Daewoo K6
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 1143 mm
- Weight, empty
- 38.15 kg
- Introduced
- 1990
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Daewoo K6 is a South Korean license-built copy of the Browning M2HB heavy machine gun, manufactured by S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries) since 1990. Chambered in 12.7x99mm NATO and fed from disintegrating-link belts, the K6 differs from the original M2 by incorporating fixed headspace and timing, eliminating the safety hazards associated with manual barrel-change adjustment. It is the standard heavy machine gun of the ROK Army, Marines, and Navy, mounted on infantry tripods, on K200 IFV cupolas, and on K1 main battle tanks for anti-aircraft use.
Although externally a near-clone of the venerable M2, the K6's fixed headspace-and-timing redesign was a major safety improvement: U.S. M2 crews historically had to set headspace by hand after every barrel change, an error-prone task the K6 eliminated entirely.
The K6 was developed to give Korea sovereign production capability for an HMG functionally identical to the U.S. M2HB, ensuring ammunition and parts compatibility within the U.S.–ROK alliance.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries)
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- South Korea
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1990
- Variant of
- Licensed production
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 1143 mm
- Overall length
- 1656 mm
- Weight, empty
- 38.15 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Short recoil
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 100
- Magazine
- Belt
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 890 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 16600 J
- Effective range
- 1830 m
- Maximum range
- 6800 m
- Rate of fire
- 525 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Spade grip handles
Butterfly trigger
Air cooled barrel
Quick change barrel- Tripod or pintle mountable
- Tank anti aircraft role
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 261 machine guns | 38.15 kg | 10.50 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 260 machine guns | 1656 mm | 1156 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 257 machine guns | 1143 mm | 605 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 222 machine guns | 100 | 50 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Daewoo K6
How much does the Daewoo K6 weigh?
The Daewoo K6 weighs 38.15 kg (84.11 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Daewoo K6?
The Daewoo K6 is chambered in .50 BMG.
How many rounds does the Daewoo K6 hold?
The Daewoo K6 holds 100 rounds, fed from a belt.
How long is the Daewoo K6?
The Daewoo K6 is 1656 mm (65.2 in) long overall, with a 1143 mm (45.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Daewoo K6?
The Daewoo K6 is made by S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries) (South Korea). It was designed by S&T Motiv (M2HB licensed redesign).
When was the Daewoo K6 introduced?
The Daewoo K6 was introduced in 1990.
How does the Daewoo K6 operate?
The Daewoo K6 uses a short recoil action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Republic of Korea Armed Forces
- 1990
- Royal Malaysian Navy
- Malaysia
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/daewoo-k6' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "daewoo-k6", "name": "Daewoo K6", "manufacturer": { "id": "snt-motiv", "name": "S&T Motiv (formerly Daewoo Precision Industries)", "countryCode": "KR", "foundedYear": 1981, "website": "https://www.sntmotiv.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:46", "version": "9db0b6bd86b8c9a1e686c470d1c6a21f813dddaec277f9be6ca224566aa0099d" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "KR", "year_introduced": 1990, "barrel_length_mm": 1143, "weight_empty_g": 38150, "action_type": "short_recoil"}