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| Uk vz. 59 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | General-purpose machine gun |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1959–present |
| Used by | Czech Republic Slovakia |
| Wars | Vietnam War Nigerian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Afghanistan Wars Uganda–Tanzania War Angolan Civil War South African Border War Tajikistani Civil War Mali War Kivu conflict Russo-Georgian War Libyan Civil War Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1956-1959 |
| Manufacturer | Zbrojovka Vsetín |
| Produced | 1959—1990s |
| Variants | Vz. 59 L, vz. 59T, vz. 59N, vz. 68, vz. 95, vz. 98 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 9.28 kg (20.5 lb) (vz. 59) 8.67 kg (19.1 lb) (vz. 59 L) |
| Length | 1,215 mm (47.8 in) (vz. 59) 1,115 mm (43.9 in) (vz. 59 L) |
| Barrel length | 650 mm (25.6 in) (vz. 59) 550 mm (21.7 in) (vz. 59 L) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×54mmR / 7.62×51mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, tilting breechblock |
| Rate of fire | 700-800 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 830 m/s (2,723 ft/s) (vz. 59) 810 m/s (2,657 ft/s) (vz. 59 L) |
| Effective firing range | 100 to 2000 m sight adjustments |
| Feed system | Belt-fed 50-round, weight 0.19 kg unloaded or 250 round belt |
| Sights | Hooded front post, folding leaf rear sight, sight radius 353 mm (13.9 in) |
The Universal Machine Gun Model 1959 (Czech: Univerzální kulomet vzor 59) is a general-purpose machine gun developed in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s. It remains in use by the Czech Army and the Slovak Armed Forces.
Description
The Uk vz. 59 fires 7.62×54mmR ammunition (although a Vz. 59N variant for 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition also exists), delivered via an ammunition belt. The weapon can serve as a light (light barrel and bipod, vz. 59L model) and medium machine gun (heavy barrel and tripod), and can also be used as a co-axial mounted weapon (Vz. 59T version).
The machine gun is equipped with a lever-type feed mechanism introduced in Louis Stange's MG 39 Rh, which is operated by the feed lever mounted outside the right wall of the receiver.
The pistol grip acts as the charging handle for the Uk vz. 59.
-
UK-L vz. 59 with bipod.
-
Detail of the UK-L vz. 59.
Users
Afghanistan
Biafra
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Georgia
Libya
Mali
Slovakia
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Ukraine: 3,200 UK vz.59s were gifted from the Czech Republic, sent as part of a military package in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Vietnam: used by the PAVN and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War/
Gallery
-
Ukrainian volunteer with UK vz. 59
See also
References
- "MG 39 Rh". 19 December 2012.
- Jowett, Philip (2016). Modern African Wars (5): The Nigerian-Biafran War 1967-70. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Press. p. 22. ISBN 978-1472816092.
- ^ Popenker, Maxim (27 October 2010). "Vz.59 (UK Vz.59)". Modern Firearms.
- ^ Small Arms Survey (2015). "Waning Cohesion: The Rise and Fall of the FDLR–FOCA" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2015: weapons and the world (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 202. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2015.
- "Geo-army.ge". Archived from the original on 9 March 2012.
- "World Infantry Weapons: Libya". Archived from the original on 5 October 2016.
- "Google Sites".
- "První česká vojenská pomoc Ukrajině". armadnizpravodaj.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- Scarlata, Paul (15 December 2016). "Eastern Bloc Firestorm: The Czech UK vz. 59 Machine Gun". Military Surplus Magazine.
External links
Media related to UK vz. 59 at Wikimedia Commons- Modern Firearms
- Univerzální kulomet vzor 59
