EPK (Pyrkal) machine gun

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	Weapon: EPK (Pyrkal) machine gun Type: Assault Rifle Country of Origin: Greece Year Adopted: 1939 Overall Length (mm): 900.0 Overall Length (in): 35.43 Weight (kg): 4.00 Weight (pounds): 8.82

The EPK machine gun was an experimental light machine gun developed in Greece by the company Pyrkal (formerly known as EPK) during the early 1930s. Designed at a time when Greece sought to develop indigenous arms to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, the weapon was a gas-operated, air-cooled light machine gun that fed from a top-mounted box magazine. It bore similarities in concept to the British Bren and Czech ZB vz. 26, although it was developed independently with local requirements in mind.

Despite showing promise in initial prototypes, the EPK machine gun never entered full-scale production. Political instability, limited industrial capacity, and shifting military priorities contributed to its abandonment. Only a small number of prototypes were reportedly produced, making the weapon extremely rare today. It failed to secure adoption by the Greek Army or attract foreign interest at a time when established designs were already in wide circulation.

As a result, the EPK machine gun holds a niche but notable place in firearms history as one of the few indigenous Greek automatic weapon designs of the interwar period. Though it never saw active service, it is occasionally referenced in discussions of lesser-known European weapons development. The remaining examples, if any exist, would be considered historical artifacts of early Greek arms manufacturing and national defense efforts during a turbulent era.

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