Machine Guns

Photo Of The Day and we take a look at the F89 Minimi, which is an Australian-produced version of the FN Minimi light machine gun manufactured by Lithgow Arms. In Australia, it’s called a Light Support Weapon (LSW).

I admit, I am a big fan of photos like this - Maschinengewehr MG4 with night-capable optics on top just to make matters even greater.

Most of TFB’s readers won’t believe this, but FN Herstal has just announced that their new ultralight machine gun FN EVOLYS has been given a few modifications based on feedback. It’s as if the feedback commonly read in TFB’s comments section in EVOLYS articles had been incorporated into the new product. However, according to the press release, the feedback comes ”from in-depth testing by potential customers during their own evaluation”.

In  Part 1 of this article, I talked about the first prototypes of Yugoslav AKs, in  Part 2 we dived into the history of M70 rifles with milled receivers, Part 3 was dedicated to the most common Zastava M70s and this chapter will go over Zastava AKs developed during the collapse of Yugoslavia.

In Part 1 of this article, I talked about the first prototypes of Yugo AKs, in Part 2 we dived into the history of M70 rifles with milled receivers. In this article, we’ll take a look at the stamped receiver M70B1 rifles.

FN Hersal has a new variant of its famous FN Minimi Mk3. The new variant has a longer one-piece top rail, to be able to accommodate two optics in-line. A lot of FN Herstal’s customers have a need to mount a red dot with a magnifier, or a day optic with night vision or thermals for 24-hour use. A single rail will improve repeatability and accuracy. The new Minimi has a small folding backup rear peep sight integrated into the rail.

Some lovely and clean images of the FN Minimi in action by NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Lithuania, perfect for TFB’s Photo Of The Day. You see both the 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm NATO versions, and even with blanks in the belt.

Photo Of The Day and this image wins the Internet today. Just take a look at the heat coming out from the suppressor. Out with the 5.56 mm and in with the 6.8 mm! The image was taken during the U.S. Army Cold Regions Test Center, where a multiweek test of the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) was staged earlier this year.

In Part 1 of this article, I talked about the history of AK rifle production in East Germany, and  Part 2 was dedicated to my personal experiences with East Germany AKs. In Part 3, I want to talk about less-known variants of DDR AKs and their destiny after the Berlin Wall fell and communism in East Europe collapsed.

In Part 1 of the article, I talked about the origins of AK production in Hungary.  Part 2 and Part 3 were dedicated to the most well-known Hungarian AK – AMD-65. In Part 4 I will talk about less-known Hungarian AKs.

Photo Of The Day and we have more belt-fed madness from Ohio Ordnance Works. This is one of their entries into the General Purpose Machine Gun game.  The model is a lightweight OOW240P model, where “P” stands for Patrol. I think it’s a great photo!

You’re watching and reading TFB’s Photo Of The Day, and yet another of Ohio Ordnance Works‘ creations appears. The M240 is presently the US military’s general-purpose machine gun and features a belt-fed mechanism. It is air-cooled, just like old Porsche 911s.

At SHOT Show 2024, Ohio Ordnance Works unveiled the REAPR lightweight medium machine gun. The REAPR or Recoil Enhanced Automatic Rifle is chambered in .338 Norma Magnum and can also be calibre converted to 7.62x51mm.

You’re watching and reading TFB’s Photo Of The Day, and we have a belt-fed monster on display. It’s made by Ohio Ordnance Works and REAPR stands for Recoil Enhanced Automatic Precision Rifle. They call it a revolution for modern military general purpose machine guns (GPMG), designed to surpass SOCOM military specifications. The caliber is .338 Norma Magnum, but it can be swapped to 7.62 NATO if needed.

In this interview at Enforce Tac 2024 with Heckler & Koch, James Reeves delves into the exceptional features of the new HK 421 light machine gun. The discussion highlights the gun’s advanced technical specifications, such as its cutting-edge gas-operated system that enhances reliability and performance, its modular design facilitating ease of use and maintenance, and the state-of-the-art recoil management system that ensures superior accuracy and control.

In Part 1 of this article, I talked about the origins of Hungarian AKs. Part 2 is dedicated to AMD 65, its history, and the complaints Afghan police officers had after they were issued those guns. This article is about my own experiences with AMD 65.

In Part 1 of this article, I talked about the first Hungarian AKs, AK-55 and AKM-63. In this article, I want to talk about perhaps the most famous and controversial Hungarian AK – AMD-65.

Over 30 countries produced AK rifles. And even if you’re an expert, sometimes the only way to tell them apart is to look at the markings on the receiver. But thankfully that is not the case with Hungarian AKs, most variants from that country look like nothing else, and even more plain-looking newer models have some small features that allow nerds like me to easily identify them.

In a groundbreaking twist on traditional armament designs, firearms manufacturer DTV Arms prepares to bring a significantly revamped minigun to the market. Operating on the foundational architecture of the M134 model, the redesigned minigun features tailored, brand-specific components, marking an ambitious bid to deliver a lighter, stronger weapon system to the sector.

Arizona-based High Ground Defense is on target to reshape the firearms market with their latest product – the prototype ‘Advantage’ 3-barrel minigun. Chambered in 7.62x51mm, the gun maintains certain compatible parts with the legacy M134 Minigun but slashes its weight by approximately half to an estimated 40-45 lbs. The firing rate is an impressive 3,000 rounds per minute.

In part one of this series, I wrote about the history of DDR AKs which by many are regarded as the best in the world. In this part of the article, I will describe some experiences I had when I repaired those guns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

AK rifle is often thought of as something crude and easy to produce with shabby craftsmanship performed by slave laborers in dystopian socialist factories. So many times I heard: “Oh, what do you expect, it is an AK”. That is why it is ever more interesting to look at East German AKs, produced in a country that for the last 100 years has been thought of as the synonym of quality products.

Today on Photo Of The Day we have at least one very unusual firearm, namely the Pindad SS2 assault rifle chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO. The SS1 and SS2 are made under a license from Fabrique Nationale in Belgium in the PT Pindad factory in Indonesia. I was trained on an FN FNC service rifle, but it still took me a while to see the resemblance as I was too focused on the upper part.

The National Association for Gun Rights won a major victory in their case defending forced reset triggers (FRTs). A district court in Texas just granted a preliminary injunction against the ATF that prevents them from treating FRTs as machine guns. However, this is not the end of the forced reset trigger fight.

Back in March, Lithuania announced that it had signed a contract with FN Herstal to procure an unspecified number of FN Minimi 7.62 MK 3s through a contract is worth $34 million Euros or $35 million. The first of Lithuania’s new FN Minimi 7.62s has arrived according to a recent update on the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense’s social media.

IWI have delivered the first batch of Negev NG7 machine guns to Estonia. The contract for the new 7.62x51mm Negev NG7s was signed in March 2023, the new guns will be issued to both the Estonian Defense Forces and the Estonian Defense League. The guns will replace the MG3s and KSP 58s (Swedish FN MAGs) which are currently in Estonian service.

For the past few days, Heckler & Koch Germany has been teasing their new HK 421, a newly developed compact and lightweight machine gun. At DSEI 2023 in London (12-15 September 2023), an exhibition with over 2,800 defence and security suppliers, it was finally unveiled in various configurations.

Photo Of The Day and today we go full auto in a rare rare caliber and firearm. Rare is of course a relative term, as over 43,000 units of this light machine gun were produced. For practical reasons, I think I’d prefer my BREN in 7.62×51mm NATO, how about you?

True Velocity, manufacturer of lightweight polymer-cased ammunition and weapons developer, have announced the acquisition of Oregon-based suppressor developer Delta P. Delta P specialise in 3D printed suppressor technology and previously partnered with True Velocity as part of their bid for the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon program.

Join James Reeves on an exhilarating journey to the heart of Serbia’s legendary Zastava Oružje factory. In this captivating video, James engages in a conversation with a Zastava engineer, delving into the intricacies of the iconic Serbian M87 Machine Gun, an unparalleled masterpiece of firepower. The Heavy Machine Gun M87 is a licensed product based on the Soviet NSV, the best heavy machine gun ever made.