Light Machine Guns

Factions	Weapon	Icon	Classes	Ammo	Damage
					Normal	Headshot
VC	Bren		Gunner	30 / 120	46	105
VC	DP-28		Gunner	47 / 141	43	103
VC	FM 24/29		Gunner	25 / 125	49	112
ANZAC	L2A1		Gunner	30+1 / 120	44	107
US	M14E2		Gunner	33+1/132	39	93
US	M1918A2 BAR LMG		Gunner	40 / 120	45	110
US	M1919A6		Gunner	150 / 300	47	112
US	M60		Gunner	100 / 200	45	103
US	M60 Belt		Gunner	150 / 300	45	103
VC	MG 34		Gunner	50 / 150	39	89
VC	MG 34 Double Drum		Special Loadout Zombies	75/225	39	89
VC	PK		Gunner	100+1 / 200	41	94
VC	PK Belt		Gunner	175+1 / 175	41	94
VC	RP-46		Gunner	125 / 250	43	103
VC	RPD		Gunner	100 / 200	42	96
US	RPD SOG		Gunner	100 / 200	42	96
VC	RPK		Gunner	75+1 / 150	41	103
US	Stoner 63A Commando		Gunner	150 / 300	33	82
US	Stoner 63A Bren		Gunner	30 / 120	33	82
US	Stoner 63A LMG		Gunner	100 / 200	33	82
VC	TUL-1		Gunner	40+1 / 120	41	103

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Light machine guns are man-portable automatic weapons intended to provide a squad or fire team with sustained suppressive fire while still being operated primarily by a single soldier. They are commonly fired from a bipod and may be fed by magazines or belts depending on the design, typically using rifle-caliber ammunition. In the Vietnam War era, light machine guns helped small units put effective automatic fire onto targets in vegetation and fighting positions without relying solely on heavier crew-served weapons.

DEFINITION & CHARACTERISTICS

A “light machine gun” is a functional category rather than a single rigid specification: it generally refers to a relatively lightweight machine gun that a single infantryman can carry and employ as an infantry support weapon. In practice, some general-purpose machine guns can also fill the light-machine-gun role when used from a bipod, while others are purpose-built as squad automatic weapons with emphasis on portability and controlled bursts.

Common traits

• Role: Squad- or fire team-level automatic weapon for suppression and covering fire while maneuvering.
• Typical cartridges: Rifle cartridges, often aligned with the squad’s standard ammunition where logistics allow (varies by nation and period).
• Typical fire modes: Fully automatic is typical; controlled bursts are the common method of employment.
• Typical feeding: Often belt-fed or fed from high-capacity magazines/drums; many are optimized for quick reloads and sustained fire.
• Common engagement ranges: Typically employed across short-to-mid ranges common to infantry contacts; effective range depends on cartridge, sights, and doctrine.
• Notable tradeoffs: Greater volume of fire and suppression versus increased weight and ammunition burden; heat management and reliability become more important under sustained firing.

HISTORY

Light machine guns rose to prominence as armies sought an automatic weapon that could “walk with the infantry,” giving small units organic suppressive fire without the weight and setup time of heavier tripod-mounted guns. By the mid-20th century, many infantry organizations treated the light machine gun (or squad automatic weapon) as a core element of small-unit tactics, using it to pin enemies while riflemen maneuvered. The distinction between “light” and “medium” roles was often practical: the same weapon family could be used as a light machine gun from a bipod or as a heavier sustained-fire weapon when mounted.

In the Vietnam War era, U.S. forces widely used the 7.62mm M60, frequently employed from its bipod in a mobile support role, while communist forces commonly used the Soviet RPD and its Chinese Type 56 copy as standard light machine guns. Australian and New Zealand forces also fielded the M60 in Vietnam, and captured RPD/Type 56 guns appear in Australian War Memorial collection records and photographs, reflecting the types of light machine guns encountered in theater.

Sources

• https://www.britannica.com/technology/light-machine-gun Light machine gun | Encyclopaedia Britannica
• https://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-us-archive/FM23-67%2884%29.pdf FM 23-67: Machine Gun, 7.62-mm, M60 (1984) | U.S. Department of the Army (archive)
• https://www.usmcmuseum.com/uploads/6/0/3/6/60364049/vietnam_marine_weapon_descriptions_-_copy.pdf Marine Corps Vietnam Gallery Weapons (Type 56 LMG used in Vietnam) | National Museum of the Marine Corps
• https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C153459 Type 56 (RPD) Light Machine Gun : Viet Cong | Australian War Memorial
• https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C317261 Captured RPD light machine gun (1968) | Australian War Memorial

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