Vektor SS-77

History

The Vector SS-77 is the standard General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) of the South African Army. For decades, South Africa has relied on foreign munitions suppliers, including the Belgians and their excellent FN MAG GPMG. However, when the United Nations imposed an embargo on South Africa in support of apartheid, its foreign sources of military materiel suffered. As a result, numerous indigenous initiatives flourished, creating the South African arms industry today. As expected, many of these early guns were earlier foreign models, and the SS-77 undoubtedly inherited some of the successful qualities of the FN MAG it replaced.

Design work on the weapon began in 1977, after which the system was adopted by the South African Defence Force (SADF) as the "SS-77" in full service, and its release began in 1986. The name "SS-77" comes from the initials of its creator, Colonel "Smith" and a gentleman named "Soregi", followed by the year of its design. In addition to the South African Armed Forces, the SS-77 was used in Colombia, Kuwait and Romania.

The SS-77 played an active role in the protracted South African border war (1966-1989). Initial production was managed by Lyttleton Engineering Works, which later became state-owned Denel Land Systems (founded in 1992).

Externally, the SS-77 looks no different from the previous Belgian FN MAG systems. There is a rectangular receiver to accommodate key firing maneuvers and necessary internal components. The shaft is hollowed out for weight reasons and serves as an additional handle during transport.

The stock can also be folded along the side of the receiver for a more compact profile. The pistol grip is usually attached to the underside of the receiver, allowing manipulation of the curved trigger assembly within easy reach.

The charging handle is traditionally installed on the right side of the fuselage. The SS-77 is a belt weapon, using the R1M1 disintegrating chain belt. It is designed to fire standard 7.62x51mm NATO cartridges. The ribbon enters the receiver from the left and the used case exits from the right. The carrying handle is mounted in front of the handset and exits from the right.

The barrel extends well beyond the receiver body, and the gas cylinder (with an adjustable adjuster) is mounted below. As a further weight saving measure, the barrel is grooved and features a "quick change" design.

On the other end of the cylinder is a foldable, adjustable bipod that can be used as a support while shooting. Iron sights were mounted on the top of the receiver and on the post behind the muzzle. The carrying loop allows the use of the shoulder straps during transport.

The firing action is a gas system that operates a drive piston via an open bolt, allowing a variable rate of fire of 600 to 900 rounds per minute. Overall length is 45.5" (stock extended) and 37" (stock folded). After unloading, the gun weighed just over 21 pounds. Muzzle velocity is 2,750 feet per second. Due to the overheating of automatic weapons during repeated firing, it is recommended to use an air-cooled machine gun such as the SS-77 to operate in short controlled bursts.

This allows the SS-77 operator to fire about 600 rounds before having to change the barrel. Machine guns are often used for suppressing effects, leaving range accuracy to other battlefield elements and their respective light weapons.

The SS-77 is classified by its general purpose machine gun and is usually managed by two specially trained personnel. The main operator is the gunner, who visually tracks the target and activates the trigger function. Auxiliary operators manage tape supply to avoid paper jams and help clear jams when they occur. It also prompts him to replace the barrel assembly if repeated shots cause it to overheat (another valuable use for the carry handle). In addition, secondary operators can call other targets to the primary operator with a simple gesture or touch.

During transport, the primary operator carries weapons, while the secondary operator carries ammunition and other mission equipment.

A more compact version of the SS-77 for patrol was introduced under the proper name "SS77 Compact". This version has a retractable stock and an offset bipod, making it about 80mm shorter overall. Weight is further reduced to 20.5 lbs. Four Picatinny rails are installed for mounting various accessories and optics.

The finished weapon now allows the operator to replicate the firepower of the machine gun in a more compact form.

In due course, the popularity of the US 5.56x45mm cartridge in NATO service forced the development of conversion kits for the SS-77 series. This resulted in the "Mini-SS", which was nothing more than the basic SS-77 system with a new chamber and a new chrome barrel sealed by a Fortex flash suppressor. Internal working parts - bolt, gas piston and feed assembly - have all been replaced by kits and modified appropriately for the cartridge. As such, this kit enables SS-77 owners to configure their existing stock to 5.56mm cartridges without the need for expensive machine-sponsored modifications, making field modifications relatively painless. The gun weighs just over 18 pounds and has a 39.4-inch barrel and a 20.2-inch barrel.

The muzzle velocity is 3,180 feet per second. Therefore, the Mini-SS can be used as a light machine gun or a squad automatic weapon for repeated firing in a more portable package (similar to the American M249 SAW). The Mini-SS sometimes has up to 70% in common with the SS-77 series.

Interestingly, the Mini-SS can be converted back to its 7.62x51mm NATO chamber by reversing the conversion process and swapping out the original parts, making it a logistically friendly weapon. The Mini-SS was first introduced in the 1990s.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes