The FN MAG (Mitrailleuse d'Appui Général) is a 7.62x51mm NATO Belgian medium machinegun designed by Ernest Vervier at Fabrique Nationale in the early 1950s. It is widely regarded as the definitive general-purpose machine gun of the 20th century. Mechanically, it is a masterclass in hybrid engineering, marrying the proven long-stroke gas piston and locking system of the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle with the sophisticated, disintegrating-link belt-feed mechanism of the MG 42. This combination resulted in a weapon of legendary reliability, capable of sustained fire in the most gruelling environments, from the humid jungles of Vietnam to the dusty expanses of Africa. Empirical evidence of its efficacy lies in the sheer amount of Western Bloc 🦅 nations that have adopted it; for example, the British L7A2 and the American M240.
