Sumitomo Type 62
Sumitomo Heavy Industries · Machine Gun · In Service · 1962
Also known as: NTK-62, Type 62 7.62mm Machine Gun
Overview
The Sumitomo Type 62 (also designated NTK-62) is a Japanese 7.62x51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun developed by Nittoku Metal Industries and produced by Sumitomo Heavy Industries for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. It is a gas-operated, belt-fed weapon firing from M13 disintegrating-link belts, with a quick-change barrel and folding bipod, and was the first GPMG developed indigenously by post-war Japan.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 10150 g (358.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1200 mm (47.24") |
| Barrel Length | 546 mm (21.50") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 250 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 855 m/s (2805 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3471 J (2560 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1500 m (1640 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 650 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62mm NATO — also known as 7.62 NATO, .308 Winchester (commercial), 7.62x51mm
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Disintegrating Link Belt
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Quick Change Barrel, Folding Bipod, Disintegrating Belt Feed, Slotted Flash Suppressor, Pintle Mount Capable
Variants
- Sumitomo Type 74 Vehicle Machine Gun — Coaxial Vehicle
Service history
Operators
- Japan Ground Self-Defense Force · adopted 1962 · as Type 62
Production
Production years: 1962-present
Japan-only service; never exported
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Designer: Nittoku Metal Industries
Notes
Adopted in 1962, it served as the JGSDF's squad and general-purpose machine gun. It has never been exported and is used exclusively by Japan. A vehicle-mounted derivative, the Type 74, equips Japanese armored vehicles. Effective range is quoted as roughly 800 m prone, 1.2 km from a tripod and 1.5 km on a pintle mount.
Background
The Type 62 was post-war Japan's first home-grown general-purpose machine gun, designed when the constitutionally constrained Self-Defense Forces needed a domestically built squad weapon rather than relying on imported American hardware.