Home›Weapons Systems›Weapon Family›Light Machine GunsGroupLight Machine GunsLight machine guns are automatic weapons light enough to be carried and fired by one soldier, giving an infantry squad sustained fire, and the squad automatic weapons that fill the same role. A weapon belongs here when the infobox of its cited article names it a light machine gun or squad automatic weapon. It excludes general-purpose and heavy machine guns, which sit in their own groups. Weapons in this group are placed by what their own cited article states, so a visitor browsing light machine guns sees only systems whose sources name that role, and can compare them across eras, makers and the forces that used them.Browse BySourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)Browse ByAll Light Machine GunsLight Machine Guns40 entriesLight Machine GunsFilter Results40 entriesWeapon Type or ClassAllAutomatic rifle (1)Light machine gun (25)light machine gun (gas operated, air cooled) (1)Light machine gun platform (1)Lightweight machine gun (1)Machine gun (9)Modular weapon system (1)Squad automatic weapon (1)squad automatic weapon, light machine gun (1)CaliberAll.223 Remington (1).30 caliber (1).30-06 Springfield (8).303 British (3)5.45x39mm (2)5.56x45mm NATO (12)5.8x42mm (1)6.5x50mm (2)6.5x55mm (1)6.5×50mmSR Arisaka (2)6.5×52mm Mannlicher-Carcano (1)6.5×53mmR (1)6.8x51mm (1)7.35x51mm Carcano (1)7.5x54mm (1)7.5×54mm French (1)7.62x39mm (6)7.62x51mm NATO (6)7.62x54mmR (5)7.62×53mmR (1)7.65x53mm Argentine (2)7.7x56mmR (1)7.7x58mm (1)7.7×58mm Arisaka (1)7.92x57mm Mauser (6)7x57mm Mauser (2)8mm Lebel (2)8x50mmR Lebel (2)8x57 mm Patrone 88 (1)8×56mmR (1)8×58mmR (1)Introduced EraAll1902 (1)1909 (1)1914 (1)1915 (2)1918 (1)1922 (2)1925 (2)1928 (1)1930 (3)1935 (1)1936 (1)1937 (1)1939 (1)1940 (1)1948 (1)1959 (1)1961 (1)1963 (1)1964 (1)1973 (1)1974 (1)1975 (1)1982 (1)1984 (1)1986 (1)1988 (1)1989 (1)1994 (1)1997 (1)2002 (1)2003 (1)2010 (2)2016 (1)2019 (1)2021 (1)2025 (1)Service StatusAllIn Service (19)Prototype or Experimental (2)Retired (17)OperatorAllAustralian Defence Force (3)Brazilian Army (1)British Army (3)Canadian Armed Forces (3)Egyptian Armed Forces (2)Finnish Defence Forces (3)French Armed Forces (5)Hezbollah (1)Imperial Japanese Army (3)Imperial Japanese Navy (1)Imperial Russian Army (1)Israeli Defense Forces (3)Mexican Armed Forces (1)People's Liberation Army (1)Red Army (1)Royal Air Force (1)Royal Navy (1)Russian Armed Forces (1)Russian Ground Forces (1)Soviet Armed Forces (3)Spanish Armed Forces (1)United States Armed Forces (7)United States Army (2)United States Marine Corps (1)United States Navy (2)Wehrmacht (2)Wars Used InAllBosnian War (2)Burundian Civil War (1)Cambodian Civil War (2)Chinese Civil War (6)Falklands War (1)First Chechen War (2)First Indochina War (7)Gulf War (3)Ifni War (1)Iran-Iraq War (2)Iraq War (7)Korean War (9)Kosovo War (3)Laotian Civil War (3)Mexican Revolution (1)Nigerian Civil War (1)Russian Civil War (4)Russo-Georgian War (1)Russo-Japanese War (1)Russo-Ukrainian War (5)Second Chechen War (1)Second Sino-Japanese War (9)South African Border War (1)Soviet-Afghan War (2)Spanish Civil War (11)Syrian Civil War (7)Vietnam War (9)War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) (4)Winter War (2)World War I (5)World War II (17)Yugoslav Wars (2)ManufacturerAllAAI Corporation (1)Birmingham Small Arms Company (1)Breda (1)Cadillac (1)Carl Gustafs stads gevärsfaktori (1)Colt's Manufacturing Company (2)DISA A/S (1)FN Herstal (5)Hotchkiss et Cie (2)IBM (1)Israel Weapon Industries (1)John Inglis and Company (1)Kalashnikov Concern (1)Knight's Armament Company (1)Manufacture d'armes de Châtellerault (1)Marlin Firearms (1)Nagoya Arsenal (1)Norinco (1)Państwowa Fabryka Karabinów (1)Rheinmetall (1)Rheinmetall AG (1)Royal McBee (1)Royal Small Arms Factory (1)Savage Arms (1)SIG Sauer (1)SNT Motiv (1)State Rifle Factory (1)SureFire (1)Suzuka Naval Arsenal (1)Textron Marine & Land Systems (1)Toyokawa Naval Arsenal (1)Tula Arms Plant (1)Vyatskiye Polyany Machine-Building Plant (2)Winchester Repeating Arms Company (1)Zastava Arms (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 40Ares Shrike 5.56Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons1 linkBreda 30Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons3 linksBren GunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons7 linksBrowning Automatic RifleMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons11 linksChauchatMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons8 linksColt Automatic RifleMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons3 linksColt IAR6940Machine Guns And Automatic WeaponsDaewoo Precision Industries K3Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons3 linksDP-27 Machine GunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons14 linksFM 24/29 light machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons9 linksFN EVOLYSMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons3 linksFN MinimiMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons6 linksHotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons5 linksHotchkiss M1922 machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons4 linksIWI NegevMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons3 linksKnight's Armament Company LAMGMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons1 linkLahti-Saloranta M/26Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons3 linksLewis GunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons11 linksLSAT light machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic WeaponsM1941 Johnson machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons5 linksM249 SAWMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons12 linksM250 Light Machine GunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons2 linksMadsen machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons7 linksMaxim-TokarevMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons5 linksMG 13Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons5 linksMk 48 machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons8 linksModel 45AMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons1 linkQJB-201Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons1 linkRPD Machine GunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons2 linksRPKMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons3 linksRPK-74Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons5 linksRPL-20Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons2 linksStoner 63Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons4 linksSureFire MGXMachine Guns And Automatic WeaponsType 11 light machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons7 linksType 73 light machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons3 linksType 96 light machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons7 linksType 97 aircraft machine gunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons3 linksType 99 Light Machine GunMachine Guns And Automatic Weapons7 linksZastava M72Machine Guns And Automatic Weapons6 linksSourcesMilitary Factory: Browning M1918 BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)Military FactoryHas Member: Browning Automatic Rifle, Header classification lineQuote, Has Member: Browning Automatic Rifle, Header classification lineLight Machine Gun (LMG)View the SourceWikipedia: Stoner 63Has Member: Stoner 63, LeadQuote, Has Member: Stoner 63, Leadit can be configured as an assault rifle, carbine, top-fed light machine gun, belt-fed squad automatic weapon, or as a vehicle mounted weaponView the SourceWikipedia: Model 45AHas Member: Model 45A, LeadQuote, Has Member: Model 45A, LeadThe Model 45A was a .30 caliber bullpup battle rifle/light machine gun developed by the United States Army in the Philippines in 1945.View the SourceWikipedia: RPK-74Has Member: RPK-74, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: RPK-74, Infobox: typeLight machine gun/Squad automatic weaponView the SourceWikipedia: Degtyaryov machine gunHas Member: DP-27 Machine Gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: DP-27 Machine Gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Zastava M72Has Member: Zastava M72, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Zastava M72, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Colt Automatic RifleHas Member: Colt Automatic Rifle, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Colt Automatic Rifle, Infobox: typeSquad automatic weapon Light machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Lahti-Saloranta M/26Has Member: Lahti-Saloranta M/26, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Lahti-Saloranta M/26, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Lewis Guntier 2WikipediaHas Member: Lewis Gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Lewis Gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Ares Shrike 5.56Has Member: Ares Shrike 5.56, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Ares Shrike 5.56, Infobox: typeSemi-automatic rifle, light machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: RPL-20Has Member: RPL-20, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: RPL-20, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: IMI NegevHas Member: IWI Negev, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: IWI Negev, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: FN EVOLYSHas Member: FN EVOLYS, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: FN EVOLYS, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Hotchkiss M1922 machine gunHas Member: Hotchkiss M1922 machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Hotchkiss M1922 machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gunHas Member: Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: QJB-201Has Member: QJB-201, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: QJB-201, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Bren light machine guntier 4WikipediaHas Member: Bren Gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Bren Gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: M249 Squad Automatic WeaponHas Member: M249 SAW, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: M249 SAW, Infobox: typeLight machine gun Squad automatic weaponView the SourceWikipedia: Mk 48 machine gunHas Member: Mk 48 machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Mk 48 machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gun Squad automatic weaponView the SourceWikipedia: Type 99 light machine gunHas Member: Type 99 Light Machine Gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Type 99 Light Machine Gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Colt IAR6940Has Member: Colt IAR6940, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Colt IAR6940, Infobox: typeLight machine gun Squad automatic weaponView the SourceWikipedia: Knight's Armament Company LAMGHas Member: Knight's Armament Company LAMG, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Knight's Armament Company LAMG, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: M250 light machine gunHas Member: M250 Light Machine Gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: M250 Light Machine Gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: SureFire MGXHas Member: SureFire MGX, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: SureFire MGX, Infobox: typeSquad automatic weapon, Light machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: M1941 Johnson machine gunHas Member: M1941 Johnson machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: M1941 Johnson machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Type 11 light machine gunHas Member: Type 11 light machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Type 11 light machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Type 96 light machine gunHas Member: Type 96 light machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Type 96 light machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Type 97 aircraft machine gunHas Member: Type 97 aircraft machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Type 97 aircraft machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Breda 30Has Member: Breda 30, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Breda 30, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: LSAT light machine gunHas Member: LSAT light machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: LSAT light machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Type 73 light machine gunHas Member: Type 73 light machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Type 73 light machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: RPD Machine Guntier 4WikipediaHas Member: RPD Machine Gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: RPD Machine Gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Maxim-TokarevHas Member: Maxim-Tokarev, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Maxim-Tokarev, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: FM 24/29 light machine gunHas Member: FM 24/29 light machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: FM 24/29 light machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Chauchattier 2WikipediaHas Member: Chauchat, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Chauchat, Infobox: typeLight machine gun Automatic rifleView the SourceWikipedia: Daewoo Precision Industries K3Has Member: Daewoo Precision Industries K3, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Daewoo Precision Industries K3, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: Madsen machine gunHas Member: Madsen machine gun, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: Madsen machine gun, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: MG 13Has Member: MG 13, Infobox: typeQuote, Has Member: MG 13, Infobox: typeLight machine gunView the SourceWikipedia: RPKtier 4WikipediaHas Member: RPK, Lead sentenceQuote, Has Member: RPK, Lead sentenceThe RPK (Russian: РПК; Ручной пулемёт Калашникова, romanized: Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, lit. 'Kalashnikov's hand-held machine gun') is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine gun/squad automatic weapon that was developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the early 1960s, in parallel with the AKM assault rifle.View the SourceWikipedia: FN Minimitier 4WikipediaHas Member: FN Minimi, Lead sentenceQuote, Has Member: FN Minimi, Lead sentenceThe FN Minimi (short for French: mini-mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm or 7.62mm light machine gun, also classified as a squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal.View the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.