KvKK 62: The Ugly Duckling of Light Machine Guns

Cool Forgotten Weapons merchandise! Special thanks to Varusteleka (the world’s coolest surplus shop) for arranging access to this weapon! The KvKK 62 was a squad automatic counterpart to the Rk 62, Finland’s domestic Kalashnikov rifle. It is an open bolt light machine gun chambered for , feeding from push-through RPD-style belts and firing at a rate of about 1000 rounds/minute. Mechanically, the design borrows a lot from the Czech ZB-26 and Bren, with a vertically traveling locking block and long stroke gas piston. Along with that mechanism, it also takes a cue from the Czech 52/57 family of machine guns, in that the pistol grip assembly slides back and forth to function as the bolt handle. It is also without a doubt the ugliest light machine gun ever fielded by a military force. The weapon elicited a pretty awful reaction whenever I mentioned it to Finns who had used them during military service, but I thi