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Firearms / Machine guns / NTK Type 62

NTK Type 62

General Facts

  • TYPE
    Machine gun

  • ORIGIN
    Japan

  • NICKNAMES
    NTK-62 (early designation)

  • DESIGNED
    1954 - late 1950's

  • DESIGNER
    Masaya Kawamura for Nittoku Metal Industry (NTK)

  • PRODUCTION
    1962 - present?

  • PRODUCERS
    Japan - Sumitomo

  • QUANTITY
    Several thousand produced.

  • UNIT COST
    2 million Yen in 1985

  • CHARACTERISTICS
    Rugged and reliable
    Good firepower and range
    Heavy and cumbersome
    Difficult to mount optics
    More expensive than similar designs

Introduction

The Type 62 is an early Cold War era general purpose machine gun of Japanese origin. It was developed as a domestic and more modern weapon to replace the US Browning M1919A4 in Japanese service. The Type 62 was developed by NTK and was known as NTK-62 at first.

Design

The design may have been inspired by the contemporary Belgian FN MAG, but it differs in various areas. The Type 62 is a belt-fed general purpose machine gun with a quick change barrel. It gas operated and uses a long stroke gas piston. Iron sights and a wooden buttstock are fitted. A highly modified coaxial machine gun variant exists and is known as the Type 74.

Firepower

The Type 62 fires the 7.62x51mm NATO rounds at a cyclic rate of fire of 550 to 650 rpm. The maximum effective range is quoted as 1.0 km from the bipod and 1.5 km when pintle mounted or used as a coaxial machine gun. The Type 62 uses NATO standard full power rounds, whereas the Japanese Type 64 battle rifle uses reduced load rounds.

Users

The Type 62 general purpose machine gun and Type 74 coaxial machine gun are only used by Japan and have never been exported. In infantry platoons each Type 62 was supplemented and replaced by two of the lighter 5.56mm FN Minimi machine guns. The Type 62 remains in use on tripods and pintle mounts. The Type 74 also remains in use and has been fitted onto recent combat vehicles such as the Type 10 main battle tank.

Variants

Type 62 general purpose machine gun

The Type 62 general purpose machine gun is intented for infantry use. It was produced only in a single variant. At a glance the Type 62 looks similar to the FN MAG. Unique identifiers are the ribbed barrel, feed cover design and different shape of the pistol grip and buttstock.

TypeMachine gun
Caliber7.62x51mm NATO
MagazineBelt-fed
OperationGas operated, long stroke gas piston
Fire selector0-F
Rate of fire550 - 650 rpm
Barrel length635 mm (excl. flash hider)
Rifling?
Muzzle velocity?
StockFixed
Length1.2 m
Width?
Height?
Weight10.7 kg empty with bipod, 17.1 kg on M2 tripod
SightsIron sights
RemarksBipod, optional tripod

Type 74 coaxial machine gun

The Type 74 coaxial machine gun is a highly modified Type 62. It was developed for use on the Type 74 main battle tanks and has been fitted to various subsequent Japanese combat vehicles. Key differences are the plain and very thick barrel, spade grips and solenoid trigger. The pistol grip, bipod and wooden buttstock are not fitted.

TypeMachine gun
Caliber7.62x51mm NATO
MagazineBelt-fed
OperationGas operated, long stroke gas piston
Fire selector0-F
Rate of fire700 rpm (low setting), 1.000 rpm (high setting)
Barrel length625 mm (barrel only), 702 mm (with flash hider)
Rifling?
Muzzle velocity?
Stock-
Length1.085 mm
Width?
Height?
Weight20.4 kg empty
SightsBack up iron sights with short sight base since front sight located directly front of feed tray
RemarksSpade grips

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