Valmet M76
Encyclopedia
The RK 62 76, also known as the Valmet M76 is a gas operated assault rifle
of Finnish
origin, which was also made in semi-automatic version for civilian market. Based on the earlier Rk 62
(Rynnäkkökivääri 62, Assault rifle 62), it is a modified AK-47
. The gun was in production from 1976 to 1986. Its receiver is made from stamped and riveted sheet metal, instead of Rk 62's milled receiver.
There are eight types of M76, four of which use 7.62x39mm M43 ammunition
, while the other four use 5.56x45mm NATO
rounds. They use 15, 20, or 30 round magazine
s. Finland used the 7.62 mm version, while Qatar
and Indonesia
use the 5.56 mm version.
The front sight is mounted on the gas block which makes for one less attachment to the barrel, adding to the mechanical accuracy. The front sight is fully adjustable in the field by the soldier. There is also a flip up tritium night sight that covers the front post for low light shooting.
The rear sight is an aperture on a sliding tangent affair adjustable to 600 meters and a “battle sight” setting of 150 meters. The rear sight is located toward the rear of the top cover. The rear sight also has tritium inserts for night shooting by flipping the sight all the way forward (upside down). Once in this position, there is a square notch arrangement with two tritium dots on either side. In this position, the rear sight is adjustable for elevation via a set screw under the sight arm.
Another feature of the Valmet M62/76 series rifles is the flash suppressor
. It resembles an enlarged version of the suppressor on the original M16
. Directly under the flash suppressor is a bayonet lug to accommodate the knife-style bayonet
manufactured by Fiskars
and Hackman. The flash suppressor has some sharp edges along its longitudina cuts for wire cutting. A soldier slides the barbed wire into the flash suppressor and simply rotates his rifle around until it snaps the small gauge wire. For thicker wire, the soldier inserts the wire, gives a half turn and fires the rifle, which will snap the wire. On the M16 the prong type flash suppressor was abandoned for the bird cage type because the prongs tended to snag on vegetation in the field. While this is still a problem with the M62/76, the sharper edges help to cut through some of the vegetation.
There are both solid and folding stock versions. Folding stock designs may become troublesome in that eventually they tend to become loose. This is not a problem with the M62/76 series of rifles as the hinge and lock design are very robust. Both feature a trap door in the butt to store a cleaning kit. So as not to freeze a soldier’s face in the often frigid temperatures of Finland, there is a thin plastic sleeve over the tube section of the stock that typically contacts the shooter's face.
All variants of the M76 are finished with an industrial grade Parkerizing throughout.
The muzzle velocity
depends on the ammunition used; the NATO round being 900 m/s while the Kalashnikov round is 719 m/s.
, most notably Red Dawn
, Commando
and Firefox
, most likely due to their availability.
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
of Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
origin, which was also made in semi-automatic version for civilian market. Based on the earlier Rk 62
Rk 62
The Rk 62 is an assault rifle manufactured by Valmet and Sako. It is the standard issue infantry weapon of the Finnish Defence Forces....
(Rynnäkkökivääri 62, Assault rifle 62), it is a modified AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
. The gun was in production from 1976 to 1986. Its receiver is made from stamped and riveted sheet metal, instead of Rk 62's milled receiver.
There are eight types of M76, four of which use 7.62x39mm M43 ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
, while the other four use 5.56x45mm NATO
5.56x45mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
rounds. They use 15, 20, or 30 round magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s. Finland used the 7.62 mm version, while Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
use the 5.56 mm version.
Design
The Valmet M62/76 series of rifles are updates of the AK-47 design. Beginning with a licensed version of the AK-47 receiver, Valmet set about upgrading the design at every point. Tolerances are much tighter than the Soviet bloc AKs while still being generous enough to assure outstanding reliability in all climates. The gas piston included small “fingers” near the piston to ensure smoother functioning inside the gas tube, which helped to increase the inherent accuracy of the rifle. Another move toward increased accuracy was the upgraded sights.The front sight is mounted on the gas block which makes for one less attachment to the barrel, adding to the mechanical accuracy. The front sight is fully adjustable in the field by the soldier. There is also a flip up tritium night sight that covers the front post for low light shooting.
The rear sight is an aperture on a sliding tangent affair adjustable to 600 meters and a “battle sight” setting of 150 meters. The rear sight is located toward the rear of the top cover. The rear sight also has tritium inserts for night shooting by flipping the sight all the way forward (upside down). Once in this position, there is a square notch arrangement with two tritium dots on either side. In this position, the rear sight is adjustable for elevation via a set screw under the sight arm.
Another feature of the Valmet M62/76 series rifles is the flash suppressor
Flash suppressor
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a device attached to the muzzle of a rifle or other gun that reduces the visible signature of the burning gases that exit the muzzle. This reduces the chances that the shooter will be blinded in dark...
. It resembles an enlarged version of the suppressor on the original M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
. Directly under the flash suppressor is a bayonet lug to accommodate the knife-style bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
manufactured by Fiskars
Fiskars
The Fiskars Corporation is a metal and consumer brands company founded in 1649 at Fiskars Bruk , a locality now in the town of Raseborg, Finland, about 100 km west of Helsinki on the old main road from Turku to Vyborg...
and Hackman. The flash suppressor has some sharp edges along its longitudina cuts for wire cutting. A soldier slides the barbed wire into the flash suppressor and simply rotates his rifle around until it snaps the small gauge wire. For thicker wire, the soldier inserts the wire, gives a half turn and fires the rifle, which will snap the wire. On the M16 the prong type flash suppressor was abandoned for the bird cage type because the prongs tended to snag on vegetation in the field. While this is still a problem with the M62/76, the sharper edges help to cut through some of the vegetation.
There are both solid and folding stock versions. Folding stock designs may become troublesome in that eventually they tend to become loose. This is not a problem with the M62/76 series of rifles as the hinge and lock design are very robust. Both feature a trap door in the butt to store a cleaning kit. So as not to freeze a soldier’s face in the often frigid temperatures of Finland, there is a thin plastic sleeve over the tube section of the stock that typically contacts the shooter's face.
All variants of the M76 are finished with an industrial grade Parkerizing throughout.
The muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
depends on the ammunition used; the NATO round being 900 m/s while the Kalashnikov round is 719 m/s.
Variants
The Valmet M78 is a heavy-barreled light support variant of the Valmet M76 assault rifle. In addition to firing the 7.62x39mm Soviet cartridge, variants firing 5.56x45mm NATO and 7.62x51mm NATO were also produced. It is a similar weapon to the RPK light machine gun and serves in the same tactical role.In popular culture
The Valmet M76, M72 and M78 have been used as props to simulate the AK-47 and related Soviet weapons in a number of US films during the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, most notably Red Dawn
Red Dawn
Red Dawn is a 1984 American war film directed by John Milius and co-written by Milius and Kevin Reynolds. It stars Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey....
, Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
and Firefox
Firefox (film)
Firefox is a 1982 American action film produced, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. It is based upon the 1977 novel of the same name written by Craig Thomas....
, most likely due to their availability.