UK vz. 59

The Universal Machine Gun Model 1959 is a general-purpose machine gun developed in Czechoslovakia in the 1950s. It remains in use by the Czech Army and the Slovak Armed Forces.

Description

The Uk vz. 59 fires 7.62×54mmR ammunition, delivered via an ammunition belt. The weapon can serve as a light and medium machine gun, and can also be used as a co-axial mounted weapon.
The machine gun is equipped with a lever-type feed mechanism introduced in Louis Stange's MG 39 Rh, which is operated by the feed lever mounted outside the right wall of the receiver.
The pistol grip acts as the charging handle for the Uk vz. 59.

Users

: Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
: 3,200 UK vz.59s were gifted from the Czech Republic, sent as part of a military package in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
: used by the PAVN and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.