MG3

IN PRODUCTION

Quick Overview

Manufacturer

Rheinmetall (and various licensees)

Origin

Germany

Production

1959 - Present

Caliber

7.62x51mm NATO

Overview

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.

Calibers & Ammunition

7.62x51mm NATO

Dimensions

Overall Length

1,225mm (48.2 in)

Barrel Length

565mm (22.2 in)

Weight

11.5 kg (25.4 lb) with bipod

Mechanical

Action Type

Recoil-operated, roller-locked delayed blowback

Trigger Type

Full auto only

Sights Type

Adjustable iron sights, optional optics

Magazine Capacity

50-round drum or continuous belt feed

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Same subcategory · Shared caliber

IN PRODUCTION

FN MAG / M240

Medium/General Purpose7.62x51mm NATO

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.

Weight

12.5 kg (27.6 lb) M240B with bipod

Length

1,263mm (49.7 in)

Capacity

M13 disintegrating link belt, typically 50 or 100 rounds

Action

Gas-operated, open bolt