General-purpose machine gun facts for kids
A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is a machine gun which gets its ammunition from a belt. It can be used in many different roles: it can support infantry from a bipod or tripod or be put onto a helicopter or armoured vehicle. It can provide fire support for vehicles or infantry from a variety of mounts.
A general-purpose machine gun is generally a medium machine gun. It also fires rifle cartridges like the 7.62×51mm NATO or 7.92x57mm Mauser. It is usually used from a bipod, tripod or on a vehicle. This is because it is usually too powerful and heavy to be fired well on foot or while moving.
Contents
Examples
Some examples of general-purpose machine guns are:
Gallery
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A general-purpose machine gun in Australian service.
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A GPMG on a tripod.
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On a vehicle, in Dutch service.
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On a helicopter.
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Related pages
Images for kids
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The MG-42 type general-purpose machine guns in both bipod and tripod configurations. The tall tripod on the right is for anti-aircraft use.
See also
In Spanish: Ametralladora de propósito general para niños
