Best MG

Whats do you think was the best MG of all time?

Mine would go to the MG-42 or SAW

 

The FN Mag, FN Minimi, and Browning M2.

 

The Browning M-2

 

Mg 42,hes still in use today,but in that time was certanly best,and he is famous one.

 

The gun for will will depend on purpose, and of course other limitiing factors.

For me the best purpose built LMG is the Bren Gun, moderately light, accurate and reliable.

GPMG:Either the FN Minimi or MG42

HMG:Browning M2

MMGrobably the Browning M1919A4

 

I dont got ur classification.Is it by weight,caliber r something else?

Just for compare,bren gun is 1.4kg lighter then MG42,bren used 7.7mm and MG 42 used 7.92mm ammo,bren had 1156mm lenght,MG 42-1220mm.I dont see much diference there in class.

 

Classification is based on weight and on purpose.
A light Machine gun is a squad automatic weapon using limmited fire support.

A Medium Machine gun is heavier but designed to give out more sustained fire support

A Heavy Machine Gun is heavier still and is designed to give heavy fire support again lightly armoured vehicles, aircraft and dug in emplacements

A General Purpose machine gun is inbetween a LMG and MMG, desgined to be portable but also be able to give out msustained fire support.

 

I'd say the M-2.

 

Are you sure? I don't think an MMG is actually any heavier than an LMG, and the Browning M2 is not an MMG... As i understand it, an MMG has the same calibre as a LMG, but is has more firepower to require a tripod or carriage, and be served by several men... The only difference between an MMG and an HMG is in calibre, and since the Browning M2 is .50 cal, that makes it a HMG

Simple definition
LMG : Infantry calibre squad weapon, can be fired from hand
MMG : Infantry calibre support weapon, requires tripod
HMG : Heavy calibre support weapon, requires tripod

 

That would be the MG-3 a redesigned version of the MG-42 with a lowered ROF. In use by Germany and Spain among other possibly.

 

Smeg:
Medium Machine guns usually have thicker barrels and less is done to save weight, yes they use standard rifle ammuntition but i should have made it more clear their purpose is simply just to give out a more sustained burst of fire.

Again in my post i should have made it more clear about Heavy Machine Guns. I did not say they gave out a higher volume of fire, but i said they gave out Heavy Fire Support, i should have expanded on this to mean that though the rate of fire is similar to that of a LMG or MMG it is designed to hit more entrenched targets by the use of a heavier or larger round.

 

MG42

 

Interestingly this seems to be fixating on WWII weapons.

For LMG and MMG I think most modern weapons are pretty close with little to chose between the GPMG, M60, PKM or MG3. I'd chose the Gimpy out of patriotism if nothing else.

To those who picked the MG42, I have to ask, why? It's infamous rate of fire? Or any other reason? If ROF, then if this was really such a plus why did post-war GPMGs end up with a lower ROF rather than maximising at 1,000+?

HMG, again hard to chose, but I reckon the Singaporean CIS 50 has got to be up there, especially as it was apparently designed to improve on precieved weaknesses in the M2HB.

 

M-2 modern (sorta)

Besides, this is a WW2 tank forum.......I dunno just makes sense to me.

Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! *hand waving in the air*
Does the 20mm Vulcan count?

 

No. 20mm is a cannon, not an LMG, not an MMG and not an HMG. According to the definition I grew accustomed to, up to 15mm is a Machine Gun (Since this is reckoned to be the smallest caliber that can handle an effective explosive charge), 15mm and above are cannons. As I understand there is nothing official on that and current understanding is that the boundary has shifted to 20mm and above (Or above 20mm, the Luftwaffe in WWII regarded 20mms as MGs), but by either of the Post-war definitions (And as the Vulcan is a postwar weapon) the Vulcan is a cannon, not an MG of any description.

In any case, I didn't think we were counting aircraft weapons. In that case what about the ShKAS? At 1,800 rpm it leaves the MG42 looking a bit on the slow side...

 

MP-40?

Vulcans are also used on ship to counter missiles

 

The MP-40 was a submachine gun or in the German name a machine pistol

 

Good for them. It still doesn't make them a MG though...

An MP40 fires pistol ammunition so is a submachinegun, not an LMG, MMG or HMG.

 

Nope,actualy real one MG-42 war widely used on ex Yugoslavia civil war (mostly soldiers was natives so military reserve weapon dumps was full off WW II weapons,MG-42,tompsons,etc,but only MG-42 was so widely used).

So when i sow definition,i can guaranty u that MG 42 dont need tripoid.In Serbian army diference between LMG and MMG is in tripoid (when he dont use it it is LMG) but it is same weapon.

And i think that is 12.7mm (50 cal) last caliber who count as boulet,after that is a shell.

 

A MG42 is designed both for tripod and bipod use, so use as a LMG and MMG which makes it a GPMG