CIS 50MG
Encyclopedia
The CIS 50MG is a gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed heavy machine gun developed and manufactured by Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS, now ST Kinetics) in the late 1980s, in response to a request by the Singaporean Defence Ministry
to replace the venerable 12.7mm Browning M2HB machine guns then in ubiquitous service with the Singapore Armed Forces
(SAF).
The aim was to have a brand new heavy machine gun design, that fires the same type of .50 cal
rounds as the M2HB machine guns and to have the gun parts more readily available in view of easing SAF's chain of logistics and supplies.
As the CIS 50MG is a gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed weapon, the gun is operated using dual gas pistons, located in two gas tubes placed on either side of the barrel. The barrel is locked by means of a rotary bolt with multiple radial lugs that engages the barrel extension, eliminating the need for headspace adjustments. The CIS 50MG utilizes the same "constant recoil" system used in the Ultimax 100
and it also has a quick-detachable barrel equipped with a carrying handle to facilitate the ease of barrel changing under combat situations or during operational manoeuvres.
Armor-Piercing-Incendiary rounds
or the Saboted light armor penetrator
(SLAP), which are capable of penetrating a rolled homogeneous armour
plate with a thickness of 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) from a range of 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi).
Such systems are more commonly used in modern automatic cannons
such as the M242 Bushmaster
25mm cannon and the Mk44 Bushmaster II 30mm cannon, both of which are also in use by the Singapore Army
's Bionix AFV
s.
Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
The Ministry of Defence is a ministry of the Government of Singapore entrusted with overseeing the national defence needs of the Republic of Singapore. It is the headquarters of the Singapore Armed Forces...
to replace the venerable 12.7mm Browning M2HB machine guns then in ubiquitous service with the Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
(SAF).
The aim was to have a brand new heavy machine gun design, that fires the same type of .50 cal
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
rounds as the M2HB machine guns and to have the gun parts more readily available in view of easing SAF's chain of logistics and supplies.
Overview
The CIS engineers learnt from the lesson of the unsuccessful American "Dover Devil GPHMG" programme, to create a modular weapon suited for modern tactical doctrines and production techniques. In 1988, CIS introduced the new 12.7mm machine gun which was aptly named as the CIS 50MG, after two years of development and testing phase.As the CIS 50MG is a gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed weapon, the gun is operated using dual gas pistons, located in two gas tubes placed on either side of the barrel. The barrel is locked by means of a rotary bolt with multiple radial lugs that engages the barrel extension, eliminating the need for headspace adjustments. The CIS 50MG utilizes the same "constant recoil" system used in the Ultimax 100
Ultimax 100
The Ultimax 100 is a Singaporean 5.56mm light machine gun, developed by the Chartered Industries of Singapore by a team of engineers under the guidance of American firearms designer L. James Sullivan. The gun is extremely accurate due to its low recoil.Work on a new light support weapon for the...
and it also has a quick-detachable barrel equipped with a carrying handle to facilitate the ease of barrel changing under combat situations or during operational manoeuvres.
Features
The one unique feature of the CIS 50MG is its dual belt-feed system, the system allows for fast and easy switching of ammunition from standard ball rounds to the Raufoss Mk 211Raufoss Mk 211
The Raufoss Mk 211 is a .50 caliber multipurpose anti-matériel projectile produced by Nammo , under the model name NM140 MP. It is commonly referred to as simply multipurpose or Raufoss. The "Mk 211" name comes from the nomenclature "Mk 211 Mod 0" used by the U.S...
Armor-Piercing-Incendiary rounds
High Explosive Incendiary/Armor Piercing Ammunition
High Explosive Incendiary/Armor Piercing Ammunition is a form of shell which combines both an armor-piercing capability and a high-explosive effect. In this respect it is a modern version of armor piercing shell...
or the Saboted light armor penetrator
Saboted light armor penetrator
The Saboted Light Armor Penetrator family of ammunition is designed to penetrate armor more efficiently than standard armor piercing ammunition.-Design and use:...
(SLAP), which are capable of penetrating a rolled homogeneous armour
Rolled homogeneous armour
Rolled homogeneous armour is a type of steel which is used to armour vehicles.-Composition:Armoured steel must be hard yet impervious to shock in order to resist high velocity metal projectiles. Steel with these characteristics is produced by processing cast steel billets of appropriate size and...
plate with a thickness of 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) from a range of 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi).
Such systems are more commonly used in modern automatic cannons
Autocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
such as the M242 Bushmaster
M242 Bushmaster
The M242 Bushmaster is a 25 mm chain-fed autocannon. It is used extensively by the US armed forces, as well as by NATO's and some other nations' forces in ground combat vehicles and watercraft...
25mm cannon and the Mk44 Bushmaster II 30mm cannon, both of which are also in use by the Singapore Army
Singapore Army
The Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and heavily reliant on a conscript army, comprising the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen .-Capabilities:The mission of the...
's Bionix AFV
Bionix AFV
The Bionix is a family of tracked Singaporean armoured fighting vehicles developed by Singapore Technologies Kinetics . Intended to augment the Singapore Army's aging M113 armoured personnel carriers, it is the first indigenous armoured vehicle to be developed in Southeast Asia...
s.
Users
- licensed production by PT Pindad as the Pindad SMB-QCB (Senapan Mesin Berat-Quick Change Barrel) for the Indonesian military.
- Singapore Armed ForcesSingapore Armed ForcesThe Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
- Police Coast GuardPolice Coast GuardThe Police Coast Guard is the Marine Police division of the Singapore Police Force which also takes on roles of the coast guard typically handled by the military or as separate organisations in other countries...