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Description

The FN MAGEL, known by the EMILA inventory designation IMG-81, and sometimes referred to as an AMG (Adverse Machine Gun), is a fully automatic light machine gun designed and manufactured by the long-running FN Herstal factory in Belgium, Earth, being one of the two primary subsidiaries of parent company Groupe Industriel Herstal S.A., alongside FN Zeebrugge.

The FN MAGEL was introduced in 2152 and is in essence a lightened and further modernized variant of its predecessor, the FN MAGEM, which was introduced in 2125. The older MAGEM was the winner of the EMILA XENIMAG Small Arms Program (Extreme Environment Infantry Machine Gun), an arms procurement project that sought the adoption of a rugged infantry machine gun that would be able to operate in the harshest of xenoplanetary environments in the hands of specialized troops and special forces alike. Being its successor, the FN MAGEL is no less resistant to the environment, being capable in both traditional bad weather as well as directly hostile weather conditions. The greatest combined achievement of the FN MAGEL is the construction of its main receiver body, being a multi-coated, E3D-printed and flash-forged synthetic graphene nanocomposite construction. The new receiver is far lighter than the original whilst being just as resistant to harsh conditions, resisting high temperatures, freezing cold, wind, water, dust, sand, snow, chemicals, acid rain, and allegedly, microcrystal storms in the Outer Rim.

Much like its predecessor however, the FN MAGEL has ultimately seen less overall use with EMILA forces than what was originally hoped for, as EMILA forces never ended up seeing widespread deployment in the regions of space further away from Earth. Granted, the gun has officially been adopted by EMILA forces, but usage numbers remain fairly low and the acquisition of new guns has been sparse. Purchase by private security has also been rare due to its high cost when compared to theoretical contemporaries.

Lack of widespread use aside, the FN MAGEL's reputation is still a good one. It is well-liked by the people who wield it, praising its more lightweight build, pleasant recoil, reliability under virtually any conditions, and reliable firepower against most threats even if protected by common personal body armour.

The FN MAGEL is a gas-operated, belt-fed, fully-automatic light machine gun with semi-ambidextrous controls and a cyclic rate of fire of around 700-800 RPM. It has an adjustable gas system with two settings and can fire from an open or closed bolt, selectable by the user in the field. It fires modern 7.62mm EMAW-S ammunition fed into the weapon by A2-13 disintegrating links of biodegradable polymer. The gun ejects spent cases and discards its links out the right side of the gun via separate exits. While belt-fed, the gun is designed to use a MAGEL-specific type of quickfeed/speedbelt ammunition box. These FN-branded ammo boxes house a continuous belt of 50 rounds of ammunition, with a segmented feed elevator travelling up and into the left side of the weapon. The ~45-degree feed elevator is shrouded in a rubbery weatherproof sheathe and the first cartridge in the belt is fitted with an auto-pull tab that will automatically interface with the gun's mechanism without the need to actually "pull" it through the action. A release mechanism for this whole assembly can be found directly above the feed funnels, allowing the ammunition box itself to be released and slid out to the left from its dovetail section underneath the gun. It unlocks by pulling it out away from the gun. Pushing it back into the gun locks the feed elevator again.

The sabot-friendly, lightly compensated barrel is fixed and not designed for quick replacement, as swapping barrels while still exposed to the environment was considered a possible liability under hostile weather conditions. To make up for this the MAGEL's 16-inch barrel is of heavier build than usual, has received a deep surface treatment rendering it more effective at shedding heat into the environment, and has been fitted with a Wurmer-Parkmark SATC-6 cryogenic coolant shroud to further assist with cooling and discourage cook-offs during prolonged sessions of closed-bolt firing. The sabot of modern EMAW-S APDS ammunition is also usually very forgiving when it comes to barrel deterioration, making the service life of the MAGEL's barrel completely acceptable if not outright impressive.

The exhibit shown above is the standard, original FN MAGEL fitted with a typical combination of SOSU LMCO-type combat optic and manual bipod. The MAGEL Mk. 2 was introduced in 2189 and features an improved cryogenic coolant shroud, three more sections of SARS-rails, a modified pistol grip, a new buttstock, and compatibility for EMWS systems from the factory, with a battery cell contained in the grip and the option to house a larger battery unit in the gun's new ammunition boxes.

***

This information has been provided by the
International Manufacture & Proofing Association for Arms & Ammunition (IMAANI).

***

Description

The FN MAGEL, known by the EMILA inventory designation IMG-81, and sometimes referred to as an AMG (Adverse Machine Gun), is a fully automatic light machine gun designed and manufactured by the long-running FN Herstal factory in Belgium, Earth, being one of the two primary subsidiaries of parent company Groupe Industriel Herstal S.A., alongside FN Zeebrugge.

The FN MAGEL was introduced in 2152 and is in essence a lightened and further modernized variant of its predecessor, the FN MAGEM, which was introduced in 2125. The older MAGEM was the winner of the EMILA XENIMAG Small Arms Program (Extreme Environment Infantry Machine Gun), an arms procurement project that sought the adoption of a rugged infantry machine gun that would be able to operate in the harshest of xenoplanetary environments in the hands of specialized troops and special forces alike. Being its successor, the FN MAGEL is no less resistant to the environment, being capable in both traditional bad weather as well as directly hostile weather conditions. The greatest combined achievement of the FN MAGEL is the construction of its main receiver body, being a multi-coated, E3D-printed and flash-forged synthetic graphene nanocomposite construction. The new receiver is far lighter than the original whilst being just as resistant to harsh conditions, resisting high temperatures, freezing cold, wind, water, dust, sand, snow, chemicals, acid rain, and allegedly, microcrystal storms in the Outer Rim.

Much like its predecessor however, the FN MAGEL has ultimately seen less overall use with EMILA forces than what was originally hoped for, as EMILA forces never ended up seeing widespread deployment in the regions of space further away from Earth. Granted, the gun has officially been adopted by EMILA forces, but usage numbers remain fairly low and the acquisition of new guns has been sparse. Purchase by private security has also been rare due to its high cost when compared to theoretical contemporaries.

Lack of widespread use aside, the FN MAGEL's reputation is still a good one. It is well-liked by the people who wield it, praising its more lightweight build, pleasant recoil, reliability under virtually any conditions, and reliable firepower against most threats even if protected by common personal body armour.

The FN MAGEL is a gas-operated, belt-fed, fully-automatic light machine gun with semi-ambidextrous controls and a cyclic rate of fire of around 700-800 RPM. It has an adjustable gas system with two settings and can fire from an open or closed bolt, selectable by the user in the field. It fires modern 7.62mm EMAW-S ammunition fed into the weapon by A2-13 disintegrating links of biodegradable polymer. The gun ejects spent cases and discards its links out the right side of the gun via separate exits. While belt-fed, the gun is designed to use a MAGEL-specific type of quickfeed/speedbelt ammunition box. These FN-branded ammo boxes house a continuous belt of 50 rounds of ammunition, with a segmented feed elevator travelling up and into the left side of the weapon. The ~45-degree feed elevator is shrouded in a rubbery weatherproof sheathe and the first cartridge in the belt is fitted with an auto-pull tab that will automatically interface with the gun's mechanism without the need to actually "pull" it through the action. A release mechanism for this whole assembly can be found directly above the feed funnels, allowing the ammunition box itself to be released and slid out to the left from its dovetail section underneath the gun. It unlocks by pulling it out away from the gun. Pushing it back into the gun locks the feed elevator again.

The sabot-friendly, lightly compensated barrel is fixed and not designed for quick replacement, as swapping barrels while still exposed to the environment was considered a possible liability under hostile weather conditions. To make up for this the MAGEL's 16-inch barrel is of heavier build than usual, has received a deep surface treatment rendering it more effective at shedding heat into the environment, and has been fitted with a Wurmer-Parkmark SATC-6 cryogenic coolant shroud to further assist with cooling and discourage cook-offs during prolonged sessions of closed-bolt firing. The sabot of modern EMAW-S APDS ammunition is also usually very forgiving when it comes to barrel deterioration, making the service life of the MAGEL's barrel completely acceptable if not outright impressive.

The exhibit shown above is the standard, original FN MAGEL fitted with a typical combination of SOSU LMCO-type combat optic and manual bipod. The MAGEL Mk. 2 was introduced in 2189 and features an improved cryogenic coolant shroud, three more sections of SARS-rails, a modified pistol grip, a new buttstock, and compatibility for EMWS systems from the factory, with a battery cell contained in the grip and the option to house a larger battery unit in the gun's new ammunition boxes.

***

This information has been provided by the
International Manufacture & Proofing Association for Arms & Ammunition (IMAANI).

***