Quote:
Originally Posted by Tegyrius
I can't argue with any of those numbers. The extra features are nice, but the core system is still an AK. 
- C. |
Very true, Clayton, though there's a number of improvements, especially in the m/95 - an improved charging handle, an improved safety switch which makes operating it a bit easier even if you don't have very long fingers, a selector switch for the gas blowback system to allow firing of rifle grenades and so on. The ability to fire rifle grenades is not used, though, since the Army bought a pile of HK69A1 grenade launchers (designated as 40 KRPIST 2002). And I must add, the 5.56mm round would not do in the Finnish terrain - too much underbrush, trees and leaves hanging in the way. The 7.62mm round, being heavier, fares much better.
All the Finnish designations for weapons follow the particular formula Caliber Abbreviation Year (Special Property), so the correct designation for the m/95 would be, of course 7.62 RK 95TP, which means 7.62mm Assault Rifle (rynnäkkökivääri in Finnish) 95 Folding Stock (taittoperä in Finnish). The earlier version of the assault rifle would be 7.62 RK 62 or 76, depending on from which batch it came from. Even the artillery pieces are designated like that - for an example the Vammas 155mm field gun from 1998 is 155 K 98 (K stands for kanuuna=cannon).