General purpose machine gun
The L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) is a 7.62 x 51mm belt-fed general purpose machine gun which can be used as a light weapon and in a sustained fire (SF) role.
The L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) is a 7.62 x 51mm belt-fed general purpose machine gun which can be used as a light weapon and in a sustained fire (SF) role.
In the SF role, mounted on a tripod and fitted with the C2 optical sight, it is fired by a two-man team who are grouped in a specialist Machine Gun Platoon to provide battalion-level fire support. In SF mode, the GPMG, with a two-man crew, lays down 750 rounds-per-minute at ranges up to 1800 metres.
The GPMG can be carried by foot soldiers and employed as a light machine gun (LMG), although it has largely been replaced by the lighter 5.56 x 45mm Minimi in this role, in most regiments. A fold-out bipod is used to support the GPMG in the LMG role.
Versions of the GPMG are mounted on most Army vehicles and some helicopters.
Calibre | 7.62mm |
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Weight | 13.85kg (gun plus 50-round belt) |
Length | 1230mm (light role) |
Barrel length | 629mm |
Muzzle velocity | 838m/s |
Feed | 100-round disintegrating link belt |
Effective range | 800m light role, 1800m sustained fire role |
Cyclic rate of fire | 750 rounds per minute |