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A 'light machine gun' (commonly abbreviated 'LMG') is a categorization type (or class) of machine guns that are generally lighter than other machine guns of its period, and usually designed to be carried by an individual soldier, but sometimes with an assistant. Modern light machine guns are often chambered for smaller calibers than medium machine guns, and are mostly considerably lighter and more compact.
Usually, a light machine gun is intended to act as a support weapon, in that it can generate a greater volume of continuous automatic fire than the usual firearms carried by infantry soldiers, at the cost of greater weight and higher ammunition consumption.
While it is usually possible to fire a light machine gun "from the hip" or on the move, a soldier would only do this to advance in position. The enemy would stay in cover as the soldier opens fire while moving. Actual accuracy is achieved when fired from a prone position, especially when using a bipod. Early light machine guns (especially those derived from automatic rifles, such as the Browning Automatic Rifle) were sometimes magazine-fed. Modern light machine guns, however, are designed to fire more rounds of a smaller calibre ammunition and as such tend to use a belt of ammunition; this allows them to fire continually for longer periods of time without the need to reload. Other modern light machine guns, such as the Minimi, are capable of firing from both an ammunition belt or a detachable box-type magazine.
Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons (SAW).

Contents

Selected Examples

1900s–1920s

1950s–1970s

1970s-Present

See also

Selected Examples

These were either exclusively light machine guns, had a light machine gun variant or were employed in the light machine gun role with certain adaptations:

1900s–1920s

★ Madsen machine gun (Multi-caliber)

★ M1909 Benet-Mercie (.30-06 Springfield)

★ Hotchkiss Mk I (.303 British)

★ Lewis machine gun (.303 British)

★ Fusil-Mitrailleur Mle 1915 'CSRG', 'Chauchat' light machine gun (8 x 50 mm R Lebel)

1950s–1970s

★ Kucher Model K1

★ Stoner 63 (5.56 x 45 mm NATO)

★ RPK (7.62 x 39 mm)

★ Colt CMG-1 (5.56 x 45 mm)

★ Colt CMG-2 (5.56 x 45 mm)

★ M60 (7.62 x 51 mm NATO)

★ Rheinmetall MG3 (7.62 x 51 mm NATO)

1970s-Present

★ FN Minimi (5.56 x 45 mm NATO)

★ L86A1 LSW (5.56 x 45 mm)

★ RPK-74 (5.45 x 39 mm)

★ IMI Negev (5.56 x 45 mm)

★ Steyr AUG HBAR (5.56 x 45 mm)

★ Colt Automatic Rifle (5.56 x 45 mm)

★ Heckler & Koch MG36 (5.56 x 45 mm NATO)

★ Heckler & Koch MG4 (5.56 x 45 mm NATO)

★ Heckler & Koch XM8 in its "Automatic Rifle/Light Machine Gun" variant (5.56 x 45 mm NATO)

★ Type 81 (7.62 x 39 mm)

★ Ultimax 100 (5.56 x 45 mm NATO)

★ FN MAG (7.62 x 51 mm NATO)

★ Valmet M78 (7.62 x 39 mm)

★ Mk 48 Mod 0 (7.62 x 51 mm NATO)

★ Stoner LMG (5.56 x 45 mm NATO)

See also

★ General purpose machine gun

★ Medium machine gun

★ Heavy machine gun