General Facts

TYPE
Machine gun

ORIGIN
South Korea

NICKNAMES
XK3 (trails designation)

DESIGNED
1978 - 1987

DESIGNER
Daewoo

PRODUCTION
1991 - present

PRODUCERS
South Korea - Daewoo

QUANTITY
Unknown

UNIT COST
Unknown

CHARACTERISTICS
Limited weight
Large volume of fire
Dual feed mechanism
Less reliable than Minimi

Introduction

The K3 is a machine gun of South Korean origin. It was developed by Daewoo in the late 1980's to replace the heavier M60 as an infantry weapon in South Korean service.

Design

The K3 is a belt fed and gas operated machine gun with quick change barrel. The design is a near direct copy of the Belgian FN Minimi light machine gun and looks very similar. The forearm, pistol grip and fixed stock are made from polymer. A bipod and carrying handle are fitted.

Firepower

The K3 fires the 5.56x45mm round in both the M193 and NATO version. It normally uses 100, 200 or 250 round belts but is able to use standard M16 type magazines as well. The cyclic rate of fire is 700 rpm using belts and 1.000 rpm using magazines. The maximum effective range is 800 meters versus area targets.

Users

The primary user of the K3 is the South Korean military, using it as a standard issue weapon. The K3 has been exported to various Asian and South American nations.

K3

The K3 is a conventional 5.56mm light machine gun. It looks rather similar to the Belgian Minimi and Israeli Negev. The K3 can be identified by the shape of the fixed plastic stock and handguard. Unlike the Minimi and Negev the K3 comes only in one version, a compact version has not been developed.

Specifications:
K3

Type	Machine gun
Caliber	5.56x45mm M193 or NATO
Magazine	Belt fed, 100, 200, 250 rounds STANAG magazines, 20, 30 rounds
Operation	Gas operated, rotating bolt, open bolt
Fire selector	0-F
Rate of fire	700 rpm (belt) 1.000 rpm (magazines)