FN BRG-15
Encyclopedia
FN BRG-15 was a heavy machine gun
designed by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
as a potential replacement for the Browning M2HB .50 caliber
machine gun
. It was announced in October 1983, and was intended to outperform even the Soviet
14.5mm KPV heavy machine gun
. The project was cancelled in the early 1990s, as FN shifted its focus to the P90
personal defense weapon
. The bullet fired from FN BRG-15 was a 15.5mm round, with a muzzle energy of 40,000 J (more than double that of the M2HB at ~18,000 J of bullet energy at muzzle).
The BRG-15 had almost been fully developed when the project was finally terminated. The weapon's chambering was in a unique 15.5x106mm cartridge
developed especially for the weapon, replacing 15.5x115mm cartridge originally planned, because of fast barrel wear. It also utilized an unusual dual feed device (A la Hafdasa C-4
), with link ammunition belts feeding from both the right and left. Spent shell casings were ejected out of the bottom of the gun, as in FN's later P90
personal defense weapon. The quick-change barrel assembly developed for the BRG-15 was redesigned for use in an updated version of the M2HB.
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
designed by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal — self identified as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN — is a firearms manufacturer located in Herstal, Belgium....
as a potential replacement for the Browning M2HB .50 caliber
.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...
machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
. It was announced in October 1983, and was intended to outperform even the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
14.5mm KPV heavy machine gun
KPV heavy machine gun
The KPV-14.5 heavy machine gun is a Soviet designed 14.5x114mm-caliber heavy machine gun, which first entered service as an infantry weapon in 1949. In the 1960s the infantry version was taken out of production because it was too big and heavy...
. The project was cancelled in the early 1990s, as FN shifted its focus to the P90
FN P90
The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
personal defense weapon
Personal defense weapon
A personal defense weapon is a compact semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm similar in most respects to a submachine gun, but firing an armor-piercing rifle round, giving a PDW better range, accuracy and armor-penetrating capability than submachine guns, which fire pistol-caliber cartridges...
. The bullet fired from FN BRG-15 was a 15.5mm round, with a muzzle energy of 40,000 J (more than double that of the M2HB at ~18,000 J of bullet energy at muzzle).
The BRG-15 had almost been fully developed when the project was finally terminated. The weapon's chambering was in a unique 15.5x106mm cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
developed especially for the weapon, replacing 15.5x115mm cartridge originally planned, because of fast barrel wear. It also utilized an unusual dual feed device (A la Hafdasa C-4
Hafdasa C-4
The HAFDASA C-4 is a submachine gun of Argentine origin and is chambered in 9mm and .45 calibres. It has an aluminium lower receiver and is fed from a wide box magazine . Its magazine insert has a dust cover that folds open forward to form a grip shrouding the front of the magazines...
), with link ammunition belts feeding from both the right and left. Spent shell casings were ejected out of the bottom of the gun, as in FN's later P90
FN P90
The FN P90 is a selective fire personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The P90's name is taken from 1990, the year it was introduced...
personal defense weapon. The quick-change barrel assembly developed for the BRG-15 was redesigned for use in an updated version of the M2HB.