FN EVOLYS rethinks the belt-fed gun with side feed, rifle handling

FN Herstal's EVOLYS is a belt-fed machine gun built around cutting weight without cutting capability, and a new TFB Photo of the Day feature shows the design doing its job in soldiers' hands.

Key points

• Weight savings: The 5.56x45mm NATO EVOLYS weighs 5.5 kg, roughly two kilograms lighter than a Minimi, while the 7.62x51mm NATO version comes in at 6.2 kg.
• Rifle-like handling: TFB notes the balance and ergonomics are closer to an assault rifle than a traditional SAW, which matters over long carries.
• Semi-auto option: The selector includes a semi-auto position for engaging point targets, not just a full-auto-only belt gun.
• Lateral feed mechanism: A patented side-mounted belt feed allows one-handed reloading and frees up the top of the receiver.
• Clean optics rail: Moving the feed off the top makes room for a continuous, one-piece rail for in-line optics mounting.

Quick take

TFB frames the EVOLYS as applying a Colin Chapman-style philosophy to belt-fed guns: strip weight, keep the firepower. For gun owners who follow military small arms development, the lateral feed and integrated rail are the real story here, not just the lower number on the scale. Whether that translates to a civilian-legal semi-auto variant down the line is the obvious question, but as a design exercise in making a SAW handle like a rifle, it's worth a look.

Read the full story: Eric B