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Madsen m/62 LAR

1962 COLD WAR

History of the Madsen m/62 LAR

Dansk Industri Syndikat (Madsen) developed a new, state-of-the-art "battle rifle" between 1957 and 1962 to meet the growing global The need calls for a reliable rifle automatic weapon firing the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. World War II (1939-1945) saw a coordinated shift from older manual bolt-action rifles to self-loading rifles (SLRs) and similar types that provided individual infantrymen with greater firepower on the move.

The Danish rifle is largely of traditional design, relying on a pneumatic system, fed from a detachable 20-round magazine, and aimed through iron sights set above the receiver and barrel.

The layout of the weapon was traditional, with a wooden stock (a tubular form was later used), a wooden front end and a fixed pistol grip. The trigger assembly is integrated into the grip, and the magazine feed is located directly in front, within reach below the receiver. The charging handle is located on the left side of the receiver, and the gas cylinder is located above the barrel assembly (as on the AK-47).

This assembly is covered by a flash suppressor.

This rifle is partly influenced by the tried and very popular post-war Soviet AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle, and is in line with Belgian FN FAL and West German Heckler & Koch G3 line . The Soviet incarnation was known for its reliability and simplicity, which made it commonplace in many parts of the world and featured in many global, regional and local conflicts. However, the Danish approach takes a lighter approach, using lighter alloys in its construction to create a more manageable weapon than the Soviet AK-47.

Despite the work, this battle rifle was not adopted. The version for the Finnish army originated from a 7.62x39mm M43 magazine, fed by a 30-round AK-style curved magazine, but eventually moved to a homegrown design, the Valmet M62.

Finally, as more countries embraced "assault rifles" - focusing on intermediate cartridges, battle rifles - with full-powered rifle cartridges - eventually fell out of favor in the West as standard long guns. A typical example of this period is the American M-16.

However, battle rifles continued to play a secondary role and became the weapon of choice for snipers and marksmen because of their ability to stop people at a distance.