FN Minimi (Belgium) / M249 and Mk.46 model 0 (USA)

FN Minimi - Belgian-made version of basic machine gun. Note the lack of the heat shield above the barrel, and the tubular buttstock.

FN M249 SAW

FN Minimi Para - a short-barreled "paratrooper" version with telescoped buttstock in extended position

FN Minimi SPW - Special Purpose Weapon, a lightened version with Picatinny rail adapters, Para type buttstock (shown folded) and belt feed only (no magazine feed installed)

FN Mk.46 model 0 - a variation of the Minimi SPW, with additional Picatinny rail on the heat shield and the different butt, developed for US Special Forces.

	Standard model	Para model	Mk.46 mod.0 / SPW model
Caliber	5.56x45mm NATO
Weight	7.1 kg	7.1 kg	5.75 kg
Length	1040 mm	914 / 776 mm	908 / 762 mm
Barrel length	465 mm	349 mm	406 mm
Feeding	belt or magazines		belt only
Rate of fire, cyclic	750 - 1000 rounds per minute	750 - 1000 rounds per minute	750 rounds per minute

The Minimi light machine gun was developed by the famous Belgian company FN Herstal, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Mass production began in 1982 in Belgium, and at about the same time it has been adopted by the US Armed forces as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). Since its introduction Minimi has seen widespread service, and numerous variations have been developed. First, the Para (Paratroop) version came out, with shorter barrel and tubular telescoped butt. This gun traded off some of the range and firepower for compactness and maneuverability. Quite recently, an SPW version was developed, which featured a Para-type buttstock, a barrel of intermediate length (between standard and Para models), and a Picatinny-type rail mount, which allows a wide variety of sights and scopes to be mounted. To save weight, the magazine feed option of the standard and para models has been discarded. This version, in a slightly modified form, was adopted by the US Special Forces Command (US SOCOM) as the Mk.46 model 0 light machine gun. 

The FN Minimi has an excellent reputation on reliability and firepower, and the latest reports on failures of M249 SAW weapons in Iraq are attributed to the age of the weapons used - most of the current issue M249 in US Army are more than 10 years old and quite worn out.

Technical description.
The FN Minimi / M249 SAW is an air cooled, gas operated, belt fed, automatic weapon. The Minimi is operated using conventional gas action with the gas piston located below the barrel, and the barrel is locked using the traditional rotary bolt. The barrel is quick-detachable, and has a carrying handle attached to it, to help for quick replacement procedure. The M249 has an alternative feed system, which allows to use disintegrating metallic belts as a primary feed option, or M16-type box magazines as a back-up feed option. The belt is feed using the top feed unit, the magazines are inserted through the magazine port, located at the left side of the receiver and angled down. The Flip-up dust cover closes the magazine port when it is not in use, serving also as a belt guide. When magazine is in place, this cover raises up and closes the belt-way to avoid dual feeds and jams. Since the belt feed uses additional power to pull the belt through the gun, the rate of fire with the belt is somewhat slower (~ 750 rpm) than the rate of fire with magazine feed (~ 1000 rpm). The latest SPW and Mk.46 mod.0 versions of the Minimi have no magazine feed module as a weight-saving measure. The belts are fed from special 200 rounds plastic boxes that can be clipped beneath the receiver. All Minimi versions fire from open bolt to ensure optimal barrel cooling between bursts.

The folding bipod is mounded under the gas chamber, and the gun has provisions for tripod or vehicle mountings. The open sights are standard, with the availability of vide variety of optical and night sights for SPW and Mk.46 versions with Picatinny rails.

PKP Pecheneg (Petcheneg) machine gun (Russia)

PKP Pecheneg machine gun, with belt box attached; production / current issue model

Details of the barrel jacket with cooling ports and carrying handle of PKP Pecheneg machine gun

View on the muzzle and bipod of the PKP Pecheneg machine gun

Caliber: 7.62x54mm R
Weight: 8.7 kg on bipod; 12.7 kg on infantry tripod mount
Length: 1155 mm
Length of barrel: 658 mm
Feeding: belt, 100 or 200 rounds
Rate of fire: 650 rounds/min

The Pecheneg (Pecheneg is an ancient aggressive tribe who lived in what later became Russia; also its name is sometimes transcribed as Petcheneg) light machine gun was born from experience of Afghanistan and recent local conflicts, especially the continuous fight with insurgents and terrorists in Chechnya. Basically, Pecheneg is a standard 7.62x54R PKM machine gun without the rapid barrel-change option, and intended for use from an integral bipod as a squad support weapon. It can provide much more sustained firepower than the standard-issue RPK-74, and the 7.62x54R cartridge offers a longer effective  range (a rather useful feature in mountainous Chechnya), and, no less important, better penetration of light structures and improvised covers used by insurgents in urban and forest environments. Currently Pecheneg is being issued to certain Russian Army and Internal Affairs ministry Spetsnaz units operating in Chechnya.
The “Pecheneg” LMG can be considered as a modification of the PKM machine gun, but it is built for only one tactical role; that is, as a true squad-level light machine gun for mobile infantry and Spetsnaz troops. Its key difference from the parent design is the barrel, which is not intended to be replaced in the field (although it can be removed for inspection and maintenance). The barrel is somewhat heavier than that of the PKM, and has radial cooling ribs. This is enclosed in a steel jacket, which runs up to the muzzle to provide forced air cooling a-la Lewis machine gun of WW1 era. Cooling air enters the jacket through oval windows at the rear of the jacket, and exits at the muzzle. Early versions of the Pecheneg had standard PKM-type flash hider, which resulted in a significant muzzle blast once the gun is warmed up; current production guns have a special flash hider that eliminates this problem. At the rear of the jacket there is a carrying handle permanently attached to it. This handle has a characteristic elongated profile, as it is also intended to protect the line of sight from mirages generated by the hot barrel. The manufacturer claims that the Pecheneg can fire 600 rounds in continuous sustained fire without any danger to the barrel.
Another change from the parent design is the location of the integral, non-removable folding bipod which is placed near the muzzle. This feature is said to improve stability and long-range accuracy when firing from the bipod; but it also limits the arc of fire available without moving the position of bipod or shooter. Another consequence of such placement is that the Petcheneg is less comfortable to fire from the shoulder or the hip, as it does not have a handguard and the bipod is located too far forward to be used to hold the gun. However, the Petcheneg has sling swivels and can be fired from the hip using a sling and carrying handle to hold the gun.
In all other respects (action, feed, sights, stock) the Pecheneg is similar to modern PKM machine guns. It also retains the standard PKM mounting interface and therefore can be used from the same tripod, but it is always issued as an light machine gun (without tripod mount).

Heckler and Koch MP-5 (Germany)

HK MP-54, or HK 54 - a prototype submachine gun (1965). Earlier MP-5A1 adopted by German police and Border Guard looked the same. Note that the sights and the muzzle are different from the latter models.

HK MP-5A2 with fixed stock and plastic S-E-F trigger group.

HK MP-5A3 with retractable buttstock. Earlier model with checkered handguard and a stamped steel S-E-F (in fact, S-1-A) trigger group.

HK MP-5SD3. A silenced version with integral silencer and retractable stock of A3 version. Early type stamped steel trigger group.

HK MP-5N. Modern version developed for US Navy. Features plastic trigger group of latest design, with ambidextrous selector lever and "icon" markings. Barrel is threaded to accept US-made detachable silencers, in addition to HK standard three-lug mounts. Retractable buttstock of A3 configuration.

Visual difference between trigger units:
left -earliest type stamped steel with plastic grip (converted from semi-auto only civilian gun HK 94, with American markings on selector);
middle - early type all-plastic with S-E-F markings;
right - most modern all-plastic design of "A4" variation, with additional 3-rounds burst facility and icon markings.

HK MP-5 field-stripped. Note that both types of stocks are shown - fixed A2 type and retractable A3 type.
technical data (current models):

	MP-5A2	MP-5A3
Caliber	9x19mm Parabellum (also .40S&W and 10mm Auto)
Weight, empty	2.54 kg	2.88 kg
Length	680 mm	490 / 660 mm
Barrel length	225 mm
Rate of fire	800 rounds per minute
Magazines	15 and 30 rounds

 The Heckler und Koch submachine gun, MP-5, is one of the most famous and wide-spread firearms of its class, developed since the Second World War. Its development began circa 1964 under the company designation HK MP-54, or simply HK 54. In the 1966, German police and Border Guard adopted the HK 54 as the MP-5, and it was originally available in two forms - MP-5 with fixed buttstock and MP-5A1 with retractable buttstock. Some years later HK slightly upgraded the design of MP-5, replacing the sights (from flip-up open notch rear and blade front to drum-type diopter rear and hooded post front) and the muzzle (replacing the two-slot muzzle compensator to the tree-lugs QD silencer mount without compensator). Other improvements made over the time concerned the magazines (early type magazines were of straight box type, latter - of curved box type for improved reliability). The trigger units also were upgraded - from original stamped steel with plastic grip to the all-plastic units, integral with grip, and with various fire modes and marking. Over the years MP-5 were adopted by the huge numbers of police, security and military forces around the world, including the German police and border guard, British police and elite Army SAS units, American police, FBI, Navy and Marine Corps, and many, many others. MP-5 is still manufactured in Germany by the HK itself, and also licensed to Greece, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico. The only real rival to the MP-5 in the terms of proliferation across the world is the famous Israeli UZI submachine gun. Most interestingly, the German Army (Bundeswehr) did not adopted the MP-5, most probably due to the economical reasons, and turned instead to the... UZI submachine guns, made under license in Belgium.
The success of the MP-5 is outstanding. It is based on the high quality and reliability of the gun, great single-shot accuracy (thanks to its closed bolt action), great flexibility and, of cause, good marketing. It seems that no other modern SMG at this time can rival the MP-5 in popularity (UZI is not manufactured anymore).

The MP-5, basically, is no more than the scaled-down version of the Heckler-Koch G3 battle rifle. It shares the same basic design with stamped steel receiver and the same roller-delayed blowback action, derived from the post-war CETME rifles. The trigger units are hinged to the receiver and are now available with various fire mode options,  including 2 (Safe, Semi-auto), 3 (Safe, Semi, Full Auto) or 4 (Safe, Semi, Limited burst of 2 or 3 rounds, Full auto) position levers, ambidextrous or not, and marked with letters, digits or icons. The MP-5 is always fired from closed bolt for improved accuracy, but this limits the amount of sustained fire due to the barrel overheating and resulting cook-off problems. To avoid this, MP-5 cocking handle could be locked in the rear position in the special slot, leaving the bolt in the open position, with no cartridge in the chamber. To commence the fire one must simply release the cocking handle from its notch and then pull the trigger. Modern MP-5 submachine guns are equipped with three-lug quick detachable silencer mounts on the barrel. Sights are similar to other HK models, and consists of the front hooded post sight and the adjustable for windage and elevation drum-type diopter rear sight. Special quick-detachable clamp mounts allows for installation of night, optical and red-dot sights if required. Standard magazine capacity is 30 rounds, but shorter 15 rounds magazines are available. Special versions were developed and manufactured in limited numbers during 1980s-90s for the US Law Enforcement market, chambered for more powerful 10mm Auto (10x25mm) and .40S&W (10x22mm) ammunition. These guns can be easily distinguished from more common 9mm models by straight box 30 rounds magazines, made from plastic.
While all of MP-5 can be fitted with silencers, there also a dedicated silenced version of MP-5, called MP5SD2 or SD3 (depending on the stock type). This version is equipped with non detachable integral silencer, and the vented barrel, to reduce the bullet muzzle velocity down below the speed of sound. The MP-5SD is intended to fire standard 9mm ammunition, not the special subsonic one.
Semi-automatic only versions of the MP-5 were once made for civilian market under the designation of HK-94, some with longer, 16 inch (406 mm) barrels, to conform with US laws. There also is an US company, called Special Weapons LLC, that is manufacturing semi-automatic, civilian MP-5 clones in various pistol calibers, including the .45ACP.

Background: This weapon is manufactured by Heckler and Koch and is presently fielded to Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Companies and Marine Security Force Battalions. It is currently considered the main weapon in the close quarters battle (CQB) environment.

Features: The MP5-N fires from a closed and locked bolt in either the automatic or semiautomatic modes. This gun is recoil operated and has a unique delayed roller locked bolt system, a retractable butt stock, a removable suppressor, and illuminating flashlight integral to the forward handguard. The flashlight is operated by a pressure switch custom fitted to the pistol grip. This is the same basic weapon used by the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team and other world-class counter-terrorist organizations.
The present inventory includes both suppressed and non-suppressed versions of the MP5. The basic configuration of this weapon makes for an ideal size, weight,and capable (accuracy, lethality, reliability, etc.) close quarters battle weapon system.

Specifications
Manufacturer	Heckler and Koch
Length (Collapsed stock)	19.29 inches (49 centimeters)
Length (Extended stock)	25.98 inches (66 centimeters)
Weight	7.44 pounds (3.38 kilograms) (w/30 round magazine)
Bore diameter	9mm (.355 inches)
Maximum effective range	328.1 feet (100 meters)
Rate of fire	800 rounds per minute
Unit Replacement Cost	$894