Machine gun for aimed shooting: Negev NG7
It seems that a new trend in the development of small arms is emerging right before our eyes. weapons. Not so long ago, the American branch of the Belgian company FN conducted a series of works to make a weapon from the SCAR assault rifle, combining all the qualities of an automatic rifle and a light machine gun. Now the Israeli firm Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) has joined the Belgians and Americans. Only Israeli gunsmiths, although they also took the existing sample as a basis, went to universalism from the other side.
The Negev light machine gun was chosen as the basis for the new universal weapon. It is designed for use of NATO 5,56x45 mm ammunition and has quite good indicators for this class of weapon. To achieve some tactical "interchangeability" of a machine gun with automatic rifles, a new modification of the machine gun, called the Negev NG7, was created. From the original design it is distinguished by two main points: the cartridge and the modes of fire. Instead of the low-pulse cartridge 5,56x45, the NG7 uses the rifle 7,62x51 mm NATO. It is possible to draw approximate conclusions about the change in gun weapon data. In addition, now the Negev can shoot more than just bursts. In NG7 added the function of shooting single from the pickup. It is noteworthy that representatives of IWI strongly emphasize this attention, although it is difficult to say which of the innovations of NG7 is more interesting. However, in order to promote the new machine gun in IWI, the emphasis was placed on a single fire. Moreover, Israeli designers particularly emphasize the fact that the Negev NG7 is the only 7,62-mm light machine gun in the world. It must be said that there is some truth in this, only the words “at the present time” should be added to Israeli statements. Then the words about the only machine gun in the world will look more truthful, because the good old BREN L4 had similar features, and then the “Germans” Heckler-Koch HK11 and HK21. In addition, these "Heckler-Kohi" or even "Bren" can still be found in the arsenals of the world. So the most correct and plausible advertisement for NG7 should look something like this: “the only light machine gun in the world currently in series production, with the possibility of a single aimed fire”. But Israeli designers and managers have some specific views on the promotion of products, and our correct description does not look too comfortable for short and memorable press releases, not to mention advertising.
Unfortunately, in addition to the above-mentioned changes in the Negev design, no data on new weapons was published. But even from these few facts you can "get" a lot more information. For example, a new cartridge. Increasing the caliber to 7,62 millimeters and the length of the sleeve to 51-th affects not only the barrel. Negev has an automatic system based on the removal of gases, which, when changing ammunition, requires a change in a number of units. So, most likely, NG7 received an updated gas regulator. According to the principle of work, he could have remained the same as before, but it needed some work under a different power of the cartridge. Thus, there is reason to believe that the three modes of its operation remained unchanged. The gas regulator of the original version of the Negev machine gun, depending on the type of ammunition, can operate in the following modes: for operation with a box magazine; to use ribbons and firing at a rate of 700-800 per minute; to use the tape and shooting at speeds of up to a thousand rounds per minute. Also, changing the cartridge requires modifications of the chamber, the bolt group and a number of other guts of the machine gun.
The single-fire mode, in turn, required only a small change in the design of the firing mechanism. The fire interpreter box, as well as the fuse in earlier versions of the Negev, is located above the pistol grip on the NG7. Unlike the two-way fuse, the translator has three positions: blocking the trigger, single and automatic fire. Introduction to the design of measures to ensure the firing of single was caused by the customer's desire to get a weapon that has the possibility of more or less accurate aimed fire. Obviously, this is not possible when firing bursts, and the IWI decided to add a second fire mode. Since Negev can now be called a “sniper machine gun,” even if jokingly, the designers took care of the accuracy of single shots. In the place where the open sight was located on the early Negevs, the NG7 has a Picatinny rail. An open sight, respectively, is mounted on the factory. Optionally, the arrow on the bar can be mounted sight of any type, depending on the conditions and capabilities.
The main parts of the automatics underwent small changes associated with the transition to a new cartridge and the introduction of single-person firing mode. Similarly, the machine gun ammunition system has hardly changed. Cartridge detachable magazines on 30 or ribbons on 100 / 150 / 200 cartridges are still used to feed cartridges. The size of the stores and the links of the belts was changed in accordance with the dimensions of the cartridge 7,62x51 mm. The tape, as before, can be packed in a special semi-rigid container bag. The links of the tape are thrown together with the sleeves.
In general, as is clear from the available data, the Negev NG7 light machine gun turned out to be no worse than its contemporaries and competitors. True, the use of a more powerful cartridge may cause some inconvenience to the shooter, who is used to the low-pulse 5.56 NATO. But the fighting qualities of a weapon with a new patron can significantly increase, especially since it has received the function of a “sniper machine gun”. It is possible that attempts to combine the quality of a light machine gun and an assault rifle in one sample are not entirely correct in their essence, but one cannot say that IWI made an unsuccessful machine gun. It remains to wait for the first deliveries of Negev NG7 to the troops and the first cases of its combat use. Then, based on the feedback from the fighters, it will be possible to draw the appropriate conclusions.
The Negev light machine gun was chosen as the basis for the new universal weapon. It is designed for use of NATO 5,56x45 mm ammunition and has quite good indicators for this class of weapon. To achieve some tactical "interchangeability" of a machine gun with automatic rifles, a new modification of the machine gun, called the Negev NG7, was created. From the original design it is distinguished by two main points: the cartridge and the modes of fire. Instead of the low-pulse cartridge 5,56x45, the NG7 uses the rifle 7,62x51 mm NATO. It is possible to draw approximate conclusions about the change in gun weapon data. In addition, now the Negev can shoot more than just bursts. In NG7 added the function of shooting single from the pickup. It is noteworthy that representatives of IWI strongly emphasize this attention, although it is difficult to say which of the innovations of NG7 is more interesting. However, in order to promote the new machine gun in IWI, the emphasis was placed on a single fire. Moreover, Israeli designers particularly emphasize the fact that the Negev NG7 is the only 7,62-mm light machine gun in the world. It must be said that there is some truth in this, only the words “at the present time” should be added to Israeli statements. Then the words about the only machine gun in the world will look more truthful, because the good old BREN L4 had similar features, and then the “Germans” Heckler-Koch HK11 and HK21. In addition, these "Heckler-Kohi" or even "Bren" can still be found in the arsenals of the world. So the most correct and plausible advertisement for NG7 should look something like this: “the only light machine gun in the world currently in series production, with the possibility of a single aimed fire”. But Israeli designers and managers have some specific views on the promotion of products, and our correct description does not look too comfortable for short and memorable press releases, not to mention advertising.
Unfortunately, in addition to the above-mentioned changes in the Negev design, no data on new weapons was published. But even from these few facts you can "get" a lot more information. For example, a new cartridge. Increasing the caliber to 7,62 millimeters and the length of the sleeve to 51-th affects not only the barrel. Negev has an automatic system based on the removal of gases, which, when changing ammunition, requires a change in a number of units. So, most likely, NG7 received an updated gas regulator. According to the principle of work, he could have remained the same as before, but it needed some work under a different power of the cartridge. Thus, there is reason to believe that the three modes of its operation remained unchanged. The gas regulator of the original version of the Negev machine gun, depending on the type of ammunition, can operate in the following modes: for operation with a box magazine; to use ribbons and firing at a rate of 700-800 per minute; to use the tape and shooting at speeds of up to a thousand rounds per minute. Also, changing the cartridge requires modifications of the chamber, the bolt group and a number of other guts of the machine gun.
The single-fire mode, in turn, required only a small change in the design of the firing mechanism. The fire interpreter box, as well as the fuse in earlier versions of the Negev, is located above the pistol grip on the NG7. Unlike the two-way fuse, the translator has three positions: blocking the trigger, single and automatic fire. Introduction to the design of measures to ensure the firing of single was caused by the customer's desire to get a weapon that has the possibility of more or less accurate aimed fire. Obviously, this is not possible when firing bursts, and the IWI decided to add a second fire mode. Since Negev can now be called a “sniper machine gun,” even if jokingly, the designers took care of the accuracy of single shots. In the place where the open sight was located on the early Negevs, the NG7 has a Picatinny rail. An open sight, respectively, is mounted on the factory. Optionally, the arrow on the bar can be mounted sight of any type, depending on the conditions and capabilities.
The main parts of the automatics underwent small changes associated with the transition to a new cartridge and the introduction of single-person firing mode. Similarly, the machine gun ammunition system has hardly changed. Cartridge detachable magazines on 30 or ribbons on 100 / 150 / 200 cartridges are still used to feed cartridges. The size of the stores and the links of the belts was changed in accordance with the dimensions of the cartridge 7,62x51 mm. The tape, as before, can be packed in a special semi-rigid container bag. The links of the tape are thrown together with the sleeves.
In general, as is clear from the available data, the Negev NG7 light machine gun turned out to be no worse than its contemporaries and competitors. True, the use of a more powerful cartridge may cause some inconvenience to the shooter, who is used to the low-pulse 5.56 NATO. But the fighting qualities of a weapon with a new patron can significantly increase, especially since it has received the function of a “sniper machine gun”. It is possible that attempts to combine the quality of a light machine gun and an assault rifle in one sample are not entirely correct in their essence, but one cannot say that IWI made an unsuccessful machine gun. It remains to wait for the first deliveries of Negev NG7 to the troops and the first cases of its combat use. Then, based on the feedback from the fighters, it will be possible to draw the appropriate conclusions.
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