7.62x51mm NATO Other Weapons

The M134 Minigun is a six-barrel rotary machine gun chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. It is based on the General Electric M61 Vulcan design scaled down for the 7.62mm cartridge. The Minigun uses a Gatling-style rotating barrel assembly driven by an electric motor. It has a rate of fire of 2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute. The weapon is typically mounted on helicopters, vehicles, and naval craft. It is widely known from its use on the AC-130 gunship and in various films.

The MG3 is a German general purpose machine gun chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, a direct evolution of the legendary MG42 of World War II. It retains the MG42's signature roller-locked short recoil operating system, quick-change barrel, and extremely high cyclic rate of approximately 1,200 rounds per minute, giving it a distinctive ripping sound that soldiers describe as 'ripping canvas.' The MG3 features an improved bolt design, a more durable feed mechanism, and a polymer buttstock and pistol grip. It is belt-fed from 50- or 120-round belts and can be mounted on a bipod for the light machine gun role or a tripod for sustained fire. Despite being a design from the 1960s, the MG3 remains in frontline service with the German Bundeswehr and over 30 other national armed forces.

The M240 is the U.S. military designation for the Belgian-designed FN MAG (Mitrailleuse d'Appui General), a belt-fed, gas-operated, air-cooled general purpose machine gun chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. Widely considered one of the finest GPMGs ever built, the M240 is renowned for its exceptional reliability under adverse conditions, robust construction, and sustained fire capability. It fires from an open bolt at a cyclic rate of 650 to 950 rounds per minute with an effective range exceeding 1,100 meters with the tripod mount. The M240 is deployed in multiple configurations including the M240B infantry variant with a buttstock and bipod, the M240C coaxial tank version, and the M240D helicopter door gun. The weapon traces its lineage to the original FN MAG designed by Ernest Vervier in the 1950s.

The AT4 is a Swedish 84mm disposable single-shot anti-tank recoilless rifle developed by Saab Bofors Dynamics. It is the standard-issue light anti-armor weapon for the U.S. military (as the M136) and many NATO forces, replacing the M72 LAW.

The M60E4, also designated as the Mk 43 Mod 0, is the final and most refined version of the M60 general-purpose machine gun. It fires the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge from a disintegrating-link belt feed. The M60E4 features a redesigned bipod attached to the receiver rather than the barrel, a shorter barrel with a new flash suppressor, and improved handguards. The weapon weighs less than its predecessors and has a collapsible buttstock on some variants. It uses a long-stroke gas piston system with a rotating bolt head.

The Baker Rifle was the first standard-issue British military rifle, a .625 caliber flintlock muzzle-loader used by the elite Rifle Regiments during the Napoleonic Wars. Its rifled barrel and sword bayonet made it a revolutionary departure from the standard smoothbore infantry musket.

The Carl Gustaf M4 is a Swedish 84mm multi-role, reusable, shoulder-fired recoilless rifle. Unlike disposable anti-tank weapons, the Carl Gustaf fires a wide variety of ammunition types including anti-armor, anti-structure, anti-personnel, smoke, and illumination, making it one of the most versatile infantry support weapons in the world.

The M60 is an American 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun. Known as 'The Pig', it served as the primary U.S. squad-level machine gun from the Vietnam War through the Gulf War, where it gained a mixed reputation for firepower and reliability issues.

The IWI Negev NG7 is an Israeli light machine gun chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO. It is a modern design featuring a semi-automatic fire mode for precise shooting, a quick-change barrel system, and ambidextrous controls. It can be fed from both belts and magazines.

The HK21 is a German general-purpose machine gun developed by Heckler & Koch as a belt-fed variant of the G3 battle rifle. It uses the same roller-delayed blowback action as the G3 and feeds from disintegrating belts. The weapon was designed for export markets and saw service with numerous military and police forces worldwide.

The M72 LAW (Light Anti-tank Weapon) is a disposable single-shot 66mm unguided anti-tank rocket launcher adopted by the U.S. military in 1963. Its lightweight, disposable design makes it a standard issue weapon for infantry squads needing a portable anti-armor or bunker-busting capability.

The Steyr MG 74 is an Austrian general-purpose machine gun chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO. It is an improved Austrian variant of the German MG 42 design, featuring a heavier bolt for a reduced rate of fire, improved accuracy, and a polymer buttstock.

The UKM-2000 is a Polish general-purpose machine gun manufactured by Zaklady Mechaniczne Tarnów. It is a deep modernization of the Soviet PKM machine gun, adapted to fire 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. The modernization includes a new buttstock, railed handguard, and modern sighting systems.

The L4 Bren Gun is a British light machine gun converted from the original .303 Bren to 7.62x51mm NATO in the 1950s. It retained the modified Czech-designed ZB-26 action with a distinctive top-mounted curved magazine. The L4 served as the British Army's squad automatic weapon through the Falklands War and beyond.

The Minimi 7.62 is a belt-fed light machine gun manufactured by FN Herstal, chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. It is a larger-caliber variant of the successful 5.56mm Minimi/M249 SAW. The Minimi 7.62 was developed to provide greater range and stopping power than the 5.56mm version. It uses the same gas-operated action and feed mechanism scaled up for the larger cartridge. The weapon is used by special operations forces for sustained fire support at longer ranges.

The M60E3 was a lightweight variant of the M60 general-purpose machine gun, developed by Saco Defense in the 1980s. It featured a lighter barrel, new handguard, and a folding bipod mounted on the receiver.

The MG5 is a modern German general-purpose machine gun manufactured by Heckler & Koch. It was designed to replace the aging MG3 in Bundeswehr service, offering improved ergonomics, a lower cyclic rate, and modern mounting options. The MG5 uses a roller-delayed blowback action inherited from the G3 family and feeds from disintegrating belts.

The M240B is a belt-fed general purpose machine gun used by the United States military. It is the US version of the FN MAG, which has been one of the most widely used machine guns in the world. The M240B fires the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge from disintegrating metal-link belts. It features a quick-change barrel, a bipod, and a fixed stock. The M240B replaced the M60 machine gun as the US standard medium machine gun. It is used as an infantry support weapon, coaxial vehicle gun, and helicopter door gun.