The FN Minimi — the name coming from Mini-mitrailleuse (French: "mini-machine gun", is a 5.56x45mm NATO calibre light machine gun manufactured by the Belgian arms manfuacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (FN) and its subsidiaries.
The Minimi is able to use belts, magazines or boxed belts for ammunition feed. It was also half the weight of the 7.62x51mm General Purpose Machine Gun in the light (squad support) role, which it has now replaced in this role in many armies.
The Minimi was one of many firearms that came into general use as a result of NATO's adoption of the SS109 Belgian 5.56mm cartridge (developed by FN Herstal) as a standard. The acceptance of this new ammunition as a NATO standard gave added impetus for the adoption of the 5.56mm calibre standard around much of the world.
One of the first armed forces to adopt the FN Minimi was the Sri Lankan army, which did so in 1978 as part of a change from 7.62mm calibre to 5.56mm (the army was then equipped with 7.62mm FN FALs and .303 LMGs). Extensive testing of all alternative systems including the M16A1 resulted in the adoption of the FN FNC 5.56mm carbine as the personal weapon and the Minimi as the squad support weapon. The decision was based on the superior effectiveness of the SS109 ammunition, also developed by FN Herstal, which was only then becoming available, and was the standard ammunition for the FNC and Minimi.
The Minimi was the winner of a competition carried out by the U.S. military in the late 1970s/early 1980s for a new squad automatic weapon and adopted as the US M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, which is made by FNH USA, the American subsidiary of FN. Since then, the Minimi has been adopted by many other countries, especially NATO members.
Type: Light machine gun
Place of origin: Belgium
Designer: Ernest Vervier
Manufacturer: FN Herstal
Variants: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
Specifications:
Weight: 7.1 kg
Length: 1,038 mm (41 in)
Para: 914 mm (stock extended), 766 mm (retracted)
Barrel length 465 mm (18 in)
Para: 349 mm
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Cartridge 5.56 x 45 mm NATO (STANAG 4172), 7.62×51 NATO
Action Gas-operated, open bolt
Rate of fire 725 round/min with linked belt
Effective range 1,000 m
Para: 800 m
Feed system 200-round M27 disintegrating belts
100 or 200-round reusable soft packs
90 rounder drum magazines
100-round Beta C-Mag
20/30/40-round STANAG magazines
The Minimi is able to use belts, magazines or boxed belts for ammunition feed. It was also half the weight of the 7.62x51mm General Purpose Machine Gun in the light (squad support) role, which it has now replaced in this role in many armies.
The Minimi was one of many firearms that came into general use as a result of NATO's adoption of the SS109 Belgian 5.56mm cartridge (developed by FN Herstal) as a standard. The acceptance of this new ammunition as a NATO standard gave added impetus for the adoption of the 5.56mm calibre standard around much of the world.
One of the first armed forces to adopt the FN Minimi was the Sri Lankan army, which did so in 1978 as part of a change from 7.62mm calibre to 5.56mm (the army was then equipped with 7.62mm FN FALs and .303 LMGs). Extensive testing of all alternative systems including the M16A1 resulted in the adoption of the FN FNC 5.56mm carbine as the personal weapon and the Minimi as the squad support weapon. The decision was based on the superior effectiveness of the SS109 ammunition, also developed by FN Herstal, which was only then becoming available, and was the standard ammunition for the FNC and Minimi.
The Minimi was the winner of a competition carried out by the U.S. military in the late 1970s/early 1980s for a new squad automatic weapon and adopted as the US M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, which is made by FNH USA, the American subsidiary of FN. Since then, the Minimi has been adopted by many other countries, especially NATO members.
Type: Light machine gun
Place of origin: Belgium
Designer: Ernest Vervier
Manufacturer: FN Herstal
Variants: M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
Specifications:
Weight: 7.1 kg
Length: 1,038 mm (41 in)
Para: 914 mm (stock extended), 766 mm (retracted)
Barrel length 465 mm (18 in)
Para: 349 mm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cartridge 5.56 x 45 mm NATO (STANAG 4172), 7.62×51 NATO
Action Gas-operated, open bolt
Rate of fire 725 round/min with linked belt
Effective range 1,000 m
Para: 800 m
Feed system 200-round M27 disintegrating belts
100 or 200-round reusable soft packs
90 rounder drum magazines
100-round Beta C-Mag
20/30/40-round STANAG magazines
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