CETME Ameli

CETME Ameli
The CETME Ameli of the Spanish Army.
Type	Light machine gun
Place of origin	Spain
Service history
In service	1982–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Mexican Drug War
Production history
Designer	CETME
Designed	1974–1981
Manufacturer	General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas
Produced	1982–2013
Specifications
Weight	5.3 kg (11.68 lb)
Length	970 mm (38.2 in)
Barrel length	400 mm (15.7 in)
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO
Action	Roller-delayed blowback
Rate of fire	800–1,200 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	875 m/s (2,871 ft/s) (SS109 cartridge)
Effective firing range	300—1,000 m sight adjustments
Maximum firing range	1,650 m
Feed system	100 or 200-round M27 belt
Sights	Rear aperture sight and front post 340 mm (13.4 in) sight radius

The Ameli (abbreviated from the Spanish Ametralladora ligera or "light machine gun") is a 5.56mm light machine gun designed for the Spanish Army (Ejército de Tierra) by the nationally-owned and operated Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales (CETME) small arms research institute (founded by the Spanish government in 1950).

Development of the weapon began in 1974 under the supervision of Colonel José María Jiménez Alfaro (who would later become the director of CETME). The Ameli was officially unveiled in 1981 and after undergoing exhaustive military trials was adopted into service in 1982 as the standard squad-level support weapon of the Spanish Army under the designation MG 82. The Ameli was manufactured at the Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara factory (now General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas) in A Coruña. until 2013, when the factory was closed.

The Ameli is an automatic weapon that externally resembles the 7.92mm MG 42 machine gun of World War II and its post-war variant, the West German MG 3. However, unlike the MG 42's roller-locked short recoil operating principle (where the barrel and bolt recoil together a short distance before unlocking), the Ameli uses the delayed blowback method of operation with a fixed barrel and a pair of rollers which retard the rearward movement of the bolt. This mechanism was employed in CETME's Model A, B, C and Model L series of rifles, and also in the Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle, HK33 assault rifle and MP5 series of submachine guns. Similarities with the 7.62mm Model C and 5.56mm Model L rifles extend to the interchangeability of certain parts.