FN MAG 58 (L7A2)

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FN MAG 58 (L7A2)

Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 12:32 Written by Administrator Thursday, 02 July 2009 03:32

The FN MAG 58 is a general purpose machine gun designed and manufactured in Belgium by Fabrique National. It is chambered for the 7.62x51nn NATO cartridge type. It is used by more than 70 countries and is a standard-issue weapon in close to 25 countries.

The FN MAG 58 was developed almost at the same time as that of the M60. It was chambered for the same round as the M60 and was adopted into service by the British Army along with other weapons in the same class. The British Army designated it as “L742 General Purpose Machine Gun”.

The reliability and effectiveness of the FN MAG 58 is comparable to that of the earlier Bren gun. When it is fired mounted on a tripod, it is effective up to a distance of around 1800 meters. When it used with the integral bipod, it is effective to 1200 meters.

The integral bipod that comes with the FN MAG 58 is made of aluminum and is attached to the end of the gas cylinder. The bipod can be folded back to use the gun as a forearm. When the gun is fired from the hip, the left leg of the bipod serves as an additional grip. he MAG 58’s quick-change barrel features a slotted flash-suppressor and the chamber and bore are chrome-lined. A handle, front sight base and the gas-operation regulator are attached to the barrel.

The MAG’s rate of firing can be adjusted as required using the gas-operation system regulator. It can fire ammunition anywhere between 650 to 1000 rounds per minute. At the same time, the design is also such that barrel changes are fast and easy. Due to these features and the great versatility the MAG has to offer, the gun is very popular with various armed forces and thus employed by many countries.

The L7A2 is employed by the British Army as a standard vehicle-mounted machine gun. However, in the recent years it has been replaced by the L86A1 Light Support Weapon. Despite this, the L7A2 surfaces in action wherever British forces are involved.

Though the design of the MAD is more than fifty years old as of today, it is an excellent battlefield weapon. Very few other weapons compare with the FN MAG 58 when it comes to reliability and effectiveness. The MAG continues to one of the most widely used battle weapons of all time.