| XM312 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Heavy machine gun |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | General Dynamics/Joint Services Small Arms Program |
| Designed | 1990 |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics |
| Produced | 2004 |
| Variants | XM307 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 16 kg (35.27 lb) (gun only) 24 kg (52.91 lb) (mount system) 40 kg (88.18 lb) (whole system) |
| Length | 61.42 in (1,560 mm) |
| Barrel length | 36 in (914 mm) |
| Width | 9.84 in (250 mm) |
| Height | 7 in (180 mm), 18 in (460 mm) adjustable tripod |
| Crew | 2 |
| Cartridge | .50 BMG |
| Caliber | 0.50 in (12.7 mm) |
| Action | "Recoil-reducing action" (modified rotating bolt) |
| Rate of fire | 260 rpm |
| Maximum firing range | lethal and suppressive to 2,000 meters |
| Feed system | Belt-fed |
| Sights | Open, optics may be mounted. |
The XM312 is a heavy machine gun derived from the XM307 25 mm autocannon and chambered for the .50 BMG cartridge. It was designed in response to a request by the U.S. military for a replacement for the aging M2 Browning heavy machine gun, and as a complement to the heavier XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon grenade launcher.
It is capable of being converted quickly into an XM307 with a small number of parts and a few minutes of work at the unit level (and vice versa from the XM307).[1]
The Fiscal Year 2008 Appropriations bill awarded $10 million to General Dynamics for the XM307 and XM312.[2]
In May 2008 the U.S. Army had awarded General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP) a $9 million contract to develop a lightweight .50-caliber machine gun called the XM806 to supplement the Browning M2.[3] The XM806 was canceled in 2012.[4] The Army at present will continue buying new M2s and Mk 19s to replenish the current guns that are wearing out.[5]