Medium machine gun - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A medium machine gun or MMG, in modern terms, usually refers to a belt-fed

Belt (firearm)

A belt or ammunition belt is a device used to retain and feed cartridges into a firearm. Belts and the associated feed systems are typically employed to feed machine guns or other automatic weapons...

automatic firearm

Automatic firearm

An automatic firearm is a firearm that loads another round mechanically after the first round has been fired.The term can be used to refer to semi-automatic firearms, which fire one shot per single pull of the trigger , or fully automatic firearms, which will continue to load and fire ammunition...

firing a full-power rifle

Rifle

A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...

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...

History

In the late 19th century, Gatling guns and other externally powered types such as the Nordenfelt were often made in different ranges of calibers, such as half-inch and one-inch. Thanks to their many barrels, overheating was not a major issue, and they were also quite heavy, being, essentially, heavy machine guns.

When Hiram Maxim developed his recoil-powered machine gun

Maxim gun

The Maxim gun was the first self-powered machine gun, invented by the American-born British inventor Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884. It has been called "the weapon most associated with [British] imperial conquest".-Functionality:...

that used a single barrel, the first main design was a modest 26 pounds (11.8 kg) in weight, firing a .45-inch rifle caliber bullet (from a 24 inch long barrel). As depicted in a famous photo of Maxim, it could be picked up complete with its 15-pound (6.8 kg) tripod with one arm. It was similar to later-design medium machine guns, but it could not be fired for extended periods. As a result, he created a water-jacket cooling system to enable it to fire for extended periods. This added significant weight, as did changes to more powerful cartridges. This class of heavy, water-cooled machine gun would eventually be regarded as the classic heavy machine guns. However, the much lighter total weight possible by using recoil to power automatic loading was not lost on the firearms designers of the day, resulting in other automatic firearms that used this concept, such as the Borchardt pistol

Borchardt C-93

The Borchardt C-93 pistol was designed by Hugo Borchardt in 1893. Ludwig Loewe & Company of Berlin, Germany, a manufacturer of machine tools, produced the C-93, a semi-automatic pistol that he had invented based upon the Maxim toggle-lock principle. He also developed the 7.65×25mm Borchardt...

, the Cei-Rigotti

Cei-Rigotti

The Cei-Rigotti is an early automatic rifle created by Amerigo Cei-Rigotti, an officer in the Italian Army, in 1890, and extensively modified until its final form circa 1900....

rifle, the Madsen 1902

Madsen machine gun

The Madsen was a light machine gun developed by Julius A. Rasmussen and Theodor Schoubue and proposed for adoption by Captain Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen, the Danish Minister of War and adopted by the Danish Army in 1902...

, as well as lighter, gas-operated, air-cooled designs.

Early 20th century: medium, heavy and light

Many new designs were developed, some powered by air or recoil, or a combination of the two (e.g., the Colt 1895 and M1895

M1895 Colt-Browning machine gun

The Colt-Browning M1895, nicknamed potato digger due to its unusual operating mechanism, is an air-cooled, belt-fed, gas-operated machine gun that fires from a closed bolt with a cyclic rate of 450 rounds per minute...

, and the Hotchkiss

Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun

The Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun was a French designed light machine gun of the early 20th century, developed and built by Hotchkiss et Cie. It was also known as the Hotchkiss Mark I and M1909 Benet-Mercie....

). Also, rather than the rather heavy water jacket, new designs introduced other types of cooling, such as barrel replacement, metal fins, and/or heat sinks or some combination of all of them.

Machine guns then diverged into heavier and lighter designs. The later model water-cooled Maxim gun

Maxim gun

and its derivatives (the MG 08

Maschinengewehr 08

The Maschinengewehr 08, or MG08, was the German Army's standard machine gun in World War I and is an adoption of Hiram S. Maxim's original 1884 Maxim Gun. It was produced in a number of variants during the war. The MG 08 remained in service until the outbreak of World War II due to shortages of...

and the Vickers gun

Vickers machine gun

Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...

, as well as the American Browning Model 1917 machine gun) were all substantial weapons. The .303 inch Vickers, for example, weighed 33 lb (15 kg) alone and on its tripod mount the total weight was 50 lb (22.7 kg). The heavier designs could, and in some cases did literally, fire for days on end. The need was to be able to cut down potentially thousands of charging soldiers. The heavy machine gun was mounted on a tripod and was often water-cooled, and a well-trained and well-supplied crew could fire for hours on end. Carefully positioned heavy machine guns could stop an attacking force before they reached their objectives.

The first machine guns in use before World War I covered a wide range of characteristics. In addition to these heavier designs, there were also a number of lighter types. During the same period a number of new lighter air-cooled designs were developed, that rather than weighing well over 30 lb (15 kg) were lighter and mobile. In World War I they were to be as important as the heavier designs, and were used to support squads and infantry on the move, on aircraft, and on many types of vehicle, including some tank

Tank

A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...

s. The two that would become critical were new medium and light machine guns. The new medium machine guns offered less, or more difficult-to-use cooling than the heavier designs, but more than the lightest.

Light machine gun

Light machine gun

A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...

s were introduced as lighter, more portable automatic weapons. They still fired the same full-power rifle caliber ammunition, but used lighter barrels without extra cooling and were fired from a bipod. Light machine guns were not intended to be fired for extended periods of time. The lightest of the new designs were not capable of sustained fire, as they did not have extra cooling features and were fed from a comparatively small magazine. Essentially a machine rifle with a bipod, weapons like the Chauchat

Chauchat

The Chauchat , was the standard light machine gun of the French Army during World War I. Under the leadership of General Joseph Joffre, it was commissioned into the French Army in 1916. It was also widely used by the US Army in 1917-1918 and by six other nations: Belgium, Greece, Poland, Russia,...

or the Madsen 1902

Madsen machine gun

were the most mobile, but were made for single and burst fire. These were used in assaults to great effect by infantry, but were less effective in vehicle-mounted and other applications.

The medium designs offered greater flexibility, either using a bipod and being used like lighter designs, or being put on a tripod, or on heavier mounts. The Hotchkiss Mark I (e.g. Benet-Mercie M1909

Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun

) was a 27.6 lb (12.2 kg) MG that normally used a mini tripod and linkable 30 round strips or in vehicles, but there was also a belt-fed version of it. Not be confused with heavier Hotchkiss models (such as the M1914), the design proved a useful intermediate and would serve even to the end of World War II in some jobs. The design would be followed by lighter machine rifles and better medium types. They also shared a common characteristic: they fired full power rifle caliber ammunition such as 8 mm Mauser or .30-06 Springfield

.30-06 Springfield

The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...

.

The Lewis gun

Lewis Gun

The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...

, which weighed 27 lb (12.3 kg), was commonly used with a 50-round drum and bipod; it was used on the move in support of squads, and on vehicles and aircraft as well, or on a tripod (either for anti-aircraft use, or to fill in for a heavier MG). What made it very useful was that it was significantly lighter than water-cooled weapons, but could fire nearly as much due to a very large cooling assembly. These sort of multi-purpose machine guns, would be further developed, and later given names like Universal Machine gun or general-purpose machine gun, and would eventually supplant the water-cooled designs. Later designs have mostly switched to fast barrel-replacement as an alternative to cooling, which further reduces the weapon's weight (but can increase the total weight carried by a soldier). Some earlier designs like the Vickers provided for replacement of worn barrels. It was in the 1920s and 1930s that barrel replacement as a means for cooling became more popular (e.g., in the ZB 1930, and later the MG34 and the Bren gun).

Mid 20th century

The heavier water-cooled designs continued to be used throughout World War II and into the 1960s, but were gradually phased out in favor of the heavier air-cooled designs. The mediums are now used both as heavy machine guns while mounted on tripod

Tripod

A tripod is a portable three-legged frame, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The word comes from the Greek tripous, meaning "three feet". A tripod provides stability against downward forces, horizontal forces and moments about the...

s and as light machine gun

Light machine gun

s while mounted on bipod

Bipod

A bipod is a support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with two legs. It provides significant stability along two axes of motion .-Firearms:...

s. This was possible in part because a heavy static MG position was not a very effective tactic in vehicle centered warfare, and the lighter air-cooled designs could nearly match the capabilities of water-cooled designs with a combination of other, lighter cooling features. This resulted in the widespread use of medium weight machine guns by infantry, but also on tanks, aircraft, and on tripods.

The practice of using medium-weight machine guns continued into the 1930s. The French made a version of their infantry machine gun, the Châtellerault M1924, with 150 round magazine and internal water cooler. The German requirement for a new medium machine gun, a Einheitsmaschinengewehr (standard machine gun), resulted in a Universelle Maschinengewehr (universal machine gun) that was to not only be a medium machine gun that was used in many roles, but was specifically named so. It was similar to older mediums in that it was a medium machine gun intended to replace older light and heavy machine guns of the same caliber, though Germany would continue using a variety of heavier and lighter automatic machine guns to a limited extent. The use of medium machine guns to replace other types would later be called a General Purpose Machine Gun by the Belgians in the 1950s. The actual practice of using medium machine guns in different roles dates back to World War I, whatever the name given by different countries. The trend toward replacing more types with mediums would receive a great boost as tactics using heavy water-cooled MGs were slowly phased out, but suffer a loss when there was shift back to lighter caliber automatic infantry support weapons.

Late 20th century

The Belgian name Mitrailleuse d'Appui General, or general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) became popular for describing medium machine guns used in multiple roles. The mediums fired full-power rifle-caliber ammunition, but had some concessions for more extended firing and more general usage. This generally included both bipod and tripod/pintle mounting options and quick-change barrels. Water-cooled machine guns of the same caliber of the existing mediums were no longer useful, as the situation in which they excelled (non-stop firing) was regarded as no longer being needed in modern warfare. This is because mass charges by infantry are rarely done, replaced by AFV-based thrusts, and that a static MG position is a high-priority target for infantry rocket launchers. Medium machine guns did not, and still do not, actually match the sustained firing ability of many older mediums; there is no longer a need for it. Most medium machine guns that use barrel replacement overheat after about 200 rounds, and then a quick barrel replacement is needed (such as was done on the Bren

Bren

The Bren, usually called the Bren Gun, was a series of light machine guns adopted by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1991...

). They can only keep firing if they have spare barrels. However, barrels are expensive and heavy, so only a limited amount are kept. As a result, even if 2-3 barrels were carried and rotated in and out, it would not allow non-stop fire; the removed barrel does not cool down before the next must be replaced. This has become a moot point, since situations where non-stop fire is needed is rare, and other tactics and weapons can deal with an emergency.

Smaller-caliber light machine guns

The 1960s and 70s saw the introduction of new families of automatic weapons using smaller cartridges than the full-power rifle caliber cartridges previously in use. These weapons were called Squad Automatic Weapon

Squad automatic weapon

A squad automatic weapon is a weapon used to give infantry squads or sections a portable source of automatic firepower. Weapons used in this role are selective-fire rifles, usually fitted with a bipod and heavier barrel to perform as Light machine guns...

s (SAW). They have taken roles away from the previous medium machine guns, as well as lighter machine guns of the same caliber. The medium machine guns continue to be used in many of their previous roles however, especially on tanks and vehicles. Often countries field a mix of medium-caliber medium machine guns, and smaller-caliber light machine guns.

These weapons typically fired the 7.62x39 cartridge fired by the AK-47 series or the 5.56x45 NATO standard cartridge first used in the AR-15/M-16 rifles. These very lightweight machineguns were designed for more sustained fire than normal infantry rifles, several hundred rounds worth of extended firing. They were similar in weight to an empty older light machine gun and several pounds lighter than mediums, but offered a much higher volume of fire due to their smaller caliber and lighter round. Many models were scaled-down medium caliber designs or heavier, longer-barrel versions of infantry standard Assault rifle

Assault rifle

An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...

s. Examples include the FN Minimi

FN Minimi

The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...

, M249(US designation of the FN minimi) or the RPK

RPK

The RPK is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault/battle rifle...

21st century

The term "medium machine gun" is used to refer to the ubiquitous full-power rifle-caliber machine gun designs, which are alternately called general-purpose machine guns or universal machine guns.

They essentially all have provisions for quick-change barrels and the ability to be fired from a bipod, tripod, or pintle mount, and weigh between 20-30 pounds. Modern Western MMG/GPMG weapons almost always fire 7.62x51 full-power rifle ammunition; modern Eastern MMG/GPMG weapons usually fire 7.62x54R

7.62 x 54 mm R

The 7.62×54mmR is a rimmed rifle cartridge developed by the Russian Empire and was introduced as a service cartridge in 1891. Originally designed for the bolt-action Mosin–Nagant rifle, it was used during the late Tsarist era and throughout the Soviet period to the present day...

full-power rifle ammunition with a rimmed cartridge.

For example, the US Army and Marines now use the FN MAG

FN MAG

The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...

(as the M240 machine gun) which is generally called the "M240 medium machine gun". It was originally adopted for vehicle mounting in the late 1970s, but its higher reliability resulted in the infantry adopting it for use over the M60 machine gun

M60 machine gun

The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...