How to recognise machine guns
12 machine guns in Spotrep’s field guide, each with a photo, where it comes from, who uses it and the details that tell it apart from the rest.
Practise in Classic- DShKMachine guns · Soviet Union
Heavy 12.7 mm gun with a finned barrel, a large flat muzzle brake and spade grips, often on a wheeled or tripod mount.
- FN MAG / M240Machine guns · Belgium
Heavy 7.62 mm belt-fed gun with a tall box receiver, a carrying handle on the barrel, a bipod under the gas tube and a solid stock.
- FN Minimi / M249Machine guns · Belgium
Short heavy barrel with a carrying handle, squared receiver and a magazine well on the left side.
- HK MG4Machine guns · Germany
5.56 mm belt-fed light machine gun with a polymer side-folding stock, a carry handle and a bipod; squarer than the Minimi.
- IWI NegevMachine guns · Israel
Light machine gun with a long top rail, a vertical front grip, a bipod and a folding stock; takes belts or rifle magazines.
- M2 BrowningMachine guns · USA
Heavy machine gun with a thick bare barrel exiting a short perforated barrel support, spade grips at the back of the box receiver and usually a tripod or vehicle mount.
- MG3Machine guns · Germany
Long belt-fed gun with a perforated cooling jacket around the barrel and a bipod near the muzzle.
- PKMMachine guns · Soviet Union
Skeletal stock with a large hole, long plain barrel with a carrying handle and a belt box hung under the receiver.
- RPK / RPK-74Machine guns · Soviet Union
An AK with a longer, heavier barrel, a bipod near the muzzle and a long 40- or 45-round magazine or a drum.
- No photo yetHK MG5Machine guns · Germany
7.62 mm belt-fed gun like an enlarged MG4: angular polymer furniture, side-folding stock, top rail and bipod.
- No photo yetM60E6Machine guns · USA
7.62 mm belt-fed gun with an offset carrying handle on the barrel, a forward pistol grip under the handguard and a bipod mounted on the receiver.
- No photo yetNSV UtyosMachine guns · Soviet Union
12.7 mm heavy machine gun with a long smooth barrel, a conical muzzle brake and a flat rectangular receiver; usually on tank roofs or tripods.
