Engineering:Ksp 58 machine gun

Ksp 58
Type	General-purpose machine gun
Place of origin	Belgium Sweden
Service history
In service	1958–present
Used by	Swedish Armed Forces
Wars	War in Afghanistan
Production history
Designer	Ernest Vervier
Designed	1950s
Manufacturer	FN Herstal Carl Gustav
Produced	1958–present
Variants	Ksp 58 B Ksp 58 C Ksp 58 D Ksp 58 DF Ksp 58 Strv
Specifications
Mass	11.79 kg (25.99 lb)
Length	1,263 mm (49.7 in)
Barrel length	630 mm (24.8 in)
Width	118.7 mm (4.7 in)
Height	263 mm (10.4 in)
Cartridge	7.62×51mm NATO, 6.5x55 (Ksp 58A)
Action	Gas-operated, open bolt
Rate of fire	650–1,000 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	840 m/s (2,756 ft/s)
Effective firing range	800 m
Maximum firing range	1,800 m from tripod
Feed system	Non-disintegrating DM1 or disintegrating M13 linked belt
Sights	Folding leaf sight with aperture and notch, front blade

The Ksp 58 (Swedish: Kulspruta 58) is a Swedish variant of the Belgian FN MAG general purpose machine gun that is currently being manufactured by the Swedish company Carl Gustav and was adopted by the Swedish Armed Forces since 1958.

History

After 1945, many countries are trying to produce their own machine guns based on the MG 42 design. In the early 1950s, a Belgian company called FN Herstal succeeded in developing a general-purpose machine gun called the MAG. The initial Ksp 58A version used by Sweden was chambered for 6,5x55, while the B and later models were chambered for 7,62 NATO.

Users

Sweden: Used by the Swedish Armed Forces since 1958 to the present.

Latvia : Ksp 58B version in use. Was first received from Sweden in 1990's as military aid.

Estonia : Ksp 58B version in use. Was first received from Sweden in 1990's as military aid.

Lithuania : Ksp 58B version in use. Was first received from Sweden in 1990's as military aid.