FN Minimi

FN Minimi
FN Minimi light machine gun
TypeLight machine gun
Squad automatic weapon
Place of originBelgium
Service history
In service1980–present
Used bySee Users
Wars
Production history
DesignerErnest Vervier
DesignedEarly 1970s
ManufacturerFN Herstal
FN USA
Thales Australia
Beretta
Bofors Carl Gustav
Pindad
Produced1977–present
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass7.1 kg (15.7 lb)
Length1,040 mm (40.9 in)
Barrel length465 mm (18.3 in)
Width110 mm (4.3 in)
Cartridge5.56×45mm NATO / 7.62×51mm NATO
ActionGas-actuated, open bolt
Rate of fire700–1,150 rounds/min[13]
Muzzle velocity925 m/s (3,035 ft/s)
Effective firing range300–1,000 m (980–3,280 ft) sight adjustments
Feed system100 or 200-round belt contained in a 100-round or 200-round soft pouch, or 200-round box or 30-round M16-type STANAG magazine to 60-round STANAG casket magazine
SightsRear aperture, front post

The FN Minimi (short for French: Mini Mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm or 7.62mm light machine gun, also classified as a squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. Introduced in the late 1970s, it is in service in more than 75 countries.[14] The weapon is manufactured at the FN facility in Herstal and their U.S. subsidiary FN Manufacturing LLC.

The Minimi fires from an open bolt. It is an air-cooled, gas operated long-stroke piston weapon that is capable of fully automatic fire only. It can be belt fed or fired from a magazine. The Minimi is configured in several variants: the Standard model as a platoon or squad support weapon, the shortened Para version for paratroopers and the Vehicle model as secondary armament for fighting vehicles.

  1. ^ McNab 2017, p. 56.
  2. ^ McNab 2017, pp. 56–57.
  3. ^ a b Schroeder, Matt (2013). "Captured and Counted: Illicit Weapons in Mexico and the Philippines". Small Arms Survey 2013: Everyday Dangers. Cambridge University Press. pp. 290, 303. ISBN 978-1-107-04196-7. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 24, 2013.
  4. ^ McNab 2017, p. 45.
  5. ^ McNab 2017, p. 60.
  6. ^ "Maré terá 6 UPPs até o fim do ano, diz governador do Rio". 23 May 2014.
  7. ^ Richard, Christophe (Spring 2014). "Shooting practice with the " Steel battalion "" (PDF). Fantassins. No. 32. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  8. ^ a b McNab 2017, p. 57.
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Syria pro-Assad was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Capdeville, Thibault (Spring 2014). "Infantry units fires during OP Serval" (PDF). Fantassins. No. 32. pp. 55–58. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  11. ^ "YouTube". www.youtube.com.[dead YouTube link]
  12. ^ "(No Longer) A Show Of Shame - Belgian Weapons Deliveries To Ukraine". Archived from the original on August 8, 2023.
  13. ^ McNab 2017, p. 18.
  14. ^ "FN Herstal Showcases its State-of-the-art Firepower for Land, Air, and Sea at IDEX 2015". Archived from the original on 2015-03-16. Retrieved 2015-03-23.