Light machine gun

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed

The Belgian Minimi M249 light machine gun, one of the most widespread modern 5.56 mm light machine guns amongst NATO countries. This one is an M249E3 "Para" model.

File:IWI-Negev-Zachi-Evenor-01-white.jpg

IWI Negev of the Israeli Army

File:Bren1.jpg

Bren light machine gun

File:Army Heritage Museum B.A.R..jpg

.30-06 Browning Automatic Rifle Model 1918

A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the same combat unit are often referred to as squad automatic weapons.

CharacteristicsEdit

While early light machine guns fired full-powered rifle cartridges, modern light machine guns often fire smaller-caliber rifle cartridges than medium machine guns – generally the same intermediate cartridge fired by a service's standard assault rifle – and are usually lighter and more compact. Some LMGs, such as the Russian RPK, are modifications of existing designs and designed to share the same ammunition. Adaptations to the original rifle generally include a larger magazine, a heavier barrel to resist overheating, a more robust mechanism to support sustained fire and a bipod.

A light machine gun is also defined by its usage as well as its specifications: some machine guns – notably general-purpose machine guns – may be deployed either as a light machine gun or a medium machine gun. Deployed on a tripod and used for sustained fire, it is a medium machine gun; if deployed with a bipod with the operator in a prone position and firing short bursts, it is a light machine gun.

Light machine guns are also designed to be fired from the hip or on the move as a form of suppressive fire intended to pin down the enemy. Marching fire is a specific tactic that relies on this capability.

Lighter modern LMGs have enabled them to be issued down at the fireteam level, with two or three at the section/squad level.

Ammunition feedEdit

Many light machine guns (such as the Bren gun or the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle) were magazine-fed. Others, such as the Hotchkiss M1922, could be fed either from a belt/strip or from a box magazine. Modern light machine guns are designed to fire smaller caliber rounds and, as such, tend to be belt-fed (from a container attached to the gun) or from a detachable high-capacity drum magazine, but some, such as the FN Minimi, will also accept standard rifle magazine feeding as an auxiliary measure when belted ammunition has been exhausted.

HistoryEdit

In 1903, French military theorists noticed that the heavy machine guns of the day were of little use in infantry assaults. They determined that "the machine gun must learn to walk".<ref name=Chauchat>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They researched the possibility of a light machine gun which could be carried by troops. A marching fire tactic was theorised, using incidental suppressive fire, with the advancing troops considered a deadlier threat than the un-aimed bullets, causing the enemy to fall back. The prototype guns were not approved for production, and none were in service when World War I began.<ref name=Chauchat/> The French quickly brought the prototypes to mass production to boost the firepower of advancing infantry.

By the end of World War II, light machine guns were usually being issued on a scale of one per fire team or squad, and the modern infantry squad had emerged with tactics that were built around the use of the LMG to provide suppressive fire.Template:Citation needed

Selected examplesEdit

File:Battle of Changsha.jpg

A Chinese soldier with a ZB vz.26 light machine gun.

File:INSAS LMG.JPG

The early INSAS LMG, a weapon of Indian origin.

File:Familiarization with a RPK during Exercise Rescue Eagle 2000.jpg

A Romanian soldier instructing a U.S. Marine in clearing a RPK

The following were either exclusively light machine guns, had a light machine gun variant or were employed in the light machine gun role with certain adaptations.

Model	Country of origin	Design date	Caliber(s)	Weight (base model)	Feed system	Rate of fire (rounds/min)	Model variants
Madsen machine gun	Template:Flagcountry	1896	Various	Template:Convert	Box magazine	450
Chauchat (Fusil-Mitrailleur Mle 1915 'CSRG')	Template:Flagcountry	1907	8mm Lebel .30-06 Springfield	Template:Convert	Magazine	240/360	M1918 CSRG Chauchat(USA)
Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié	Template:Flagcountry Template:Flagcountry	1909	8mm Lebel .303 British .30-06 Springfield	Template:Convert	Stripper clip fed	400–600
Bergmann MG15 nA Gun	Template:Flagcountry	1910	7.92×57mm Mauser	Template:Convert	Belt fed	500–600
Vickers-Berthier	Template:Flagcountry Template:Flagcountry	1910	.303 British	Template:Convert	Box magazine	450–600
Lewis Gun	Template:Flagcountry Template:Flagcountry	1911	.303 British .30-06 Springfield 7.92×57mm Mauser	Template:Convert	Drum magazine	600 (cyclic)
Huot automatic rifle	Template:Flagcountry	1916	.303 British	Template:Convert	Drum magazine	155/475
M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle	Template:Flagcountry	1917	.30-06 Springfield 6.5×55mm 7.92×57mm Mauser	Template:Convert	Box magazine	650 (cyclic)	Wz. 1928 (Poland)
Hotchkiss M1922	Template:Flagcountry	1922	Various	8.5 kg (18.7 lb)	Magazine	450
Type 11 light machine gun	Template:Flagcountry	1922	6.5×50mm Arisaka	Template:Convert	Stripper clip fed, hopper magazine	500 (cyclic)
ZB vz. 26	Template:Flagcountry	1923	7.92×57mm Mauser	Template:Convert	Box magazine	500
FM-24/29	Template:Flagcountry	1924	7.5×54mm French	Template:Convert	Box magazine	450 (cyclic)
Maxim-Tokarev	Template:Flagcountry	1924	7.62×54mmR	Template:Convert	Belt fed
Lmg 25	Template:Flagcountry	1925	7.5×55mm Swiss	Template:Convert	Box magazine	≈500
Lahti-Saloranta M/26	Template:Flagcountry	1925	7.62×53mmR	Template:Convert	Magazine	450–550
Degtyaryov machine gun	Template:Flagcountry	1927	7.62×54mmR	Template:Convert	Drum magazine	550
Mendoza RM2	Template:Flagcountry	1928	7×57mm Mauser .30-06 Springfield	Template:Convert	Box magazine	450–650
Breda 30	Template:Flagcountry	1930	6.5×52mm Mannlicher–Carcano	Template:Convert	Stripper clip fed, internal magazine	500 (cyclic)
ZB vz. 30	Template:Flagcountry	1930	7.92×57mm	Template:Convert	Box magazine	550–650
Bren	Template:Flagcountry	1935	.303 British	Template:Convert	Box magazine	500–520
Type 96 light machine gun	Template:Flagcountry	1936	6.5×50mm Arisaka	Template:Convert	Box magazine	450 (cyclic)
Type 99 light machine gun	Template:Flagcountry	1939	7.7×58mm Arisaka	Template:Convert	Box magazine	800
RPK	Template:Flagcountry	1960	7.62×39mm	4.8 kg (10.6 lb)	Drum or box magazine	600	RPK-74 RPK-16
Heckler & Koch HK21	Template:Flagcountry	1961	5.56×45mm NATO 7.62×51mm NATO	Template:Convert	Belt fed or box magazine	900	HK11E HK13E
Stoner 63	Template:Flagcountry	1960s	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Drum or box magazine	1000 (cyclic)
Colt Automatic Rifle	Template:Flagcountry	1970s	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Drum or box magazine	750 (cyclic)	Diemaco LSW (CAN)
L86 LSW	Template:Flagcountry	1970s	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Box magazine	775 (cyclic)
FN Minimi	Template:Flagcountry	1974	5.56×45mm NATO (standard) 7.62×51mm NATO	Template:Convert	Belt fed or box magazine	1150 (cyclic)	M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (USA) MK 46 machine gun (USA)
CETME Ameli	Template:Flagcountry	1974	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Belt fed	1200 (cyclic)	MG82 (Spain)
Ultimax 100	Template:Flagcountry	1977	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Drum or box magazine	600 (cyclic)
Steyr AUG H-BAR	Template:Flagcountry	1977	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Box magazine	750 (cyclic)
IWI Negev	Template:Flagcountry	1985	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Belt fed or magazine	1150 (cyclic)
Negev NG7	Template:Flagcountry	2012	7.62×51mm NATO	Template:Convert	Belt fed or magazine
Heckler & Koch MG4	Template:Flagcountry	1990s	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Belt fed	885 (cyclic)
Heckler & Koch MG36	Template:Flagcountry	1990s	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Drum or box magazine	750 (cyclic)
INSAS LMG	Template:Flagcountry	1990s	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Box magazine	650 (cyclic)
SAR-21 LMG	Template:Flagcountry	1996	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Box magazine	650 (cyclic)
Ares Shrike 5.56	Template:Flagcountry	2000s	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Belt fed or magazine	800 (cyclic)
Type-81 LMG	Template:Flagcountry	1981	7.62×39mm	Template:Convert	75-round drum or 30-round STANAG	750 (cyclic)	BD-15 LMG (Bangladesh)
M27 IAR	Template:Flagcountry	2008	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Drum or box magazine	640 (cyclic)
QJB-95	Template:Flagcountry	1997	5.8x42mm	Template:Convert	60	900 (cyclic)
Colt IAR6940	Template:Flagcountry	2008	5.56×45mm NATO	Template:Convert	Drum or box magazine	700 (cyclic)	Colt 6940E-SG (Singapore)
RPD	Template:Flagcountry	1944	7.62×39mm	Template:Convert	Belt fed	650

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

Template:Authority control