Type 73
First Machine Industry Bureau · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1973
Also known as: Type 73 LMG, Type 73 GPMG
Overview
The Type 73 is a North Korean gas-operated, rotary-bolt-locked machine gun chambered in 7.62x54mmR. Designed by the First Machine Industry Bureau and adopted in 1973, it borrows visual and mechanical cues from the Soviet PK and British Bren, and is notable for its dual feed system, accepting both a top-mounted 30-round box magazine and side-fed non-disintegrating ammunition belts. It served as North Korea's squad automatic weapon until being supplanted by the PKM-derived Type 82, and later appeared in Middle Eastern conflicts via Iranian export.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 10600 g (373.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1190 mm (46.85") |
| Barrel Length | 608 mm (23.94") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Automatic |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 840 m/s (2756 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3387 J (2498 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 800 m (875 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3000 m (3281 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 650 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x54mmR · primary — also known as 7.62x54R, 7.62 Russian, 7.62mm Mosin
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Belt, Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Dual Feed, Quick Change Barrel, Folding Carry Handle, Bipod, Wooden Furniture
Service history
Operators
- Korean People's Army · adopted 1973
- Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces
- Houthi movement
Conflicts
- Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
- Iraqi Civil War (2014-2017)
- Syrian Civil War (2011-present)
- Yemeni Civil War (2014-present)
Production
Production years: 1973-1980s
Production largely ceased in the early 1980s as the Type 82 entered service; surplus guns were exported to Iran and onward to its regional proxies.
Origin
Country of origin: North Korea
Designer: First Machine Industry Bureau
Notes
The dual-feed arrangement let gunners use a lighter box magazine on patrol and switch to belt feed for sustained suppressive fire. Featured a quick-change barrel and a folding plastic carrying handle.
Background
Often called North Korea's 'wacky' machine gun, the Type 73 combined a 30-round box magazine on top with a side-feeding belt path, a hybrid design that turned up decades later in the hands of Iranian-backed militias across Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and in reports from the war in Ukraine.