In this picture, an Iraqi policeman is holding what appears to be an automatic weapon of fairly high caliber (look at the size of the bullets relative to his fingers). I’m impressed that such an apparently high caliber weapon is, evidently, light enough to be carried and, given the policeman’s task, light enough to be carried for many hours.
Anyone know what it is?
Thanks.
Looks kinda like a M249 SAW, but it’s not a great picture.
CMC fnord!
Yahh, bad pic.
It’s hard to tell… It looks to me like a FN-MAG GPMG, which is 7.62x51 NATO calibre, although it could be the 5.56mm Minimi.
Judging from the size of the cartridges, though, I’d say it’s an FN-MAG GPMG… the Minimi is 5.56mm and the cartridges are quite small when compared to a 7.62x51 NATO or even a 7.62x54R cartridge…
It’s definitely not Russian, though, which rules out the RPK…
Or the FN MAG, which sometimes has a tan stock. Fires a .308 (7.62 outside the US). Not a terribly large round, but the rifle is listed at 22 pounds. Hard to guess exactly how big the cartridge is from this picture, it looks to be larger than the .223 (5.56) of the SAW, but I certainly wouldn’t bet money on it.
Just guessing here, but I bet that guy doesn’t walk the beat with the thing.
Um, yeah. What he said.
Preview is my friend, preview is my friend, preview is my friend
Yeah me too.
CMC fnord!
While we’re here, 7.62x51 NATO and .308 Winchester are not technically the same round.
Basically, .308 Winchester operates about 15,000 PSI above 7.62x51 NATO, and uses different brass- as well as firing a marginally heavier bullet. (150gr instead of 147gr)
In bolt-action rifles, the two calibres are interchangeable, but a lot of the military semi-autos in 7.62x51 NATO can apparently have trouble with commercial .308 Winchester ammo (and vice-versa, especially) depending on the individual gun and the brand of ammo used.
It’s a source of constant debate within the shooting community, but for all intents and purpose they are the same round- unless you want to get really technical. 
Technically, the 5.56x45 and the .223 aren’t really the same either, but I’m lazy and it’s late (and I started my post with the wrong one so was determined to keep going with it). You caught me, I should have known better in the sdmb 
You a fan of the .303?
“Only accurate rifles are interesting.”
Colonel Townsend Whelen
Sorry, but you are both wrong. That’s a 7.62X54R Kalashnikov PKM. It is obviously NOT either of the FN series of machine guns since on both the Minimi and the MAG the ammunition feeds from the left hand side. It is possibly a Polish or Chinese variant since Russian PKMs usually have a skeletal stock.
Is it me, or does that thing look like it has right hand feeder components? Im betting that machine gun started as a coax in a Brad. Maybe the vehicle was destroyed and they harvested the 240C. Just throw on a stock and a barrel with a carrying handle and you got a man portable machine gun. The normal FN Mag stock should be interchangable.
Either that, or there’s some other reason that thing has right feeder components.
Or, maybe the rounds are just wrapped over the top. But I dont think that’s the case. I’ve zoomed in pretty close and it looks most definitely like it’s fed from the right.
lol. Should have previewed.
kawaiitentaclebeast’s explanation makes the most sense =)
Damn, the stock on that thing looked convincingly like something FN produced.
Indeed I am! Indeed, I could go on about great the .303 is until everyone’s ears bleed… 
It’s not an especially clear photo, but it looks like there’s some kind of forestock- so if it is an RPK of some kind, it’s not a Russian one…
The stock is the wrong shape for a MAG, it is actually a Zastava M84. The Iraqis during Saddam’s days imported a good quantity of small arms from Yugoslavia, as well as producing some (i.e. Torbuk, copy of Zastava M85/AKM)using Zastava equipment.
I sort of recognized the stock from some examples I saw in Bosnia. I just had to google to make sure.
Of course, by M85, I actually mean M70. :smack:
Terrific. Thanks.
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who was at least a bit stymied as to the weapon.
“We got them [Boer prisoners] and we shot them under Rule .303!” - from Breaker Morant, a great Boer War court-martial drama.
I think it’s a 1920’s style “Death Ray”.
No, the 1920’s style had a curved stock and .57 barrel, its the similar looking, but more powerful, 1930’s style.
Well now, that remains to be seen… we’d need to look at the Arsenal Markings, as it could have the Nazi Swastika and Eagle on it, which would clearly identify it as a Nazi 1930s Style Death Ray, or it could have the Crown and GR Cypher, identifiying it as a British 1930s Style Death Ray.
1920s Style Death Rays are themselves very rare- most of the British ones were converted to Ray, Death M1920 Mk I* sometime in the late 30s, while the German ones were designated Kar1920k Todesstrahlgewehr, and were everntally captured by the Americans and Russians, which, of course, led to the Death Ray Gap in the post war years (and subsequently the Cold War) as the two sides attempted to build bigger and better Death Rays.
Secret Kremlin files declassified recently have revealed that Sputnik was a pre-production Prototype for a “Death Star”, with a 1950s Style Death Ray to be put in later models, unless Eisenhower took back the unpleasant comments he had made about Stalin’s mother.
Hey, it’s fun to completely warp history!
