Valmet M82

Infobox Weapon
name=Valmet M82


caption=Valmet M82
origin=flagcountry|Finland
type=Assault rifle
is_ranged=yes
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=
is_vehicle=
service=
used_by=
wars=
designer=Valmet
design_date=
manufacturer=Valmet
production_date=1978—1986
number=Approx. 2000
variants=
weight=3.3 kg
length=710 mm
part_length=415 mm
crew=
cartridge=5.56x45mm NATO 7.62x39mm
caliber=
action=Gas-operated, rotating bolt
rate=750 rounds/min
velocity=
range=
max_range=
feed=30-round detachable box magazine
sights=Iron sights
breech=
recoil=
carriage=
elevation=
traverse=
blade_type=
hilt_type=
head_type=
haft_type=
diameter=
filling=
filling_weight=
detonation=
yield=

The Valmet M82 is a bullpup assault rifle with a Valmet M76 internal design created by Finnish company Valmet.

History

The M82 was introduced in Finland in 1978 and discontinued production in 1986.Only ~ 2,000 M82 were manufactured, mostly as semi-automatic version in 5.56 mm NATO caliber for ODIN International ltd. in Alexandria, Virginia. Few samples were issued to the Finnish Army paratroopers, but the rifle was found unsuitable as service weapon. One issue that cropped up during its short service life was that the rear sight of an uncased rifle had a tendency to hit the lower face, nose and cheekbones of the paratrooper during landing. The rifle was also ill-balanced, as nearly all the weight was in the rear of the rifle and its urethane stock was very prone to chipping and breaking.

Technical Data

It is chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO caliber as model 255 470 and for 7.62x39mm caliber as model 255 490. It has a steel frame, which is conventional AK-47/AKM design, constructed inside urethane stock [http://pookieweb.dyndns.org:61129/Groza/grozapics/Valmet_Model_82_Disassembled.jpg] . Trigger of the weapon is polymer to prevent heat of the barrel conducting to it, as the trigger is mounted to the barrel of the gun.

Features

The M82 feature dioptical iron sights, a mechanical version of a reflex sight, in which the shooter's right eye would be focused on the front sight while the left eye was focused on rear sight, positioned off the rifle's receiver. The two sights would overlap at certain ranges, providing excellent accuracy at a fixed range. However, due to the fixed nature of the offset sights, the weapon's accuracy at variable ranges suffered.

In Popular Culture

The Valmet M82 was used as a prop to represent the phased plasma rifle in the film The Terminator. [http://www.imfdb.org/index.php?title=The_Terminator#Valmet_M82]

Notes

External links

* [http://world.guns.ru/assault/as27-e.htm Modern Firearms]
* [http://guns.connect.fi/gow/QA11.html Gunwriters on the Web] includes discussion on the merits and faults of the dioptical iron sights of the Valmet M82