Machine gun

Machine guns are any class of firearms, either mounted or portable, that is designed to fire bullets at a rapid rate of fire, usually to dispatch lightly protected personnel or provide suppressive fire.

There is a wide range in the rates of fire for typical machine guns, running the gamut from below 500 rounds per minute up to 1500 rounds per minute. Machine guns can be fed by an ammunition belt (usually in the case of mounted guns) or fed by a magazine.

Automatic rifle


One of the rarest machine guns in the pre-War United States was this selective fire, air-cooled automatic rifle chambered for the powerful .308 caliber rounds, loaded using detachable 20 round magazines. The striker fired automatic rifle was one of the oldest and earliest light machine gun models, with a barrel screwed into the receiver, greatly limiting the ability to quickly replace barrels in the field, forcing the operator to fire carefully and more precisely than with stationary machine guns.

Automatic rifles found in the wastelands come with a fixed wooden buttstock and closed-type adjustable iron sights, consisting of a forward post and a rear leaf sight with 100 to 1,500 yard range graduations. 

Bozar


Sarcastically referred to as the "ultimate" refinement of the sniper's art, the Bozar is a light machine gun designed from the ground up for use on the move, rather than from a stationary position. The large collapsible stock, front handguard, muzzle brake, and the bulk of this large weapon ensure it remains under the operator's control even when fired in fully automatic mode and despite the long recoil operation. The scope ensures accurate fire at medium distances, while the detachable 30 round 5.56mm box magazine allows for quickly reloading by an infantryman on the move.

A notable downside is that the Bozar requires extra maintenance and can be prone to jamming if not kept scrupulously clean. If one gives it the care and attention it needs, it will be a powerful, accurate tool no matter when and how it is used. 

Light machine gun


The light machine gun is a bulky weapon designed around a gas-actuated long-stroke piston system, providing reliable round extraction after each shot. The weapon fires from an open bolt, reducing the danger of rounds cooking off and firing uncontrollably after firing prolonged bursts.

For portability and ease of use, it was manufactured entirely from metal with wood used as the grip and front handguard. A barrel shroud additionally protects the operator from accidentally burning themselves on a hot barrel during barrel changes. The barrel itself can be released and quickly swapped out using the prominent latch, though since the front sight post is permanently fixed to the barrel, replacing it also means that the weapon loses accuracy due to losing its zero. While taken together it can be clunky, especially for a weaker operator, it provides excellent firepower in the field and more than makes up for its deficiencies. 

Light support weapon


The light support weapon is a selective fire gas-operated design with a short-stroke gas piston system located above the barrel, designed in a bullpup arrangement with a bipod, shoulder strap and rear pistol grip. The extended barrel provides an increased muzzle velocity and further stabilizes the bullet, giving a greater effective range. The layout has caused problems for operators trying to fire it while prone and was thus remanded to National Guard units across the nation. The LSW has earned itself a reputation as a reliable automatic weapon that provides excellent firepower in a very compact package. 

M60


The M60 is a gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed, automatic machine gun that fires from the open-bolt position. Chambered for 7.62mm rounds, its design was created using many concepts introduced during World War II, including manufacture from stamped metal sheets (allowing easy mass production), a pistol grip, stock, and a semi-bullpup design, where most of the weapon's action occupies the stock. It is easily distinguished by its distinctive barrel shroud and barrel with integrated front post (a source of issues for gun crews, as replacing the barrel removes the calibration). It is a reliable, battle-proven design prized around the world. It saw extensive use by the United States and her allies in the latter half of the 20th century as a result. 

MG42


An alternative design for the squad light machine gun, the Maschinengewehr 42 (or MG42 ) was made during the latter half of World War II in Nazi Germany for use in the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. Designed from the start to be low cost and easy to build, the MG42 is an air-cooled, belt fed, open bolt, recoil-operated machine gun with a barrel designed for quick changes in the midst of combat. Capitalizing on the lessons provided by warfare in challenging climates, it is designed for ruggedness, reliability, and ease of operation by soldiers with even limited training. The combination of these factors made it capable of providing copious amounts of firepower and an absolute terror on the battlefield. And due to its distinctive firing sound, earned it the nickname "Hitler's buzzsaw".

After World War II, the MG42 continued to serve many countries and production copies would even be sold in the United States. The MG42 would also serve as direct design inspiration for many weapons, such as the American made M60.

Bren gun


The Bren is a Czech .303 caliber machine gun that was employed by the British and her commonwealths on the eve of World War II. It carried into the wasteland where it is a proficient choice of firepower, but not an exceptional one.

Browning auto rifle


The M1918 Browning automatic rifle, more commonly known as the BAR, was developed by John Browning in 1917 for the American Expeditionary Forces. Mass production of the BAR came to a halt when superior rifles with less recoil were produced. The BAR was mass produced from 1917 to 1950, with a supposed 100,000 made during this period of time. During its service, the Browning automatic rifle was used as a support weapon for pinning enemy soldiers with the high powered 30.06 rifle rounds.

Browning M2


 The Browning M2 (commonly called Ma Deuce) has been designed at the end of World War I by John Browning, responding to the Army Ordnance Department's request for a heavy machine gun capable of being used in anti-aircraft and anti-infantry rounds. Initial design work was completed in 1918, creating a scaled-up M1917 .30 machine gun built around a purpose-built .50 round. The first working units were produced in 1921, using water-cooled barrels, with subsequent development leading to the creation of the M2 in 1932, which would remain in service for decades.

The resulting .50 caliber machine gun combines the rugged design of its ancestor with the extremely powerful .50 round, highly effective against infantry and other soft targets, materiel, lightly armored vehicles, boats, fortifications, and aircraft. Though heavy and cumbersome when used away from a mount, the advent of power armor and the creation of minigun frames for personnel use allowed this venerable weapon to be used by soldiers on foot. 

Chauchat


The standard machine gun for the French during World War I, the Chauchat has seen better days in the wasteland. They are exceedingly rare, and those that are found don't even work.

M249 SAW


A force to be reckoned with, the M249 squad automatic weapon is the ultimate machine gun chambered in 7.62mm and one of the more frightening things to come out of Belgium.

Heavy machine gun


The heavy machine gun unloads a fast blast of bullets, but is not especially accurate. Still, when so many bullets are fired downrange, one can afford to be inaccurate.

GP machine gun
This general purpose machine gun is a typical automatic firearm.