and an MLOK Handguard.
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