GPMG IN SF MODE

[Gil Boyd]

Nothing like the smell of a hot GPMG barrel fired by men of a great Battalion, stoppage cleared in 3 seconds...enjoy

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[browningautorifle]

stoppage cleared in 3 seconds

As it should be... Never heard a word of command for the MGs before as "Stand by, Fire"... Four tracers in the air, normal burst. Those guns seem to be in good shape. Most of our were a bit tired before the war. Don't know what they're like now. Our gas system was taken from us so you couldn't increase the rate if it was dragging. They changed to the armored type of gas block that's fixed. You get three settings and you have to strip the gun to change them. Now if your gun is slow you're hooped...

[Brian Dick]

FNMI incorporated that gas regulator change into the U.S M240B also. The British L7A2 with 12(?) settings is so much better. It keeps the gun running without beating it to death.

[browningautorifle]

The British L7A2 with 12(?) settings is so much better

Even the ones we had(UK had one more setting), you could go to a gun that was slow and with combat gloves on you could adjust it while the crew were running it. Tune it so to speak, it was a pitch you were looking for. Then you'd get the four tracers in the burst. Otherwise they could be running as slow as a 1919A4...painful.

[Gil Boyd]

Jim,
Spot on there............still have it in the memory banks then? Can't see it being withdrawn anytime soon for what it does................and with all these wars coming up they'll need it

[browningautorifle]

I think that most of the guns were running fast

Perhaps, yes. Yes that happened. I forgot about it being hard on the backplate. At least they weren't as prone to being set high like the Minimi, with only two settings the guys used to abuse them far more.

Can't see it being withdrawn anytime soon

No, I still have that and manipulation in mind. There's guys qualified machine guns, and there's Machine Gunners...

[Peter Laidler]

A TRUE successor to the Vickers. If I might...... I think that most of the guns were running fast and only one gun was as slow as I seem to think that they should be. But being paratroopers, they've upped the balance of the guns a bit by winding the gas up. More gas, faster gun and all that to knock sxxx out of the buffer and back plate!!!!! Naughty........ Good burst control too. Not quiote how it is when the DS aren't present (Gil, BAR and Muffer will vouch for/remember this) The fact remains that no one would have been bailing out of that target AFV in a hurry. Just keep them in there until the Milan crew get the firing post set up and get their teeth into it.

There is a VERY good reason for that 12 stage and complicated gas system that I won't go into here (said it before.......) But in short, it will cater for ANY known 7.62mm ball/tracer and under any known atmospheric condition likely to ever be encountered

[Flying10uk]

Does the British army still change barrels on GMPG when used in the S.F. mode? What is the item propped up on supports to the left of the left hand soldier?

[browningautorifle]

change barrels

Our doctrine states after every 220 rds a barrel will be changed. The British QMSI embedded with the Small Arms Cell in Gagetown will have driven that.

What is the item propped up on supports to the left

Those look like aiming stakes stuck in the ground upside down and that's a spare barrel, cooling...

[browningautorifle]

the M60 was renowned for...(RUNAWAY)

The firing mech had a flat spring holding it's axis pins in place. Supposedly assembled from the bottom it would lose it's tension and fall out allowing the firing mech to fall off. The Aussie instructors had us install them from top so they wouldn't fall off...just one of the things.

The Gun is not issued with a spare barrel.....
2 barrels come with the tripod as part of the kit, and any gun is then fitted to the tripod and barrels by an Armoured ( fitted for headspace) so the barrels are actually serial numbered to the tripod not the gun.

Very different from the way we do it. We issue a second barrel that's numbered to the gun. The third barrel comes with the mount group and "Extra barrels are provided during SF role"...meaning as stated others are checked and brought to that gun. Interesting, such a vast difference in doctrine...

The second barrel looks like it is being held up by 2 trip flare-pot pickets.

That's possible...Here's pics of aiming stakes and trip flare stakes...item "C" in our SF kit.

Our doctrine states after every 220 rds a barrel will be changed.

Here's a mistake from the past, the correction comes from the current book...a quote..."If the fire has to be delivered for long periods, whether at the normal or rapid rate, the barrel is to be changed every 440 rounds. The gas plug and block are to be cleaned with the issued reamers before re-use..."