Valmet RK 62

Valmet is a Finnish company that was previously known as Valtion Metallitehtaat. Apart from firearms, this company also manufactures airplanes, automobiles, locomotives and domestic products. Apart from the Valmet RK 62, which it co-manufactures with the Finnish firearm manufacturer Sako, the company also produces the bullpup assault rifle known as the Valmet M82. Both are in current use by the Finnish Defense Forces. In 1987, Valmet and Sako merged into a single corporate entity and a new company called Sako-Valmet was formed. This company continued to produce the Valmet line until 1994.

The Valmet RK 62 saw its birth when Finland's defense forces decided that it was time to upgrade their arsenal. Probably because they lacked the resources to develop a completely new assault rifle, they decided to ape the most successful model of their immediate neighbor - Russia. It therefore takes its main design inspiration from the ubiquitous Russian AK47 and is still considered one of the most accomplished variants of the legendary assault rifle. It must be noted here than Finland acquired the right to manufacture AK 47 clones prior to launching actual production of the Valmet RK 62, which also features certain significant differences in design. For instance, the tubular metallic butt-stock and the plastic hand-guard which did not cover the gas tube differentiated it from the famous assault rifle, as did the inclusion of a plastic pistol grip. Additionally, Valmet and Sako included different kinds of sights on the Valmet RK 62.

The Valmet RK 62 chambers 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition and is also called the 7.62 RK 62 or the M 62. It is the standard assault rifle issued to Finland's armed forces and was perfected in 1962. It incorporates the gas-operated system most commonly found in other assault rifles in this caliber. This means that a certain amount of the power generated by exploding gases during the firing process are used to eject a spent rounds and inject a new one into the breech in readiness for firing.

The Valmet RK 62 saw its first rough avatar in 1960 and approximately 200,000 units rolled off the production line till it was discontinued in 1994. It weighs 3.5 kilograms in an unloaded condition and measures 914 mm in length, with a barrel length of 420 mm. It has a muzzle velocity of 715 meters per second and discharges ammunition at a rate of 700 rounds per minute. It features a fire selector that allows for an automatic fire setting when engaged.

The civil version of the Valmet RK 62, this one without the fire selector, is called the M62S. The Valmet Petra is a variant designed for hunting, and the RK 76 features a stamped steel receiver that makes the assault rifle lighter and more wieldy. This version has eight further variants. The RK 95 TP, which shared the same caliber as the Valmet RK 62, was also chambered for 5.56 x 45 mm NATO rounds in limited numbers. With no prejudice to the other variants - including the Valmet RK 62 - the superior quality of materials and better workmanship of the RK 95 TP have caused it to be seen as the best one of the lot. It retained the milled receiver of the basic model but introduced a unique feature in the form of a skeleton-type butt-stock that folded to the side. Additionally, it incorporated a flash suppressor and advanced hand-guards.

With the discontinuation of the Valmet RK 62 and its variants in 1994 and no new orders being placed for them, there is a fear that Finnish firearm manufacturing has ground to a dead halt in terms of assault rifle development. The entire sale of this assault rifle line yielded only something like $16 million, and that was obviously not enough to support an ongoing production program. As of today, no funding has been made available by the Finnish Defense Forces for further development of the Valmet RK 62 or any related assault rifles.