Key facts
- Type
- Light machine gun , Squad automatic weapon
- Place of origin
- Belgium
- In service
- 1980–present
- Used by
- See Users
- Designer
- Ernest Vervier
- Designed
- Early 1970s
- Manufacturer
- FN Herstal , FN USA , Thales Australia , Beretta , Bofors Carl Gustav , Caracal International , Pindad , Sumitomo Heavy Industries
- Produced
- 1977–present
- Variants
- See Variants
- Mass
- 7.1 kg (15.7 lb)
- Length
- 1,040 mm (40.9 in)
- Barrel length
- 465 mm (18.3 in)
- Width
- 110 mm (4.3 in)
- Cartridge
- 5.56×45mm NATO / 7.62×51mm NATO
- Action
- Gas-actuated , open bolt
- Rate of fire
- 700–1,150 rounds/min
- Muzzle velocity
- 925 m/s (3,035 ft/s)
- Effective firing range
- 300–1,000 m (980–3,280 ft) sight adjustments
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- M249 FN MINIMI DA-SC-85-11586 c1.jpg
Show 4 more facts
- Commons category
- FN Minimi
- service entry
- 1975-01-01
- Commons gallery
- FN Minimi
- inception
- 1970-00-00
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~25 min read
Article
The FN Minimi (short for French: mini-mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm or 7.62mm light machine gun, also classified as a squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. Introduced in the late 1970s, it is in service in more than 75 countries. The weapon is manufactured at the FN facility in Herstal and their U.S. subsidiary FN Manufacturing LLC.
The Minimi fires from an open bolt. It is an air-cooled, gas operated long-stroke piston weapon that is capable of fully automatic fire only. It can be belt fed or fired from a magazine. The Minimi is configured in several variants: the Standard model as a platoon or squad support weapon, the shortened Para version for paratroopers and the Vehicle model as secondary armament for fighting vehicles.