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Type 68 assault rifle
Assault rifle made in North Korea derived from the Soviet AKM From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Type 68 (Korean: 68식자동보총, also known as Type 68 NK) is an assault rifle made in North Korea derived from the Soviet AKM designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov.
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History
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The Type 68 was adopted in 1968 to replace the Type 58[4] since it was too time-consuming to produce the Type 58.
The Type 68 was reported to be exported to the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front covertly in the 1980s.[3] They were also widely distributed in Central and South America.[5]
In 1986 the Peruvian government imported 20,000 Type 68 rifles for US$97 each.[b] In 1988, 20,000 more were imported and issued to police and paramilitary forces.[6]
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Design
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The Type 68 was made with features from the Type 58 with features such as the solid catalpa wood stock, wood pistol grip, handguards and smooth sheet-steel top covers.[3] It has a swivel retaining bracket spot-welded on the left side of the receiver.[3] The pistol grip stud and lower stock tang are riveted in place.[3] The milled gas block is flat on both sides and, like the Type 58, has a sling swivel that extends outward from the left side.[3] The folding stock variant of the Type 68 has the Soviet underfolding design with stamped steel struts and buttplate.[3] The rear sights are graduated to a distance of 800 meters.[3] The trigger group is not based on the Soviet AKM. Instead, the trigger is a double-hook design based on milled receiver-based AKs.[5]
The rifle has a barrel length of 415 mm with a velocity of 715 m/s.[4] Its practical rate of fire is at 40-100 RPM.[4] While it has a sight range of 800 meters, its effective range is at 300 to 400 meters.[4] The Type 68 can also use 20-round magazines aside from 30-round magazines with the capability to fire rifle grenades, based on the PGN-60 and the KGN.[7]
While Type 68s used hangul markings in the fire selectors, exported versions uses non-hangul markings[3] with "1" for semi-auto and an infinity symbol for automatic fire.[5] The markings consist of a five-point star in a circle and "Type 68" in hangul.[5]
Stamped steel magazines were first used, although orange synthetic magazines are reportedly used as well.[5] The Type 68 has a knife bayonet used.[8]
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Variant
Type 68-1
The Type 68-1 features an underfolding stock like the AKMS with holes in it to help reduce overall weight.[9] It also has the Soviet underfolding design with stamped steel struts and buttplate.
Users
Cuba: Acquired Type 68s.[10] Provided free of charge due to allegations that the Soviet Union did not want to honor Cuban orders for AK-47s.[7]
Ethiopia: North Korea provided assistance to set up Type 68 production lines in the 1980s.[11]
Nicaragua: Sandinista Popular Army/Ejército Popular Sandinista. In addition to receiving Type 68s, they also received Type 68 magazine pouches and slings.[12]
North Korea[13]
Peru: Type 68, formerly used by paratroopers.[6] Currently used by Peruvian National Police, most refurbished by Desarrollos Industriales Casanave.[14] Around 200 were modernized by DC as of 2012.[14]
Syria: Imported Type 68 rifles or components prior to the Syrian Civil War.[2] Produced under license in Syria by the Établissement Industriel de la Défense (EID)/Defense Laboratories Corporation (DLC).[2][15].
Togo: Type 68.[16]
Non-state actors
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front: Also received Type 68 slings and ammunition pouches, probably from Nicaragua.[3]- Hamas[17]
Islamic State: At least 18 Type 68 rifles were found in a weapons stash in northeast Syria in 2022.[2]
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Notes
References
Bibliography
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