During this week’s National Defense Industrial Association annual Armaments meeting, acquisition officials from both United States Special Operations Command and Marine Corps Systems Command announced that the Marine Corps Special Operations Command would be conducting a combat evaluation of the SIG Light Machine Gun (SL MAG) in the near future.
Unveiled at SHOT Show, this belt fed machine gun chambered in 338 Norma Mag offers ranges that rival the .50 M2 MG from a weapon lighter than the M240.
The Combat Evaluation is a limited user test, but first they need ammunition. SOCOM is currently working on the P-SPEC for 338 NM belt fed ammunition for what they are calling the Lightweight Machine Gun – Medium.
This Combat Eval will help refine requirements for the procurement of a 338 NM LMG-M in the FY 22-23 timeframe. Both Marine Corps and SOCOM are interested in this capability.
Hopefully they have a good plan to field a solid optic for it. Why our M4’s have a 4x ACOG and we are still running 3.5 powered M145 on a belt feed makes my head hurt.
When I was in batt, forever ago we ran a night vision scope on our M60’s we just referred to as the Litton. Why the Army moved away from that Idea to the PAS-13 is another head hurt.
338 norma mag looks to be very expensive ammo. I sure would hate to have to have to pay that machine gun’s feeding bill.
The 338 Norma may be expensive now but economies of scale being what they are if production ramps up then the per round cost will come down.
If the military does balk at the cost the MG is multi-caliber. That’s pretty sweet in and of itself.
I’ve got a cousin who’s an officer in the Nav (doing stuff that would put him in a position to know things…) and he’s really excited about these tests. He told me he had the opportunity to play with the SIG LMG-M for a few days in the field and he LOVES it. He says it’s easy to use, simple to break down (and re-assemble) and has great accuracy.
I hope to see this on Assault Helicopters. Less weight than the .50 and 240, with more reach and power than the .240, bring it!
It’d bring some serious “reach out and touch someone”!
Less weight = more ammo on board!
I am former US Army and retired Fed Law Enforcement. I was insanely lucky enough to be able to get some one on one time with SIG LMG-M at SHOT this year! I have to say I was seriously impressed with what SIG has done. Because of the limited distances at the Clark County Range I wasn’t able to stretch it’s capabilities but if the accuracy and distance reports hold up this thing is going to be a game changer.
Recoil was very manageable, field stripping is definitely Private proof, it weighs less than the M240B(!) AND it’s caliber changeable. It’s actually suppressible and it has a third gas setting for a suppressor.
Some people have been bitching about the potential cost (and availability in combat) of .338 NM. That isn’t much of an issue here. A few simple components can be swapped out, in the rear or in the field, and the gun can be spitting out 7.62!
I wish I had been able to run a few more belts through the LMG-M but from the amount of trigger time I did get I was seriously impressed!
Lemme say that I hate you right now! I was at SHOT and I had NO idea that they were running this gun. Maybe next year….