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British GPMG
The L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (or known to those who've humped it about as either the Gimpy or more affectionately as the General) is a 7.62 x 51mm belt-fed general purpose machine gun which can be used as a light weapon and in a sustained fire (SF) role.
In the SF role, mounted on a tripod and fitted with the C2 optical sight, it is fired by a two-man team who are grouped in a specialist Machine Gun Platoon to provide battalion-level fire support. In SF mode, the GPMG, with a two-man crew, lays down 750 rounds-per-minute at ranges up to 1800 metres.
The GPMG can be carried by foot soldiers and employed as a light machine gun (LMG), although it has largely been replaced by the lighter 5.56 x 45mm Minimi in this role (not so, they both have their place, whilst on operations its common practice to include both on a foot patrol), in most regiments. A fold-out bipod is used to support the GPMG in the LMG role.
Versions of the GPMG are mounted on most Army vehicles and some helicopters.
Calibre 7.62mm
Weight 13.85kg (gun plus 50-round belt)
Length 1230mm (light role)
Barrel length 629mm
Muzzle velocity 838m/s
Feed 100-round disintegrating link belt
Effective range 800m light role, 1800m sustained fire role
Cyclic rate of fire 750 rounds per minute
British LMG
Developed from the Minimi Light Machine Gun following experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, the LMG is a belt-fed suppression weapon. It provides the section commander with the capability to impose sustained suppressive fire onto an objective out to 300m and increases the overall firepower available to the section commander.
The LMG complements the Light Support Weapon and enhances the effectiveness of all section weapons across the spectrum of infantry operations.
Calibre: 5.56mm
Weight: 7.1kg (8.5kg with 100 rounds)
Length: 914mm
Feed: 100-round disintegrating belt
Effective range: 800m
Cyclic rate of fire: 700 to 1000 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity: 875m/s
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