Analysis and technical review about the top most modern 7.62 mm light machine gun by Army Recognition editorial team. A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm designed to fire rifle cartridges in rapid succession from an ammunition belt or magazine.
Analysis and technical review most modern 7.62mm caliber light machine gun.
Machine guns in 7.62 mm caliber are mainly designed to provide mobile fire support to infantry squad and are typically air-cooled weapons fitted with a box magazine or drum and a bipod; they may use full-size rifle rounds, but modern examples often use intermediate rounds.
The first successful machine-gun designs were developed in the mid-19th century. The key characteristic of modern machine guns, their relatively high rate of fire and more importantly mechanical loading, first appeared in the Model 1862 Gatling gun, which was adopted by the United States Navy.
MG-M2 7.62 machine gun
MG-M2 - Arsenal - Bulgaria
Description
The ARSENAL 7.62x51 mm caliber Machine Gun MG-M2 is a powerful individual automatic weapon designed to be used against enemy troops, light armored targets and aerial targets by firing in single and automatic fire mode. 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.
Ammunition:
The MG-M2 can use three types of ammunition including 7.62x51 mm caliber FMJ/LC Bimetal jacket lead core, Tracer and Blank. Feeding cartridges is done by a disintegrating metal belt, consists of metal links M13 type, accommodated in a box of capacity 100 or 200 cartridges.
Technical Data
-Caliber: 7.62x51 mm
- Weapon Length: 1,200 mm
- Barrel Length: 545 mm
- Feeding: Ammunition Box of 100/200 rounds via M13 disintegrating metallic links.
- Weight: 9.3 kg without ammunition
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 650 RDS/min
- Effective Range: 800 m maximum
MAG FN Herstal 7.62mm light machine gun
Description
The FN MAG is a 7.62mm caliber general purpose machinegun designed and manufactured by the Belgian Company FN Herstal. The FN MAG® has been adopted on all continents. This machine gun is an unbeatable worldwide reference in its category in terms of accuracy and reliability. It fires from mountings (on vehicles, aircraft, ships and boats, or on tripods) but is also used by troops on the ground.
Ammunition:
The 7.62x51 mm, 308 Winchester ammunition can be used by the FN Herstal FN MAG
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 mm
- Weapon Length: 1,260mm
- Barrel Length: 630 mm maximum
- Feeding: Belt
- Weight: 11.8 kg
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 650 to 1,000 RPM
- Effective Range: 800 m
Type 80 NORINCO 7.62mm machine gun
Type 80 - NORINCO - China
Description
The Type 80 is a general-purpose machine gun manufactured by Norinco in China, based on the Soviet PKM. It is a gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed, fully automatic firearm. It can fire on both the tripod and the foldable bipod on the gas tube below the barrel. The machine gun uses an open iron sight, but can also be fitted with an optical or night-vision sight.
Ammunition
The Type 80 machine gun is chambered in 7.62×54mm. Belts are used from 100-round boxes in the light machine gun configurations, and from 200- or 250-round boxes in tripod-mounted applications.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x55 mm
- Weapon Length: 1,192 mm
- Barrel Length: 658 mm maximum
- Feeding: Belts 100/200/250 round boxes.
- Weight: 12.6 kg
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 700 to 800 RPM
- Effective Range: 100 to 1,500 m
MG3A1 Rheinmetall 7.62mm machine gun
MG3A1 - Rheinmetall - Germany
Description
The MG3 design is derived from the World War 2-era MG 42 universal machine gun that fired the 7.92×57mm Mauser round. The MG 3 was standardized in the late 1950s and adopted into service with the newly formed German Army, where it continues to serve to this day as a squad support weapon and a vehicle-mounted machine gun. The weapon and its derivatives have also been acquired by the armed forces of over 30 countries. Production rights to the machine gun were purchased by Italy (MG 42/59), Spain, Pakistan (MG 1A3), Greece, Iran, Sudan and Turkey. In 1968, the MG 3 was introduced and entered production. Compared to the MG1A3, the MG 3 features an improved feeding mechanism with a belt retaining pawl to hold the belt up to the gun when the top cover plate is lifted, an added anti-aircraft sight and a new ammunition box.
Ammunition
The MG 3A1 is a post-war derivative of the MG 42 (7.92 mm) machine gun, re-chambered to take the 7.62×51 mm NATO round. The MG 3A1 can only be equipped with one ammo belt consisting of one Armour-piercing (AP) bullet, followed by one Tracer bullet. Neither bullet has much penetration (maximum of 10 mm), however the AP bullet performs much better than the tracer bullet. The MG 3 machine guns are belt-fed, using non-disintegrating metal DM1 belts, which have links that wrap around the cartridge case and are linked by a coiling wire on each side. DM1 belts are preloaded at ammunition factories in 50-round connectable belt lengths and can be linked to any length necessary. Alternatively the MG3 can also be fed by disintegrating metal M13 link belts (designated DM60 by Germany) used by many NATO member states.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 mm
- Weapon Length: 1,225 mm
- Barrel Length: 565 mm maximum
- Feeding: Belts
- Weight: 11.05 kg
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 1,000 to 1,300 RPM
- Effective Range: 800 m
NG7 Negev IWI 7.62mm machine gun
NG7 Negev - IWI - Israel
Description
In March 2012, the Israeli Weapon Industries (IWI) announced the launching of its new light machine gun Negev NG7 7.62mm caliber at the DefExpo defense exhibition in India and FIDAE 2012 aerospace fair in Chile. It is the only 7.62mm caliber LMG (Light Machine Gun) in service today with semi-automatic mode, capable of pinpoint, single bullet shooting for enhanced firing accuracy. The Negev NG7 shares almost 80% of its components with its smaller sister, the Negev 5.56mm caliber. Features include a gas regulator for additional power in harsh conditions such as mud and dirt, tritium night sights, Picatinny rails for optical and other devices, and four safety mechanisms to minimize unwanted fire.
Ammunition
The Negev NG7 uses the standard 7.62x51 mm ammunition. The 7.62×51mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 7.62 NATO) is a rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries. The Negev NG7 is feed by an ammo box or assault drum.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 mm
- Weapon Length: 1,225 mm
- Barrel Length: 508 mm maximum
- Feeding: Belt-fed., Drum, Standard 7.62 NATO Magazines
- Weight: 7.89 kg
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 600 to 750 RPM
- Effective Range: 800 m
K12 Daewoo 7.62mm machine gun
K12 - Daewoo - South Korea
Description
The XK12 7.62 mm machine gun was first shown to the public in 2009, during the ADEX International Aerospace and defense exhibition in Seoul. It was developed under the direction of the Agency for Defense Development of the Republic of Korea, with the Company S&T Daewoo. The machine gun is a gas-operated weapon, firing from open bolt in full automatic mode only. It has long-stroke gas piston, located below the barrel, and a manual gas regulator which allows adjusting the rate of fire. The air-cooled barrel is quick-removable. Barrel locking is achieved by a conventional rotating bolt.
Ammunition
The K-12 Daewoo machine gun uses standard 7.62x51 ammunition. . Gun is fed using NATO-standard disintegrating steel belts.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 mm
- Weapon Length: 1,225 mm
- Barrel Length: 508 mm maximum
- Feeding: Belt-fed., Drum, Standard 7.62 NATO Magazines
- Weight: 7.89 kg
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 600 to 750 RPM
- Effective Range: 800 m
UKM-2000 Zakłady Mechaniczne "Tarnów" 7.62mm machine gun
UKM-2000 family - Tarnów - Poland
Description
The Zakłady Mechaniczne "Tarnów" UKM-2000 is a 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun designed in Tarnów, Poland. The UKM-2000 is heavily based on the PK machine gun, and as such has very similar working principles and properties. The UKM-2000 (Uniwersalny Karabin Maszynowy, "Universal Machinegun") is a primary used on combat vehicles as well as a coaxial machine gun in KTO Rosomak and Polish-modernized BRDM-2. The UKM-2000M machine gun is a development based on the standard UKM-2000. The modified 7.62 mm UKM 2000C General-Purpose Machine Gun features a Picatinny rail, right-hand feeding mechanism, it is adjusted to be used on vehicle platforms.
Ammunition
The modified 7.62 mm UKM 2000P General-Purpose Machine Gun is fed with 7.62 x 51 mm NATO ammunition fixed with a standard M13 disintegrating linked belt.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 mm NATO
- Weapon Length: 1,055 mm maximum according to the model
- Barrel Length: 540 mm maximum
- Feeding: 100/200/250 rounds/cartridges
- Weight: 11 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 700 to 900 RPM
- Effective Range: 1,500 m
PKP Pecheneg Kalashnikov 7.62mm machine gun
PKP Pecheneg - Kalashnikov - Russia
Description
The PKP Pecheneg is a Russian 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun designed and manufactured by the Russian firearms Company Kalashnikov. It is a further development and modification of the PK machine gun. According to the manufacturer, the PKP is more accurate than all its predecessors due to a heavier, non-removable, forced-air-cooled 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. It is a gas-operated machine gun system capable of full-automatic fire.
Ammunition
The PKP Pecheneg utilizes the tried-and-true 7.62mm Russian rifle cartridge through a belt-fed mechanism and gas-operated system. It uses fed of 100, 200 or 250-round belt magazines held in a hard box under the receiver.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x54 mmR
- Weapon Length: 1,200 mm maximum
- Barrel Length: 658 mm maximum
- Feeding: 100, 200 or 250-round belt magazines
- Weight: 8.7 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 700 RPM
- Effective Range: 1,524 m
PKTM Kalashnikov 7.62mm machine gun
PKTM - Kalashnikov - Russia
Description
The PKTM is a modernized version of the PKT. It is used as an infantry and vehicle-mounted weapon with Russia's armed forces. The PKT is a solenoid-fired coaxial version of PK to replace the SGMT Goryunov vehicle-mounted machine gun. Modifications include the removal of the stock, a longer and heavier barrel, a gas regulator and an electric solenoid trigger. The PK is a 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia.
Ammunition
The PKTM can fire 7.62x54 mmR cartridges with conventional, armor-piercing incendiary, tracer and enhanced penetration bullets. Ammunition is fed from a metal belt stowed in a cartridge box.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x54 mmR
- Weapon Length: 1,098 mm maximum
- Barrel Length: 772 mm maximum
- Feeding: 100, 200 and 250 rd metal belt.
- Weight: 10.5 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 700 to 800 RPM
- Effective Range: 1,500 m
GPMG ST Kinetics 7.62mm machine gun
GPMG - ST Kinetics - Singapore
Description
The 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) is a fully automatic designed and manufactured by the Company ST Kinetics of Singapore. It is an air-cooled belt-fed and gas-operated weapon. This machine gun is available in infantry and coaxial version. With safe and reliable performance, adjustable rates of fire for multiple scenarios and simple to operate, GPMG has established itself to be an indispensable weapon for both the military and paramilitary services in many countries.
Ammunition
The General Purpose Machine Gun machine gun can fire 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition using a standard belt.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 mm NATO
- Weapon Length: 1,255 mm maximum
- Barrel Length: 586 mm maximum
- Feeding: Belt fed
- Weight: 11.4 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 650 to 1,150 RPM
- Effective Range: 1,200 m
M240 FN America 7.62mm machine gun
M240 - FN America - United States
Description
The FN M240 is a family of medium machine guns manufactured by FN America. It is a family of belt-fed, gas-operated medium machine guns that chamber the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The M240 has been used by the United States Armed Forces since the late 1970s. It is used extensively by infantry, most often in rifle companies, as well as on ground vehicles, watercraft and aircraft. Despite being heavier than some comparable weapons, it is highly regarded for reliability and its standardization among NATO members is a major advantage.
Ammunition
All M240 machine gun variants are fed from disintegrating belts and are capable of firing most types of 7.62 mm (.30/.308 cal) NATO ammunition. M240 variants can be converted to use non-disintegrating belts.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 mm NATO
- Weapon Length: 1,079 mm maximum
- Barrel Length: 582 mm maximum
- Feeding: NATO standard disintegrating link belt-fed
- Weight: 9.3 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 550 to 600 RPM
- Effective Range: 800 to 900 m
M60E6 US Ordnance 7.62mm machine gun
M60E6 - US Ordnance - United States
Description
The M60E6 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) represents the latest improvements to the M60 Series of machine guns manufactured by the US Company U.S. Ordnance. It is a gas-operated, disintegrating link, belt-fed, air-cooled machine gun. It fires from an open bolt and features a quick-change barrel. The M60E6 features a machined aluminum feed cover with integrated M1913 Picatinny rail for mounting optics. An aluminum M1913 rail handguard provides for the mounting of infrared laser aiming devices and other sensors, giving the weapon 24-hour capability. The weight has been reduced to 9.27 kg (20.4 lb), 2.23 kg (4.9 lb) lighter than the previous version.
Ammunition
The M60E6 family is capable of fire standard 7.62 mm NATO rounds. Most common in U.S. use are M61 Armor-piercing, M62 Tracer, and M80 Ball. For training purposes, M63 Dummy and M82 Blanks are used.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 mm NATO
- Weapon Length: 965 mm maximum
- Barrel Length: 500 mm maximum
- Feeding: Belt Fed
- Weight: 9.85 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 500 to 650 RPM
- Effective Range: 700 to 1,100 m
KM-7,62 Mayak 7.62mm machine gun
KM-7,62 - Mayak - Ukraine
Description
The KM-7,62 is an upgraded version of the Russian-made PKM designed and manufactured by the Ukrainian Company PJSC Plant Mayak. The weight of the KM was reduced compared to the original Russian PKM. The weight of this machine gun was reduced by 1.5 kg.
Ammunition
The KM-7,62 machine gun can fire different types of 7.62x54 mm ammunition: conventional bullets, tracer bullets, and armor-piercing incendiary bullets. Feeding is made by a belt with a capacity of 100, 200 and 250 rounds of ammunition.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x54 mm
- Weapon Length: 1173 mm maximum
- Barrel Length: ? mm maximum
- Feeding: 100, 200 or 250-round belt magazines
- Weight: 9 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 650 RPM
- Effective Range: 1,500 m maximum
KT-7,62 Mayak 7.62mm machine gun
KT-7,62 - Mayak - Ukraine
Description
The KT-7.62 is a Ukrainian-made copy of the Russian PKT designed to be mounted on combat vehicles. This machine gun was unveiled in 20111 during a defense exhibition in Ukraine by the Company Kyiv plant "Mayak". The design is based on the original Soviet PKT but with a new receiver to increase the barrel live to 25,000 shots. The KT-7,62 is fitted with an electric trigger system. The electric trigger is connected to an onboard firing system with a 50 cm cable. If the electric trigger is broken, there is a manual system to perform firing operations.
Ammunition
The KT-7,62mm machine is chambered to fire 7.62x54 mm Soviet ammunition using belt-fed of 100, 200, and 250 rounds.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x54 mm
- Weapon Length: 1098 mm maximum
- Barrel Length: 722 mm maximum
- Feeding: 100, 200 or 250-round belt magazines
- Weight: 10.5 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 800 RPM
- Effective Range: 2,000 m maximum
DMG5 Denel 7.62mm machine gun
DMG-5 - Denel - South Africa
Description
Denel Land Systems from South Africa has launched its new 7.62mm machine gun DMG-5 in September 2016 during AAD, the Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition. The DMG-5 is a new generation light weight machine gun, weighing less than 9kg and optimised to supply continuous support fire on the modern battle field. Another version, the DMG-5 CX has been developed as a heavy-barrelled machine gun for mounting in remote control systems, flexible vehicle mounts or as a co-axial secondary weapon. The DMG-5 is a gas operated, air cooled Lightweight Machine Gun capable of sustained high rates of fire.
Ammunition
The DMG-5 is available in either 7.62 x 51mm or 5.56 x 45mm NATO Calibers.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 or 5.56x45 mm
- Weapon Length: ? mm maximum
- Barrel Length: ? mm maximum
- Feeding: Belt Fed
- Weight: 8.6 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 700 - 900 RPM
- Effective Range: 1,500 m maximum
MG5 / HK 121 Heckler and Koch 7.62mm machine gun
MG5 / HK 121 - Heckler & Koch - Germany
Description
As the successor of the MG3, the MG5 is a new generation of 7.62mm caliber machine fully designed and manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch. Compared to others, the gas-operated MG5 offers an intelligent and contemporary build standard, with numerous technical and ergonomic innovations. The mounting interface of the MG5 is compatible with MG3 mounts and tripods already in service. The universal MG5 can be used by dismounted infantry in the ground role, as well as for air defense or as a vehicle-mounted/coaxial machine gun.
Ammunition
The MG H&K machine gun is chambered to fire 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. It is belt-fed, using standard NATO disintegrating belts with M13 links, fed from clip-on 50-round containers or separate belt boxes.
Technical Data
- Caliber: 7.62x51 mm NATO caliber
- Weapon Length: 1,202 mm maximum
- Barrel Length: 550 mm maximum
- Feeding: Belt Fed
- Weight: 11.6 kg maximum
- Cyclic Rate of fire: 680 - 800 RPM
- Effective Range: 600 to 1,000 m maximum
