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FN Minimi

FN Minimi
Type Light machine gun
Place of origin Flag of Belgium Belgium
Service history
Used by See Users
Production history
Designer Ernest Vervier
Designed 1974
Manufacturer FN Herstal
Variants See Variants
Specifications
Weight 6. A light machine gun or LMG is a Machine gun that is generally lighter than other machine guns of the same period and is usually designed to be carried The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Minimi (short for French: Mini Mitrailleuse; “mini machine gun” is a Belgian 5 Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, more often abbreviated as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a Belgian manufacturer of Firearms The official The Minimi (short for French: Mini Mitrailleuse; “mini machine gun” is a Belgian 5 85 kg (15. 1 lb) (standard model)
6. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass 56 kg (14. 5 lb) (Minimi Para)
5. 32 kg (11. 7 lb) (vehicle model)
8. 17 kg (18. 0 lb) fixed stock (Minimi 7. 62)
8. 4 kg (19 lb) telescopic metal stock (Minimi 7. 62)
Length 1,040 mm (40. The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to 9 in) (standard model)
914 mm (36. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 0 in) stock extended / 766 mm (30. 2 in) stock collapsed (Minimi Para)
793 mm (31. 2 in) no buttstock (vehicle model)
1,015 mm (40. 0 in) fixed stock (Minimi 7. 62)
1,000 mm (39. 4 in) stock extended / 865 mm (34. 1 in) stock collapsed (Minimi 7. 62)[1]
Barrel length 465 mm (18. For the fictional characters see Gunbarrel (Transformers. A gun barrel is the tube usually Metal, through which a controlled Explosion 3 in) (standard model)
349 mm (13. 7 in) (Minimi Para)
502 mm (19. 8 in) (Minimi 7. 62)
Width 128 mm (5. 0 in) (Minimi 7. 62)
Cartridge 5.56x45mm NATO
7.62x51mm NATO (Minimi 7. A cartridge (also known as a "round" packages the Bullet, Gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the 556x45mm NATO, standardized under STANAG 4172 is a Rifle cartridge. The 762x51mm NATO is a Rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard firearm cartridge among NATO countries 62)
Action Gas operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire 700-1150 rounds/min
680-800 rounds/min (Minimi 7. In Firearms terminology an action is the system of operation used to load rounds and/or seal the Breech. Gas-operation is a system of operation used to provide energy to operate Autoloading firearms Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific Weapon can fire or launch its projectiles 62)
Muzzle velocity 925 m/s (3,035 ft/s) (standard model)
866 m/s (2,841. A gun's muzzle velocity is the speed at which the Projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun The foot per second (plural feet per second) is a unit of both Speed (scalar and Velocity (vector quantity which includes direction 2 ft/s) (Minimi Para)
Effective range 300-1000 m sight adjustments
Feed system 200-round M27 disintegrating-link belt, 30-round STANAG magazine
Sights Rear aperture, front post

The Minimi (short for French: Mini Mitrailleuse; “mini machine gun”) is a Belgian 5.56 mm light machine gun developed by the Fabrique Nationale (FN) company in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A STANAG magazine is a type of detachable firearm magazine standardized by NATO in October 1980 French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those 556x45mm NATO, standardized under STANAG 4172 is a Rifle cartridge. A light machine gun or LMG is a Machine gun that is generally lighter than other machine guns of the same period and is usually designed to be carried Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, more often abbreviated as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a Belgian manufacturer of Firearms The official Herstal is a Municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege along the Meuse river. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of several countries, among them: Australia, Belgium, France, Canada, Italy, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States (as the M249 SAW). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The weapon is currently manufactured at the FN facility in Herstal as well as being license-built in Australia, Canada and the USA (by FN Manufacturing LLC). Herstal is a Municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege along the Meuse river. The Minimi is configured in several variants, the standard model (as a platoon or squad support weapon), the Para version (for use with armored vehicle crews, helicopter pilots and parachute infantry) and the vehicle model (as secondary armament for fighting vehicles). Paratroopers are Soldiers trained in Parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.

Contents

Design details

US Marine SAW gunner with a M249 with collapsible stock.
US Marine SAW gunner with a M249 with collapsible stock. The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon ( M249 SAW) is the United States military designation for a sub-family of the FN Minimi Squad automatic

The Minimi is an air-cooled automatic weapon, capable of fully automatic fire only, that uses a gas piston operating system with a long stroke piston. Gas-operation is a system of operation used to provide energy to operate Autoloading firearms The barrel is locked with a rotary bolt, equipped with two massive locking lugs, forced into battery by camming guides in the bolt carrier. Upon firing, the piston is forced to the rear by expanding propellant gases bled from ports in the barrel near the muzzle end. The piston rod acts against the bolt carrier, which begins its rearward motion guided on two rails welded to the receiver walls, while the bolt itself remains locked. This sequence provides a slight delay that ensures chamber pressure has dropped to a safe level by the time a cam in the bolt carrier rotates and unlocks the bolt, increasing extraction reliability as the empty cartridge casing has had the time to cool down and contract, exerting less friction on the chamber walls. In Firearms, the chamber is that portion of the barrel or firing cylinder in which the cartridge is inserted prior to being fired The Minimi fires from an open bolt, which eliminates the danger of a round cooking off after extended periods of continuous fire, since a cartridge is only momentarily introduced into the chamber prior to ignition, and the movement of the bolt and bolt carrier forces air through the chamber and barrel after each shot, ventilating the barrel and slowing heating. A semi or fully automatic Firearm is said to fire from an open bolt if when ready to fire the bolt and working parts are held to the rear Gas escaping the gas cylinder is directed upward, avoiding kicking up dust and debris that would reveal the shooter's position. The Minimi has a manually-adjustable gas regulator with two positions, normal and adverse. The adverse setting increases the cyclic rate from 700-850 rounds/min to 950-1150 rounds/min and is used only in extreme environmental conditions or when heavy fouling is present in the weapon’s gas tube. The spring extractor is located inside the bolt, while the tilting lever ejector is contained inside the receiver housing. Spent casings are removed through a port located at the forward, bottom right side of the receiver, which is protected with a dust cover. The Minimi is striker-fired and the bolt carrier functions as the striking mechanism.

A British soldier from the Queen's Dragoon Guards fires an FN Minimi support weapon.
A British soldier from the Queen's Dragoon Guards fires an FN Minimi support weapon.

The weapon is fed from the left-hand side by disintegrating-link M27 ammunition belts, a miniaturized version of the 7.62 mm M13 belt), from either an unsupported loose belt, enclosed in an ammunition box with a 200-round capacity, made of a synthetic polymer) attached to the base of the receiver, or from detachable STANAG magazines, used in other NATO 5. A belt is a device that holds cartridges adjacent to each other in a single row for feeding into a Firearm, typically a Machine gun. The 762x51mm NATO is a Rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard firearm cartridge among NATO countries The M13 link formally M13 Link, is the US military designation for a disintegrating metallic link specifically designed for belt-fed firearms A polymer is a large Molecule ( Macromolecule) composed of repeating Structural units typically connected by Covalent Chemical bonds A STANAG magazine is a type of detachable firearm magazine standardized by NATO in October 1980 The North Atlantic Treaty 56 mm assault rifles such as the M16 and FNC. An assault rifle is a Selective fire Rifle or Carbine (not to be confused with a semi-automatic only replica firing Ammunition with muzzle M16 (more formally United States Rifle II Caliber 556 mm M16) is the U The FNC ( Fabrique Nationale Carabine) is a 556 mm Assault rifle developed by the Belgian arms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale Magazine feeding is used only as an auxiliary measure, when belt-linked ammunition has been exhausted. The ammunition belt is introduced into the feed tray, magazines are seated inside the magazine port at a 45° angle, located under the feed tray port. When a belt is placed in the feed tray it covers the magazine port. Likewise, a magazine inserted into the magazine well will prevent the simultaneous insertion of a belt. The magazine port, when not in use, is closed with an L-shaped hinged flap equipped with a tooth, which engages a corresponding opening in the magazine and serves as a magazine release. This innovative feature was developed by FN's Maurice V. Bourlet (US patent 4112817) and allows the Minimi to pass instantaneously from belt feed to magazine feed without any modification. [2] The pawl-type feeding mechanism is modeled on the system used in the MAG general purpose machine gun, which borrows from the WWII-era MG42. The MAG is a Belgian 762 mm General purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale (FN by Ernest Vervier A general purpose machine gun ( GPMG) in concept is a multi-purpose weapon a Machine gun intended to fill the role of either a Light machine gun or World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The MG42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or "Machine Gun 42" is a Machine gun that was developed for and entered The belt is moved in two stages during both the forward and rearward movement of the reciprocating bolt carrier, which provides for a smooth and continuous feeding process. The feeding mechanism top cover features a device that indicates the presence of a cartridge in the feed path.

The Minimi has a push-button type manual safety installed in the trigger housing, above the pistol grip. In the “weapon safe” position, it disables the sear mechanism; pushing the button to the right side exposes a red-colored rim on the left side of the firearm and indicates the weapon is ready to fire. The black polymer pistol grip was initially copied directly from the FAL and FNC rifles, currently a modified grip with lateral grooves is used, installed at a smaller angle to the receiver. A polymer is a large Molecule ( Macromolecule) composed of repeating Structural units typically connected by Covalent Chemical bonds The Fusil Automatique Léger (Light Automatic Rifle or FAL is a 7

The barrels used in the Minimi have an increased heat capacity for sustained fire, feature a chrome-lined rifled bore (6 right-hand grooves) and are manufactured in two versions: with a 178 mm (1:7 in) twist rate used to stabilize the heavier Belgian 5. Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of Electroplating a thin layer of Chromium onto a Metal object The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 56x45mm SS109 cartridge, or a 305 mm (1:12 in) twist for use with American M193 ammunition. The barrels have a quick-change capability; a lever is provided on the left side of the weapon that releases the barrel from its trunnion. A carrying handle is also fixed to the barrel and assists in the barrel change process. A trained soldier will be able to perform a barrel change and ready the weapon for aimed fire in only 6-7 seconds. Early versions of the Minimi had a flash suppressor with side ports as seen on the FNC, CAL and FAL rifles; new production guns have a shorter, cone-shaped slotted flash suppressor. A flash Suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, or flash cone, is a device attached to a Rifle or other gun that The CAL ( Carabine Automatique Légère) was the Belgian arms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale 's first 5

The standard light machine gun version has a 465 mm (18. 3 in) barrel and a skeletonized aluminum stock with a folding wire shoulder strap. WikipediaNaming The shortened Para model has a 349 mm (13. 7 in) barrel and a collapsible metal stock, while the vehicle-mounted model has a 465 mm (18. 3 in) barrel but does not have a stock or iron sights. The term iron sights refers to the open unmagnified system used to assist the aiming of a variety of devices usually those intended to launch Projectiles such as Firearms

The Minimi features a welded receiver made from stamped steel. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Both the standard and Para variants are equipped with a fixed, folding bipod mounted to the gas tube and stowed under the handguard. A bipod is a support device that is similar to a Tripod or Monopod, but with two legs The bipod can be adjusted in height and each leg has three height settings. The bipod also offers a 15° range of rotation to either side. With the bipod fully extended, the bore axis is elevated to a height of 465 mm (18. 3 in). The Minimi can also be fired from the Belgian FN360° tripod or the American M122 mount using an M60 pintle. The vehicle-mounted Minimi is fitted with an electrically-powered trigger that enables it to be fired from within an armored fighting vehicle.

Both the standard and Para models come with a rear sight, adjustable for windage and elevation, that provides a peep aperture for ranges from 300 to 1000 m in 100 m increments. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The hooded front sight is installed in a post on the gas block and is also adjustable for elevation and windage. Early models of the Minimi had the rear sight mounted forward of the feed cover and the front post secured to the barrel, closer to the muzzle end. An adapter can also be used that allows the use of standard NATO night and day sights. Standard equipment supplied with the Minimi consists of: three ammunition boxes with a 200-round capacity each, a cleaning kit stored inside the forearm, lubricant bottle, sling and blank-firing adaptor. A blank-firing adaptor or blank-firing attachment ( BFA) sometimes called a blank adaptor or blank attachment, is a device used in conjunction

Variants

A Minimi operator in the 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment of the French Army.
A Minimi operator in the 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment of the French Army.

The M249 version of the Minimi was adopted by the US military in 1982, and since 1984, production is carried out entirely in the US by a local subsidiary - FN Manufacturing LLC in South Carolina. The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon ( M249 SAW) is the United States military designation for a sub-family of the FN Minimi Squad automatic South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America.

As part of the US military's M249 PIP (Product Improvement Program), the M249 was updated with: a new synthetic stock and modified buffer assembly; a single-position gas regulator; a “birdcage” type flash hider/compensator from the M16A2; a polymer barrel heat guard; and a folding carry handle. As a result, the weapon’s weight increased to 7. 47 kg (16. 5 lb). The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass Many of the PIP upgrades were later incorporated by FN for the Minimi.

A lightweight variant of the Para with a Picatinny top cover rail adapter is known as the Minimi SPW (Special Purpose Weapon). The Picatinny rail (ˈpɪkətɪni or /ˌpɪkəˈtɪni/ is a bracket used on some Firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform It had the magazine feed port removed to further reduce weight, and a railed MIL-STD-1913 handguard was used that enables the use of standard tactical accessories.

Another variant of the SPW requested by the US Special Operations Forces is the Mk 46 Mod 0 that incorporates a lightweight fluted barrel but lacks the magazine feed system, vehicle mounting lugs and carry handle. A railed forearm ensures modularity and mission-adaptability permitting the use of flashlights, vertical grips, and infrared laser designators. An improved variant known as the Mk 46 Mod 1 with an improved forward rail and lightweight titanium bipod has been adopted by the US Navy. Titanium (taɪˈteɪniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Ti and Atomic number 22

The Minimi prototype was originally designed in 7.62x51mm NATO, and later redesigned around the 5. The 762x51mm NATO is a Rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard firearm cartridge among NATO countries 56 mm cartridge. When the USSOCOM issued the requirements for the Mk 48 Mod 0, the original plans for the Minimi were retrieved and used to develop this new model. The United States Special Operations Command ( USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations As a result of favorable reviews of the Mk 48 Mod 0 and increasing demand for a more powerful variant of the Minimi, FN Herstal introduced the Minimi 7. 62 available in several different configurations. Apart from the different caliber, the Minimi 7. 62 incorporates a non-adjustable, self-regulating gas system and a hydraulic recoil buffer in the buttstock assembly. The hydraulic buffer contributes to stabilizing the rate of fire and reducing recoil forces. The Minimi 7. 62 also has a different sight setup calibrated for the larger cartridge. The rear sight is adjustable from 100 to 1,000 m by 100 m increments. The sight can also be corrected for windage. A variant of the Minimi 7. 62 equipped with a railed Picatinny handguard is the Minimi 7. 62 TR.

Users

NATO

Canadian Forces C9A1 fitted with a C79 ELCAN optical sight and blank-firing adaptor.
Canadian Forces C9A1 fitted with a C79 ELCAN optical sight and blank-firing adaptor. The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence A blank-firing adaptor or blank-firing attachment ( BFA) sometimes called a blank adaptor or blank attachment, is a device used in conjunction

Non-NATO

An Australian soldier with the F89 version of the Minimi.
An Australian soldier with the F89 version of the Minimi. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
A U.S. Marine fires the PIP-upgraded M249 SAW.
A U.S. Marine fires the PIP-upgraded M249 SAW.

References

  1. ^ http://www.fnherstal.com/html/MINIMI762.htm#Technical data FN Herstal
  2. ^ http://www.google.com/patents?id=zo06AAAAEBAJ
  3. ^ http://www.defense.gouv.fr/terre/decouverte/materiels/armement_individuel_et_collectif/minimi
  4. ^ http://www.mod.gov.lv/upload/nbsfakti.anglu.gala.pdf
  5. ^ http://www.landmacht.nl/materieel/huidig_materieel/Manoeuvrematerieel/MINIMI.aspx
  6. ^ http://www.army.mil.nz/our-army/equipment/weapons/machine-guns.htm New Zealand Army official site

External links

The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the
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