Negev machine gun, in standard configuration and with 200-round belt container clipped to the magazine housing Image: IWI Ltd. Negev machine gun, with short "Commando" barrel, forward assault grip, red-dot sight and 150-round ammunition container Image: IWI Ltd. Negev machine gun, with short "Commando" barrel, forward assault grip, laser aiming module and 150-round ammunition container Image: IWI Ltd. Negev machine gun with Commando barrel, removed bipod and folded butt; note that rear sight is replaced by Picatinny rail Image: IWI Ltd. Negev machine gun with Commando barrel and Galil-type box magazine Image: IWI Ltd. Negev Standard Negev Commando Caliber 5,56x45 NATO Weight 7,4 kg 7,0 kg Overall length 1020 / 780 mm 890 / 680 mm Barrel length 460 mm 330 mm Rate of fire 850 - 1150 rounds per minute Feed system Belt or box magazine, 30 or 35 rounds During late eighties IDF requested a development of the 5,56mm light machine gun which could complement reliable, but overly heavy 7,62mm FN MAG machine guns for foot soldiers. The goal was to design a tactical equivalent of the FN Minimi light machine gun, which was tested by IDF but for some reasons was not adopted. First prototypes of the new LMG, developed by Israeli Military Industries Company (now a privately-owned Israeli Weapons Inc) were issued to elite IDF Givati brigade in limited numbers for field testing in 1993. Those early weapons developed a lot of problems with feed reliability and high sensitivity to sand and dust, and further development took about three more years. Starting circa 1996 IMI began to deliver Negev machine guns in limited numbers, and by about 2002 it became more or less a standard issue LMG across the IDF. Negev is favored by Israeli soldiers because it is much lighter and maneuverable than venerable FN MAG, and can be easily manned by single soldier. On the other hand, it is more sensitive to sand and dust that the MAG, and requires more care and cleaning; it also lacks the range and punch of the true GPMG, therefore both 7,62mm MAG and 5,56mm Negev continue to serve in IDF side to side, which obviously is most logical solution. Negev is a gas-operated, air-cooled light machine gun. It features quick-detachable barrels, with two barrel sizes available – Standard (long) and Commando (short). Negev machine gun utilizes long-stroke gas piston system located below the barrel. Gas system is fitted with three-position gas regulator, with first (minimum) position used to fire when fed from magazines, second when firing from belts in normal conditions and third – when firing belts under adverse conditions. The gas regulator setting also affects the cyclic rate of fire (position #1 – lowest rate, #3 – highest). The gas piston is attached to the bolt group by dual operating rods, running at either side of receiver, to provide necessary clearance for centrally mounted magazine housing. Barrel locking is achieved by rotating the bolt with four massive radial lugs which engages the cuts in the breech of the barrel. Firing is from open bolt, and gun provides selective fire capability through three-position manual safety-fire selector, located on the left side of the pistol grip. Negev machine gun features dual feed system, so it can alternatively use standard disintegrating belts or detachable box magazines. Belt feed unit is installed on the top of receiver, with belt feeding direction from left to right. Belt feed is operated by the side-mounted swinging lever, which is operated by cam track cut in the side of the bolt carrier (system somewhat similar to that used in post-WW2 Czechoslovak machine guns). Magazine housing is located below the receiver, with magazine being inserted vertically up. Ejection window for empty cases is at the right side of receiver, just below the empty link ejection window. By default, magazine housing will accept proprietary box magazines originally designed for 5,56mm Galil assault rifle, with 35-round capacity. An adapter can be installed in magazine housing to use STANAG-compatible (M16-type) 30-round magazines. Belts are usually fed from semi-rigid “assault pouches” with 150- or 200-round capacity. These pouches are clipped to machine gun below the receiver, using special projection at the top which is inserted into magazine housing and locked there using magazine catch. Early pouches were of circular (drum) shape, but later these were replaced with more rigid and reliable pouches of semi-circular shape. When not in use, magazine housing is protected by spring-loaded dust-covers. Standard furniture includes polymer pistol grip, polymer handguard, and a side-folding Galil-type skeletonized buttstock. A lightweight detachable folding bipod is attached to the gas tube. It is interesting to note that when fitted with short (Commando) barrel and box magazine, and with bipod removed, Negev represents a formidable assault rifle, although it is somewhat heavy by rifle standards. It can be used as an effective CQB weapon, providing high maneuverability in confined spaces, with added benefit of serious firepower, thanks to its relatively heavy and quick-changeable barrel.

FN MAG in American M240B configuration of late manufacture (with Picatinny rail on the top of the receiver and plastic butt)

FN MAG / M240D pintle-mounted machine gun of late manufacture (with Picatinny rail on the top of the receiver)

FN MAG / M240G, lightened USMC modification, with no heat shield on the barrel

Caliber: 7,62x51mm NATO
Weight: 11 - 13 kg on bipod (depending on version), ~21 kg on tripod
Length: 1260 mm
Barrel length: 545 mm
Feed: belt
Rate of fire: selectable, 650-750 and  950-1000 rounds per minute

The MAG (Mitrailleuse d'Appui General  = General Purpose Machinegun), had been developed by the famous Belgian company FN Herstal in the 1950s, as a true universal machine gun, that could be used as a light MG on bipod, as a medium MG on tripod or as a vehicle-mounted and coaxial MG on helicopters, armored cars and tanks. The basic design of the MAG is no more than a time-proven Browning action, taken from the M1918 BAR automatic rifle, turned upside down and adopted for belt feed. The basic design used as much steel stampings and pressings as possible to save the labor and costs, and the final gun had the angular, but very business-like appearance. By no way a beauty, it is extremely reliable and proven design, that seen widespread service, being adopted by several tens of armies around the world, including Belgian, British, Australian, Canadian, USA and many other armies. It was fitted to various vehicles, helicopters, tanks etc. So far it is one of the most popular GPMG's in the world.

Technical description.
The FN MAG is a gas operated, belt fed, air cooled automatic weapon. It uses the long piston stroke gas system with the gas regulator, located below the barrel. The bolt is locked using a swinging shoulder that engages the cut in the floor of the receiver. The air-cooled barrel is quick-detachable, with the carrying handle attached to it to help handling of the hot barrel. The receiver is made from steel stampings.

The M240 is fed using the disintegrating steel belts of various lengths. The rate of fire can be selected between "low" (~650 rpm) and "high" (~950 rpm), depending on the tactical situation, and the gun can be fired in full auto only. The charging handle is located on the right side of the receiver.

The simple folding bipod is attached to the gas block, and there's a mounting points on the bottom of the receiver to fit into the various mountings, including infantry tripods. The open sights are fitted by standard, and some of the latest production MAG versions have Picatinny-style scope mounts on the top of the receiver. Standard guns are fitted with the pistol grip and trigger, and the wooden (early models) or plastic (present manufacture) butt, coaxial guns (like M240C) have the trigger replaced by the electric solenoid, and the pintle-mounted versions, like the M240D, have the spade grips instead of the pistol grip and the butt.