KH-2002

In the early 2000s, Iran was testing prototypes of G3 battle rifles made under license for the Iranian military in bullpup configurations to test their feasibility.^[5] This was later dropped in favor of a similar weapon that is chambered in 5.56 NATO.^[5] The KH-2002 was planned, from 2006, to replace the G3s in the Iranian military.^[6]

According to a Global Security Studies report, it was observed that Venezuela received 18,000 KH-2002s sold to them by Iran in 2007.^[7] In the same year, an investigation was carried out in Uruguay in an attempt to bring KH-2002s into the country through Venezuela, which was a violation of UN embargo rules against Iran, according to reports in the Washington Times.^[8] According to the article, all 18,000 rifles and 15,000 rounds of Iranian-made 5.56mm NATO ammunition were confiscated.^[8]

In 2008, Iran had sent ten samples of the KH-2002 to Syria in order to compete for a potential contract with the Syrian Army against the AK-74M.^[9] Eight KH-2002s used in field tests jammed numerous times, leaving two of them in working condition.^[9]

It has been suggested that production of the KH-2002 was discontinued in 2012 after DIO was unable to find customers willing to buy the assault rifle.^[10][9]

The KH-2002 features a four-position fire selector lever which is situated toward the rear of the left side butt-stock behind magazine housing with the M16-type magazine release button on the right side of the magazine housing.^[11][12] The weapon is not entirely ambidextrous since the ejection port is located on the right side of the rifle.^[1] It uses the STANAG magazine and is typically fitted with 20- or 30-round magazines.^[13]

The selector offers semi-automatic, fully automatic and three-round burst options,^[3] with the safety selection in the forward position.^[14] It operates as a gas operated, rotating bolt-type rifle.^[12] The KH-2002 can be outfitted with an AK-type bayonet.^[5]

The DIO promotes the KH-2002 as a "low-recoil, highly accurate, lightweight" weapon, with "modular construction for easy maintenance" and a rotating bolt locking mechanism, presumably designed to facilitate ambidextrous firing, protected under a carrying handle that contains the rear sight.^[4] The carrying handle can also be used to mount optical or night sights.^[15]

Its charging handle is located on top of the receiver.^[16]

The weight of the KH-2002 with the long barrel and unloaded is given as 3.7 kg.^[17] The weapon can also be fitted with an optional bipod and a bayonet.^[4][15] Field stripping the rifle is most likely based on the M16.^[14]

The Sama-type rifle has improvements made over initial production models such as having a longer carry handle to accommodate longer optics or scopes when it was released in 2009.^[5][18] Other improvements include a foregrip extension below the barrel to better handle the rifle, two picatinny rails on the receiver were included and the bolt carrier design changed to fit the ejection port.^[2]

According to an October 2013 report by SIPRI, it is suggested that China may have provided technical assistance to Iranian engineers in designing the rifle.^[19]

The versions of the weapon consists of the following:^[1]

• 2002 Final Prototype: Standard barrel based on the M16A1.
• 2006 Production Model: Has a short barrel, short carry handle and no front sight.
• 2009 Improved Model (Sama): The last improvement model for the weapon. It introduces a modular design, using picatinny rails on the handguard (possibly also below the handguard, allowing the user to install more attachments.