Daewoo Precision Industries K1

Daewoo Precision Industries K1A
Daewoo Precision Industries K1A
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	Republic of Korea
Service history
In service	1981-present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Gulf War Operation Enduring Freedom[1] Iraq War[1]
Production history
Designer	Agency for Defense Development Daewoo Precision Industries
Designed	1977-1982
Manufacturer	Daewoo Precision Industries
Produced	1980-present
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	2.87 kg
Length	838 mm (stock extended) 653 mm (stock retracted)
Barrel length	263 mm (10.4in)
Cartridge	5.56x45mm NATO
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	700-900 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	820 m/sec
Effective range	250 m
Feed system	Various STANAG magazines.
Sights	Iron sights

Daewoo Precision Industries K1/K1A assault carbine is the first modern firearm developed by Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and manufactured by Daewoo Precision Industries,^[2] and entered service in Republic of Korea Armed Forces in 1981.

Development

K1 outfitted with a foregrip and scope attached via Rail Integration System.

In 1976, Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command (ROKASWC) requested a new weapon to replace the old M3 Grease Gun. In the following year, ADD launched a project named XB rifle, and the project aimed at the following:

• greater firepower than SMG class
• light weight for easy carrying
• cost effectiveness
• must be indigenous for improved capacity to produce military firearms independently of other nations

The prototypes were made in 1980 and entered service in 1981. However due to the design of its flash suppressor, the K1 exhibited serious problems in service with ROK armed forces, such as:

• Excessive recoil and weak stock due to increase in firepower
• Excessive noise and flash
• Difficulty in aiming during night operation

These shortcomings were later fixed by the development and adoption of a new flash suppressor, which has three holes in the top right quadrant to limit muzzle flip under rapid fire and reduces flash to one-third of that of the early K1. Moreover, 3-round burst mechanism was added for improved accuracy. This new version of K1 is known as the K1A and its production began in 1982. All K1 carbines in service were subsequently modified to the K1A standard.

Classification

Although K1 uses 5.56x45mm NATO, it is classified as a submachine gun in Republic of Korea Armed Forces because K1 was intended to replace M3 Grease Gun. On the other hand, it is a shortened assault rifle or carbine due to its characteristics.

Differences

While K1 assault carbine is commonly regarded as a short version of Daewoo K2 assault rifle, it is actually different from K2 for the following reasons:

• The development of K1 was completed earlier than that of K2.^[3]
• The K1 uses the direct impingement gas system, while the K2 uses AK-47 style gas piston system.^[3]
• The K1 has 1-in-12 rifling twist for .223 Remington, while the K2 has 1-in-7.3 rifling twist for 5.56x45mm NATO (FN SS109).^[3]

Variants

Export versions of the K1 sold in .223 Remington are known as the MAX-1 and MAX-2.^[4]

Users

•  Bangladesh^[5]
•  Fiji^{[citation needed]}
•  Republic of Korea: Servicing as primary rifle with ROK forces. Used extensively in the Afghanistan War and Iraq War.^[1]
•  Nigeria^{[citation needed]}
•  Senegal^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Daewoo Precision Industries K2
• Daewoo Precision Industries K7
• S&T Daewoo K11

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/CurrentIssue/dl.php?filename=201003140001071.pdf
2. ^ "Business Outline, Defense Business". S&T Daewoo. http://www.sntdaewoo.com/st/business07.html. Retrieved 2010-07-01. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Daewoo K1". Rifles n Guns. http://www.riflesnguns.com/assault/daewoo/k1. Retrieved 2008-10-30. 
4. ^ "Daewoo K2 assault rifle and K1 assault carbine". http://world.guns.ru/assault/as32-e.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-30. 
5. ^ http://www.bdmilitary.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71&Itemid=95

External links

• K1 through K7 images
• S&T Daewoo Homepage