XM806 'LW50'
Summary
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Category | Machine gun |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics |
Technical specifications
| XM806 'LW50' | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 265 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | .50 BMG (12.7 x 99 mm) |
| Magazine | belt of 100 rounds |
| Length | 1640 mm (64.6 in) |
| Weight | 18.0 kg (39.7 lb) |
| Range | 2000 m (6562 ft) |
Description
The XM806 Lightweight .50 Caliber Machine Gun (LW50MG) was a developmental .50 caliber belt-fed heavy machine gun. Development began in 2009, spun out from the cancelled XM307 project, and was led by General Dynamics to augment the M2. General Dynamics received a $9 million contract for the weapon in May 2008.
The XM806 project was cancelled in July 2012, with the Army reallocating funds to upgrade their M2 machine guns to the M2A1 version. The weapon was expected to be deployed starting at the end of fiscal year 2012, but delays pushed planned deployment to 2013 or 2014.
The XM806 offered the following advantages:
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Weighed about 63 pounds (29 kg) less than the M2, representing a 49% reduction in weight.
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60% less recoil than the M2.
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Easier to disassemble
It also featured a greater rate of fire than the XM312, though it had a considerably slower rate of fire than the M2. The design also included improvements to user safety.