FN Browning Group and True Velocity to Develop New .338 Norma Magnum Machine Gun

The M2 .50 caliber machine gun—based on legendary gun designer John Browning’s M1919 air-cooled machine gun—has been the de facto heavy hitter for the U.S. military and its British/Commonwealth allies for decades. However, the U.S. military has explored alternatives in recent years, notably adapting the M240 medium machine gun for the .338 Norma Magnum cartridge.

The goal of the initiative led by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems was to provide a military weapon that delivered the same precision and range but with a significant weight reduction. It was seen as filling the gap between the 7.62mm NATO cartridge and the .50 BMG round.

The development moved forward as part of the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) Irregular Warfare program but was taken over by LoneStar Future Weapons and offered during the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program. Lonestar was, in turn, acquired by Texas-based True Velocity, which reintroduced it for the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) LMG-M program.

Now, FN Browning Group subsidiary FN UK announced a strategic alliance with True Velocity to manufacture the .338 Norma Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG) in the United Kingdom.

“The announcement amplifies FN UK’s continued advancement as the only UK-based manufacturer of military assault rifles and machine guns. FN UK will produce and assemble components of True Velocity’s lightweight medium machine gun at its manufacturing facility in Slade Green, Kent,” FN UK announced.

Designated the RM338, the weapon is noted for employing a short recoil impulse averaging (SRIA) system that combines a short recoil and gas-operated system of operation with a complex buffer assembly. This, in essence, minimizes the recoil of the .338 NM cartridge while also weighing just 24 pounds and having the length of a 7.62mm NATO general-purpose machine gun (GPMG), such as the M240 machine gun.

“Our lightweight medium machine offers a transformational capability on the battlefield, incorporating a recoil mitigation system that enables greater range, increased lethality, improved accuracy, and unprecedented controllability in an automatic weapon,” said True Velocity Chief Operating Officer Chris Tedford. “Our partnership with FN UK makes certain that this capability will be available soon to warfighters in the United Kingdom and beyond.”

In addition to adoption by the British military, the LWMMG is likely to find a place in the arsenal of the U.S. armed forces. In March, True Velocity was awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense for continued evaluation of the weapon system in a military program aimed at fielding a lightweight machine gun chambered in .338 Norma.

True Velocity LWMMG Specs:

• Caliber: .338 Norma Magnum
• Weight: 24 pounds
• Length: 49 inches
• Barrel Length: 24 inches
• Rate of Fire: 500 rounds per minute
• Muzzle Velocity: 2,650 feet per second
• Maximum Effective Range: 2,187 yards (2,200 meters)
• Maximum Range: 6,170 yards (5,642 meters)
• Mount: M192 tripod, various vehicle mounts

After nearly a century, there could be a viable alternative to the .50 caliber BMG.

The post FN Browning Group and True Velocity to Develop New .338 Norma Magnum Machine Gun appeared first on The Mag Life.

Read the full article here