KK 62

The KK 62 (from Finnish konekivääri 62, '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 late 1950s with the first prototype ready for testing in 1960. It was officially adopted as the standard infantry support weapon of the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) in 1962 as the 7.62 konekivääri 62; the first weapons were delivered in 1966. It remains in service, although a replacement has already entered use, namely the PKM general-purpose machine gun. The KK 62 is a gas-operated, belt-fed automatic weapon. It fires from an open bolt, and uses a tilting bolt that locks by protrusions in recesses of the side walls of the receiver. The overall system of operation is modeled on that found in the Czech LK vz. 52/57 machine gun. The KK 62's receiver is machined from steel, and a tubular metal buttstock houses the recoil spring. To facilitate shooting with heavy mittens, there is no trigger guard. A substantial vertical bar in front of the trigger is used for pulling the trigger/handgrip assembly and bolt back when loading.