Stoner LMG
Encyclopedia
The Stoner LMG is a light machine gun
system developed by Eugene Stoner
and manufactured by Knight's Armament Company
(KAC). It is also known as the KAC Stoner 96 LMG to differentiate it from the earlier ArmaLite Stoner 63 LMG and Ares Stoner 86 LMG it is derived from.
The Stoner LMG is billed by KAC as the lightest 5.56mm machine gun. It weighs 10 pounds with magazine and has a length of 35.25 inches. The Stoner LMG is belt-fed, gas operated, air-cooled, and fully automatic; firing at a rate of 550 rounds per minute.
Stoner designed the weapon as a replacement for the Stoner 63
. Neither weapons system gained much popularity as the FN Minimi
would become the LMG adopted by the United States
military, which dubbed the FN weapon the M249. Currently, the weapon has seen only limited production which makes the Stoner LMG commonly used by private military contractors (PMC's) because of its compact size, weight.
A modified variant of the Stoner LMG is the Knight's Armament Company ChainSAW. This weapon has the ergonomics of a Chainsaw hence the name and is basically a show-off piece rather than a serious issue weapon.
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:...
system developed by Eugene Stoner
Eugene Stoner
Eugene Morrison Stoner is the man most associated with the design of the AR-15, which was adopted by the US military as the M16...
and manufactured by Knight's Armament Company
Knight's Armament Company
Knight's Armament Company is an American firearms and firearms parts manufacturer.It is owned by C. Reed Knight and based in Titusville, Florida. KAC is best known for producing the Rail Interface System and the Rail Adapter System grips for military firearms...
(KAC). It is also known as the KAC Stoner 96 LMG to differentiate it from the earlier ArmaLite Stoner 63 LMG and Ares Stoner 86 LMG it is derived from.
The Stoner LMG is billed by KAC as the lightest 5.56mm machine gun. It weighs 10 pounds with magazine and has a length of 35.25 inches. The Stoner LMG is belt-fed, gas operated, air-cooled, and fully automatic; firing at a rate of 550 rounds per minute.
Stoner designed the weapon as a replacement for the Stoner 63
Stoner 63
The Stoner 63, also known as the XM22/E1, is an American modular weapons system designed by Eugene Stoner in the early 1960s. It was produced by Cadillac Gage and used in very limited numbers in Vietnam by members of the United States Navy SEALs and several law enforcement...
. Neither weapons system gained much popularity as 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...
would become the LMG adopted by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military, which dubbed the FN weapon the M249. Currently, the weapon has seen only limited production which makes the Stoner LMG commonly used by private military contractors (PMC's) because of its compact size, weight.
A modified variant of the Stoner LMG is the Knight's Armament Company ChainSAW. This weapon has the ergonomics of a Chainsaw hence the name and is basically a show-off piece rather than a serious issue weapon.
Users
, Used by the Royal Danish Navy.- Various Private military contractorsPrivate military companyA private military company or provides military and security services. These combatants are commonly known as mercenaries, though modern-day PMCs refer to their staff as security contractors, private military contractors or private security contractors, and refer to themselves as private military...