Heckler & Koch MG4

The MG4 is a belt-fed 5.56 mm light machine gun designed and developed by the German company Heckler & Koch. The weapon was developed in the late 1990s and was first seen publicly in September 2001. It has been selected to replace the 7.62 mm MG3 general purpose machine gun in the Bundeswehr at the squad support level; it will complement the MG3 in other roles. The MG4 will also be the secondary armament of the new Puma infantry fighting vehicle. Overall, it is designed to be light, provide maximum safety to the user and function reliably under adverse conditions using a wide range of ammunition from different manufacturers, without the need to adjust the gas system. The machine gun was initially known as the MG43 prior to its adoption by the Bundeswehr.

Design details

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The MG4 is an air-cooled, belt-fed gas-operated weapon with a positively locked rotary bolt and is somewhat similar in concept to the Belgian Minimi light machine gun. Firing in fully automatic mode only. Safety mechanisms on the MG4 includes a manual safety incorporated into fire mode selector toggle; setting the fire selector lever on the "safe" position blocks the trigger mechanically and locks the bolt in the cocked position. When the bolt is not pulled back completely, accidental firing is prevented by an integral, automatic mechanism that prevents the bolt from traveling forward. In addition, the firing pin cannot reach the cartridge primer until the cartridge has been fully chambered.
The machine gun is fed from a disintegrating belt and is carried out in two stages from the top left using an enhanced pawl mechanism. Spent cases are ejected downwards, although ejection to the right is an option.
The MG4 has a hammer-forged quick-change barrel that can be safely exchanged when hot without the need for protective gloves; the carrying handle serves as the barrel change grip. To reduce the overall length of the weapon for transport, the butt stock can be folded to the left side of the receiver. With the buttstock folded the MG4 remains fully operable. A field cleaning kit is housed within the stock.
A folding bipod is provided. Supporting interfaces are integrated into the receiver to allow the MG4 to be mounted on the standard American M112A1 tripod for increased accuracy and stability.
In its standard form the MG4 is equipped with closed type iron sights with range settings up to 1,000 m in increments of 100 m. Optical or night sights or laser pointers can be mounted on a length of MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail located on the receiver feed tray cover. Models of the Bundeswehr are equipped with telescopic sights with 3x magnification.

MG4
The MG4
Type	Light machine gun
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	2005–present
Used by	See Users
Production history
Designer	Heckler & Koch
Designed	1990s
Manufacturer	Heckler & Koch
Produced	2001–present
Variants	MG4E, MG4KE
Specifications
Weight	8.15 kg (17.97 lb) (MG4) 7.90 kg (17.4 lb) (MG4E) 7.70 kg (17.0 lb) (MG4KE)
Length	1,030 mm (40.6 in) stock extended / 830 mm (32.7 in) stock folded (MG4, MG4E) 950 mm (37.4 in) stock extended / 750 mm (29.5 in) stock folded (MG4KE)
Barrel length	482 mm (19.0 in) (MG4, MG4E) 402 mm (15.8 in) (MG4KE)
Width	96 mm (3.8 in)
Height	228 mm (9.0 in)
Cartridge	5.56x45mm NATO
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	775–885 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	920 m/s (3,018 ft/s) (MG4, MG4E) 880 m/s (2,887.1 ft/s) (MG4KE)
Effective range	Approx. 1,000 m (MG4, MG4E) Approx. 900 m (MG4KE)
Feed system	Disintegrating link belt
Sights	Iron sights; MIL-STD-1913 rail provided for optics, German Army models are equipped with telescopic sights with 3x magnification.

Pecheneg machine gun

PKP "Pecheneg" (Russian : Печенег) is a Russian machine gun chambered for the 7.62 x 54 mm round.PK machine gun. The Pecheneg is said to be more accurate than all its predecessors due to a heavier, non-removable forced air cooling barrel with radial cooling ribs and a handle which eliminates the haze effect from hot gases and keeps the barrel cooler, making the weapon more reliable.Furthermore, the weapon is capable of mounting a telescopic sight or other sights which additionally increase accuracy. The military designation of the Pecheneg is 6P41 / 6P41N (with night vision sight). The Pecheneg is currently in use by Russian Army Spetsnaz and other troops in small numbers. 
The Pecheneg (Pecheneg is an ancient aggressive tribe who lived in what later became Russia; also its name is sometimes transcribed as Petcheneg) light machine gun was born from experience of Afghanistan and recent local conflicts.^{[citation needed]} The Pecheneg is a standard 7.62x54R PKM machine gun without the rapid barrel-change option, and intended for use from an integral bipod as a squad support weapon. It can provide more sustained firepower than the standard-issue RPK-74, and the 7.62x54R cartridge offers a longer effective range and better penetration of light structures and improvised covers in urban and forest environments.

Design

The “Pecheneg” LMG can be considered as a modification of the PKM machine gun, but it is built for only one tactical role; that is, as a true squad-level light machine gun for mobile infantry and Spetsnaz troops. Its key difference from the parent design is the barrel, which is not intended to be replaced in the field (although it can be removed for inspection and maintenance). The barrel is somewhat heavier than that of the PKM, and has radial cooling ribs. This is enclosed in a steel jacket, which runs up to the muzzle to provide forced air cooling a-la Lewis machine gun of WW1 era. Cooling air enters the jacket through oval windows at the rear of the jacket, and exits at the muzzle. Early versions of the Pecheneg had standard PKM-type flash hider, which resulted in a significant muzzle blast once the gun is warmed up; current production guns have a special flash hider that eliminates this issue. At the rear of the jacket there is a carrying handle permanently attached to it. This handle has a characteristic elongated profile, as it is also intended to protect the line of sight from mirages generated by the hot barrel. The manufacturer says that the Pecheneg can fire 600 rounds in continuous sustained fire without any danger to the barrel.
Another change from the parent design is the location of the integral, non-removable folding bipod which is placed near the muzzle. This feature is said to improve stability and long-range accuracy when firing from the bipod; but it also limits the arc of fire available without moving the position of bipod or shooter. Another consequence of such placement is that the Petcheneg is less comfortable to fire from the shoulder or the hip, as it does not have a handguard and the bipod is located too far forward to be used to hold the gun. However, the Petcheneg has sling swivels and can be fired from the hip using a sling and carrying handle to hold the gun.In all other respects (action, feed, sights, stock) the Pecheneg is similar to modern PKM machine guns. It also retains the standard PKM mounting interface and therefore can be used from the same tripod, but it is always issued as an light machine gun (without tripod mount).

PKP "Pecheneg"
Type	Light Machine Gun
Place of origin	Russian Federation
Service history
In service	2003
Used by	Russian Federation
Wars	Second Chechen War
Production history
Designer	TsNIITochMash
Specifications
Weight	8.7 kg on bipod; 12.7 kg on infantry tripod mount
Length	1155 mm; barrel: 658 mm
Cartridge	7.62x54mmR
Action	Gas-operated
Rate of fire	650-800 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	850 m/s (2,789 ft/s)
Maximum range	1500 m
Feed system	Belt. 100, 200 or 250-round detachable box magazine

IMI Negev

 

The Negev is an Israeli 5.56 mm light machine gun, developed by Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI) of Ramat HaSharon (now Israel Weapon Industries), as a replacement for the 5.56 mm Galil ARM light machine gun, whose barrel would overheat easily during sustained fire. Design work on this new indigenous firearm began in 1985, and it was officially adopted by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in 1997.

Design details

The Negev is a gas-operated automatic firearm that uses propellant gases from the barrel to cycle a short-stroke gas piston operating system under the barrel and a rotary bolt locking mechanism. The bolt itself features 4 radial locking lugs that engage the barrel extension and its rotation is controlled by a pin on the bolt body, which rides inside a camming guide machined into the bolt carrier. The bolt contains a spring-powered casing extractor unit, while a lever ejector is housed inside the receiver (it is rotated by the recoiling bolt carrier).

Gas Regulator

The Negev’s adjustable gas regulator has three settings: “1” – used exclusively when feeding from a magazine (the weapon’s rate of fire in this mode is 850–1,150 rounds/min), setting “2” is used in normal operating conditions when feeding from a belt (rate of fire: 850–1,150 rounds/min) and setting “3” which is used under adverse operating conditions, such as in the presence of dust, dirt or heavy fouling (cyclic rate of fire is 950-1,150 rounds/min). Early prototypes used a different 3-position gas adjustment system: setting “1” – normal operation, setting “2” – for adverse environmental conditions and setting “3” – isolates the gas system, used to launch rifle grenades with the use of a grenade-launching blank cartridge drawn from a special 12-round magazine (from the Galil rifle).

 Striker

The Negev is striker-fired, where the bolt carrier assembly acts as the striker. The light machine gun fires from an open bolt position. A lever-type fire control selector switch is provided (“A” – full-automatic fire, “R” – semi-automatic fire), installed on the left side of the pistol grip, which doubles as a manual safety against accidental firing. The safe “S” position disables the sear mechanism (which makes it impossible to cock the bolt carrier), by lifting the lever responsible for holding the bolt carrier in the forward position and disconnects the trigger mechanism from the sear. The weapon can be secured safe regardless of the position of the bolt carrier group. The cocking handle is equipped with a ratcheting mechanism that immobilizes the partially-cocked bolt carrier.

 Ammunition

The Negev feeds from an M27 disintegrating, open-link ammunition belt, carried in a 150-round fabric container that clips into the magazine well or alternately from a 35-round box magazine from the Galil assault rifle or a 30-round STANAG magazine from the M16 rifle (with the use of an adapter). 200-round ammunition belt containers are also available. Belted ammunition is introduced into the feed tray port from the left side, while the magazine is inserted vertically into the magazine well at the base of the receiver. The feed system uses a pawl feeding mechanism, driven by the recoiling bolt carrier, but the belt is moved only during the rearward movement of the bolt carrier. The non-reciprocating charging handle is located on the right side of the weapon.

 Barrel

The Negev has a quick-change chrome-lined barrel that is manufactured using a cold hammer forging process. The barrel is fitted with a slotted flash suppressor and a fixed carry handle, which is used to transport the weapon and change-out an overheated barrel. The barrel can be changed only after lifting open the feed tray cover.
During the weapon’s initial development a barrel with a 1 in 305 mm (1:12 in) rifling twist rate was also planned, adapted for the lightweight M193 cartridge. Additionally, a multifunction muzzle device was designed, used to launch rifle grenades.

 Sight

The Negev’s iron sights (closed-type) consist of a front post (adjustable for both windage and elevation) and a rear aperture sight with an elevation adjustment drum, with 300 to 1,000 m range settings. For night-time operation the weapon is equipped with gaseous tritium-illuminated vials (supplied by Betalight): one installed in the front sight post, and two — on a notch sight under the standard aperture sight arm (before use, the rear sight leaf is pivoted forward to expose the night notch sight). A rail is integrated into the receiver top cover that allows optical day and night-time sights to be mounted to the weapon. The barrel can also be optionally fitted with mounting hardware that would allow the Negev to mount a laser pointer or reflex sight.
The machine gun has a metal side-folding (right side) stock and a removable bipod, installed to the forward end of the handguard and folded under the handguard when stowed. The receiver also has slots and hooks used to secure the weapon to vehicle mounting hardware.

 Cartridges

The Negev uses the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge and is optimized for the SS109 bullet. Field maintenance involves stripping the weapon down to six main groups: the barrel, stock, bolt carrier, bolt, bipod and return mechanism. All parts, including the quick-change barrels, are fully interchangeable.

 Variants

The Negev Commando is a shorter and lighter version of the standard Negev light machine gun, known also as the Assault Negev. On this model the barrel is shortened to 330 mm (13.0 in), there is no bipod and the stock folds to the side, so that the overall length with the butt folded is only 680 mm (26.8 in). For the assault role a side-mounted forward grip is provided for the user's left hand, allowing the weapon to be fired from the hip. Weight of the Negev Commando with a 150-round drum is 9.55 kg (21.1 lb). Vehicle, AFV and helicopter mountings are available. This variant underwent trials with IDF special forces during late 1998.

Negev
The IMI Negev LMG
Type	Light machine gun
Place of origin	Israel
Service history
In service	1997–present [1]
Used by	See Users
Wars	Al-Aqsa Intifada, 2006 Lebanon War, Gaza War
Production history
Designer	Israel Military Industries Ltd (IMI)
Designed	1985–1990
Manufacturer	Israel Military Industries Ltd (currently Israel Weapon Industries Ltd)
Produced	1995-Present
Variants	Negev Commando
Specifications
Weight	7.40 kg (16.31 lb) (standard version) 7.00 kg (15.4 lb) (Negev Commando)
Length	1,020 mm (40.2 in) stock extended / 890 mm (35.0 in) stock folded (standard version) 780 mm (30.7 in) stock deployed / 680 mm (26.8 in) stock folded (Negev Commando)
Barrel length	460 mm (18.1 in) (standard version) 330 mm (13.0 in) (Negev Commando)
Cartridge	5.56x45mm NATO
Action	Gas operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	850–1,150 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	915 m/s (3,002 ft/s) (standard version) 850 m/s (2,788.7 ft/s) (Negev Commando)
Effective range	300–1000 m sight adjustments (standard version) 300-800 m sight adjustments (Negev Commando)
Feed system	150-round M27 ammunition belt or 35-round box magazine
Sights	Aperture, with elevation drum and adjustable front post, folding tritium night sights, various optional optics via picatinny rail

Vektor SS-77

The Vektor SS-77 is a general purpose machine gun designed and manufactured by Lyttleton Engineering Works (LIW) - now Denel Land Systems - of South Africa.

SS-77
Type	General Purpose Machine Gun
Place of origin	South Africa
Service history
Used by	See Users
Wars	South African Border War
Production history
Designed	1977
Manufacturer	Denel Land Systems
Variants	Variants
Specifications
Weight	9.6 kg (21 lb 3 oz) (SS-77) 8.26 kg (18 lb 3 oz) (Mini SS)
Length	1155 mm (SS-77) 1000 mm (Mini SS)
Barrel length	550 mm (SS-77) 500 mm (Mini SS)
Cartridge	7.62x51mm NATO (SS-77) 5.56x45mm NATO (Mini-SS)
Action	Gas-operated, open bolt
Rate of fire	600-900 rounds/min
Feed system	Belt-fed

Ultimax 100

The Ultimax 100 is a Singaporean 5.56mm light machine gun, developed by the Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS, now ST Kinetics) by a team of engineers under the guidance of American firearms designer L. James Sullivan.
Work on a new light support weapon for the Singapore Army began in 1978.^[2] The weapon is produced by CIS (presently STK—Singapore Technologies Kinetics), initially in the Mark 1 version, later—the Mark 2, and currently, in the Mark 3 and Mark 4 variant. The Ultimax 100 (also called the U 100) is used in significant numbers by the armed forces of Singapore, Croatia and the Philippines.

Design details

The Ultimax 100, also known as the "Section Machine Gun" is a gas-operated automatic weapon (capable of fully automatic fire only) with a short-stroke gas piston operating system powered by ignited powder gases diverted from the barrel through a port in the gas block. The Ultimax 100 is a locked breech weapon with a rotating bolt that contains 7 locking lugs. It fires from an open bolt position. The bolt contains both a spring extractor and a casing ejector. The weapon's non-reciprocating cocking handle is located on the left side of the receiver and occupies the forward position during firing. The Ultimax 100 is striker-fired. The feature that grants the weapon its low recoil (compared to similar light machine guns) is the "constant recoil" principle. The overall design allows the bolt carrier group to travel all the way back without ever impacting the rear, instead stopping gradually along the axis of movement against the resistance of the return springs.^[3] The magazine catch consists of two tapered pins on a bar, controlled by the magazine release button. The machine gun feeds from a proprietary 100-round synthetic drum magazine (early models also used 60-round drum magazines), or from a modified 20 or 30-round STANAG 4179 magazine (from the M16 rifle).
The Ultimax 100 uses a manual safety mechanism that consists of a lever installed on the left side of the receiver (just behind the trigger) with two possible settings: "S" – indicating the weapon is safe and "F" – continuous fire. An internal safety achieved through the proper arrangement of parts and mechanisms secures against premature detonation. The light machine gun was also designed to mount an M16-type bayonet and either day or night-time optics. The Ultimax 100's ergonomics are similar to that of the Thompson submachine gun, specifically the forward grip.

 Variants

• Mark 1: Model with a quick-change barrel (pre-production).
• Mark 2: Equipped with a fixed barrel.
• Mark 3: Quick-change barrel.^[2] Currently the Mark 3 variant is available in two different barrel lengths, a standard and short. The short barrel is designed for use with paratroopers and special forces. There is also an optional 10.5 inch VIP protection barrel. The barrel on all versions has a slotted flash suppressor and a carrying handle used to transport the weapon and assist in barrel removal. The Ultimax Mark 3 has a three-position gas regulator (early models had a 5-position gas adjustment valve) that allows the rate of fire to be controlled and enables reliable operation in various environmental conditions.^[4][2] The gas regulator is usually pre-adjusted prior to operations. Where there is sluggish operation due to fouling, the gas setting may be increased by two clicks using the provided C-tool. The weapon features a standard pistol grip, a vertical forward grip integrated into the forend and a detachable buttstock. The mild felt recoil allows the weapon to be used effectively without the buttstock, using only the pistol and forward grips to support and aim the firearm. The adjustable bipodpolymer.^[5][6][4] The Mark 3 can fire both the American 5.56x45mm M193 cartridge (with 1:12 (305 mm) twist barrel fitted) or the heavier Belgian^[ has a height adjustment mechanism and is secured to the weapon's forend, providing stability in a sustained-fire role. The bipod is quick-detachable and can be mounted or removed without the use of tools. The Ultimax 100 features an aperture type rear sight (with range settings for distances up to 1,200 m, graduated every 100 m) placed on a sliding scale and a forward vertical post housed in the front sight base and protected by two metal tabs. The weapon incorporates sheet metal stamping and the use of synthetic components in its design. The drum magazine, buttstock, pistol grip and forend with vertical grip are all made of a impact-resistant SS109/M855 cartridge (178 mm (1:7 in) twist rate barrel.
• Mark 4: Developed for the United States Marine Corps Infantry Automatic Rifle program, with the addition of a new fire selector module.^[5] The Marine Corps did not select the Ultimax.
• Mark 5: Updated variant of the Mark 4 with a folding stock, Picatinny rails and M16 STANAG 4179Beta C-Mag. magazine well that will accept 30-round box magazines and the 100-round.   

  Ultimax 100
  Type	Assault rifle Light machine gun
  Place of origin	Singapore
  Service history
  In service	1982–present
  Used by	See users
  Wars	1990s conflicts in the former Yugoslavia Anti-guerrilla operations in Indonesia and the Philippines, 2006 Fijian coup d'état Solomon Islands Afghanistan Sri Lankan Civil War
  Production history
  Designer	L. James Sullivan
  Designed	1977
  Manufacturer	Chartered Industries of Singapore (now ST Kinetics)
  Produced	1982[1][2]–present
  Number built	~80,000
  Variants	See variants
  Specifications
  Weight	4.75 kg (10.47 lb) (Mark 2) 4.90 kg (10.8 lb) (Mark 3)
  Length	1,030 mm (40.6 in) with buttstock / 800 mm (31.5 in) buttstock detached (Mark 2) 1,024 mm (40.3 in) with buttstock / 810 mm (31.9 in) buttstock detached (Mark 3)
  Barrel length	508 mm (20.0 in) (standard) 330 mm (13.0 in) (Ultimax 100 Para)
  Cartridge	5.56x45mm NATO
  Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
  Rate of fire	400–600 rounds/min
  Muzzle velocity	970 m/s (3,182 ft/s) (M193 cartridge) 945 m/s (3,100.4 ft/s) (SS109/M855 cartridge)
  Effective range	100–1,200 m sight adjustments
  Maximum range	460 m (M193 cartridge) 1,300 m (SS109/M855 cartridge)
  Feed system	100-round drum or 30-round STANAG M16 box magazine
  Sights	Rear aperture sight and front post 472 mm (18.6 in) sight radius

CETME Ameli

The Ameli (abbreviated from the Spanish Ametralladora ligera or "light machine gun") is a 5.56mm light machine gun designed for the Spanish Army (Ejército de Tierra) by the nationally owned and operated Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales (CETME) small arms research institute (founded by the Spanish government in 1950).
Development of the weapon began in 1974 under the supervision of the Colonel José María Jiménez Alfaro (who would later become the director of CETME). The Ameli was officially unveiled in 1981 and after undergoing exhaustive military trials—adopted into service in 1982 as the standard squad-level support weapon of the Spanish Army under the designation MG82. The Ameli is manufactured at the Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara factory.

Design details

Operating mechanism

The Ameli is an automatic weapon and externally resembles the 7.92mm MG 42 machine gun of World War II and its post-war variant—the West German MG 3. However, unlike the MG 42's roller-locked short recoildelayed blowback method of operation with a fixed barrel and a pair of rollers which retard the rearward movement of the bolt.^[1] This mechanism was employed in CETME's Model A, B, C and Model LG3 battle rifle, HK33 assault rifle and MP5 series of submachine guns. Similarities with the 7.62mm Model C and 5.56mm Model L rifles extend to the interchangeability of certain parts. operating principle (where the barrel and bolt recoil together a short distance before they unlock), the Ameli uses the series of rifles, and also in the Heckler & Koch
The heart of the operating system is the bolt assembly, which consists of a bolt head, locking piece and two cylindrical rollers, which upon chambering a round, are displaced outwards by angled surfaces in the forward pressing locking piece and into notches in the barrel extension. The geometry of the walls in the barrel extension and the locking piece ensure that once a shot is fired, the bolt head absorbs the recoil impulse from the ignited cartridge through the base of the empty casing and transmits this rearward pressure onto the rollers forcing them out of their sockets and inward at a mechanical disadvantage. The rollers then come into contact with inclined surfaces on the locking piece and propel it backwards at a speed that is approximately 1.5x greater than that of the bolt head, thereby increasing the bolt's inertia and providing a delay in the blowback sequence.The relatively short initial rear displacement of the bolt head immediately after firing and the calculated delay eliminate the probability of a premature case extraction from the chamber (beyond the thick-walled base of the chamber) that would result in the spent casing bursting as the breech is opened only after the bullet has exited the barrel and gas pressures inside the bore have dropped to within safe limits.

 Features

The Ameli fires from an open boltand uses a striker firing mechanism (in which the bolt and internally-channeled firing pin perform the role of a striker). The trigger mechanism permits fully-automatic fire only^[1][2] The weapon features a cross-bolt type safety that disables the sear but the rate of fire can be adjusted by using bolts of varying weight, like in the MG 3. The lighter bolts will produce the maximum rate of fire (1,200 rounds/min) while a heavier bolt results in a rate of fire of approximately 850–900 rounds/min. when pressed into the "safe" position.
The machine gun is fed from an open-link disintegrating M27 ammunition belt that can be strung loosely from the feed tray or placed inside a 100 or 200-round disposable plastic container,which is then clipped to the left side of the receiver. This ammunition container has a transparent rear wall that allows the gunner to monitor ammunition levels visually. Belt movement is carried out by a pawl-type feeding mechanism, which was modeled on the MG 42's feed system. Spent cartridge casings are ejected downward through a chute in the receiver.
The quick-change type air-cooled barrel is equipped with a slotted flash suppressor. The barrel has a chrome-lined bore with 6 right-hand grooves and a 178 mm (1:7 in) rifling twist rate that is optimized for use with heavier SS109 5.56x45mm NATO rounds. A barrel with a 305 mm (1:12 in) twist rate designed specifically to stabilize the lightweight M193 cartridge is also available. The chamber portion of the barrel has flutes that assist in the extraction sequence; once gas pressure in the bore drops to a safe level, recycled gases fill the flutes surrounding the cartridge casing, loosening the case from the chamber walls while residual pressure in the barrel forces it back to be ejected downward and forward. A fixed carrying handle is positioned above the barrel near the chamber, and aids in barrel changes when the barrel becomes too hot; the barrel can be removed and replaced in 5 seconds.
The Ameli is fitted with a molded polymer stock, bipod and iron sights that consist of a forward post and a rear aperture sight contained in the carry handle assembly with 300, 600, 800 and 1,000 m range settings. The weapon's design makes extensive use of sheet metal stampings; both the receiver, barrel shroud and trigger housing are fabricated from steel pressings and then welded. The quick-detach bipod has a height adjustment feature and is mounted to the perforated barrel heat shroud at the muzzle end. The light machine gun can be deployed with the bipod, on a vehicle mount or on a static tripod mount.

Ameli
Type	Light machine gun
Place of origin	Spain
Service history
In service	1982–present
Used by	See Users
Production history
Designer	CETME
Designed	1974–1981
Manufacturer	General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas
Produced	1982–present
Specifications
Weight	5.3 kg (11.68 lb)
Length	970 mm (38.2 in)
Barrel length	400 mm (15.7 in)
Cartridge	5.56x45mm NATO
Action	Roller-delayed blowback
Rate of fire	800–1,200 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	875 m/s (2,871 ft/s) (SS109 cartridge)
Effective range	300—1,000 m sight adjustments
Maximum range	1,650 m
Feed system	100 or 200-round M27 belt
Sights	Rear aperture sight and front post 340 mm (13.4 in) sight radius

Mk 48 machine gun

The Mk 48 is a lightweight belt-fed machine gun, firing 7.62 × 51 mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of ammunition.
It is manufactured by Fabrique Nationale Manufacturing, Inc., a division of FN Herstal based in the United States. The Mk 48 has been developed in conjunction with the U.S. Special Operations Commandspecial operations units (USSOCOM), which has adopted the weapon and started its fielding process, starting with special unit.

History

On 21 March 2001, the USSOCOM approved the MNS/ORD (Mission Need Statement/Operational Requirements Document) for a new 7.62 × 51 mm NATO lightweight machine gun (LWMG) to replace the M60E4/Mk 43 Mod 0 in use by United States Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW), which proved to be "less than reliable"^{[citation needed]}.
The LWMG program was patterned after the Mk 46 Mod 0—a variant of the M249 SAW currently in use by the USSOCOM—and developed from the M240 series, the current-issue medium machine gun of the United States military.
Fabrique Nationale's division at Columbia, South Carolina (which also produces the M16, M249 and M240 series of weapons for the U.S. military) was charged with production of the Mk 48 Mod 0. The program achieved full-rate production on 21 March 2003.

 Design

The Mk 48 Mod 0 is a gas-operated, air-cooled, fully-automatic, belt-fed machine gun. The design is based on an early 7.62 × 51 mm NATO prototype of the Minimi, modified to be a scaled-up version of the 5.56 mm Mk 46 Mod 0.
Being heavily based on the Mk 46 Mod 0, the Mk 48 Mod 0 features five MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny railsforearm/handguard, one under the handguard, and one on top of the barrel), an integral folding bipod, and a tripod-mounting lug. The weapon is fitted with the same fixed, polymer buttstock as the M249, although the metallic, collapsible buttstock from the "Para" model can be found in some models. The carrying handle, which had been removed from the Mk 46, was reintegrated on the Mk 48 to assist the replacement of hot barrels without use of other equipment, such as heat-resistant gloves; the handle can be folded down when not in use. As with the Mk 46, the Mk 48 Mod 0 does not have an M249-type magazine feed port, in order to save weight. The weapon can be fed from a loose belt, separate belt boxes, or clip-on ammunition pouches for 100 rounds. (one on top of the receiver, one on each side of the
The 70% commonality with the Mk 46, M240 and M249 provides the Mk 48 with easily interchangeable parts in the need of replacements.Furthermore, the Picatinny rails can be fitted with various accessories from the SOPMOD kit, such as the ECOS-N (Enhanced Combat Optical Sight) red dot sight. The Mk 48 can also be fitted with a vertical foregrip for increased controllability during sustained fire. While heavier than the 5.56 × 45 mm NATO versions of the M249 SAW due to its larger chambering and heavier barrel, the Mk 48 Mod 0 is still 17% lighter and 8.4% shorter than the M240.
The Mk 48 Mod 0 is currently in service with certain USSOCOM units, such as the U.S. Navy SEALs and Army Rangers.

 Variants

Mk 48 Mod 0

This is a 7.62x51 mm NATO version of the Mk 46, used by USSOCOM, when a heavier cartridge is required. It is officially classified as an LWMG (Light Weight Machine Gun) and was developed as a replacement for the Mk 43 Mod 0/1. The M60 based machine guns are a great deal more portable than the heavier M240 based designs used elsewhere in the US military in the infantry medium machine gun role. However the M60 based designs have a long history of insufficient reliability. Trials conducted through the mid-1990s led the US Army to replace its M60 with M240B GPMGs. The M240B however, weighs in at ~27.5 lb and is about 49" long with the standard barrel. NAVSPECWAR was reluctant to give up the increased portability of the M60 (~22.5 lb, 37.7" OAL with the shortest "Assault Barrel") designs in spite of the M240's increased reliability. A request was put in for a new machine gun in 2001, and FN responded with a scaled up version of the M249 weighing in at ~18.5 lb with an OAL of ~39.5". The new design achieved much better reliability than the M60-based weapons while bettering its light weight and maintaining the same manual of arms as the already in-use M249. USSOCOM was slated to begin receiving deliveries of the new gun in August of 2003.

Mk 48 Mod 1

The Mk 48 Mod 1 is an update of the Mk 48 Mod 0. Like the Mod 0, it is essentially an M249 scaled up to fire the 7.62x51 mm NATO round. The Mod 1 utilizes a 19.75" barrel and weighs in at 18.37 lb unloaded, and has a rate of fire of 500–625 rpm.

Mk 48
Type	Machine gun
Place of origin	Belgium  United States
Service history
Used by	USSOCOM
Production history
Manufacturer	FN Herstal
Produced	2003—
Specifications
Weight	8.2 kg (18.26 lb) empty; 11.2 kg (24.7 lb) w/ 100 rounds
Length	1,000 mm (39.75 in)
Barrel length	502 mm (19.75 in)
Cartridge	7.62 × 51 mm NATO (STANAG 2310)
Caliber	7.62 mm (.308 in)
Action	Gas-operated, open bolt
Rate of fire	710 (± 50) rounds/min
Effective range	800 m (~875 yd), area target
Maximum range	3,600 m (~3,940 yd)
Feed system	Disintegrating belt