S&T Motiv (Daewoo) K12

History

General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) have been around since the Germans introduced the MG34 series (detailed elsewhere on this site) in the mid-1930s. This air-cooled, belt-fed weapon served the Germans in myriad roles: in the class, as a stationary, defensive airspace denial weapon, on vehicles and in aircraft.

This versatile capability is perfect for the ever-changing demands of warfare, making the MG34 and its successor, the MG42, a classic weapon of war.

The GPMG is still the mainstay of modern armies, with examples such as the American M60 and M240, the Soviet Russian PK and the Belgian FN MAG. S&T Motiv produces the GPMG "K12" for the South Korean Army in the Republic of Korea. It debuted in 2009 as a prototype for the XK12 and entered mass production (still a work in progress) in 2012.

The K12 was introduced to line up an aging line of imported and locally produced M60 GPMGs (locally manufactured under license from Daewoo).

The K12 fits off-the-shelf 7.62x51mm NATO rifle cartridges and provides good range penetration. The weapon has a range of about 800 meters and can fire between 650 and 950 rounds per minute. Feeding is through a disintegration belt, making the K12 a true machine gun system.

Rectangular receivers formed a large part of the weapon. Sliding (foldable) shoulder rest and spade handle attach to the stern. There's also a pistol grip below the receiver, allowing the weapon to quickly transform into any character desired.

The barrel features a quick-change design and extends to the front of the gun in a traditional fashion. Below the barrel is the gas cylinder, which adjusts the pressure that affects the rate of fire.

Iron sights are mounted above the receiver and barrel, but the Picatinny rail section above the receiver supports the mounting of a set of optics. Additional rails are visible on the side of the barrel/cylinder location. A collapsible bipod is fitted under the cylinder to quickly convert the weapon into a mobile light machine gun.

Otherwise, the weapon can be mounted on trunnions mounted on vehicles and helicopters, or mounted on a heavy tripod for sustained fire in stationary defense roles.

"XK-12C1" is a derivative of the K12 series, a development coaxial tank/vehicle version of the same weapon. A heavier barrel was introduced for sustained fire, as well as a magnetic trigger system for firing from vehicles. These will replace the M60C GPMG currently in service with the Korean Army.

Specification

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