FN MAG

MAG
FN MAG fitted with the C79 optical sight.
Type	General-purpose machine gun
Place of origin	Belgium
Service history
In service	1958–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Congo Crisis Indonesian Confrontation Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War Six-Day War Vietnam War War of Attrition Yom Kippur War The Troubles Falklands War Gulf War 2003 Iraq conflict Afghanistan Conflict Cambodian–Thai border dispute Libyan Civil War
Production history
Designer	Ernest Vervier
Designed	1950s
Manufacturer	Fabrique Nationale (FN) U.S. Ordnance
Produced	1958–present
No. built	200,000
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	11.79 kg (25.99 lb)
Length	1,263 mm (49.7 in)
Barrel length	630 mm (24.8 in)
Width	118.7 mm (4.7 in)
Height	263 mm (10.4 in)
Cartridge	7.62×51mm NATO
Action	Gas-operated, open bolt
Rate of fire	650–1,000 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	840 m/s (2,756 ft/s)
Effective firing range	800 m
Maximum firing range	1,800 m from tripod
Feed system	Non-disintegrating DM1 or disintegrating M13 linked belt
Sights	Folding leaf sight with aperture and notch, front blade

The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale (FN) by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in several countries, including Argentina, Canada, Egypt, India and the United Kingdom.

The weapon's name is an abbreviation for Mitrailleuse d'Appui Général, meaning general-purpose machine gun (GPMG). The MAG is available in three primary versions: the standard, infantry Model 60-20 machine gun, the Model 60-40 coaxial machine gun for armoured fighting vehicles and the Model 60-30 aircraft variant.

The MAG Model 60-20 is an automatic, air-cooled, gas-operated machine gun, firing belt-fed 7.62×51mm NATO from an open bolt.

The MAG uses ignited powder gases vented through a port in the barrel to propel a gas piston rod connected to the locking assembly (it uses a long-stroke piston system). The barrel breech is locked with a vertically tilting, downward locking lever mechanism that is connected to the bolt carrier through an articulated joint. The locking shoulder and camming surfaces that guide the locking lever are located at the base of the receiver. The MAG uses a series of proven design concepts from other successful firearms, for example the locking mechanism is modeled on that of the Browning M1918 (BAR) automatic rifle, and the feed and trigger mechanisms are from the WWII-era MG42 universal machine gun.