The FN MAG Machine Gun

Author: Chris McNab
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472819683
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81

Book Description
For six decades, the 7.62mm FN MAG has been a dominant general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) in worldwide arsenals. Three qualities have guaranteed this enduring status – reliability, ease of operation, and firepower. Several nations have license-produced the weapon as their standard GPMG, including the British (as the L7) and the Americans (M240), and in total more than 80 nations have adopted the FN MAG. The machine gun has also been modified extensively for vehicular, naval, and aircraft platforms, demonstrating versatility in the air, on sea, and on land. In this book, Chris McNab charts the technical evolution of this extraordinary weapon, created by Belgian company Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal. From the jungles of South East Asia, to the deserts of the Middle East, and the icy battlefields of the Falklands, this study explores the origins, development, combat use, and legacy of the FN MAG machine gun, a dominant weapon in its field for more than a half-century.

The FN MAG Machine Gun

Author: Chris McNab
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472819691
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 81

MG 34 and MG 42 Machine Guns

Author: Chris McNab
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1782003096
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 155

Book Description
With the MG 34, the German Wehrmacht introduced an entirely new concept in automatic firepower – the general-purpose machine gun (GPMG). In itself the MG 34 was an excellent weapon: an air-cooled, recoil-operated machine gun that could deliver killing firepower at ranges of more than 1,000m. Yet simply by changing its mount and feed mechanism, the operator could radically transform its function. On its standard bipod it was a light machine gun, ideal for infantry assaults; on a tripod it could serve as a sustained-fire medium machine gun. During World War II, the MG 34 was superseded by a new GPMG – the MG 42. More efficient to manufacture and more robust, it had a blistering 1,200rpm rate of fire. Nicknamed 'Hitler's buzzsaw' by Allied troops, it was arguably the finest all-round GPMG ever produced, and alongside the MG 34 it inflicted heavy casualties. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and drawing upon numerous technical manuals and first-hand accounts, this study explores the technological development, varied roles and lasting influence of the revolutionary MG 34 and MG 42 machine guns and their postwar successors.

The FN Minimi Light Machine Gun

Author: Chris McNab
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472816234
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 84

Book Description
In 1974, renowned Belgian arms company Fabrique Nationale brought out a ground-breaking new light machine gun, the Minimi. Its success has been meteoric, arming more than 45 countries around the world. The Minimi offers the ultimate in portable firepower. Firing the high-velocity 5.56×45mm round, the Minimi is a gas-operated, lightweight, belt- or magazine-fed weapon, able to burn through cartridges at a cyclical rate of up to 1,150 rounds per minute, making it the weapon of choice for fire support at squad level. This study uses gripping first-hand accounts and striking combat photographs, following the Minimi to war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. It tracks its design and development, as well as investigating what has made it so compelling a choice for armed forces around the world for more than 40 years.

The M240 Machine Gun

Author: Paul Ruffin
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781937875831
Category : M240 machine gun
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The M240 Machine Gun traces the development of the weapon, currently the primary medium-weight machine gun of our military, through the latest configuration, the M240 SLR, designed and manufactured by Ohio Ordnance. When the United States military determined during the late 1970s that it was time to find a replacement for older machine guns in the services, they initiated an extensive search for a weapon that would fire the 7.62 Nato round and prove economical, adaptable in many configurations, relatively lightweight, accurate, and more reliable than its predecessors. The clear winner was the Belgium-made Fabrique Nationale MAG, later adapted and renamed the M240, a belt-fed 7.62 air-cooled weapon easily adapted for use on ground vehicles, aircraft, and seagoing craft and light enough to be carried and operated by a single soldier. Today the M240 is the primary medium machine gun of our armed forces and of many of our allies across the globe. "Relatively few fully transferable MAGs are in civilian hands, and the cost of a transferable MAG of any sort is upward of $70,000. Ohio Ordnance Works (OOW) is offering a semi-automatic-only version of the M240 as its M240 SLR (for self-loading rifle). The M240 SLR is a mix of original M240 components and parts designed and manufactured by OOW. The right sideplate, which is the receiver according to the BATFE, is thicker than the military M240 and the interior parts have been reduced accordingly to ensure that fully automatic components cannot be inserted. Further, the SLR cannot accept a military trigger group or operating rod."--National Rifle Association Staff

The M60 Machine Gun

Author: Kevin Dockery
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1782003266
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 162

Book Description
The US M60 General Purpose Machine Gun, known as “the Pig,” was developed in the years after World War II from two revolutionary German designs. Adopted in 1957, the M60 came into its own in the jungles, hamlets, and city streets of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. “Humping the Pig” became common in US military squads, with at least one soldier equipped with an M60 and every squad member carrying ammunition for it. The M60 design transformed infantry tactics as squads took advantage of the immediate volume of fire offered by the design. Although it has now been replaced by the M240 series of weapons in US infantry and mechanized units, the M60 is still in common use with the US armed forces. Meanwhile, its iconic status has been assured by its frequent appearance in many popular films and television shows, from Full Metal Jacket to The A Team. Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork, this is the full story of the M60, the innovative squad base-of-fire weapon that has equipped the US military from the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq.

Heavy Wheel Vehicle Mechanic

Author: United States. Department of the Army
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Mechanics (Persons)
Languages : en
Pages : 116

Book Description

Machine Guns

Author: Ian V. Hogg
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780873492881
Category : Machine guns
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Follow the development of the machine gun from its earliest beginnings and discover its influence on warfare as retired Master Gunner Ian Hogg narrates a chronological history. Explore the various designs, mechanisms, strengths and weaknesses and employment of machine guns made around the world. Learn the history behind Germany's general-purpose machine gun and why countries all over the world copied it. Includes detailed specifications and background information on each model with a 16-page colour section of historically significant guns.

The FN FAL Battle Rifle

Author: Bob Cashner
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780969058
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 170

Book Description
Of all the infantry small arms developed during World War II, one that generated the most interest was the German 'assault rifle', the StG 44 Sturmgewehr. This innovative weapon inspired the Soviet AK-47 in 7.62x39mm calibre. In the West, the NATO countries looked hard at new weapons to upgrade their own infantry arsenals and counter the AK-47, resulting in the design of the Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL. It proved to be a successful battle rifle and was soon adopted by the military and police forces of no fewer than 93 nations. The FAL dominated the militaries of the West to such a degree that its nickname became the Right Arm of the Free World. The FAL fulfilled every role it was asked to perform and remains a viable and well-respected weapon to this day.

Small Arms

Author: Chris McNab
Publisher: Amber Books Ltd
ISBN: 1782742743
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 326

Book Description
The World’s Greatest Small Arms features 52 weapons from the late 19th century to the present day. Each weapon is illustrated with a colour profile artwork and photographs, along with a description of the weapon’s development and history, key features and a full specifications box.