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L7 (machine gun)

MAG
FN MAG.jpg
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.


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