Valmet M83
Valmet · Rifle · Discontinued · 1983
Also known as: Valmet M76/83, M83S
Overview
The Valmet M83 is a Finnish semi-automatic rifle built by Valmet, a civilian, self-loading-only version of the late-production RK 62 / M76 assault rifle. It is a gas-operated, long-stroke piston, rotating-bolt Kalashnikov-pattern rifle most commonly chambered in 7.62x39mm, with a .223 Remington / 5.56x45mm NATO option also offered. Fed from a detachable box magazine and built with the durable Finnish-AK receiver and chrome-lined barrel, the M83 was exported to the United States sporting market in the 1980s and is prized by collectors for its build quality.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3600 g (127.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 950 mm (37.40") |
| Barrel Length | 420 mm (16.54") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 718 m/s (2356 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2067 J (1525 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 900 m (984 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.62x39mm · primary — also known as 7.62mm Soviet, 7.62x39mm M43
- 5.56x45mm NATO · 5.56 NATO — also known as .223 Remington, 5.56mm NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Hammer Notch
- Features: Chrome Lined Barrel, Rotating Bolt, Semi Automatic Only, Stamped Receiver, Polymer Furniture, Kalashnikov Pattern
Variants
- Valmet M83S - Folding Stock
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Civilian market (United States) · adopted 1983 · as M83
Production
Production years: 1983-1989
Exact civilian production figures not published; imports to the US ended around 1989 and Valmet firearms production merged into Sako by 1986-1990.
Origin
Country of origin: Finland
Discontinued: 1989
Notes
The M83 is the semi-automatic civilian counterpart to Valmet's military M76 export rifle and the Finnish Defence Forces' RK 62. A short-barreled, folding-stock version was sold as the M83S. US imports ended after the 1989 restrictions on foreign semi-automatic rifles, and Valmet's firearms production was consolidated into Sako, making surviving examples increasingly collectible.
Background
Valmet's Finnish AKs earned a reputation for tighter tolerances and better fit-and-finish than their Soviet-bloc counterparts, and the semi-automatic M83 rode that reputation into the American collector market, where clean examples now command prices far above the surplus Kalashnikovs they descend from.