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The Valmet M60 was a Finnish assault rifle based on the Soviet AK47. The M60 was a pilot model, which developed into the Valmet M62 which was adopted for service with the Finnish Defence Forces and in turn evolved into the Valmet M76.
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The Valmet M62 was a Finnish military assault rifle based on the Soviet AK47, and developed from the Valmet M60 in 1962. The M62 was a gas-operated selective fire weapon chambered for the 7.62 mm x 39 cartridge which it took from a 30-round detachable box magazine. The M62 fired at a cyclic rate of 650 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 719 metres per second and an effective range of 400 metres. It had a 420 mm long barrel and was fitted with a hooded blade foresight and a tangent aperture rearsight. A commercial, semi-automatic model was also produced designated the M62/S.
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The Valmet M76 is a Finnish gas operated, selective fire automatic assault rifle. The Valmet M76 is a Finnish copy of the AK47 produced from 1976 until 1986 and based upon the earlier Valmet M62. It takes a 7.62 mm x 32 Russian cartridge, or the 5.56 mm x 45 NATO cartridge, from a 15-, 20- or 30-round box and has a cyclic rate of 700 rounds-per-minute. The muzzle velocity varies with the cartridge, being 900 metres per second with the NATO round and 719 meters-per-second with the 7.62 mm Russian cartridge. The Valmet M76 has an effective range of between 350 and 400 metres and is fitted with a 420 mm long barrel, hooded blade foresight and a tangent aperture rearsight. Various models were produced, the standard M76 had a tubular butt stock, the M76T had a folding butt stock, the M76M a plastic butt stock and the M76W a wooden butt stock.
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The Valmet M78 is a Finnish automatic assault rifle produced from 1978 to 1986. It takes a 7.62 mm round from a 15 or 30-round box. It has a muzzle velocity of 718 meters-per-second and is sighted to 800 metres. It has a cyclic rate of 650 rounds-per-minute.
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The Valmet M90 is a Finnish assault rifle. The Valmet M90 is chambered for the 7.62 mm Soviet M1943 cartridge which it takes from a 30-round box magazine and fires with a cyclic rate of 700 rounds per minute and a muzzle velocity of 800 meters-per-second. The Valmet M90 has a side-folding tubular steel butt and a 416 mm barrel.
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The Vapensmia NM149S is a Norwegian sniper rifle produced since 1990, developed for the Army and police and also available as a commercial target and hunting rifle. It is chambered for the NATO 7.62 mm cartridge which it takes from a five round magazine. The rifle uses a Mauser Gewehr 98 three-lug bolt action.
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The Vektor CR-21 is a South African gas bull pup-operated assault rifle introduced in 1997. The Vektor CR-21 is chambered for the 5.56 mm cartridge which it takes from a 20- or 35-round box magazine and fires at a cyclic rate of 700 rounds per minute and a muzzle velocity of 980 meters-per-second. The Vektor CR-21 has a 460 mm barrel terminated in a pronged flash suppressor which can be used as a grenade launcher and has an effective range of about 450 metres.
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The Vektor R4 is the South African standard rifle and is a slightly modified Israeli Galil; the modifications consisted of changing the butt and fore-end to synthetic materials rather than steel, in consideration of the bush temperatures common in Africa, and lengthening the butt since the average South African is rather larger than the average Israeli. The Vektor R4 is chambered for the 5.56 mm M193 cartridge and has a rate of fire of 700 rounds-per-minute from a curved 35 round box magazine.
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The Vetterli Vitali magazine rifle was an Italian bolt-action, breech-loading rifle manufactured by Brescia from 1867. The Vetterli had a four-round tubular magazine and an effective range of 1000 metres.
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The Volkssturmgewehr 1-5 (VG 1-5) was a simple German 'people's weapon' of the Second World War designed to be capable of being produced by small machine-shops. It was designed by Barnetzke, working at the Gustloff-Werke firm, during 1943 and 1944 and went into production in late 1944, being first issued in January 1945. The VG 1-5 was chambered for the 7.92 mm 'Intermediate' ammunition and fed from a 30-round box magazine. It operated by blowback operation and was single shot with a range of about 270 metres.
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The VZ52 was a Czechoslovakian gas-operated self-loading rifle. The VZ52 was chambered for the 7.62 mm x 45 (Czechoslovakian M52) cartridge which it took from a 10-round box magazine and fired with a muzzle velocity of 744 metres per second. The VZ52 had a 523 mm long barrel and was sighted to 900 metres with a blade foresight and a leaf tangent U rearsight.
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The VZ58 is a Czechoslovakian gas-operated selective fire assault rifle bearing a superficial resemblance to the Soviet AK47. The VZ58 is chambered for the 7.62 mm M1943 Soviet cartridge which it takes from a 30-round box magazine and fires at a cyclic rate of 800 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 710 meters-per-second to an effective range of 400 metres. The VZ58 has a 401 mm long barrel and is fitted with a cylindrical post foresight and a tangent leaf V rearsight. Early versions of the VZ58 had a solid wood stock, pistol grip and fore-end. Later the wood was replaced with wood-fibre filled plastic, and a folding stock model produced. The VZ58 saw service with the Czechoslovakian army and was also sold commercially.
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Abbreviations
Warfare
