K-1 / K-2
Summary
| Country | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
| Category | Assault rifle |
| Manufacturer | Daewoo |
Technical specifications
| K-1 / K-2 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 750 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 5.56 x 45 mm OTAN |
| Magazine | 30 rounds |
| Length | 980 mm (38.6 in) |
| Weight | 3.1 kg (6.8 lb) |
| Range | 450 m (1476 ft) |
Description
In the 1960s, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces relied on US military aid for firearms, primarily M1 Garands and M1/M2 carbines. Early attempts at indigenous rifle development faced setbacks due to economic and industrial constraints. During the Vietnam War, South Korean troops were equipped with M16A1 rifles, leading to licensed production of the M16A1 (Colt Model 603K) beginning in 1974. Facing license limitations, cost concerns, and geopolitical pressures, South Korea initiated an indigenous rifle program in 1972. Initial prototypes (XB-1 to XB-5) were influenced by AR-15 designs. The XB-6 prototype incorporated a long-stroke gas piston, evolving into the 5.56×45mm NATO chambered XB-7 in 1977. The final prototype, XB-7C (XK2), was completed by 1982 and officially fielded to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces in 1985, replacing the M16A1 as the standard service rifle.
The Daewoo K2 is a shoulder-fired, gas-operated rifle, externally similar to the AR18, that utilizes polymer for the forearm, pistol grip, and side-folding buttstock. The fire control system and bolt carrier group are derived from the M16 rifle, while the gas operating system employs a long-stroke gas piston. The K2 feeds from magazines compatible with the M16. Its barrel features 6 grooves with a 185mm (1-in-7.3) right hand twist. The rifle is capable of firing both 5.56×45mm NATO and .223 Remington ammunition, although the latter is recommended only for short-distance practice. It offers three selective firing modes: semi-automatic, 3-round burst, and full automatic. The K2 can be equipped with the DPI K201, an underbarrel 40×46mm grenade launcher patterned after the M203. Accessories such as bipods and 4x magnification scopes have been used, and the PVS-4K Rail Integration System can be mounted.
Variants include:
XB series: Prototypes during development included the XB series, from XB1 to XB6, with the XB6 being the selected design that evolved into the XB7 and ultimately the XB7C (XK2).
K2: The mass-produced variant.
Civilian semi-automatic versions for the US market: K2/AR-100, DR-100/DR-200 (post-1989 import ban, featuring a thumb-hole stock), and the DR-300 chambered in 7.62×39mm.
K2C: A carbine version featuring a shortened 310 mm barrel, Picatinny rail, and an M4-type stock.
K2C CQB: A variant incorporating features such as a 310 mm barrel, flip-up sights, integrated Picatinny rails, and ambidextrous selector switches.
K2C1: Features a quad accessory rail, full-length Picatinny optics rail, and an AR-15-style collapsing and folding stock, available with 305 mm and 465 mm barrel lengths.
The K2 has served as the standard-issue rifle of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces since its adoption in 1985, although the M16A1 remains in service with reservists. South Korean forces extensively used the K2 during Operation Enduring Freedom and the Iraq War. While small numbers of the K2C were tested by ROK Special Warfare Command in 2014 but not adopted, the K2C1 was later selected as the standard weapon, with approximately 200,000 K2C1s in active service with frontline troops as of 2016. Earlier plans to replace the entire K2 inventory with the K11 dual-barrel weapon were abandoned due to cost and weight concerns.
The K2 and its variants are used by the armed forces and law enforcement agencies of several countries, including Cambodia, Ecuador, Fiji, Indonesia, Iraq, South Korea, Lebanon, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, North Korea (using unlicensed local copies), Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Thailand, and Nepal. The K2 and K2C have also been observed in the hands of non-state actors, including ISIS (captured from Iraqi troops), Syrian opposition groups, and Boko Haram.