Rk 95 Tp - History

History

The rifle was developed in the late 1980s in response to a requirement to replace the 7.62mm Rk 62 service rifle. Between 1988 and 1990 the SAKO company developed the M90 prototype, which was a substantially upgraded variant of the Rk 62. Changes to the original design included the fire control and safety selector, whose lever was transferred to the left side of the receiver housing, the cocking handle cut-out in the bolt carrier assembly was covered with a strip of metal, the cocking handle itself was placed at an upward angle (enhancing left-handed reloading), the rear sight assembly was installed on a sliding tangent with 150, 300 and 400 m range adjustments and the rifle was equipped with a folding tubular stock with a latch modeled on the locking solution employed in the SIG SG 540 rifle. The M90 was also equipped with a multifunction muzzle device and manual gas valve, enabling the use of rifle grenades. After undergoing further testing and implementing several changes (among them, the selector mechanism was reverted to the familiar Rk 62 configuration) the rifle was introduced into service with the Finnish Army as the 7.62 RK 95 TP (Finnish: Rynnäkkökivääri 95 Taittoperä or "assault rifle 95 folding stock").