The South Korean Daewoo K2 rifle with firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson

[@DMesse]

"Oh my god, this one looks superbly clean and nothing like my service rifle back in the days" >> Serial number is 000755 "Yup, that'd do it." You lads certainly take great care of them

[@justsomeplantcells-]

spoiled, even.

[@captnsquashypant82]

Korea: Hey we need a DVD player, a car and a assault rifle Daewoo: we got you covered.

[@reliantncc1864]

Surprisingly common in South Korea. Samsung offers everything from cars to washing machines to clothes to heavy industrial equipment, let alone computer parts and whatnot. Pretty much the same for LG. For some reason they have companies with massive diversification.

[@zoiders]

General Electric in the US are exactly the same.

[@captnsquashypant82]

@@zoiders General electrics new slogan should be “ Our washing machines clean the mess our mini guns make.”

[@captnsquashypant82]

@@reliantncc1864 😮 I didn’t realize Samsung made cars. I knew they made basically every kind of electronic and appliance you could think of. I’ve had Samsung tablets and also Samsung refrigerators and washers and dryers.

[@Mankster23]

I love these comments but given that it is or was incredibly common for manufacturers making machined metal parts for consumer goods to also make weapons. Ie BSA (guns and motorbikes), Hughes (Radars, radios, electronics), Westinghouse (tvs, radios). Because technologies overlap. These kind of comments are amusing but dumb.

[@kmw12870]

It's bit weird and awesome to see my service rifle on Royal Armouries channel. So sad I've never got a chance to use it's K2C1 variant. Thanks for the video, it reminds me back then when I first learned how to strip down my rifle during my basic military training. + And my colleagues who was there with me. 😁😁👍👍🔥🔥

[@Carnefice]

Move to the US and you can buy one

[@929Finn]

​@@Carnefice the ones they are importing seem to have different rail system from rhe K2C/C1

[@천자총통-t4g]

I served in South Korean Army for firearm maintenance mechanic, some more information to this video 1. The "0" position of gas system was first intended for blank round (making gun full-straight bolt action), not use it much these days because of using blank firing muzzle adapter (training device). The South Korean Army never used rifle grenade for K2. 2. K2 has no interchangeable parts with M16 form muzzle to buttplate. (Except for magazines) Maybe the windage adjustment wheel in rear sight can be, but I didn't try it. 3. The front tritium sight is lined up with rear flip-up night sight. 4. The disassembly catch in recoil spring is safety lever. When it is positioned in disassembly and fired overpressured ammo, the gun can "opened" and throw recoil spring into shooter's eye. 5. K1 was adopted earlier than K2 for replacing M3 grease gun used by special forces. K1 needs to be available as soon as possible, so developers put M16 system into K2(in development) design. That's why K1 uses gas impingement system same as M16, not shorten version of K2. 6. I don't know why but South Korean Army doesn't prefer short carbines for infantry. That's the reason for new K2C1 has 18 inch full length barrel. The review is good, well made video. Glad to see the rifle that I fixed thousands of them in past days.

[@bumpercoach]

is the barrel "joint right there by the forward sling swivel such that you can swap the forward segment for a shorter or longer one according to need/preference?

[@천자총통-t4g]

@@bumpercoach There is no barrel length option for Korean Army. (for US civilian market, might be, IDK) Only existing barrel for K2 is 18 inch long. And I'd never heard of extendable barrel thing. Furthermore, several tools and manual/pneumatic presses are needed when remove/install barrel from upper reciever. Changing whole upper receiver assembly is much easier.

[@bumpercoach]

@@천자총통-t4g cool... was just wondering if the contour there meant a joint

[@천자총통-t4g]

@@bumpercoach oh my, I thought too much. Those are just slot for front sling swivel and overtravel stop for gas block.

[@Moonstone-Redux]

M855 reaches optimal performance with a 20 inch barrel, and given the main adversary the K2 was intended to be used against, there is little use for a short rifle with a shortened barrel.

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

Perfect timing. The K2 was announced at SHOT Show 2025 to be manufactured in the US by SNT Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision).

[@reidboggs4344]

And unbelievably reasonably priced at only $1200.

[@mechacowboy]

9 hole reviews mentioned- Johnathan unsurprisingly is a man of taste.

[@kelvin3103]

I feel like 9 hole reviews should get a lot more views than they do, love their range testing and the chats they do. Much more interesting than most guntubers with higher sub counts.

[@Stinkerpant6969]

We can also trust that if a rifle is doing bad on the range, it genuinely is the rifle and or ammo being bad, not the shooter. Has made me consider some rifles that I originally probably wouldnt have when accuracy was a driving factor

[@Berserk_Knight]

What was described in the video as "sight elevation adjustment" is actually the "quick range adjustment" presets for when the target is outside the "standard" 250m engagement range. The fine sight adjustment for elevation is the large screw *inside* the rear sight block (you can see it around the 5:00 mark), right underneath the thing that rotates when you turn the quick range adjustment. Each notch cut into the screw is a click adjustment and rotating which direction is up should be engraved right behind the screw.

[@808track]

I served in ROK with the us army and got to shoot this and a few other weapons systems.. the ROKA and the marines were a ton of fun to train with

[@12pandemon]

One of my favorite rifles of all time. It looks so good, great ergonomics, manual of arms is essentially an ar18.

[@endjfcar]

It's way closer to AK than an AR18 though. K-1 has the actual AR18 mechanism. But it is indeed a beautiful rifle.

[@spacedredd]

Sir, I've been a great admirer of the K2 rifle system. In the 80s as a teen, I discovered the K2 a picture of ROK solider holding a K2 in a gun magazine. In the 90s I waa able to get a DR200 (neutered import version) and in the early 2000s I got a DR300 (7.62×39) version. I got a preban K1A1 in 2009. Since the Deawoo's had dried up here in the US. Replacement parts were getting scarce I transitioned to the Robinson Arms XCR-L platform. Share a lot of similarities w/the K2. Now SnT Motiv is reintroducing the K2 in the US, I'll have to get one! Oh crap... I should've watched this vid on History of Weapons and War. Great video as expected...

[@seyhyun]

The disassembly catch is a known issue, there have been multiple incidents where soldiers fired them while in the disassembly position, and the whole gun slammed open and the recoil spring exploded out and destroyed an eye socket. Nowadays, there are small plastic safeties that are slotted into the tiny gap between the body and the catch that can only be inserted if in fire mode, and instructors make sure to double, triple, quadruple check if the catch is in firing position before commencing firing.

[@Vashtanerada477]

I think you guys have nailed the framing for these videos. Perfectly weighted, the depth of that central hallway accentuated by the soft red lights- chefs kiss. Very well done.

[@kbjerke]

Thank you, Jonathan! Your videos are always a pleasure to watch and very educational. 👍

[@paleoph6168]

Thank you Jonathan for finally making a video about one of my favorite rifles!! 18:56 I can attest to that. In the Nigerian comedy series _MarkAngelComedy_ I used to watch on KZbin, in a part 4 of a series titled “Police Officer”, when the police arrive, one of them is armed with a K2. The episode and the rifle can still be found online.

[@bumpercoach]

IMFDB is such a treasure ... it was fun to see how it improved those early wks after th SG2 release

[@hollywoodguns]

Great Video Johnathan - I've wanted one of these for years, but all my budget is assigned to movie guns and as you pointed out, they havent really featured in anything prominently. Still, Daewoo is definitely the best construction equipment, Car building, Gun and Electronics Manufacturer on the planet!

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

Don't forget the fridges :D

[@hollywoodguns]

@@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries So true!

[@doublep1980]

Don't forget their shipyards, they build anything from gigantic container ships to submarines & warships like destroyers & frigates.

[@t4nkychannel921]

I really love South Korean guns. I really hope you or Forgotten Weapons cover the K1 and the K7. Those two, especially the K7, are some of the coolest firearms out there.

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

Sadly we don't have either :(

[@jessicaregina1956]

Southeast asian service weapons dont usually get to leave their country.

[@lizzy6152]

Hello, bro! I'm writing this because I found an error regarding Korean in your video. The text on the K2 gas regulator means the following: "대" (Dae) = Large "중" (Jung) = Medium "소" (So) = Small However, in your KZbin subtitles, "소" is translated as "Cow" or "Cattle." To be precise, the Korean character "소" can mean "small" when derived from Chinese characters (Hanja). But if not derived from Hanja, it can mean "Cow" or "Cattle."

[@37dh38]

Informations for fans of K2 rifle : I received my rifle at bootcamp in 2013. It was brand new rifle and i opened its own crate. Crate marked manufactured in 2012, markings on the rifle (대한민국 K2 ) goes on the right side of the rifle. Long time later in 2019 I was mobilized as a reserve force i received my training rifle which was also newly opened , marked manufactured in 2011 and they had left side marking on the rifle. Conclusion is there were slight modifies in between 2011 and 2012.

[@tarvisponsdebeaumont794]

The background illuminated in orange is very, very Kubrickesque, also in its framing!

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

The DoP responsible takes that as the HIGHEST praise

[@RetroARguy]

AFAIK the K1 actually came out first because they gave priority to the specialist types; it was also made before development was sealed on the gun and as a result has a totally different gas system

[@thedysfunctionalbiographer3314]

Been a few years since I've seen it, but "All of Us Are Dead" should show a lot of K2s.

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

It does, and I very much enjoyed it.

[@joec3626]

Should do more guns from movies and TV, how about the guns from the Day of the Jackal (both the old and new remake) and talk about how realistic those "show" guns are.

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

This series focuses on examples in our collection, but a new project I'm involved will cover that sort of thing ;)

[@joec3626]

@@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries Yahooo! Looking forward to it :)

[@jsk6390]

This brings me smile and memories I had when I was in service. I still remember th serial number of my rifle. Yeah when you get your service rifle issued, first thing you do is memorizing the serial number of the rifle

[@busboy262]

Thank you so much for featuring my next new rifle.

[@Bigcat726]

It’s a coincidence this video came out talking the k2 after shot show and SNT is importing in daewoo guns making it back to the US gun market

[@RoyalArmouriesMuseum]

Strangely enough, it is!

[@Bigcat726]

@ lol 😂

[@oggyoliver3651]

Who give a f bru

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

SNT is gonna manufacture and assemble them in the US by themselves, just like Zastava or IWI.

[@LaughingMan44]

Suuuuure ​@@RoyalArmouriesMuseum

[@bgiardi]

Thank you Jonathan!

[@bumpercoach]

very cool to see the 3rd burst so clearly demonstrated

[@Kelvin_Foo]

Daewoo K2 shown in Squid Game Season 2. Daewoo K2 (Yoohee) announced by Team Mica for Girls Frontline 2. Daewoo K2 covered by Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Arms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history. Coincidence? I think not!

[@BarneyDesmond]

FINALLY a mention of its appearance in Girls Frontline 2! (and GFL1 as well for that matter, but less timely)

[@Kelvin_Foo]

@@BarneyDesmond The biggest criticism from KR GFL2 players is that the 3D model of the rifle doesn't have the gas regulator, just an exposed gas tube.

[@BarneyDesmond]

@@Kelvin_Foo I haven't seen a pic of the basic one yet (which should look accurate to the IRL one), but surely the biggest complaint should be that the elite/gold-tier version looks nothing like a K2 at all?

[@made3rdaccount]

First gun jesus and now Ferguson, SNT need no more advertising for upcoming K2S in US market 😎

[@quentinking4351]

As an American I am very excited that Daewoo's successor company will soon be reimporting these to our market, and at a reasonable pricepoint.

[@ashleystyles6888]

Quite effective. I used to shoot the SLR in low light/night and we marked the sights with chalk. Not to 600 metres though!

[@coreyortiz7149]

I just watched series 2 and totally missed it! Good info

[@덧없는명예]

Ah. The K2 rifle, a love-hate relationship between Korean men. I hope this gun appears in more video games. The Korean FPS game market has already produced too many F2P FPS games, so it is difficult to expect much.

[@Nefville]

I saw these were coming back to the US at SHOT Show, and I believe they'd be priced at around $1600, later this year. Its definitely at the top of my list.

[@DR676767]

1200

[@Nefville]

@@DR676767 What?! Its now _above_ the top of my list 🤣

[@DR676767]

@@Nefville so probably 800 to 1000 on the market, great to hear

[@bmoney2011]

had no idea this was in the new series, as I'd not seen any of it...but I do enjoy a video about the K2.

[@KCYi]

Great review. 👍👍 Last year the British Army came to Korea for training and they used the K2C1 rifle.

[@edwardhewer8530]

Love these no nonsense videos. Sad I learned of Lithgow Small Arms museum issue from your site. Stuff like this in Australia should be federally supported.

[@causewaykayak]

It speaks VERY poorly of Australia that the government has not offered to cover the cost of bringing the museum's security up to scratch. After all its the federal authorities that are demanding such high standards. Aus is squiffy about weapons.

[@causewaykayak]

Second visit. After signing the petition I think the NSW police should be invited to donate. The museum's statement reads like it's those local police that are the source of the problem. Could the federal authorities require that police bureaucracy desist from annoying the valuable heritage and education centre. Australians don't seem to be what they were.

[@Swan62116]

Great vid jonathan! Any chance in future vids you will cover the PTR-32? Or is there not much to talk about with that particular weapon?

[@echonova12]

As for the disassembly hinge Jonathan mentions "seeming unideal" Yes. We strictly train during our manual of arms course (and even recited during live fire drills) to make sure to check if the hinge is in forward position.

[@roberttaylor7451]

Sig 550 series has the best side folder I have ever seen.

[@jager6863]

The Galil and the K2 are great too. These are basically copies of the FN FAL/FNC folding stock without the superfluous locking button.

[@demonplague87]

I'm glad that these are finally coming back to the US.

[@joshuahalsell5152]

Boys i love your disassemble on the modern guns! But I also wonder if you guys would perhaps do a video on say... the Baker rifle? Kentucky/Pennsylvania rifle? Or the elusive, Ferguson rifle? And since i'am talking flintlock firearms, you have to include the Brown Bess musket! I am sure you guys could talk about the flint/lock system, different patterns, custom engravings, etc just a thought!

[@Sophistry0001]

Oh man I didn't catch that rifle when that scene came, my eye was drawn to the M16A1. For some reason I just love the look of that triangle hand guard way more than the later variants. The K2 looks like a fantastic rifle that would need nearly no changes for modernization (already optics ready, adjustable gas block for suppressor use, maybe needs a new hand guard that can hold zero for IR lasers etc) with the only drawback being the reciprocating charging handle.

[@jamessaltzburg9549]

I have a Kimber imported one DR200 semi from the ban years and excited that STI motive is bringing them back to the usa ITS A GREAT RIFLE

[@VickyHong1879]

iirc the k1 carbine came first as a supplement to imported m16s, before they decided to home produce the k2 as a standard rifle

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

That's right - I should have explained that.

[@Eugene13579]

@@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries AFAIK, K-1 is replacement of M3 grease gun for Spec Ops/Recon/etc. That's why 'tuning fork' telescopic stock is installed to K-1

[@jeffreyholdeman3042]

Still regret not buying the civilian version DR 200, complete with thumb hole stock, at a local pawn shop outside of Fort Benning circa 1995…. Excited they’re coming back through SNT motive

[@saiberunato]

The funny thing is, the first time I heard of this rifle was in an issue of Punisher comic back in the 80's 😅

[@WestWood_M]

WOW, Great..!! New one is K2C1.. Special Force rifle is K13..

[@jonh2798]

A couple things: Early pattern K2s had the piston and carrier section pinned together as one unit. Also the optics mounting points were different heights The bladed ejector is very stoner 63

[@Eugene13579]

AR-15 -> Stoner AR-18 -> Stoner Stoner 63 -> Stoner Praise Eugene Stoner!!!

[@jonh2798]

@Eugene13579 ak-> Kalashnikov

[@robviousobviously5757]

Would turning the gas to "0" (zero) make it a single shot? perhaps for the use of a suppressor as well?

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

There was no suppressor available but yes, 0 means single shot. It's explicitly for grenade launcher per the manual.

[@Appletank8]

noob question, that'd mean the gas can't go to push back the recoil mechanism, so you'd have to pull the bolt back for each shot?

[@htdang6075]

@@Appletank8that’s correct.

[@superfamilyallosauridae6505]

When you fire it with the gas cut off, just the gun moving does actually jiggle the bolt carrier enough to move a little. If you limp wrist the gun the bolt even unlocks. At least, it did with my DR200. But yes you can shoot more quieter with a suppressor like that, it does work.

[@bukwok]

9 hole review one very fun to watch.😂😂

[@koolkiop]

love this!

[@Mondainai]

I almost bought this exact rifles direct one digit off brother! 000787 was deactivated and sold recently. I bought deac 000818 instead. Makes me wonder where the other 25~ are in the UK 🤔

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

I noticed -787 when I was researching the episode. Ours came from one of the main UK Section 5 dealers - I presume more got deactivated for sale as well?

[@Mondainai]

@@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries I can only find and only ever saw 787, 818 for sale as deactivated rifles 👍I own 000818. So two deacs sold publicly, id assume some dealers kept an example for their own collections too? But I feel lucky to have atleast 1, completed my deac NK Type 58 combo 😅- Feels like the K2 is rarer in the UK than Type 58, atleast on the deac market.

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

@@Mondainai Unless you've been regularly searching for K2 deacs since 2012 when we bought our two live rifles, there's every chance you missed more. Not all the dealers have 'persistent' pages for us researchers to find :) Those selling at auction or via a php database or similar are lost to time. But even if so, I doubt more than another one or two?

[@Mondainai]

@@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries I check every deac dealer website (not auction) everyday habitually for the past 10~ years! 787 and 818 were both available at the same time, I bought 818 then 787 sold shortly after, both bounced between dealers untill sold - why you'll see same serials listed on two/three dealers websites. Both sold mid 2023. Deac cert is 2021. But you are totally right, if you got them that early, i'd have missed some for sure (but I have scoured existing archived deac dealer 'sold' pages without seeing any others over the years, but as you say most lost to time). Thanks for your videos and work!

[@superfamilyallosauridae6505]

@ Ever seen FAMAS G2 deact earlier than 2022?

[@MetaDrow]

If you fire off 1-2 shots in burst mode, can you switch fire modes with these M16 style burst? If you can, does it reset the counter gear or does it just continue from where it was left off?

[@sethmoyer]

Do you guys also have a K1? It's always been fascinating to me that they use completely different operating mechanisms. Edit: The K1 isn't just a smaller version of the K2, it's actually direct impingement.

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

That's right, I glossed over that.

[@sanghoonlee5171]

Dang, I fired that thing during my mandatory military service 2004-2006. Internal parts are pretty much taken straight from M16, but it is heavier and sturdier and (in my experience) a little easier to hit a target accurately.

[@mrdato116]

So it the lower stamped or milled ? Upper looks stamped to me. Excited about shot show 2025. Gonna get this rifle for sure.

[@niceMange]

Upper and lower are cast and machined aluminum just like ar15s

[@zoiders]

All of it is CNC machined. Did you watch the video?

[@mrdato116]

@zoiders no, but thanks. Can't watch more than 5 mins , Instagram reels did it to me. I Googled, is Daewoo k2 stamped gun and it said that k2 is considered a stamped gun.

[@MaverickBlue42]

Have you ever done a C7, C8?

[@jonno209]

They do like an MP5 though, I’m sure you appreciated their choice, Jonathan!

[@robviousobviously5757]

Jonathan.. you missed the opportunity to wear a red polo shirt for this one... much ❤ for the Rooftop Koreans...

[@jessicaregina1956]

Jeesus stop it about the rooftop koreans already.

[@WasatchGarandMan]

Jonathan can you do an in-depth video on the Norinco M311/CQ? Very little in the way of information.

[@bahouden5813]

First time I saw this gun was in the Korean game Soldier Front! Thought it was so cool so it was one of the guns I bought in the game. Unfortunately, it wasn't amazing in the game because the meta was the M4 and PSG-1 but it was still pretty fun to use.

[@tj006smith6]

In the 90's South Korea also supplied them to the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) along with 40mm under barrel grenade launchers. Through foreign purchase or military aid, the RFMF have an 'Eclectic' variety of small arms in service to say the least.

[@stuntman7799]

Funny, this comes up right when the K2's return to the American market just got announced.

[@mariumrajah]

These are excellent guns no doubt.

[@MrGrimsmith]

I'd be curious to hear where Mr Ferguson places the Polish burst system on the Tantal and Beryl in comparison to HKs as it appears to be both as reliable whilst also being significantly simpler mechanically. Same goes for Beretta's implementation on the 93R.

[@F1ghteR41]

Weren't the Polish one based on the FN CAL? Another rifle to consider in your question, if I may be so bold.

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

I've actually never looked at the Tantal/Beryl (we have both so I should). The 93R I covered in its own video.

[@DHBucsFan]

Do you have any Canadian made Diemaco rifles in the collection, any C7's or C8's?

[@Gieszkanne]

Would have been interesting to know why they changed from DI at their first version to a long stroke gas piston.

[@Bob-iv6jv]

Would you consider doing a video on the L129A2? Not a lot of information out there unfortunately .

[@axelyoung1551]

You forgot to mention that the K1A1 is designated as a Sub Machine Gun in the South Korean Military, because it was intended to replace the M3 grease gun.

[@billdberger7407]

What really surprised me about the US import announcement was the pricing at ~$1200. Other than personal anecdotes I've managed to find a few flyers from the early to mid 80s that list the K1 and K2 for $300-$350 (more than AKs and less than ARs) which would be about $1200 in 2025 USD accounting for inflation. They easily could've gouged based on the prices these rifles are asking on the collector market right now but they didn't and they even went beyond that to price them fairly. This is not the stuff we're used to seeing out of an industry that seems to get greedier by the year. I hope they sell a bunch of these, I know I'll buy a K2 and prob a K13 if they can make that happen.

[@jonh2798]

@@billdberger7407 add a couple hundred to that after tariffs

[@ProfessorBidoof]

It's not because of direct gas impingement that you can't fold the stock, its the bolt carrier and it needing to go back into the stock and requiring the buffer tube. You could just shorten the bolt carrier and use internal springs lie the AR-18 and still get a foldable stock and DI.

[@zoiders]

No you can't. ZM Weapons/Para Ordnance produce a folding stock DI rifle and they had to move the springs forward of the action. The Stoner DI action needs the bolt carrier length as the void inside it is part of the gas expansion system. You can only have that with a buffer tube or the springs moved forward of action. The Sig offerings of late that fold are not Stoner DI rifles, they are piston driven and don't require gas expansion within the bolt carrier. Don't mix the AR18 and the AR15 actions up. The bolt head is similar but the gas system is not. 6:31

[@CarlVolt]

IMFDB mentioned! Wooo!

[@Greez1337]

Like the vibe. profile reminds me of if a Stoner upper receiver and FNC had a baby.

[@GrumpyGenXGramps]

Shot show shown us that they are opening up a factory here in the States to sell to the civilian market! I heard they will be $1000-$1200!

[@jaypatrus4077]

What is the rifling twist on this now ?

[@F1ghteR41]

2:41 Is it more effective as a flash hider or compensator this way? 5:06 I wonder how robust it would be with regards to mud, snow etc. 6:24 It seems like the aperture is too small for that. Trilux, which was purpose-designed for that, had its largest aperture at 7 mm or so. 8:36 It almost looks like the designers were anticipating the rise of suppressor use! 10:31 They could have also gone the whole way and design a better magazine and its retention system altogether or license one from HK. 11:05 Well, they could've made it non-reciprocating, I guess, or at least cover the slot for it in some way. 13:04 As far as I know, the trade-off with extractors is as follows: the blade ones work more reliably and require one less spring, but the plunger ones are quieter and thus better suited for use in suppressed firearms with subsonic ammunition. This one being spring-loaded is perhaps just for reliability. 15:30 I find it surprising that they put the burst mode on top. 16:23 So, they were aping the Americans too much and ignored the FN CAL. 17:59 Well, the K2 came up much later than the K1, hence the designation.

[@jager6863]

The only flaw I saw with this weapon is the closed circular front sight, as they should have copied the M-16 front sight instead (like the K-1). This way, they could have simplified the rear sight and a protected post design would have allowed for better red dot/scope use, as the top of the ring would not be in the way and they could have used an M-16 tritium post that would be actually useful. Reciprocating charging handles are just fine with most designs and the people who complain about them, likely have little experience shooting with them. There are always some stories about them being a problem, but not enough to matter. Burst mode is just stupid and that's why you see these going away. The 2 round burst on the MP-5 has limited utility for police/CQC engagements, but that's about it.

[@F1ghteR41]

@@jager6863 Yes, this closed front sight is definitely surprising, I mean, in those parts it would really look Chinese, although there it originates from the Mosin rifle, and elsewhere HK was deifinetely an avid user of this style, and Romanians toyed with it as well. But the rear sight is also questionable, especially in terms of aperture size. It's one thing to have it in sun-lit Nigeria, and quite another in places where low-light conditions are to be expected. My argument was not so much against the reciprocating charging handles per se (in this case it's done somewhat sensibly), it's about leaving a giant hole for mud to enter the mechanism. As for the burst mode, I'm not familiar with its use in law enforcement, but as for the military applications I would say that aside from full-power rifles where automatic fire would just result in a waste of ammo, and AN-94, where the whole gun is designed to work best in this mode, it's a rather useless if not indeed harmful gimmick.

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

In a rush but re 17:59 - yes, clearly :) I was merely pointing out that normally the rifle comes first, then the carbine variant (or sometimes at the same time). What I should have mentioned is that the K1 (no operating rod) isn't the carbine variant of the K2 at all, hence the discrepancy.

[@shuntera]

Did you see TFTB at Shot Show where James showed off that Daewoo are importing them to the US again

[@dabda8510]

I heard James was getting all emotional while reminiscing his own old K2 rifle while tenderly caressing the K2 rile on display at the Shot Show.

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

I did - a weird coincidence as we filmed this before the announcement.

[@semperfidelis5772]

Good gun. Never had the chance to fire it on full auto tho. 😢

[@thekiltedprivateer3724]

I wonder if Jonathan has any plans to go out Texas and do some filming with 9holereviews? Could ope ln the opportunity for some meeting of theoretical and practical knowledge.

[@raptorcell6633]

I find it fascinating that while the FNC didn't really catch on in the West and the AR-18 was a flop, for some reason they're all over the place in Asia.

[@zoiders]

To think of the amount of money Hk spent on getting to that stage of rifle development four decades after Daewoo.

[@dabda8510]

The Hk rifle is like the Gucci level price, used by Gucci tactical wearing SF operators. And here is K2 rifle issued to grunts service 2-3 years of mandatory service.

[@zoiders]

Grunts who had an actual enemy to fight unlike most tacticool types.

[@shanjida8353]

​@@zoidersfighting that never broke out

[@no1DdC]

@@shanjida8353 There have been numerous cases of South- and North-Korean troops clashing since the armistice. Most of these were acts of aggression by North Korea.

[@zoiders]

​@@shanjida8353North Korean infiltration teams have killed both US and Korean service personel on the border. That's ignoring that whole "North Korean hit team tries to kill the president" thing in 1968 and the various other attempts on people they dislike. Oh and then there are the giant tunnel systems they have found and then had to clear. SF don't find these things. Grunts do.

[@jonathanbohm6489]

These always remind me of war front/warframe (forgot the name) but these were like the standard rifles

[@barbarossarotbart]

Two questions: - What is the most cursed firearm design in your collection? - Waht is the most innovative firearm design in your collection?

[@Davros-vi4qg]

Watch some videos from a couple of months ago, you’ ll get to know😊

[@bozo572]

SNT Motiv released the K2S at Shot Show 2025 and they say it will be available in the U.S. in June 2025, I will be getting one as soon as possible .

[@정민수-p2v]

가스조절기, 조정간에 음각으로, 아래총몸 오른쪽에 한글로 표기된걸 보니까 오리지널 군용인거 같은데요

[@abudankmeme1477]

how about BESA 15mm HMG or ZB 60 HMG

[@geodkyt]

One of the few "NATO compatible" 5.56mm rifles that *isn't* an Armalite that I'm actually interested in.

[@8man_01]

No plans to own any real firearm but this is growing on me and I want a gas blowback airsoft replica of it. It has like an element of an AK74M even. Speaking of, you've done comparisons of video game repesentations of firearms but any interest in exploring the world of gas blowback airsoft replicas? Like how 1:1 are they in terms of dimensions, function, mechanism, etc.?

[@Dreju78]

Polish Beryl's three round burst doesn't have a memory to it either. How does it compare to HK 'no memory' burst, re complexity level?

[@alexmikhylov]

Jonathan, you have to watch The Day of the Jackal, a recent british production, from Sky. lots of gun stuff

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

I saw it - some technical issues but fun. Three wacky designs instead of just one in the original book/movie.

[@reubenritchie6254]

Is Jonathan filming this on Naboo?

[@Dorimeme187]

Now do the Ultimax 100 & SAR 21.

[@DanielvanderKlooster-gv8mj]

The DAEWOO assault rifle: Confucian Mastery ! It would be able to survive the harsh, freezing and endless BLIZZARDS of the Korean winters, brrr...

[@ForsakenProductions]

How does Jonathan feel about the lack of HK slaps with the MP5s in Squid Games 2?

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

There was one if I recall, but then someone else did a conventional load/reload and I exclaimed to my long-suffering wife that this was incorrect...

[@ForsakenProductions]

@@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries I winced when I saw the former special forces soldier explain how the MP5 works and did not do the slap. I blame you for that, though, since I would never have noticed if it wasn't for your work. 😆

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

The slap isn't necessary.

[@JonathanFergusonRoyalArmouries]

@@Surv1ve_Thrive It's not *necessary* but HK themselves recommend it.

[@thomasludwigs2532]

The K2 is also famous for its time serving with the Los Angeles Rooftop Koreans.

[@akumaschannel8507]

Jono!!

[@MorningGI0ry]

Probably the closest we’ll ever get to a Type 89 video 😔

[@ArchieKeen1]

Honestly if the British military needed a new service rifle the k2c1 would be a good idea, it definitely has better economies of scale than any American ars and is a bit better to general service being a bit less delicate

[@zoiders]

Armalites are not delicate. The Daewoo and the AR share exactly the same manufacturing methods and both use aircraft aluminium. The gas piston is a choice some prefer but the DI system will run dirty just fine. It is also brutally simple to clean. Bolt out. Chamber brush. Bolt back in. Ready to go again.