Modern Machine Guns Produksi AS

Berikut adalah macam-macam senjata mesin spesialis buatan AS yang tercanggih saat ini

Spoiler: M60

Caliber


7.62x51 NATO

Weight, kg


10.4 (with bipod) + 6.8 (M122 tripod)


8.5 (with bipod)


10.5 (long barrel)
10.2 (short barrel)
9.9 (assault barrel)

Overall length, mm


1,067


1,077


1,066 (long barrel)
939 (short barrel)
965 (assault barrel)

Barrel length, mm


560


558


560 (long)
441 (short)
423 (assault)

Cyclic rate of fire, rounds per minute


550


550


550

Feed and capacity


Belt, 100 or 200 rounds

Like other nations which faced German troops, the USA gave a great deal of attention to German machine guns. Early experiments to convert the MG 42 to the US rifle calibre, carried out by the Saginaw Steering Gear division of General Motors Corp with the T24 prototype, resulted in a complete failure, because someone ‘forgot’ that the US .30-06 cartridge is about 6 mm (1/4 of an inch) longer than the German 7.92mm Mauser cartridge. Despite that setback, the US Army set out to develop a general purpose machine gun for its troops, and in 1945 started a series of trials to test guns developed by various state armories, American private companies and some systems from foreign contractors.
In 1946 the US Army tested the .30-06 calibre T44 machine gun, an interesting weapon which combined features from two remarkable German designs – the action of the FG42 machine rifle and the belt feed unit from the MG42 machine gun. The most notable feature of the T44 was the placement of the belt feed module, which was located on the left side of the receiver (with the belt passing vertically from bottom to top) instead of the more common top position with a lateral belt movement.
The development of the T44 was stopped in 1948, when it was decided to concentrate on a new, shortened 7.62mm T65 cartridge. Work on a new prototype, designated T52, commenced in 1947 and was continued up until 1952, when it was decided to persuade a derivative of the T52 design, known as the T52E3, under the new designation T161. Originally chambered in .30-06 (as a backup measure for the guns chambered for new 7.62mm T65E3 ammunition), the T161 went through several versions, starting with the 7.62mm T161E1 and up to T161E3, which was finally adopted in 1957 as the “machine gun, 7.62mm, M60”.

The M60 machine gun is a gas-operated, belt-fed, air-cooled weapon which fires from an open bolt and in automatic mode only. It has quick-change barrels with no need for headspace adjustments. Most of the steel parts are produced using stamping and forming techniques.
The M60 has a so-called “constant volume” gas system with a short-stroke gas piston located below the barrel. This piston has a cup shape (with the opening facing forward) and a set of radial holes which, in the forward position of the piston, are aligned with the gas port in the barrel. The theory of this system is that once gas pressure in the chamber (formed by the piston internal cavity and front of the gas block) is enough to operate the moving parts, the holes in the piston will go out of alignment with the gas port, cutting off the supply of high-pressure powder gases. This also means that the system is self-adjustable and the cyclic rate of fire cannot be easily adjusted. In practice the gas piston could be installed improperly (with the opening pointing rearward), turning the M60 into manually operated, single shot weapon. The gas block also tends to unscrew itself into its component parts under sustained fire, so its parts were often safe-wired together by troops improvising in the field. Also, unlike many other guns, each barrel carries its own gas block with gas piston, increasing the weight of spare barrel kits. Locking is achieved by a rotating bolt with dual lugs at the front.
The M60 uses a belt feed with a disintegrating steel belt running from left to right only. Feeding is of the one-stage push-through type. The feed system of original M60 guns is built into the hinged feed cover, and is operated by a roller-equipped stud at the top of the bolt. The “simplified” design of the original belt feed module required that the belt feed cover must be closed only when the bolt is locked to the rear (cocked). If closed on the bolt in its forward position, an attempt to cock the gun will result in damage to the feed group. The belt is fed from 100 or 200-round boxes or soft pouches. “Combat packs” with a 100-round belt can be attached to a special hanger, mounted on the left side of the receiver.
The trigger and sear group along with the manual safety are incorporated into the detachable pistol grip with an integral triggerguard. It is attached to the bottom of the receiver by one cross-pin at the front. The push-pin is held in place by a leaf spring, but during rough handling and / or intense fire, the cross-pin sometimes works itself loose, leading to the pistol grip with trigger unit becoming separated from the weapon. This often results in a “runaway” gun, as the sear is unable to engage the bolt and the gun fires until the ammunition runs out or it jams. Another source of problems which also could result in a dangerous “runaway” is the point of engagement between the sear and operating rod. It is prone to wear and, once worn enough, the sear is unable to stop the bolt.
The standard M60 is fitted with open sights: a ramp-type rear, mounted on the receiver, and a post-type front, mounted on the barrel. Unfortunately the front sights are not adjustable, so the zeroing of each barrel is made by adjustments of the rear sight. Therefore, if a gunner desires to have all of his spare barrels properly zeroed, he has to zero each barrel and record its settings for the rear sight; once in combat, he has to remember to set a proper setting for each spare barrel installed on the gun. Of course, in real combat many gunners simply used one “combat zero” setting for all barrels, with obvious (although insignificant in some cases) degradation of accuracy.
Original M60s are fitted with plastic buttstocks and plastic forearms, combined with heat shields made from stamped steel. Folding carrying handles are attached to the heat shield close to the center of gravity of the weapon. Folding bipods are adjustable for length and permanently attached to the barrel. This further increases the weight of each spare barrel, and while the bipods are intended to be used as handles during the removal of hot barrels, the gun itself has to be held in the air by the gunner while his assistant swaps the barrels.
For sustained fire missions the M60 can be installed on an M122 tripod (with optional T&E mechanism) and on a variety of pintle mounts on vehicles and naval vessels.

Modifications:
M60E1: an improved version of the basic weapon, with Stellite-lined barrels, a gas cylinder and bipod attached to the receiver instead of barrel, and a number of other improvements. Despite its obvious advantages over basic M60, it was never built in numbers or approved for service.
M60E2: coaxial tank version, with a remote trigger and gas evacuating tube attached to the front of the gas cylinder.
M60C: remotely-operated aircraft (helicopter) gun
M60D: helicopter or land vehicle weapon for flexible mounts. The plastic buttstock and pistol grip / trigger unit are replaced with dual spade grips and an appropriate trigger unit. A special ring sight is installed for airborne applications. Some current versions (as made by US Ordnance Inc) are provided with lightweight bipod for emergency dismounted use.
M60 Lightweight: an improved version of the M60, developed during the 1970s by the Saco division of Maremont Corp. The gas piston group is attached to the receiver instead of barrel, and a light folding bipod attached to the gas piston tube. The forearm and upper handguard are omitted and replaced by a forward pistol grip. The belt feed unit is improved to permit the safe closing of its cover when the bolt is in its forward position. A number of other improvements were made, such as front sights adjustable for zeroing.
M60E3: a derivative of the M60 Lightweight, sharing most of its features plus a lightweight plastic forearm combined with a front pistol grip. In limited use with Special Operation forces of the US Army and Navy.
M60E4: a further improvement over the M60E3, developed during early 1990s by Saco Defence (now part of General Dynamic). Currently manufactured under license by US Ordnance. Key improvements are: the introduction of three styles of barrels (long / standard, short and assault), and an improved belt feed with greater pull force for improved belt lift capability. Several parts are redesigned and strengthened. In limited use by the US Navy (mostly Special Operations forces).
Mk.43 mod.0: designation of M60E4 in US Navy service
Mk.43 mod.1: designation of modified M60E4 in US Navy service; gun differs from Mod.0 by having feed cover with integral Picatinny rail, plus a set of similar rails is added to the handguard, and integral forward pistol grip is replaced by removable vertical grip attached to the rail.

Spoiler: M134 and GAU-2/A 'Minigun' Gatling

Data for M134D Minigun
Caliber 7.62x51 NATO
Weight 24...30 kg gun with motor and feeder/delinker, less ammunition container and power source
Length 801 mm
Barrel length 559 mm
Feed belt in 1500, 3000 or 4500 round containers
Rate of fire 3000 or 4000 rounds per minute, fixed

The development of a rifle-caliber, externally powered Gatling type machine gun was commenced by weapons branch of the US-based General Electric Corporation in 1960, following the successful development and fielding of the 20mm M61 Vulcan automatic gun (used in aircraft and AA applications). First prototypes of the 7.62mm Gatling-type machine gun were fired in 1962, and in late 1964 first 7.62mm machine guns, dubbed 'the Minigun', were mounted on AC-47 Gunship aircraft for combat trials. Following the definitive success of the first 'Gunship' aircrafts armed with Miniguns, GE commenced mass production of the new weapon, officially adopted by US Army as M134 Minigun and by US Air Forces as GAU-2/A machine gun. By 1971 more than 10,000 Miniguns were produced and delivered to US Armed forces. Most were used in airborne applications, installed in a variety of side- or forward-firing mountings aboard aircrafts and helicopters (AH-1 Cobra, UH-1 Huey, HH-53 Green Giant and others). Some Miniguns also were installed on riverine crafts, used by US Navy and Special forces in Vietnam.
Thanks to its sustained-fire capability and high rate of fire, Minigun weapons provided excellent suppressive and area denial capabilities. It must be noted, however, that infantry applications of the Miniguns were very limited due to the weight of the system and its requirement for external electric power. In most cases, Minigun machine guns were (and still are) mounted on high mobility vehicles as anti-ambush weapons.
In recent times, production of the 7.62mm Miniguns was resumed by US-based company Dillon Aero, which is now manufacturing an improved version of the basic design, known as M134D. It has many upgrades in detail, resulting in decreased weight of the system (especially when using titanium gun body), improved reliability and better handling and maintenance. The M134D machine gun is used on board of many military helicopters (such as MH-6 or UH-60), as well as on HMMMV trucks and naval crafts (to provide close-in defense against small, fast-moving vessels such as suicide-bomber motorboats).
It must be noted that M134 miniguns are very rarely used for infantry applications; photos of M134 installed on standard light tripods are almost universally from some 'Civilian' events such as Knob Creek shot in USA, where people can fire a number of legally owned full automatic weapons just for fun. Military has no place for a 30-kg weapon (less mount and batteries) with extremely high ammunition consumption rate in a 'man-portable' class of small arms. Prospects of using M134 in 'Hollywood-style' are even less realistic, not only because of aforementioned properties (heavy weight and unnecessarily high rate of fire) but also due to the extremely high recoil force - at just 3,000 rounds per minute the Dillon Aero M134D minigun generates average recoil force of 150 lbs / 67.5 kg, with peak recoil reaching 300 lbs / 135 kg.

The M134 Minigun is an externally operated weapon which uses electrical motor drive to operate its action. Typical power requirements for 3,000 rounds per minute (50 rounds/second) rate of fire are 24-28 V DC, 58 Amp (~1.5 KWt); with increase of rate of fire power requirements rise accordingly. The gun operates on Gatling principle, that is it employs a rotary cluster of six barrels, each with its own bolt group. Bolts are moved back and forth behind each barrel as their operating roller passes an internal curved track machined inside the receiver cover. Typically, the topmost barrel in the cluster has its bolt fully open and the bottom barrel in cluster has its bolt fully closed, locked and firing pin released to fire the loaded cartridge. Barrel locking is achieved by the rotary bolt head. Since the gun operates on external power, it is immune to dud / misfired rounds, which are ejected during the normal cycle of operation. Feed is provided either by linkless chute or by the linked ammunition, In the latter case, a powered feeder/delinker module is installed on the gun; it receives necessary power through the gear from the gun motor. To properly operate the gun, it is fitted with electronics control box, which, in the case of manually controlled installation, has an 'master arm' switch and fire controls (triggers). Typical feed arrangement uses a large container holding some 1,500 (full weight ~ 125 lbs / 58 kg) to 4,500(full weight ~ 295 lbs / 134 kg) rounds, with maximum capacity reaching well over 10,000 rounds per gun in certain heavy helicopter installations (such as used in CH-53 and CH-47 during Vietnam war). The container is connected to the gun via the flexible chute. If chute is overly long, an additional electrical feed booster is installed on the ammunition container.

Spoiler: M249 and Mk.46 model 0

Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt
Overall length: 838 mm (stock extended); 757 mm (stock fully collapsed)
Barrel length: 370 mm
Weight: 2.52 kg without magazine; 3.0 kg with magazine loaded with 30 rounds
Rate of fire: 700 - 950 rounds per minute
Maximum effective range: 360 m

Standard model Para model Mk.46 mod.0 / SPW model
Caliber 5.56x45mm NATO
Weight 7.1 kg 7.1 kg 5.75 kg
Length 1040 mm 914 / 776 mm 908 / 762 mm
Barrel length 465 mm 349 mm 406 mm
Feeding belt or magazines belt only
Rate of fire, cyclic 750 - 1000 rounds per minute 750 - 1000 rounds per minute 750 rounds per minute

The Minimi light machine gun was developed by the famous Belgian company FN Herstal, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Mass production began in 1982 in Belgium, and at about the same time it has been adopted by the US Armed forces as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). Since its introduction Minimi has seen widespread service, and numerous variations have been developed. First, the Para (Paratroop) version came out, with shorter barrel and tubular telescoped butt. This gun traded off some of the range and firepower for compactness and maneuverability. Quite recently, an SPW version was developed, which featured a Para-type buttstock, a barrel of intermediate length (between standard and Para models), and a Picatinny-type rail mount, which allows a wide variety of sights and scopes to be mounted. To save weight, the magazine feed option of the standard and para models has been discarded. This version, in a slightly modified form, was adopted by the US Special Forces Command (US SOCOM) as the Mk.46 model 0 light machine gun.

The FN Minimi has an excellent reputation on reliability and firepower, and the latest reports on failures of M249 SAW weapons in Iraq are attributed to the age of the weapons used - most of the current issue M249 in US Army are more than 10 years old and quite worn out.

Technical description.
The FN Minimi / M249 SAW is an air cooled, gas operated, belt fed, automatic weapon. The Minimi is operated using conventional gas action with the gas piston located below the barrel, and the barrel is locked using the traditional rotary bolt. The barrel is quick-detachable, and has a carrying handle attached to it, to help for quick replacement procedure. The M249 has an alternative feed system, which allows to use disintegrating metallic belts as a primary feed option, or M16-type box magazines as a back-up feed option. The belt is feed using the top feed unit, the magazines are inserted through the magazine port, located at the left side of the receiver and angled down. The Flip-up dust cover closes the magazine port when it is not in use, serving also as a belt guide. When magazine is in place, this cover raises up and closes the belt-way to avoid dual feeds and jams. Since the belt feed uses additional power to pull the belt through the gun, the rate of fire with the belt is somewhat slower (~ 750 rpm) than the rate of fire with magazine feed (~ 1000 rpm). The latest SPW and Mk.46 mod.0 versions of the Minimi have no magazine feed module as a weight-saving measure. The belts are fed from special 200 rounds plastic boxes that can be clipped beneath the receiver. All Minimi versions fire from open bolt to ensure optimal barrel cooling between bursts.

The folding bipod is mounded under the gas chamber, and the gun has provisions for tripod or vehicle mountings. The open sights are standard, with the availability of vide variety of optical and night sights for SPW and Mk.46 versions with Picatinny rails.

Spoiler: Stoner 63 weapon system: light machine gun XM202 and Mark 23 (Mk.23 mod.0

Caliber: 5.56x45mm M193
Weight: 5.31 kg empty
Length: 1020 mm
Length of barrel: 400 mm
Feeding: magazine 30 rounds or belt 100 or 150 rounds
Rate of fire: 700 - 1000 rounds per minute

Eugene Stoner, one of designers of M16 rifle, left ArmaLite in about 1961 and joined the Cadillac Gage Corp. There he began development of an entirely new weapon system. It was probably the first truly modular system, that consisted of about fifteen subassemblies which could be assembled in any configuration, from an assault rifle and short carbine up to a lightweight or even a general purpose machine gun. First prototypes, chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition, appeared in 1962, known as Stoner 62. Just a year later Stoner turned out a new system, chambered for 5.56x45 M193 US service round, and known as Stoner 63. This system, developed and promoted until the early 1970s, was extensively tested by the US military as the XM22 (Stoner 63A rifle), XM23 (Stoner 63A carbine), and the XM207 (light machine gun with belt feed). The only military application of the Stoner 63 system, however, was the Mk.23 model 0 belt-fed light machine gun configuration, used in limited numbers by US Navy Special Forces and Marine Corps in Vietnam. In general the Stoner system, while having the advantages of modularity and interchangeability of parts and thus great flexibility in tactical use, was somewhat too expensive and also slightly over-complicated for a dedicated light machine gun (or any other configuration). It was also somewhat dirt-sensitive and required much attention and maintenance.
Overall, some 3,500 to 4,000 Stoner 63 weapon kits were produced between 1962 and 1971. Of those, some 2400 Stoner 63 Light machine guns were purchased by US Navy for issue to special forces in Vietnam, and about 100 more were bought for US Navy S.E.A.L.'s in improved Mk.23 mod.0 version.

The Stoner 63 is more than just a single firearm; it is a modular kit, which contains about 15 sub-assemblies. Different combinations of those sub-assemblies (barrels, feed units, trigger units, sight units) allow the assembly of various firearms on the single receiver unit. All versions had quick-detachable barrels, which was a handy option for a light machine gun. For LMG versions, Stoner 63 system has several styles of barrels, with different lengths and profiles. US Navy's Mark 23 model 0 machine guns used short, fluted barrels, but other versions (with long barrels) also saw combat in Vietnam.
The stamped steel receiver contains an universal bolt group, with a multi-lug rotating bolt and a long stroke gas piston with gas tube. The receiver also has several sets of mounting points for attachment of all other sub-assemblies and the quick-detachable barrel. In rifle and carbine configuration, the receiver is so orientated that the gas system lies above the barrel and the feed unit mounting points are below the receiver. In all machine gun configurations, either belt or magazine fed, the receiver is turned “upside down”, with the gas system being below the barrel, ejection to the left side, and the feed unit above the receiver. In machine gun configuration, the trigger unit has no hammer; instead, its sear interoperates with the cut in the gas piston rod, allowing only full automatic fire, and only from an open bolt. The magazine feed unit can accommodate proprietary curved box magazines for 30 rounds, and can be used both in rifle and machine gun configurations. The belt feed unit could be used only in machine gun configurations. Early weapons had left-side feed, which sometimes caused jams because ejected shells reflected back into ejection window. Late production light machine guns had right-side feed which eliminated this problem. Early belt-fed LMG's were issued with 100-round box or 150-round drum belt containers. Late production LMG's with right-side feed were issued only with 100-round box containers, made from plastic. All containers were clipped to the bottom of receiver. Different rear sight units were available for various configurations, with the front sights being mounted on quick detachable barrels.

On earlier Stoner 63 system weapons, the charging handle was located on the right side of the bolt carrier; the safety and fire selector were combined in one control, located on the left side of the trigger unit. On the modified Stoner 63A system, the charging handle was attached to the gas piston rod, and projected from the top in rifle / carbine configuration, or from the bottom in MG / LMG configurations; the safety was made as separate lever at the front of the trigger guard, with the fire mode selector still located on the side of the trigger unit, above the pistol grip. Standard buttstock and forearm were made from plastic. All Stoner 63 light machine guns were issued with detachable folding bipods; while tripod and even vehicle mountings were developed by Cadillac Gage Corp, it seems that these never were used in combat.

Spoiler: GD LW50MG lightweight .50 caliber machine gun

Caliber .50 BMG / 12.7x99
Weight 18 kg (40 lbs) gun + 10 kg (~22lbs) tripod
Length 1562 mm (61.5")
Barrel length n/a
Feed belt
Rate of fire 260 rounds per minute

The LW50MG (Lightweight .50 caliber Machine Gun) is the new product of the Armament and Technical products branch of the US-based General Dynamics corporation. This weapon is a direct offspring of the marginally successful XM-307 ACSW / XM-312 program, and current plans are to field first production units of the LW50MG in around 2011. The first US military units to get this highly mobile infantry support weapon are Airborne, Mountain and Special Operations (SOCOM) troops. The primary role of the LW50MG is to augment venerable but overly heavy .50 caliber Browning M2HB machine guns in mobile units. The LW50Mg can provide effective means to combat vehicles (including lightly armored ones), enemy snipers, infantry behind typical urban covers etc.

The design of the LW50MG is based on the recoil-reducing action, developed for 25mm XM-307 ACSW grenade launcher. The barrel is locked by the conventional rotating bolt, which, in turn, is operated by more or less conventional gas system. The bolt group moves within the barrel extension, which, along with the barrel and gas system, can recoil inside the gun housing. The LW50MG fires from the open bolt, and at the moment of fire the recoiling group (barrel, barrel extension, gas system and gas drive) is in its rearmost position, resting against the spring. When trigger is pulled to fire the gun, the barrel group first is released to slam forward. as soon as its acceleration results in sufficient kinetic energy / inertia build-up, the sear is released and the cartridge is fired while barrel/bolt group is still moving forward. Therefore the recoil of the discharge first had to overcome the inertia of the recoiling group, and only then group began to recoil back, compressing the return spring. At the same time gas drive unlocks the bolt, and retracts it within the barrel extension, extracting and ejecting a fired case. This somewhat complicated design results in significantly reduced peak recoil, which allows to lighten both the gun and the mount. The price of this reduction in recoil is complicated (and expensive) construction and low cyclic rate of fire. The feed is using standard .50 caliber metallic belts, from left side only. Current prototypes of LW50MG are fitted with dual spade grips with thumb trigger in between, and installed on special lightweight tripods. Guns are fitted with Picatinny rails on the housing to permit installation of the various sighting and target illuminating / pointing devices and equipment.

Spoiler: Mk. 48 model 0 7.62 mm Lightweight Machinegun

Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO
Weight: 8.2 kg without ammunition and optical sights
Length: ~ 1000 mm
Length of barrel: no data
Feeding: belt
Rate of fire: ~ 700 rounds/min

The Mk.48 mod. 0 7.62mm LWMG (Lightweight Machinegun) is being developed by the FN Manufacturing Inc. (an US-based outfit of famous Belgian company FN Herstal). The request for new weapon came in 2001, and the first units in the US Special Operations Forces are scheduled to receive this machine guns in august, 2003. The Mk.48 mod. 0 is due to replace infamous 7.62mm Mk.43 mod.0 (M60E4) machine guns, which are quoted as insufficiently reliable. US SOCOM plans are to acquire several hundreds of Mk.48 mod. 0 LWMGs. It also probably will be offered for export by FN Mfg when the initial US Govt contract will be completed.

The Mk.48 mod. 0 is a "big brother", or a scaled-up version of the 5.56mm Mk.46 mod. 0 LMG, a derivative of the famous FN Minimi / M249 SAW LMG. Both 5.56mm Mk.46 mod. 0 and 7.62mm Mk.48 mod. 0 were developed for US Special Forces, led by the US Navy, hence the Mk. (Mark) designation.

The key advantages of the Mk.48 mod. 0 over the 7.62mm M240 / FN MAG are the light weight (essential for SpecOps, 17% lighter than M240B), parts compatibility with M240 and Mk.46 mod. 0, and a rail mounting system, that can be fitted with various sights and SOPMOD kit accessories. The Mk.48 mod. 0 will provide several firepower advantages (in both terminal effectiveness and range) over the Mk.46 mod. 0 and M249 SAW, being much lighter than M240 and much reliable than Mk.43 mod. 0 (M60E4).

Technical description.
The Mk.48 mod. 0 is a gas operated, air cooled, belt fed machine gun. Its action is very similar to one of M249 / Minimi, being a gas operated, with underbarrel gas system and a rotating bolt locking. Gun is fed using standard disintegrating 7.62mm belts (no magazine feed is available, as on the smaller Mk.46 mod.0). Belt can be fed from separate boxes or clip-on combat pouches for 100 rounds. Barrel is quick-detachable and has a carrying handle to assist replacement of the hot barrels. Mk.48 mod. 0 is fitted with open sights, and has 5 Picatinny rails (one on the top of the receiver, 4 on the forend), that can accept wide variety of sights and accessories. Mk.48 mod. 0 is fitted with solid, non-folding plastic butt, folding integral bipod, and a carrying sling. It seems that it also can be mounted on vehicles and infantry tripods for sustained or long range fire missions.

Spoiler: M240

Caliber: 7,62x51mm NATO
Weight: 11 - 13 kg on bipod (depending on version), ~21 kg on tripod
Length: 1260 mm
Barrel length: 545 mm
Feed: belt
Rate of fire: selectable, 650-750 and 950-1000 rounds per minute

The MAG (Mitrailleuse d'Appui General = General Purpose Machinegun), had been developed by the famous Belgian company FN Herstal in the 1950s, as a true universal machine gun, that could be used as a light MG on bipod, as a medium MG on tripod or as a vehicle-mounted and coaxial MG on helicopters, armored cars and tanks. The basic design of the MAG is no more than a time-proven Browning action, taken from the M1918 BAR automatic rifle, turned upside down and adopted for belt feed. The basic design used as much steel stampings and pressings as possible to save the labor and costs, and the final gun had the angular, but very business-like appearance. By no way a beauty, it is extremely reliable and proven design, that seen widespread service, being adopted by several tens of armies around the world, including Belgian, British, Australian, Canadian, USA and many other armies. It was fitted to various vehicles, helicopters, tanks etc. So far it is one of the most popular GPMG's in the world.

Technical description.
The FN MAG is a gas operated, belt fed, air cooled automatic weapon. It uses the long piston stroke gas system with the gas regulator, located below the barrel. The bolt is locked using a swinging shoulder that engages the cut in the floor of the receiver. The air-cooled barrel is quick-detachable, with the carrying handle attached to it to help handling of the hot barrel. The receiver is made from steel stampings.

The M240 is fed using the disintegrating steel belts of various lengths. The rate of fire can be selected between "low" (~650 rpm) and "high" (~950 rpm), depending on the tactical situation, and the gun can be fired in full auto only. The charging handle is located on the right side of the receiver.

The simple folding bipod is attached to the gas block, and there's a mounting points on the bottom of the receiver to fit into the various mountings, including infantry tripods. The open sights are fitted by standard, and some of the latest production MAG versions have Picatinny-style scope mounts on the top of the receiver. Standard guns are fitted with the pistol grip and trigger, and the wooden (early models) or plastic (present manufacture) butt, coaxial guns (like M240C) have the trigger replaced by the electric solenoid, and the pintle-mounted versions, like the M240D, have the spade grips instead of the pistol grip and the butt.

 

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