Daewoo Precision Industries K4

Automatic grenade launcher

Daewoo Precision Industries K4
K4 automatic grenade launcher
Type	Automatic grenade launcher
Place of origin	South Korea
Service history
In service	1993–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	War in Afghanistan Iraq War Libyan Civil War
Production history
Designer	Agency for Defense Development Daewoo Precision Industries
Designed	1985–1991
Manufacturer	Daewoo Precision Industries (1981–1999) Daewoo Telecom (1999–2002) Daewoo Precision (2002–2006) S&T Daewoo (2006–2012) S&T Motiv (2012–2021) SNT Motiv (2021–present)
Produced	1993–present
Specifications
Mass	34.4 kg (75.84 lb) (no tripod)
Length	1,072 mm (42.2 in)
Barrel length	412 mm (16.22 in)

Cartridge	40×53mm grenade
Caliber	40 mm
Action	API blowback
Rate of fire	325–378 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	240.8 m/s (790 ft/s) (K212) 242.3 m/s (795 ft/s) (KM383)^[1]
Effective firing range	1,500 m (1,600 yd)
Maximum firing range	2,200 m (2,400 yd)
Feed system	belt-fed, 32 or 48 grenades belt
Sights	KAN/TVS-5 night vision scope can be attached^[2]

The Daewoo Precision Industries K4 is a 40x53mm high-speed automatic grenade launcher in use with the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

The K4 was developed as a complement to the K-201 hand-held grenade launcher (attachable to the K2).

History

The K4 was first developed in 1994.^[3]

Design

Demonstration of firing of the K4 automatic grenade launcher

It has a weight of 34.4 kg (empty, without accessories) and can fire up to 325 rounds per minute with a firing range of 1.5 km. When needed to be used during night operations, a KAN/TVS-5 night vision scope can be attached onto the receiver.^[2]

The K4 is said to visually resemble the Mk 19 AGL.^[4]

Users

Iraq: Small numbers used by Iraqi special forces on Humvees.^[5]
Libya: First export customer, purchased the K4 in 2009.^[6]
Mexico: Purchased since 2011.^[7]
Poland: Several hundred K4s ordered in 2022.^[8]
South Korea^[2]
Singapore: 17 K4s transferred according to a 2019 SIPRI small arms report.^[9]

References

^ Security Management Institute (25 May 2018). "화기별·탄종별 사격장 안전기준 정립 연구". Republic of Korea Army Headquarters. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021. p. 118
^ ^a ^b ^c "Weapons of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps – Small Arms Defense Journal".
^ "South Korea is the New Arsenal of Democracy". 20 April 2017.
^ "Daewoo K4 40 mm machine gun (Korea, South) - Jane's Armour and Artillery Upgrades". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
^ Vining, Miles (June 19, 2018). "ISOF Arms & Equipment Part 4 – Grenade Launchers & Anti-Armour Weapons". armamentresearch.com.
^ "S&T Daewoo Succeeded in First Exporting K4 Automatic Grenade Machine Gun to Libya". S&T Holdings. December 21, 2009. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
^ "S&T모티브, 멕시코, 파푸아뉴기니 軍․警에 총기 수출". S&T Motiv. April 10, 2013. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015.
^ "Koreańskie granatniki K4 dla Polski" (in Polish). milmag.pl. September 26, 2022.
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.smallarmssurvey.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)