Originally Posted by George

Was aware of the .276 intended switch, but hadn't heard of British MGs in 8MM/7.92 until I read the FN-49 article years ago. Guess if the British had no intention of adopting the design it wouldn't matter what round the Belgians were designing it for, speculation by the author perhaps.

Well with the Besa the Brits stayed with 7.92x57mm because the Besa was only used in their tanks. Their armored corps had their own supply line so it wasn't causing an issue with the regular foot soldiers. As for the Bren.... it was a modeified design of the Czech vz. 26 machine gun. The vz. 26 was sold to the Nationalist Chinese, Germany took them over when they overran Czechoslovakia, and Romania also used the MG after WWII.



Romanian Patriotic Guard after WWII with a Vz. 30 (slightly updated Vz. 26).



Czechoslovakian Soldiers with a Vz. 26 and the Czech produced BRNO Vz. 24 Mauser.



Vz. 26 with Chinese Nationalist Soldiers.

It was one of the finest designs of an LMG in the world, robust, reliable and easy to use.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

It was one of the finest designs of an LMG in the world, robust, reliable and easy to use.

I'm going to kinda go and agree to a certain limit....



MG3 chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO with M60 links FTMFW!

Originally Posted by 5.56X45mm

I'm going to kinda go and agree to a certain limit....

MG3 chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO with M60 links FTMFW!

Even in today's world, there's a place for a BREN with its magazines.

Given a choice of any LMG I wanted I'd go for a the GPMG the British version of the FN MAG 58 first, then the BREN second. I knew both guns like the back of my hand and know their little quirks.

I have no doubt the MG3 is a good gun, but I prefer to stick with what I know.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

Even in today's world, there's a place for a BREN with its magazines.

Given a choice of any LMG I wanted I'd go for a the GPMG the British version of the FN MAG 58 first, then the BREN second. I knew both guns like the back of my hand and know their little quirks.

I have no doubt the MG3 is a good gun, but I prefer to stick with what I know.

The MG3 is 23.15lbs and the FN MAG 58 is 25.99lbs. Also the MG3 is simply an updated MG42.... one of the best production GPMG in the world. Easy, cheap, and if you looked up the word reliable. It'd have a picture of a MG3. I've lugged a M240B and G before... heavy SOB. It works well and is from a John Browning design. But the MG3 just wins.

Originally Posted by 5.56X45mm

The MG3 is 23.15lbs and the FN MAG 58 is 25.99lbs. Also the MG3 is simply an updated MG42.... one of the best production GPMG in the world. Easy, cheap, and if you looked up the word reliable. It'd have a picture of a MG3. I've lugged a M240B and G before... heavy SOB. It works well and is from a John Browning design. But the MG3 just wins.

I lugged a GPMG around for 5 years, and loved the old girl. The number of stoppages I had with my gun I could count on one hand and still have fingers left over. Yes it is a heavy bastard to lug around but it was just what I was use to. I lugged her around on assault course's across my back in full webbing and battle bowler over 12 foot walls, cargo nets and rope swings, route marches, run down practices on the range and numerous exercises. I'd still go for my old GPMG every time, because I knew if I needed her for real, she'd work every time.