Mk 48 Mod 0 machine gun

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the U.S. Navy torpedo, see Mark 48 torpedo.

Mk 48 Mod 0
Type	Machine gun
Place of origin	Belgium/United States
Service history
Used by	USSOCOM
Production history
Manufacturer	FN Herstal
Produced	2003—
Specifications
Weight	8.2 kg (18.26 lb) empty; 11.2 kg (24.7 lb) w/ 100 rounds
Length	1,000 mm (39.75 in)
Barrel length	502 mm (19.75 in)

Cartridge	7.62 × 51 mm NATO (STANAG 2310)
Caliber	7.62 mm (.308 in)
Action	Gas-operated, open bolt
Rate of fire	710 (± 50) rounds/min
Effective range	800 m (~875 yd), area target
Maximum range	3,600 m (~3,940 yd)
Feed system	Disintegrating belt (M13 link)

The Mk 48 Mod 0 is a lightweight belt-fed machine gun, firing 7.62 × 51 mm NATO cartridges 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, starting with special operations units.

1 History
2 Design and accessories
3 See also
4 References

[edit] History

On 21 March 2001, the USSOCOM approved the MNS/ORD (Mission Need Statement/Operational Requirements Document) for a new 7.62 × 51 mm NATO lightweight machine gun (LWMG) to replace the M60E4/Mk 43 Mod 0 in use by United States Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW), which proved to be "less than reliable".

The LWMG program was patterned after the Mk 46 Mod 0—a variant of the M249 SAW currently in use by the USSOCOM—and developed from the M240 series, the current-issue medium machine gun of the United States military.

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.

[edit] Design and accessories

The Mk 48 Mod 0 is a gas-operated, air-cooled, fully-automatic, belt-fed machine gun. The design is based on an early 7.62 × 51 mm NATO prototype of the 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 rails (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 high percentage of common parts (70%) with the Mk 46, M240 and M249 also provides the Mk 48 Mod 0 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 × 45 mm NATO versions of the M249 SAW 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.