CETME Ameli
Summary
| Country | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| Category | Light machine gun |
| Manufacturer | Santa Barbara SA |
Technical specifications
| CETME Ameli | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 850 - 1200 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 5.56 x 45 mm NATO |
| Magazine | belt of 100 - 200 rounds |
| Length | 900 mm (35.4 in) |
| Weight | 5.3 kg (11.7 lb) |
| Range | 600 m (1969 ft) |
Description
The Ameli (from Spanish Ametralladora ligera or "light machine gun") is a 5.56mm light machine gun developed for the Spanish Army (EjĂ©rcito de Tierra) by the Centro de Estudios TĂ©cnicos de Materiales Especiales (CETME). Development began in 1974 under Colonel JosĂ© MarĂa JimĂ©nez Alfaro. The Ameli was unveiled in 1981, and after military trials, it was adopted in 1982 as the standard squad-level support weapon of the Spanish Army under the designation MG 82. Manufacture was at the Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara factory in A Coruña until its closure in 2013.
Resembling the MG 42 externally, the Ameli uses a delayed blowback method with a fixed barrel and roller retardation. This is similar to the MG 45, MG 3, CETME rifle series, and Heckler & Koch G3, HK33, and MP5. The bolt assembly, with a bolt head, locking piece, and rollers, delays the bolt's rearward movement, preventing premature case extraction. The Ameli fires from an open bolt via a striker firing mechanism and is capable of fully automatic fire only. The rate of fire is adjustable between 850–900 rounds/min and 1,200 rounds/min by using bolts of varying weight. A cross-bolt safety disables the sear.
The weapon is fed from M27 open-link disintegrating belts, either loose or in 100 or 200-round disposable plastic containers that clip to the left side, featuring a transparent rear wall for monitoring. A pawl-type feeding mechanism, modeled on the MG 42, advances the belt. Spent casings are ejected downward through a chute. The quick-change air-cooled barrel has a slotted flash suppressor and a chrome-lined bore. Barrels are available with a 1:7 inch twist rate for SS109 rounds or a 1:12 inch twist rate for M193 cartridges. The chamber is fluted to aid extraction. A fixed carrying handle assists barrel changes.
The Ameli features:
- A molded polymer stock
- A quick-detach, height-adjustable bipod at the muzzle end of the barrel shroud
- Iron sights with a front post and a rear aperture within the carry handle, adjustable from 300 to 1,000 meters.
Construction largely utilizes sheet metal stampings for the receiver, barrel shroud, and trigger housing, which are welded. It can be deployed with the bipod, on vehicle mounts, or static tripods.
Upon its adoption in 1982, the Ameli became the standard squad-level support weapon for the Spanish Army.
Current users include Malaysia (PASKAL), Mexico, Spain, and Ukraine.