peashooter85:The North Korean Type 73 light machine gun,Produced in the Democratic People’s Republic
peashooter85:The North Korean Type 73 light machine gun,Produced in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North Korean Type 73 is one of the most unknown and mysterious modern firearm used by any nations military. Most of what is known about the weapon comes from a handful of models captured by the South Korean military, or found in the hands of militants in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Produced by the North Korean First Design and Industry Bureau, the Type 73 is a blend of elements from the Russian PK general purpose machine gun, and the Czech vz. 52 light machine gun. Chambered for 7.62x54R, the Type 73 uses a gas operated action which gives it a firing rate of 600-700 rounds per minute. It’s a bit heavy for a light machine gun, weighing in at over 22 pounds. With it’s heavy weight and high power cartridge, the Type 73 is closer in description to a general purpose or medium machine gun than a light machine gun.The most interesting feature of the Type 73 is its dual feed system, meaning that it can use both side feeding ammunition belts, or a top feeding box magazine. The purpose of a dual feed machine gun is so that a gunner could use the magazines of his fellow infantrymen if he ran out of ammunition belts. However, the Type 73 used 7.63x54R ammunition while common North Korean small arms use 7.63X39 ammunition. Thus a Type 73 gunner must use a special box magazine that can only be used by the Type 73, and cannot use the magazines of his comrades. In other words, the dual feed system of the Type 73 is pointless and self defeating. Typically, most North Korean soldiers spotted fielding the Type 73 use the top mounted magazines. Reasons for this vary, with experts theorizing that the North Koreans prefer magazines because they are reusable, or that they prefer to use the Type 73 as a single man operated light machine gun.It is unknown when North Korea adopted the Type 73, but they began appearing during the 1970’s. By the 1980’s use of the Type 73 began to decline as they were phased out and replaced with the Type 83, a belt feeding only copy of the Russian PKM. Today most Type 73’s have been relegated to use by secondary militia units and for soldiers/actors in propaganda films or parades. -- source link