The MG 34 - the first Universelles Maschinengewehr forerunner of the modern GPMG, shown here in two different mountings. The MG34 brought together the older inovations of belt-feed, fast barrel-change, and multiple mounts- but into a single design.

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 medium machine-gun, while at the same time being man-portable. However, performance in either role may be inferior to a weapon specifically designed for that role. In modern practice, they are air-cooled medium machine guns firing full-power rifle cartridges such as 7.62 NATO. They are generally operated from a stationary prone position from either a bipod or tripod, or mounted on a vehicle, as they are usually too powerful and heavy to be fired effectively on foot from an unsupported standing position or on the move. WW2 Germany machine gun Source link http://www. ... WW2 Germany machine gun Source link http://www. ... The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, was a German machine gun that was first produced and accepted for service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. ... A . ... The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, one of the most popular modern 5. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... NATO 7. ... A bipod is a support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with only two legs. ... Look up tripod in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

During the inter-war period, Germany developed the Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34 from scratch up as a GPMG, as opposed to an adaptation of an existing weapon, such as the MG 08/15. The MG 34 was air-cooled, belt-fed and had the ability to be mounted on a variety of fixtures and employed in several different roles. Notably, the MG 34 remained the standard co-axial weapon for German vehicles through the Second World War. The MG 34 was successful enough during use in the opening stages of the Second World War that the concept of the GPMG was adopted in many other post-WWII armies. The MG 34's immediate successor in Wehrmacht service, the MG 42, was the most versatile and effective machine gun design of the Second World War. MG34 The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG34, was a German machine gun that was first produced and accepted for service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. ... The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, was a German machine gun that was first produced and accepted for service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. ... MG08 with optical sight. ... The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, was a German machine gun that was first produced and accepted for service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. ... The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, was a German machine gun that was first produced and accepted for service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, was a German machine gun that was first produced and accepted for service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, was a German machine gun that was first produced and accepted for service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. ... Wehrmacht   (armed forces, literally defence force(s)) was the name of the armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. ... The Maschinengewehr 1942, or MG42, is a German machine gun, first manufactured in 1942 as the successor to the MG34. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Belgian-made FN MAG.

The modern GPMG (or "Gimpy" in British army slang, pronounced with a soft G) is a medium machine gun which operates as a support weapon. The term, which comes from the Belgian French name Mitrailleuse d'Appui General or General Purpose Machineguns (GPMG), became popular for describing medium machine guns used in multiple roles. The original Belgian French term " Mitrailleuse a Gaz" is also known to be used. The mediums fired full power rifle caliber ammunition, but had some concessions for more extended firing and more general usage. This generally included both bipod and tripod/pintle mounting options and quick-change barrels. The first medium machine guns used as a GPMG traces back to WWI, where aircooled medium machine guns were used in many different roles, typically with larger magazine on aircraft, tanks, and ships, and in lighter configurations by infantry on bipods on tripods. Image File history File linksMetadata Bermuda_Regiment_Warrant_Officer. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Bermuda_Regiment_Warrant_Officer. ... The FN MAG is a machine gun manufactured by Fabrique Nationale (FN), Belgium. ... The FN MAG is a machine gun manufactured by Fabrique Nationale (FN), Belgium. ...

M240G general purpose machine gun.

The MG3, a direct descendant of the MG42, is still in service with the German Army and others. The Belgian FN MAG, FN Mitrailleuse d'Appui General (general purpose machine gun) has long been the most widely-used GPMG among NATO and other western armies. The British Army and other Commonwealth forces used it to replace the venerable Vickers Gun, beginning in the late 1950s. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2000x1312, 1580 KB)PhotoID: 20044724929 Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler Caption: CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan - Lance Cpl. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2000x1312, 1580 KB)PhotoID: 20044724929 Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler Caption: CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan - Lance Cpl. ... M240B pictured Caliber: 7. ... The German MG3 is one of the most popular universal machine guns in the World. ... The MG42 (shortened from German: Maschinengewehr 42, or Machine rifle 42) was a machine gun that was developed for and entered service with Germany in 1942, during World War II. The 7. ... The German Army (German: Heer, [IPA: heɐ]  ) is the land component of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces) of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... The FN MAG is a machine gun manufactured by Fabrique Nationale (FN), Belgium. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled . ...

The US Army has adopted the FN MAG as the M240 to replace the previous US GPMG (also widely used by allied nations), the M60 machine gun. The US Army uses the M249 - the Minimi - as its light machine gun/squad automatic weapon, and the M2 machine gun (using the .50 BMG cartridge) is used in the heavy machine gun role. The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... M240B pictured Caliber: 7. ... The M60 (formally the United States Machine Gun, Caliber 7. ... The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (M249 SAW) is the United States military designation for a sub-family of the FN Minimi squad automatic weapon (from Mini-mitrailleuse French: mini-machine gun. Both are 5. ... The FN Minimi is a squad automatic weapon — the name coming from Mini-mitrailleuse (French: mini-machine gun. It is a 5. ... A squad automatic weapon (SAW) is a light or general-purpose machine gun, usually equipped with a bipod and firing a 7. ... This article is about the . ... A . ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Since the late 1950s or early 1960s, the Czechs produced the Vz.59 general purpose machine-gun in both 7.62mm x 54R and 7.62mm NATO (for export models), for which light and heavy barrels were made for differing tactical roles. The approximate Russian equivalent is the PK/PKM family of multi-purpose machine-guns which has been in Russian, and previously Soviet, military service since 1964, and which has been widely exported. The PK is a 7. ...

Since 1967, the People's Republic of China has also produced a general purpose machine-gun in 7.62mm X 54R as a hybrid weapon derived from several different machine-gun models and with the original model designation of Type 67; since then, second and third modified and improved models of this gun have been made and have been designated Type 67-1 and Type 67-2 respectively.

See also

• List of firearms
• Medium machine gun

The MG 34 - the first Universelles Maschinengewehr forerunner of the modern GPMG, shown here in two different mountings. The MG34 brought together the older inovations of belt-feed, fast barrel-change, and multiple mounts- but into a single design.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 medium machine-gun, while at the same time being man-portable. However, performance in either role may be inferior to a weapon specifically designed for that role. In modern practice, they are air-cooled medium machine guns firing full-power rifle cartridges such as 7.62 NATO. They are generally operated from a stationary prone position from either a bipod or tripod, or mounted on a vehicle, as they are usually too powerful and heavy to be fired effectively on foot from an unsupported standing position or on the move. Located below is an extended list of small arms, ranging from pistols to machine guns and even to large handheld devices such as grenade launchers and anti-tank rifles. ... A Medium Machine Gun or MMG in modern terms, usually refers to a belt-fed, full-power rifle caliber (such as 7. ...

During the inter-war period, Germany developed the Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34 from scratch up as a GPMG, as opposed to an adaptation of an existing weapon, such as the MG 08/15. The MG 34 was air-cooled, belt-fed and had the ability to be mounted on a variety of fixtures and employed in several different roles. Notably, the MG 34 remained the standard co-axial weapon for German vehicles through the Second World War. The MG 34 was successful enough during use in the opening stages of the Second World War that the concept of the GPMG was adopted in many other post-WWII armies. The MG 34's immediate successor in Wehrmacht service, the MG 42, was the most versatile and effective machine gun design of the Second World War.

Belgian-made FN MAG.The modern GPMG (or "Jimpy" in British army slang) is a medium machine gun which operates as a support weapon. The term, which comes from the Belgian French name Mitrailleuse d'Appui General or General Purpose Machineguns (GPMG), became popular for describing medium machine guns used in multiple roles. The original Belgian French term " Mitrailleuse a Gaz" is also known to be used. The mediums fired full power rifle caliber ammunition, but had some concessions for more extended firing and more general usage. This generally included both bipod and tripod/pintle mounting options and quick-change barrels. The first medium machine guns used as a GPMG traces back to WWI, where aircooled medium machine guns were used in many different roles, typically with larger magazine on aircraft, tanks, and ships, and in lighter configurations by infantry on bipods on tripods.

The GPMG designation (or a translation of the term) has been applied by several nations to their weapons, but they did not actually apply the concept, and others did the reverse. Overall the GPMG concept itself has not been especially successful, with lighter machine guns continuing to be used as well as heavier designs. They were successful in supplanting heavy water-cooled designs firing the same, rifle caliber, but this was mostly due to that type of weapon being rendered obsolete by modern warfare. In U.S. service, for example, the M240 could be considered a GPMG, but in practice is generally used as a tripod- or vehicle-mounted medium machine gun. The lighter M249 (firing 5.56 NATO ammunition) is the main U.S. light machine gun/squad automatic weapon, and the M2 machine gun (using the .50 BMG cartridge) is used in the heavy machine gun role.

M240G general purpose machine gun.The MG3, a direct descendant of the MG42, is still in service with the German army and others. The Belgian FN MAG, FN Mitrailleuse d'Appui General (general purpose machine gun) has long been the most widely-used GPMG among NATO and other western armies. The British Army and other Commonwealth forces used it to replace the venerable Vickers Gun, beginning in the late 1950s. The US Army has adopted the FN MAG as the M240 to replace the previous US GPMG (also widely used by allied nations), the M60 machine gun. The US Army uses the M249 which is another FN Herstal product, the Minimi.

It should also be noted that since the late 1950s or early 1960s, the Czechs produced the Vz.59 (or UK 68) general purpose machine-gun in both 7.62mm x 54R and 7.62mm NATO (for export models), for which light and heavy barrels were made for differing tactical roles. The approximate Russian equivalent was and is the PK/PKM family of multi-purpose machine-guns which has been in Russian, and previously Soviet, military service since about 1964, and which has been widely exported. Since 1967, the People's Republic of China has also produced a general purpose machine-gun in 7.62mm X 54R as a hybrid weapon derived from several different machine-gun models and with the original model designation of Type 67; since then, second and third modified and improved models of this gun have been made and have been designated Type 67-1 and Type 67-2 respectively.