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The Karabinek-granatnik wzór 1960 (Polish: Carbine-grenade launcher model 1960), also designated PMK-DGN-60[1] or PMK-60,[2] is a Polish-made version of the AK-47 assault rifle that can fire rifle grenades.
| Karabinek-granatnik wz.1960 | |
|---|---|
 The Karabinek-granatnik wz.1960 | |
| Type | Assault rifle-grenade launcher |
| Place of origin | Polish People's Republic |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1960–present[citation needed] |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | Vietnam War 1982 Lebanon War Lebanese Civil War Rwandan Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1960 |
| No. built | 5000+ kbkg wz. 1960 and 500 kbkg wz. 1960/72[citation needed] |
| Variants | karabinek-granatnik wz.1960/72 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.65 kg |
| Length | 1075 mm |
| Barrel length | 415 mm |
| Cartridge | 7.62×39mm |
| Caliber | 7.62mm |
| Action | Gas-Operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 600 round/min (2 grenades/min) |
| Muzzle velocity | 710 m/s |
| Effective firing range | 300 m |
| Feed system | 30-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Adjustable iron sights, optional mount required for optical scope |
Description
editThe LON-I grenade launcher is screwed onto the forward end of the rifle barrel and locked into place by means of a spring-loaded plunger mounted in the front sight base of a modified AK-47 rifle. The sight for the launcher is mounted on the rear sight base. A valve is fitted to the right side of the gas block, allowing the gas to be shut off (preventing it from leaving the barrel via the gas port) when the grenades are fired.
When using the rifle to launch grenades, a special rubber recoil pad is used and a special 10-round magazine is inserted.[2] This magazine has a filler block that prevents it from being used with "normal" (i.e. bulleted) cartridges. There is also a regular version of this rifle as well that was not designed to shoot grenades.[3]
Operators
edit
Palestine: Limited use by Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) guerrilla factions in Lebanon.[1]
Poland: Limited use now, mostly being replaced by the wz. 83 Pallad.[2]
Rwanda[citation needed]
Somalia[citation needed]
Vietnam: Used during the Vietnam War by the Vietcong and NVA.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ a b Katz, Russel, and Volstad, Armies in Lebanon (1985), p. 44, Plate G1.
- ^ a b c Rottman and Volstad, Warsaw Pact Ground Forces (1987), p. 53, Plate E1.
- ^ "Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej - Portal Gov.pl". Archived from the original on 2011-06-06.
References
edit- Gordon L. Rottman and Ron Volstad, Warsaw Pact Ground Forces, Elite series 10, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1987. ISBN 0-85045-730-0
- Samuel M. Katz, Lee E. Russel, and Ron Volstad, Armies in Lebanon 1982-84, Men-at-arms series 165, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1985. ISBN 0-85045-602-9
Secondary sources
edit- Gordon L. Rottman, The AK-47 Kalashnikov-series assault rifles, Weapon series 8, Osprey Publishing Ltd, Oxford 2011. ISBN 978 1 84908 461 1
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