FN MAG
Country: 
BelgiumManufacturer: FN Herstal
Belgian 7.62×51 NATO general-purpose machine gun, belt-fed; one of the most widespread and cloned designs in the world, in service in over 80 countries as M240 (US), L7 (UK), and others.
FN MAG
Community
Data trust
- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- FN MAG
- Alias
- Mitrailleuse d'Appui Général / M240
- Manufacturer
- FN Herstal
- Country
- Belgium
- Year
- 1958
- Category
- Medium machine gun
- Status
- In service
Ballistics
- Caliber
- 7.62×51 mm NATO
- Muzzle velocity
- 840 m/s
- Rate of fire
- ~850 rpm
- Effective range
- 1800 m
- Maximum range
- 3725 m
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 630 mm
- Overall length
- 1263 mm
- Empty weight
- 11.79 kg
Mechanics
- Operating system
- Gas-operated, long-stroke piston
- Bolt / action
- Otturatore con tenone oscillante
Feed
- System
- Nastro disintegrante M13 / DM6
- Standard capacity
- 100 rounds
Fire modes
Historical profile
Developed by Ernest Vervier at FN Herstal in the late 1950s by combining the BAR locking system with the belt-feed mechanism of the MG42.
Adopted by most non-German NATO armies from 1958; American standard from 1977 as the M240 (coaxial) and from 1995 as the M240B (infantry).
Combat-proven in every major conflict from 1960 to today (Vietnam, Falklands, Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan); still licensed-produced in 12 countries in the 2020s.
Variants
Main users
Belgium · United States · United Kingdom · Canada · Australia · Israel · Sweden · over 80 countries
Key components
- ●Stock — Shoulder rest.
- ●Receiver — Weapon body with internal mechanisms.
- ●Grip — Primary grip.
- ●Magazine — Cartridge feed.
- ●Barrel — Guides the projectile.
Community
Recent reviews
Similar systems
M240
1977
U.S. Ordnance M60
1957
Type 67 GPMG
1967
Mekanika Uirapuru
1975
C6
1977