FN MAG (7.62 mm)

Description

The 7.62 mm FN MAG is a general-purpose machine gun seen used on the LÉ Orla. It is essentially identical to the land version of the FN MAG, only mounted on a naval vessel.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• LÉ Orla

General info

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Available ammunition

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Comparison with analogues

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Usage in battles

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Pros and cons

Pros:

• The FN MAG has a high rate of fire, which allows it to provide sustained suppressive fire
• It has a long effective range, which makes it useful for engaging targets at extended distances

Cons:

• The calibre is to small to inflict significant damage at its BR

History

In service in more than 80 countries around the world, the Belgian FN MAG is the general-purpose machine gun of choice for NATO. The FN MAG began life as an attempt to convert the American M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) to a belt-fed weapon, a project that the company undertook at the request of the Swedish Army. The FN MAG is a very different gun from the original BAR but still meets the Swedish request by using the same action as the BAR, albeit inverted, and accommodating the belt feed. It also borrowed the feeding mechanism from the German MG42, a common practice by post-war nations. It was adopted by Sweden in 1958 as the Ksp 58, though the initial guns were chambered in 6.5 mm Swedish instead of 7.62 mm NATO as future models of the MAG would be. Since its introduction, it became the standard GPMG design only not adopted by the United States and West Germany at first who instead went for the M60 and MG3 respectively. However, the problematic M60 led to the adoption of the FN MAG as the M240 in 1977 by the US Army.

The FN MAG is produced in four major variants depending on the role of the gun. The FN MAG 60-20 is the standard infantry variant with a pistol grip, fixed buttstock, and bipod. The FN MAG 60-40 is a coaxial variant featured in-game with the bipod, stock, dust cover, optic mount, or pistol grip, but can feature an extended charging handle linkage, trigger group or electronic firing trigger. FN MAG 60-30 is the aircraft variant with a pintle-mounting, left or right-side feeding for American M13 disintegrating belt links and solenoid trigger mechanism for use on aircraft, primarily helicopters. The final major variant by FN is the 10-10 a shortened jungle combat variant with a reduced barrel and buttstock. The FN MAG would go under modifications through its long service such as adapting to Piccitany Rails when they became standard in the 1990s.

In the Irish Defense Force, the FN MAG is a standard weapon among the three branches. The Irish Army uses the FN MAG in a two-man team as an infantry support weapon in the 60-20 configuration. The 60-40 is also in army use on their MOWAG Piranha IIIH Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The Irish Naval Service uses the FN MAG 60-20 also mounting them on ships such as LÉ Orla as anti-air point-defense and close-range defense as well as on their RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) as their primary weapons. The Irish Air Corps used the 60-30 on their AgustaWestland AW139 utility helicopter.

Media

Videos

FN MAG: Best of the Western GPMGs - Forgotten Weapons

See also

• FN MAG 60-40 (7.62 mm)

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Naval machine guns
USA
7.62 mm	M73
12.7 mm	AN-M2
Germany
7.62 mm	MG-3
7.92 mm	MG08 pattern 1908 · MG15 · MG34
13.2 mm	Hotchkiss
15 mm	MG M38(t)
USSR
7.62 mm	Maxim
12.7 mm	DShK
14.5 mm	KPV
Britain
7.62 mm	FN MAG
7.7 mm	Lewis 1916 · Vickers GO No.5
12.7 mm	Vickers Mk.V
Japan
6.5 mm	Maxim · Type 38 pattern 1907
7.7 mm	Type 89 · Type 92
13.2 mm	Type 93
Italy
6.5 mm	Breda Mod.30 · Fiat Model 26
12.7 mm	Breda-SAFAT
13.2 mm	Breda Model 31
France
7.7 mm	Darne M1922
7.92 mm	Hotchkiss pattern 1914
13.2 mm	Browning · Model 1929 Hotchkiss