Type 73 light machine gun

The Type 73 is a light machine gun designed and manufactured by North Korea's First Machine Industry Bureau for use by the Korean People's Army.

History
The Type 73 is based on a 1960s-era Soviet design, most likely the PK machine gun, although the date of its first production in North Korea is currently unknown. The weapon was reportedly seen in the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 2002, when a United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission team told media outlets that North Korean soldiers had set up numerous Type 73s in positions 100 to 400 meters north of the demarcation line. The weapons were reportedly removed at the end of each day.

Design
The design is heavily based on the 1960s-era Soviet PK machine gun. However, the Type 73 does have certain indigenous modifications, including a dual magazine/belt feed system, patterned after the Czechoslovak Vz.52 LMG, and removable muzzle sleeves.