A light machine gun ( LMG ) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman , with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon . LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the same combat unit are often referred to as squad automatic weapons .
12-462: While early light machine guns fired full-powered rifle cartridges , modern light machine guns often fire smaller-caliber rifle cartridges than medium machine guns – generally the same intermediate cartridge fired by a service's standard assault rifle – and are usually lighter and more compact. Some LMGs, such as the Russian RPK , are modifications of existing designs and designed to share
24-418: A semi-automatic fire mode . However, even though less powerful than traditional full-power cartridges, the external and terminal ballistics of an intermediate cartridge are still sufficient for an effective range of 300–600 m (330–660 yd), which are the typical maximum engagement ranges for ordinary infantrymen in modern combat conditions. The introduction of intermediate cartridges allowed for
36-647: A military ammunition for some long-range sniper rifles . An intermediate cartridge is a military cartridge that is less powerful than typical full-power cartridges such as the 7.92mm Mauser , .30-06 Springfield , or 7.62×51mm NATO , but still significantly more powerful than handgun cartridges used in service pistols and submachine guns . As their recoil is significantly reduced compared to full-powered cartridges, fully automatic rifles firing intermediate cartridges are relatively easy to control. This reduced recoil impulse also allows for rapid, accurate follow-up shots with semi-automatic rifles or rifles with
48-457: A tripod and used for sustained fire, it is a medium machine gun; if deployed with a bipod with the operator in a prone position and firing short bursts, it is a light machine gun. Light machine guns are also designed to be fired from the hip or on the move as a form of suppressive fire intended to pin down the enemy. Marching fire is a specific tactic that relies on this capability. Lighter modern LMGs have enabled them to be issued down at
60-530: Is a cartridge with a larger case size than, or derived from, a similar cartridge of the same bullet caliber and case shoulder shape. Magnum cartridges allow for more propellant to be loaded within the casing, and thus have a higher muzzle energy . Modern magnum rifle cartridges include .300 RUM , 7mm Remington Magnum , .300 Weatherby Magnum , .460 Weatherby Magnum , .300 Winchester Magnum , .338 Lapua Magnum or .338 Norma Magnum . Today they are primarily used in civilian market for big-game hunting , or as
72-620: The fireteam level, with two or three at the section/squad level. Many light machine guns (such as the Bren gun or the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle ) were magazine -fed. Others, such as the Hotchkiss M1922 , could be fed either from a belt / strip or from a box magazine . Modern light machine guns are designed to fire smaller caliber rounds and, as such, tend to be belt-fed (from a container attached to
84-639: The development of the assault rifle concept, which is a magazine -fed selective fire rifle lighter and more compact than the conventional battle rifles firing full-powered cartridges. The first intermediate cartridge was the German 7.92×33mm Kurz for the StG 44 , the world's first assault rifle. Other examples include the Soviet 7.62×39mm used in the AK-47 and AKM series, the .280 British round developed for
96-448: The firepower of advancing infantry. By the end of World War II , light machine guns were usually being issued on a scale of one per fire team or squad , and the modern infantry squad had emerged with tactics that were built around the use of the LMG to provide suppressive fire . The following were either exclusively light machine guns, had a light machine gun variant or were employed in
108-469: The gun) or from a detachable high-capacity drum magazine , but some, such as the FN Minimi , will also accept standard rifle magazine feeding as an auxiliary measure when belted ammunition has been exhausted. In 1903, French military theorists noticed that the heavy machine guns of the day were of little use in infantry assaults. They determined that "the machine gun must learn to walk". They researched
120-608: The light machine gun role with certain adaptations. RPK-16 (17 Ib) Full-powered rifle cartridge A rifle cartridge is a firearm cartridge primarily designed and intended for use in a rifle / carbine , or machine gun . A full-powered cartridge is a rifle cartridge used interchangeably between service rifles , sniper rifles , and general purpose machine guns . It is a retronym for rifle cartridges used prior to and during World War II . They are primarily used today in general purpose machine guns , designated marksman rifles , and sniper rifles . A magnum cartridge
132-435: The possibility of a light machine gun which could be carried by troops. A marching fire tactic was theorised, using incidental suppressive fire, with the advancing troops considered a deadlier threat than the un-aimed bullets, causing the enemy to fall back. The prototype guns were not approved for production, and none were in service when World War I began. The French quickly brought the prototypes to mass production to boost
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#1732790227400144-420: The same ammunition. Adaptations to the original rifle generally include a larger magazine, a heavier barrel to resist overheating, a more robust mechanism to support sustained fire and a bipod. A light machine gun is also defined by its usage as well as its specifications: some machine guns – notably general-purpose machine guns – may be deployed either as a light machine gun or a medium machine gun. Deployed on
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