Madsen LAR M/62 🇩🇰 Danish robustness in the middle of the cold war

Madsen light automatic rifle LAR M/62 7.62×51mm NATOShow more

Famous Danish company Dansk Industrie Sindikat (DISA) “Madsen” developed a modern prototype automatic rifle in late 1950s. Apparently, early models were made in caliber 7.62×39 M43 Soviet, to participate in Finnish army trials for new assault rifle. Later on, circa 1959, same weapon was reworked to fire larger and much more powerful 7.62×51 NATO ammunition, and in this form it was offered for any interested buyer as Madsen Light Automatic Rifle, LAR M/62. Apparently, this weapon failed to attract any serious buyers, and it soon went into oblivion.

Madsen light automatic rifle LAR M/62 is a gas operated, selective fire weapon which fired from closed bolt. It uses rotary bolt locking and a long stroke piston gas system, with manual gas regulator. Receiver of the gun is made from aluminum alloy, with separate trigger unit / pistol grip attached below. Manual safety / selector switch is located on the left side of pistol grip. Rifle is fitted either with fixed wooden butt or with side-folding tubular metallic butt.

Variants:
Variants of the LAR came with solid wood stocks that covered the receiver from the handguard to the buttplate, then with a fixed steel tube and side/underfolding stocks. The earlier assault rifle variant (chambered for the 7.62×39mm M43 round but incompatible with AK magazines) was intended for the armed forces of Finland and to draw them away from using a Soviet-based design, the Valmet M62. However, Finland, being a neutral country, ignored this and went ahead with the Valmet M62, adopting it as their standard service rifle due to its cheaper cost for production and potentially better reliability.