Light MGs
C2A1: Canada’s Squad Automatic FAL
Canada was the first country to formally adopt the FN FAL as its standard service rifle, and in 1958 it added the C2 light machine gun version of the FAL to its arsenal. The C2, […]
Machine Guns
Light MGs
Hiram’s Extra Light Maxim Gun
Designed in an effort to compete with the then-new Colt/Browning air cooled 1895 machine gun, the Extra-Light Maxim weighted in at just 27 (maybe 28) pounds for the gun, and 44 pounds with tripod. This […]
Heavy MGs
Maxim “Prototype”: The First Practical Machine Gun
Hiram Maxim was the first person to create a truly practical and functional machine gun, based on a patent he filed in 1883. He pioneered the recoil operating system – the concept of harnessing the […]
Conversion
From Bolt Action Lee to LMG: The Charlton Automatic Rifle
The Charlton automatic rifle is one of very, very few examples of a conversion from bolt action to self-loading rifle actually working reasonably well. Typically this sort of project founders in expense and unreliability. Charlton, […]
General Purpose MGs
History of the PK, PKM, and Pecheneg w/ Max Popenker
I’m happy to be joined once again by Russian small arms historian Max Popenker, for a discussion of the development of the Kalashnikov PK machine gun. This is universally regarded as one of the best […]
Conversion
German-Capture 1910 Russian Maxim in 8×57
This is a very interesting WW1 heavy machine gun. It is a Russian M1910 Maxim that was repaired at some point using the brass jacket from a 1905 Russian Maxim. This may have been done […]
Light MGs
Last Gasp of the ZB26: Czech vz 52/57 LMG
Czechoslovakia adopted the 7.62x45mm cartridge after World War Two, introducing both a vz.52 rifle and vz.52 light machine gun using the round. It was about 200 fps faster than the Soviet standard 7.62x39mm. It was […]
Prototype
Sterling S11: Donkey in a Thoroughbred Race
In the 1960s, the Sterling company began to worry about the prospects of continued sales of the Sterling (Patchett) SMG, especially in light of new competitors like the H&K MP5. Its chief design engineer, Frank […]
Light MGs
Shooting the Negev LMG
After yesterday’s look at the history and mechanical details of the Israeli Negev LMG, today we are taking it out the the range. It certainly is a very pleasant experience to shoot! The recoil is […]
Light MGs
Negev LMG: The Israeli Take on the SAW
When the Israeli Defense Forces tested the FN Minimi, they found it to be lacking in a few areas, and decided that they could develop a better SAW domestically. Developed in the 1980s, the result […]