Ka-Pa-Sa MA-11/MA-12 (HK-33) assault weapon system 5.54x45
FOLLOWING TEXT PARTIALLY BORROWED FROM WIKIPEDIA, additions and clarifications by me Before 1988, the standard Myanmar infantry weapon was the 7'62x51mm BA-63 assault rifle, a locally-produced version of the early-model German HECKLER&KOCH G-3 battle rifle; the machineries were of German origin, and were sold to the Burmese government by MYANMAR FRITZ WERNER INDUSTRIES, LTD., a company owned by Herr Fritz Werner, a notorious German arms trafficker which during the years has done "business" with several other "Western-friendly" authoritarian regimes worldwide. Myanmar also produced a shorter, lighter carbine version of the same rifle under the designation "BA-72"; this was a locally-manufactured version of the early G3-K assault rifle, what is currently known as the G3-A4, with collapsing stock and standard G-3 barrel (the weapon currently known as G3-K has a shorter barrel). A third version of the G3, known as the BA-100, was more accurate and reliable, but was primarily used as a platoon sniping weapon; it was a locally manufactured version of the G3A3-ZF marksman rifle. The manufacturer of such weapons was the same MYANMAR FRITZ WERNER INDUSTRIES, LTD. plant. Many soldiers, mainly officers and NCO, still carried (and still today carry) 0.30 calibre M1 and M2 carbines provided by the US in the 1950s under the Military Assistance Programme (MAP) and by today still kept in near-mint-new condition by the military armorers. These WW2 vintage carbines are ideal for jungle warfare. Later during the 1970s and 1980s, with the blame of the International Community growing upon Burma for its military dictatorship rule enduring since the end of World War 2, and with the same military dictatorship striving for an everyday increasing and harshing nationalism, the Burmese Armed Forces decided to introduce the .5'56x45mm-NATO cartridge along the .7'62x51mm in standard infantry service, and thus had to re-design their individual weapons; as squad support weapon was retained (and still is nowadays) the locally-manufactured .7'62x51mm MA-15 general-purposes machinegun: an indigenous clone of the Rheinmetall MG-3 GPMG. The new assault weapon system to enter in service obviously had to be obtained with the machineries already in Burma (now called "Myanmar" under the policy of "nationalization" of all previously English names, being part of the nationalistic policy of the military dictatorship). What the engineers at MYANMAR FRITZ WERNER INDUSTRIES LTD. and EMEC (Electro-Mechanical and Engineering Corps of the Army of Myanmar) come out with was a local version of the HECKLER&KOCH HK-33 assault rifle system, obviously simplified in construction to fit with the means and the resources available. This system comprises two weapons: # MA-11 assault rifle: standard infantry rifle with fixed stock and ventilated handguard of national conception, though seemingly based upon the one used back in time in the Finnish VALMET RK-62 7'62x39mm assault rifle. # MA-12 automatic rifle: a squad light machinegun version of the MA-11, equipped with a longer and heavier barrel, a sidefolding carrying handle and a folding bipod. The pictures clearly show how rude those firearms are in comparaison with the original weapons of German manufacture. Only the outlines of the technical details are available for these Burmese service firearms. The manufacture was once again provided by MYANMAR FRITZ WERNER INDUSTRIES, LTD., under the supervision of KA-PA-SA, the Burmese state arsenals. From the beginning of 2002, 7'62x51mm BA-63 and BA-72 series rifles are gradually being replaced by a new series of .5'56x45mm MA-series automatic assault rifles in Myanmar Army's frontline units. This series of weapons is different from the MA-11/MA-12, and might be the result of some agreements between the Burmese government and Israeli IMI consultants who visited the Country as early as in the year 1990s. The new MA series assault rifles are similar to the Israeli .5'56x45mm GALIL rifles, again re-engineered to fit the local manufacturing techniques and capabilities. Presumably under the same agreement, the Myanmar defense industries manufacture today under IMI license the 9x19mm BA-94 sub-machinegun, which is a locally-produced UZI spawning. The BA-94 is already in service within the Police and Military forces of Myanmar, replacing the longtime-issued BA-52; this weapon, known as the "Ne-Win Sten", was nothing but the Italian TZ-45 sub-machinegun produced for the Fascist regime during the last months of World War 2, and whose design, rights and manufacturing machineries were sold to the Burmese government immediately after the conflict by the Giandoso brothers (Tonon and Zorzoli Giandoso), the designers of the gun itself. The new MA-series of assault rifles was previously tested by the Burmese Army as the "EMERK-3". Now it consists in four models: # 5'56mm MA-1 assault rifle: locally-manufactured spawning of the Israeli GALIL rifle, with fixed stock. # 5'56mm MA-2 automatic rifle: Locally-manufactured spawning of the Israeli GALIL ARM heavy-barrelled automatic rifle. # 5'56mm MA-3 assault carbine: basically an MA-1 assault rifle equipped with a metal side-folding stock. # 5'56mm MA-4 grenadier weapon: basically an MA-1 assault rifle equipped with an undercarried 40x46-SR single-shot grenade launcher working in Single Action, whose design is heavily borrowed from the American M-203. The rifle and the grenade launcher are mated permanently, hence why the rifle/GL combo is considered a weapon on its own. As side-arm, Military officials and Police officers use the 9x19mm FN Gp-35 "Browning High Power" semi-automatic pistol, locally manufactured under license by KA-PA-SA. MANUFACTURER: Myanmar Fritz Werner Industries Co., Ltd. No. 6(b), Kaba Aye pagoda Road, Yankin Township, Yangon (Rangoon)- Myanmar Tel: 095-1-662868, 662594 Fax: 095-1-665899 DENOMINATION: MA-11 assault rifle MA-12 automatic rifle CALIBER: 5'56x45mm-NATO CAPACITY: 30 rounds, detachable metal magazine WORKING SYSTEM: Selective-fire H&K Roller-delayed blowback (roller-locking, Vorgrimler system) FIRE MODE (Fire selector positions): Safe - Single shot - Full-automatic fire BARREL LENGHT: 400 Millimetres approx. (MA-11 assault rifle); 500 Millimetres approx. (MA-12 automatic rifle) TOTAL LENGHT: N/A
Photos and information from: PT-The Italian Commie
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