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| Maschinengewehr 51 | |
|---|---|
 Swiss presentation of the MG51 | |
| Type | General-purpose machine gun |
| Place of origin | Switzerland |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1951–present |
| Used by | Swiss Army |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1942–1950 |
| Manufacturer | Waffenfabrik Bern |
| Produced | 1951–present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 16 kg (35.27 lb) (with bipod) 26 kg (57.32 lb) (with tripod) |
| Length | 1,270 mm (50.0 in) |
| Barrel length | 563 mm (22.2 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.5×55mm Swiss |
| Caliber | 7.5 mm |
| Action | Short–recoil, flapper-locked |
| Rate of fire | 1,000 rounds per minute, 570 and 1,000 rounds per minute (Pz Mg 87) |
| Muzzle velocity | 750 m/s (2,460 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 100 – 2,000 m sight adjustments |
| Feed system | 50-round magazine belt |
| Sights | Iron sights 2.3x optical sight |
The 7.5 mm Maschinengewehr 1951 or Mg 51 is a general-purpose machine gun manufactured by W+F of Switzerland. The weapon was introduced into Swiss service when the Swiss Army initiated a competition for a new service machine gun to replace the MG 11 heavy machine gun and the Furrer M25 light machine gun adopted in 1911 and 1925 respectively.