A 7.62 medium machine gun that lays fire beyond 1,800 m at 4 to 6 kg less than its class: the small arms manufacturer we represent against the FN MAG and the Heckler & Koch MG5.
The sustained-fire role has been owned by the FN MAG for decades, with the HK MG5 as the modern contender. Both are heavier than a gun that claims 4 to 6 kg off the class weight, and both carry a foreign export approval the datasheet never mentions.
Our medium machine gun is built on a single-piece machined receiver with a quick-change barrel, fed from a 250-round belt with more belts attachable, and comes with a lightweight tripod and a vehicle mount. It is stated to weigh 4 to 6 kg less than contemporary systems in its class, so it moves with the crew rather than pinning it. Every transfer is governed by classification and end-use controls.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratMedium machine gun | FN HerstalFN MAG (M240, L7A2, MAG 58) on tripod1Belgium | Heckler & KochMG5 in the sustained-fire and vehicle role2Germany |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class and operating principle12 | 7.62×51 mm medium machine gun, gas operated with tilting-bolt locking | 7.62×51 mm NATO GPMG in the sustained-fire role, gas operated, open breech | 7.62×51 mm NATO medium machine gun, indirect gas operated, locked rotating bolt head firing from the open bolt |
| Ammunition12 | 7.62×51 mm, chambered for both domestic and NATO ammunition | 7.62×51 mm NATO | 7.62×51 mm NATO, DM60/M13 disintegrating link belt |
| Sustained-fire range12Our figure and HK's are stated on different bases, and FN publishes no range. A tripod-mounted sustained-fire figure should be compared like for like, which means asking each maker for the mount and the target type behind the number. | Beyond 1,800 m | Not published on the technical data sheet | 1,200 m accurate suppressive fire (600 m main combat range) |
| Weight12We publish a relative claim, not an absolute weight. FN's 11.8 kg weapon figure is a credible class reference to hold that claim against; a buyer should ask us for the absolute figure and the mount weight. | Stated as 4 to 6 kg lighter than contemporary systems in its class | Approx. 11.8 kg weapon; barrel assembly approx. 3.05 kg | Not published at the accessed page |
| Rate of fire12 | Not published | 650 to 1,000 rds/min | Adjustable to 640, 720 or 800 rds/min |
| Muzzle velocity12 | Not published | Not published on the technical data sheet | 810 m/s (v5) |
| Barrel length12 | Not published | 630 mm overall, 487.5 mm rifled portion | 550 mm or 460 mm, selectable |
| Receiver and barrel12 | Single-piece machined receiver with a quick-change barrel | Quick-change barrel; barrel assembly weight stated at 3.05 kg | User-exchangeable barrel with a carrying handle, changeable hot without gloves |
| Feed12 | 250-round belt, more belts attachable | Belt | Belt feed from the left, DM60/M13 NATO disintegrating link |
| Sighting supplied12 | Mil-Std-1913 top rail with a luminous-tip iron sight standard; optional telescopic day and thermal-imaging sights | MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail for day and night sighting; optional forward twin-rail assembly | Mechanical back-up sight (400 m); various sights can be mounted |
| Mount supplied12For a sustained-fire weapon the tripod is the weapon. Whether it is in the package or a separate buy changes the true weight and the true price. | Lightweight tripod and vehicle mount supplied, with bipod and front grip | Fires from vehicle, aircraft, ship and tripod mountings; mount configuration not detailed on the technical sheet | Ground-target mount, vehicle armament or hand weapon by configuration |
| Design and build origin12 | Single-piece machined receiver, manufactured by the small arms manufacturer we represent on four decades of precision CNC machine building | FN Herstal, Belgium; original designer and manufacturer of the MAG | Heckler & Koch, Germany |
| Transfer conditions stated in the vendor document12Belgian and German export consent are both held outside the buyer's capital. | Classification and end-use controls; independent, non-aligned origin with no political exposure to a major-power ecosystem | Not addressed in the vendor document | Not addressed in the vendor document |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
The class weight is the claim, and FN's number is the yardstick.
Our medium machine gun does not publish an absolute weight. It publishes a relative one: 4 to 6 kg lighter than contemporary systems in its class. The honest way to test that is against a published class reference, and FN gives us one, an 11.8 kg MAG weapon plus a 3.05 kg barrel assembly. If the claim holds, the crew carries meaningfully less into position. It is also a claim we owe an absolute figure for, and this page says so rather than converting a relative claim into a hard number we have not published.
Beyond 1,800 m is a reach claim that needs a mount and a target definition.
Our gun is quoted at sustained fire beyond 1,800 m, HK states 1,200 m accurate suppressive fire for the MG5, and FN's data sheet publishes no range at all. These are not the same measurement: sustained tripod-mounted fire against an area target is a different figure from point-target effective range. A buyer comparing reach should ask every bidder for the mount, the target type and the ammunition behind the number, because the headline metre count alone will mislead.
On a sustained-fire weapon, the tripod is part of the weapon.
Our gun is stated to come with a lightweight tripod and a vehicle mount. FN's sheet notes the MAG fires from tripod and vehicle mountings without detailing the mount in the package, and HK describes ground-mount, vehicle and hand-weapon configurations. Whether the tripod is in the crate decides both the crew's true carried weight and the true price, so a sustained-fire comparison that ignores the mount is not a comparison at all.
Two European guns, one machined receiver from a non-aligned source.
The MAG and the MG5 are proven, and both come from ecosystems whose export consent is held in Brussels and Berlin. Neither datasheet mentions it. Our gun is built on a single-piece machined receiver by a firm with four decades of precision CNC machining, and supplied from an independent, non-aligned source under classification and end-use controls. For a sustained-fire weapon that will need barrels, belts and spares for a decade, the receiver pedigree and the resupply that is not vetoed abroad are the two facts a planner should weigh hardest.
Questions buyers ask
What is the lightest 7.62 medium machine gun for a crew that has to move it on foot?
Our medium machine gun publishes a relative weight claim, 4 to 6 kg lighter than contemporary systems in its class, rather than an absolute figure. Held against FN's published 11.8 kg MAG weapon plus a 3.05 kg barrel assembly, that is a real saving for a crew carrying the gun and its tripod into position. Ask us for the absolute weapon and mount weight before you rank it, because a relative claim needs a hard number to be procurement-ready.
How does our medium machine gun compare with the FN MAG on the tripod?
The FN MAG is the sustained-fire reference and FN publishes 11.8 kg for the weapon, a 3.05 kg barrel assembly, 1,230 mm of length and 650 to 1,000 rds/min, though its sheet does not publish an effective range. Our gun claims sustained fire beyond 1,800 m at 4 to 6 kg less than its class, on a single-piece machined receiver with a quick-change barrel, and it ships with a lightweight tripod and vehicle mount. Compare the range figures on a matched mount-and-target basis, and confirm what mount is in each price.
How does our medium machine gun compare with the Heckler & Koch MG5?
HK states the MG5 lays 1,200 m of accurate suppressive fire with a 600 m main combat range, an 810 m/s muzzle velocity and a rate of fire adjustable to 640, 720 or 800 rds/min. Our gun claims sustained fire beyond 1,800 m but does not publish a rate of fire or a muzzle velocity, so those cells read 'Not published' on our side. On weight our gun claims a 4 to 6 kg class advantage, and HK did not publish a weight at the page we accessed.
Does our medium machine gun come with a tripod?
Yes. It is stated to come with a lightweight tripod and a vehicle mount, plus a bipod and a front grip. On a sustained-fire weapon the tripod is not an accessory, it is what makes the range figure achievable, so a supplied mount changes both the crew's carried weight and the true price. FN and HK describe tripod and vehicle configurations but do not detail the mount in the quoted package, so confirm it with each bidder.
Which medium-machine-gun specifications does Unstrat not publish?
Absolute weight, rate of fire, muzzle velocity and barrel length are not in our public catalogue, while FN and HK publish most of theirs. We state 7.62×51 mm for domestic or NATO ammunition, sustained fire beyond 1,800 m, a single-piece machined receiver, a quick-change barrel, a 250-round belt, the sighting fit and the supplied mounts, and where a competitor publishes a figure we do not, this page marks it 'Not published'. The remaining figures are released under a signed enquiry inside the classification controls that apply to any small-arms transfer.
Sources
- 1. FN Herstal, FN MAG technical data sheet (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-31 · Technical data table gives 7.62×51 mm NATO, gas-operated open-breech principle, 1,230 mm length, 630 mm barrel (487.5 mm rifled), belt feed, weapon weight approx. 11.8 kg with a 3.05 kg barrel assembly and a 650 to 1,000 rds/min cyclic rate. Effective range and muzzle velocity not stated on the sheet.
- 2. Heckler & Koch, MG5 medium machine gun product page and technical specificationsRetrieved: 2026-07-31 · Technical specifications give 7.62×51 mm NATO, indirect gas operation, locked rotating bolt head firing from the open bolt, DM60/M13 belt feed, 810 m/s muzzle velocity, 600 m main combat range, 1,200 m accurate suppressive fire, 550 mm or 460 mm barrel and a rate of fire adjustable to 640, 720 or 800 rds/min. Weight and overall length not rendered at the accessed page.