Mk 48 machine gun
Encyclopedia
The Mk 48 is a lightweight belt-fed machine gun
, firing 7.62×51mm NATO
cartridge
s from a disintegrating belt
of ammunition.
It is manufactured by Fabrique Nationale Manufacturing, Inc., a division of FN Herstal based in the United States
. The Mk 48 has been developed in conjunction with the U.S. Special Operations Command
(USSOCOM), which has adopted the weapon and started its fielding process, beginning with special operations units
.
NATO lightweight machine gun (LWMG) to replace the M60E4/Mk 43 Mod 0
in use by United States Naval Special Warfare Command
(NSWC), which proved to be "less than reliable".
The LWMG program was patterned after the Mk 46 Mod 0—a variant of the M249 light machine gun
currently in use by the USSOCOM.
Fabrique Nationale's division at Columbia, South Carolina
(which also produces the M16
, M249 and M240 series of weapons for the U.S. military) was charged with production of the Mk 48 Mod 0. The program achieved full-rate production
on 21 March 2003.
, air-cooled, fully automatic
, belt-fed
machine gun. The design is based on an early 7.62×51mm NATO
prototype of the FN Minimi
, modified to be a scaled-up version of the 5.56 mm Mk 46 Mod 0.
Being heavily based on the Mk 46 Mod 0, the Mk 48 Mod 0 features five MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail
s (one on top of the receiver, one on each side of the forearm
/handguard, one under the handguard, and one on top of the barrel
), an integral folding bipod
, and a tripod
-mounting lug. The weapon is fitted with the same fixed, polymer buttstock as the M249, although the metallic, collapsible buttstock from the "Para" model can be found in some models. The carrying handle, which had been removed from the Mk 46, was reintegrated on the Mk 48 to assist the replacement of hot barrels without use of other equipment, such as heat-resistant gloves; the handle can be folded down when not in use. As with the Mk 46, the Mk 48 Mod 0 does not have an M249-type magazine feed port, in order to save weight. The weapon can be fed from a loose belt, separate belt boxes, or clip-on ammunition pouches for 100 rounds.
The 70% commonality with the Mk 46, M240 and M249 provides the Mk 48 with easily interchangeable parts in the need of replacements. Furthermore, the Picatinny rails can be fitted with various accessories from the SOPMOD kit
, such as the ECOS-N
(Enhanced Combat Optical Sight) red dot sight
. The Mk 48 can also be fitted with a vertical foregrip for increased controllability during sustained fire. While heavier than the 5.56×45mm NATO M249 due to its larger chambering and heavier barrel, the Mk 48 Mod 0 is still 17% lighter and 8.4% shorter than the M240.
The Mk 48 Mod 0 is currently in service with certain USSOCOM units, such as the U.S. Navy SEALs
and Army Rangers
.
Mk 48 Mod 1
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, firing 7.62×51mm NATO
7.62×51mm NATO
The 7.62×51mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
s from a disintegrating belt
Belt (firearm)
A belt or ammunition belt is a device used to retain and feed cartridges into a firearm. Belts and the associated feed systems are typically employed to feed machine guns or other automatic weapons...
of ammunition.
It is manufactured by Fabrique Nationale Manufacturing, Inc., a division of FN Herstal based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Mk 48 has been developed in conjunction with the U.S. Special Operations Command
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
(USSOCOM), which has adopted the weapon and started its fielding process, beginning with special operations units
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
.
History
On 21 March 2001, the USSOCOM approved the MNS/ORD (Mission Need Statement/Operational Requirements Document) for a new 7.62×51mm7.62×51mm NATO
The 7.62×51mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries...
NATO lightweight machine gun (LWMG) to replace the M60E4/Mk 43 Mod 0
Mk43 machine gun
The Mk43/M60E4 General Purpose Machine Gun is a 7.62 mm NATO light machine gun. Evolved from the M60 Series of machine guns, it has several improvements over the originals...
in use by United States Naval Special Warfare Command
United States Naval Special Warfare Command
The United States Naval Special Warfare Command was commissioned on April 16, 1987, at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in San Diego, California...
(NSWC), which proved to be "less than reliable".
The LWMG program was patterned after the Mk 46 Mod 0—a variant of the M249 light machine gun
M249 light machine gun
The M249 light machine gun , previously designated the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon , and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is an American version of the Belgian FN Minimi, a light machine gun manufactured by the Belgian company FN Herstal . The M249 is manufactured in the...
currently in use by the USSOCOM.
Fabrique Nationale's division at Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
(which also produces the M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
, M249 and M240 series of weapons for the U.S. military) was charged with production of the Mk 48 Mod 0. The program achieved full-rate production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
on 21 March 2003.
Design
The Mk 48 Mod 0 is a gas-operatedGas-operated reloading
Gas-operation is a system of operation used to provide energy to operate autoloading firearms. In gas-operation, a portion of high pressure gas from the cartridge being fired is used to power a mechanism to extract the spent case and chamber a new cartridge. Energy from the gas is harnessed...
, air-cooled, fully automatic
Automatic firearm
An automatic firearm is a firearm that loads another round mechanically after the first round has been fired.The term can be used to refer to semi-automatic firearms, which fire one shot per single pull of the trigger , or fully automatic firearms, which will continue to load and fire ammunition...
, belt-fed
Belt (firearm)
A belt or ammunition belt is a device used to retain and feed cartridges into a firearm. Belts and the associated feed systems are typically employed to feed machine guns or other automatic weapons...
machine gun. The design is based on an early 7.62×51mm NATO
7.62×51mm NATO
The 7.62×51mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries...
prototype of the FN Minimi
FN Minimi
The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...
, modified to be a scaled-up version of the 5.56 mm Mk 46 Mod 0.
Being heavily based on the Mk 46 Mod 0, the Mk 48 Mod 0 features five MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
s (one on top of the receiver, one on each side of the forearm
Forearm (firearm component)
In firearms, the forearm is a section of the weapon between the receiver and the muzzle. It is used to hold the firearm steady and is usually made out of wood or composite material...
/handguard, one under the handguard, and one on top of the barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
), an integral folding bipod
Bipod
A bipod is a support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with two legs. It provides significant stability along two axes of motion .-Firearms:...
, and a tripod
Tripod
A tripod is a portable three-legged frame, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The word comes from the Greek tripous, meaning "three feet". A tripod provides stability against downward forces, horizontal forces and moments about the...
-mounting lug. The weapon is fitted with the same fixed, polymer buttstock as the M249, although the metallic, collapsible buttstock from the "Para" model can be found in some models. The carrying handle, which had been removed from the Mk 46, was reintegrated on the Mk 48 to assist the replacement of hot barrels without use of other equipment, such as heat-resistant gloves; the handle can be folded down when not in use. As with the Mk 46, the Mk 48 Mod 0 does not have an M249-type magazine feed port, in order to save weight. The weapon can be fed from a loose belt, separate belt boxes, or clip-on ammunition pouches for 100 rounds.
The 70% commonality with the Mk 46, M240 and M249 provides the Mk 48 with easily interchangeable parts in the need of replacements. Furthermore, the Picatinny rails can be fitted with various accessories from the SOPMOD kit
SOPMOD
The Special Operations Peculiar MODification kit is an accessory system for the M4A1 carbine and FN SCAR Mk 16/17 used by USSOCOM...
, such as the ECOS-N
Aimpoint CompM2
The CompM2 is a battery powered non-magnifying red dot type of reflex sight for firearms manufactured by Aimpoint AB. In the U.S. military, it is designated M68 Close Combat Optic and is also known as M68 Aimpoint and is designed to meet United States military standards...
(Enhanced Combat Optical Sight) red dot sight
Red dot sight
A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non-magnifying reflector sight for firearms that gives the user an aimpoint in the form of an illuminated red dot...
. The Mk 48 can also be fitted with a vertical foregrip for increased controllability during sustained fire. While heavier than the 5.56×45mm NATO M249 due to its larger chambering and heavier barrel, the Mk 48 Mod 0 is still 17% lighter and 8.4% shorter than the M240.
The Mk 48 Mod 0 is currently in service with certain USSOCOM units, such as the U.S. Navy SEALs
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
and Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
.
Variants
Mk 48 Mod 0- This is a 7.62×51mm NATO7.62×51mm NATOThe 7.62×51mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries...
version of the Mk 46, used by USSOCOM when a heavier cartridge is required. It is officially classified as an LWMG (Light Weight Machine Gun) and was developed as a replacement for the Mk 43 Mod 0/1Mk43 machine gunThe Mk43/M60E4 General Purpose Machine Gun is a 7.62 mm NATO light machine gun. Evolved from the M60 Series of machine guns, it has several improvements over the originals...
. The M60-based machine guns are a great deal more portable than the heavier M240-based designs used elsewhere in the U.S. military in the infantry medium machine gun role. The M60-based designs have a long history of insufficient reliability, however. Trials conducted through the mid-1990s led the U.S. Army to replace its M60 with M240B GPMGsGeneral purpose machine gunA general-purpose machine gun is a multi-purpose weapon: it is a machine gun firing a full-power rifle cartridge and which can be used in a variety of roles, from a bipod- or tripod-mounted infantry support weapon to a helicopter door gun or a vehicle-mounted support weapon...
. The M240B weighs in at ~27.5 lb and is about 49" long with the standard barrelGun barrelA gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
. Due to this extra weight and size NAVSPECWAR was reluctant to give up the increased portability of the M60 (~22.5 lb, 37.7" OAL with the shortest "Assault Barrel") designs, despite the M240's increased reliability. A request was put in for a new machine gun in 2001, and FN responded with a scaled up version of the M249 weighing in at ~18.5 lb with an OAL of ~39.5". This new design achieved much better reliability than the M60-based weapons while bettering its light weight and maintaining the same manual of arms as the already in-use M249. USSOCOM was slated to begin receiving deliveries of the new gun in August of 2003.
Mk 48 Mod 1
- The Mk 48 Mod 1 is an update of the Mk 48 Mod 0. Like the Mod 0, it is essentially an M249 scaled up to fire the 7.62×51mm NATO round. The Mod 1 utilizes a 19.75" barrel, weighs in at 18.37 lb unloaded, and has a rate of fire of 500–625 rpm.
See also
- M249M249 light machine gunThe M249 light machine gun , previously designated the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon , and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is an American version of the Belgian FN Minimi, a light machine gun manufactured by the Belgian company FN Herstal . The M249 is manufactured in the...
, the current issue light machine gun of the U.S. ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and U.S. MarinesUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States... - M240, the current issue medium machine gun of the U.S. military
- M60E4/Mk 43 Mod 0, a development of the M60 machine gunM60 machine gunThe M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
for special operations use - List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces