General-purpose machine gun
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MG-42
type general-purpose machine guns in both bipod and tripod configurations. The tall tripod on the right is for anti-aircraft use.A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an
infantry support weapon or squad automatic weapon
.
History
The general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) originated with the
During
North African fronts of World War II.[6][8][9] Following the war the victorious Allied nations took an interest in the MG 34 and MG 42, influencing many post-war general-purpose machine guns, many still in use today. They lent design elements to the Belgian FN MAG and the American M60, while spawning the Zastava M53, Swiss M51, and Austrian MG 74. The MG 42's qualities of firepower and usability meant that it became the foundation of an entire series of postwar machine guns, including the MG 1 and MG 3; the latter, as of 2023[update], is still in production.[6][7][8][10]
Post-WWII examples
- Rheinmetall MG 3, a direct descendant of the MG 42, still in service with the German Armyand others and widely exported.
- German Heckler & Koch HK21, is based on the Heckler & Koch G3 rifle and widely exported.
- German Heckler & Koch MG5, the new standard machine gun of the German Army.
- Italian Italian military
- Belgian FN MAG, which copied the MG 42's feed-system and trigger-mechanism. It is the most widely used GPMG among western armies.
- Belgian/American M249 SAW.
- American M60, which is based on the German FG 42 and uses the MG 42's feed system and stamp-steel construction.[11][12]
- American M240, itself an FN MAG variant. It replaced the M60 in U.S. service.
- AA-52, which more or less copies the MG 42 feed-system. It has been largely phased out in favour of the FN MAG and FN Minimi.
- Bren gundesigns.
- Russian PK/PKM, family of multi-purpose machine guns, is based on the AKM assault rifle featuring stamped receivers, widely exported.
- Russian AEK-999, is an improved version of the PK/PKM.
- Russian Pecheneg, is a variant of the PK/PKM with a fixed barrel and cooling jacket.
- Yugoslav Zastava M84, is a direct copy of the Russian PK machine-gun.
- Polish UKM-2000, is based on the Russian PK machine-gun.
- People's Republic of China Type 80, is based on the Russian PK machine-gun.
- People's Republic of China Type 67, and later improved models.
- People's Republic of China Type 88 Machine Gun
- People's Republic of China QJY-201
- Japanese Sumitomo NTK-62, is a GPMG based on the FN MAG.
- South African Vektor SS-77, is based on the Russian PK/PKM.
- South African Denel DMG-5, is based on the Vektor SS-77 and Russian PK/PKM.
- S&T Motiv K12, is based on the K3light machine gun.
- MG42.
- Swiss SIG MG 710-3
- Swiss SIG MG 50
- Austrian MG 74, a direct descendant of the MG 42/59 and since 1974 the standard machine gun of the Austrian Armed Forces.
- Israeli IWI Negev NG-7, is a GPMG based on the IWI Negev light machine gun.
- Canadian C6A1 FLEX, an improved version of C6 that is a Canadian version of FN MAG.
- Belgian FN EVOLYS, is a multi-caliber, 3D printing and polymers material lightweight machine gun.
Gallery
-
MG 34 belt-fed tripod version (top) and saddle-drum magazine bipod version (below) -
-
MG 42/59 -
MG3 -
MG 74 mounted on its tripod -
AA-52 -
-
-
-
-
-
Type 67 on a tripod field mount -
M240 -
Pecheneg -
-
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K12 -
-
Latvian soldiers with MG3, FN MAG and HK21 machine guns
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See also
References
- ISBN 978-1-85109-480-6.
- ^ "General Purpose Machine Gun". UK Army. Archived from the original on January 10, 2013.
- ^ Jane's Guns Recognition Guide. Ian Hogg & Terry Gander. HarperCollins Publishers. 2005. page 375
- ^ a b c Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. page 326
- ^ a b c The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Chris Bishop. Sterling Publishing Company. 2002. page 245 & 246
- ^ a b c d Jane's Guns Recognition Guide. Ian Hogg & Terry Gander. HarperCollins Publishers. 2005. page 376
- ^ a b c Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. page 329
- ^ a b c d The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Chris Bishop. Sterling Publishing Company. 2002. page 247
- ^ Military Small Arms of the 20th Century. 7th Edition. Ian V. Hogg & John S. Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. page 328 & 329
- ^ MG 34 and MG 42 Machine Guns. by Chris McNab. Published by Random House Publishing Group. Oct 23, 2012. Quote taken from leaf.
- ^ Military Small Arms Of The 20th Century. Ian Hogg & John Weeks. Krause Publications. 2000. p379
- ISBN 0-312-03950-6.