Top 10 Best Machine Guns of All Time

Machine guns. These iconic weapons have shaped the battlefields of history, their rapid-fire bursts echoing through countless wars and conflicts. From the muddy trenches of World War I to the modern urban combat zones, the machine gun has proven itself a formidable and often decisive force.

But what exactly is a machine gun? In essence, it's a fully automatic firearm, designed to unleash a continuous torrent of bullets with a single pull of the trigger. Unlike semi-automatic weapons, which fire one round per trigger pull, machine guns keep cycling through the process of firing and reloading as long as ammunition is available and the trigger is held down.

This awesome firepower comes in many shapes and sizes. Throughout history, we've seen heavy machine guns with devastating power, light machine guns emphasizing portability, and even general-purpose machine guns seeking a balance of the two.

What are the best machine guns of all time? That's a question that has sparked countless debates among firearms enthusiasts and historians alike. Some swear by the timeless reliability of older designs, while others champion the advancements of modern engineering. The truth is that "best" is subjective, often depending on specific uses or personal preferences.
The Top Ten
Minigun The Minigun, also known as the M134, is a six-barrel rotary machine gun that can fire between 2,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute.

The Minigun is the deadliest machine gun in history because of its firepower and fire rate. It is attached to helicopters of American forces and is used in many other military forces. That proves that this machine gun is the deadliest of all time.

In my opinion, the Minigun would be the best weapon for long distances, like from helicopters. The 2,000 bullets in the magazine or bullet chain will blow you away!

This gun is the most dangerous gun. This gun also appears in Grand Theft Auto games, and I complete most of the killing missions with this gun.

Thompson The Thompson submachine gun, also known as the "Tommy Gun", was favored by both law enforcement officers and criminals during the Prohibition era in the United States.

Ah, the .45 ACP-firing "Chicago Piano." This is one of my favorite weapons of all time. Just the very look of the weapon makes me love it. It was a true marvel of American ingenuity.

If you want to hit someone with great power and accuracy, then go with the Thompson.

M2 Browning The M2 Browning is a heavy machine gun designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning, it's highly effective in infantry, aircraft, and naval applications.

This weapon redefined the heavy machine gun role as a powerful, general-purpose weapon rather than just a man-killer. Mount it on a tripod, a pintle, a ring-mount, ball-mount, turret, or aircraft, and it will still destroy anything other than a serious AFV that gets in its line of fire.

Ultra-reliable, extremely powerful, long-ranged, and psychologically as well as physically devastating, the Browning M1921 series has proven itself to be among the longest-serving and most versatile weapons available on the battlefield and remains so today.

M60 The M60 is a general-purpose machine gun that was adopted by the U.S. military in the 1950s and saw extensive use in the Vietnam War.

I prefer this weapon over the Minigun because Miniguns are so bulky and impractical. The M60, however, is very strong, fires large, powerful ammo, and is built for any operation. You could throw this out of your helicopter before dropping down or throw it in a river. It would work like new.

This is a great gun because the army actually uses them! The Minigun is only ever used on helicopters, so it can't really be a contender.

Come on! Rambo has touched this weapon. That's enough said.

Gatling Gun The Gatling Gun, invented by Richard Gatling during the American Civil War, was one of the first rapid-fire weapons in history.

These guns have the highest rate of fire among all other machine guns. Try shooting a car, and it will be ripped to shreds.

One of the most recognizable machine guns originated in the United States.

XM214 Microgun The XM214 Microgun, also known as the "Six-Pak", is an electrically powered machine gun that fires 5.56mm ammunition at a high rate.
MG 42 The MG 42, a German machine gun from World War II, was known for its high rate of fire and was used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS.

This MG was designed 80 years ago. It is still probably the best of the medium machine guns. Its cyclic rate of fire is probably the highest of all mass-produced medium MGs. It fires so fast that you can't hear individual shots. It sounds like tearing paper. The USA's M60 was modeled after it. This weapon is likely responsible for millions of Russian and allied casualties.

First to use an air-cooling mechanism. Easily assembled in a factory and an all-around great machine gun with a very German quality feel. It also spawned several successors such as the M60, as well as its direct descendant, the MG3, which I would say is better but not as renowned on the battlefield as the MG42 was in Europe.

M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) The M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) is an American version of the Belgian FN Minimi, a light machine gun used by infantry squads in the U.S. military.

The M249 SAW is very high-quality and tough to beat with its high RPM, good range, and exceptional number of bullets per magazine. If you are considering all types of machine guns, besides light machine guns, you would definitely want this gun in the military.

The M249 SAW can fire from linked bullet chains of 500 rounds or from magazines. It can also fire from an M16 clip in an emergency. If you were shot with it, you'd be dead before you felt the pain. It is the most powerful machine gun that is both portable and mountable.

There are quite a few differences between machine guns and full-auto rifles and submachine guns. Anyway, SAW for the win. It's an awesome weapon.

Fokker-Leimberger The Fokker-Leimberger was an early German attempt at a rotary-barrel machine gun, used primarily on aircraft during World War I.

I got this info from Wikipedia, so if you don't believe it, it's not my fault. The Fokker-Leimberger was the first Gatling-style machine gun. It had 12 barrels and was capable of firing 7,200 rounds per minute. Believe it or not, this gun was first made in Germany during World War I. It was an experimental gun, and if put into production, it could have helped Germany win the war.

PKM The PKM is a Soviet-designed machine gun used by over 60 countries, known for its reliability and performance in various conditions.

The Newcomers

? Darne Machine Gun
? Breda M37
The Contenders
LSAT The LSAT (Lightweight Small Arms Technologies) is a family of lightweight machine guns developed in the United States to improve the firepower of infantry squads.

A Light Machine Gun that is lighter than the M249, the LSAT is versatile and uses 5.56mm caseless rounds. This gun could be excellent for all U.S. soldiers because the M249 is heavier and less accurate.

Kord-12.7 The Kord-12.7 is a Russian heavy machine gun, which replaced the older NSV machine gun. It's known for its high rate of fire and heavy bullet caliber.

This is the most accurate heavy MG in the world!

Ultimax 100 The Ultimax 100 is a Singaporean light machine gun, known for its light weight and low recoil, making it easier to handle in combat situations.
RPK The RPK (Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova) is a Soviet light machine gun that is a heavier-duty version of the AK-47, it's used as a squad automatic weapon.
M240 The M240, a belt-fed, air-cooled, gas-operated, fully automatic machine gun, is a mainstay in the U.S. military, known for its reliability and effectiveness.

This is the best machine gun with one barrel. It's not too big, has good accuracy and rate of fire, and a nice design.

IWI Negev The IWI Negev is an Israeli light machine gun that fires 5.56mm or 7.62mm rounds and is used by the Israeli Defense Forces and other militaries around the world.
P90 The P90 is a compact submachine gun designed by FN Herstal in Belgium, known for its unique design and high-capacity magazine.

Good accuracy, low recoil, and fast fire rate. However, I feel the build design is too large and could have been more compact.

DShK The DShK is a Soviet heavy machine gun with a V-shaped "butterfly" trigger, dating back to the 1930s.

This Heavy Machine Gun originated in Russia in 1938.

KPV Heavy Machine Gun The KPV Heavy Machine Gun is a Soviet-designed 14.5×114mm-caliber heavy machine gun, which was first introduced in 1949.
M36 The M36 gun motor carriage was an American tank destroyer used during World War II, also known as the "Slugger".
Bren Gun The Bren Gun is a series of light machine guns made by Britain in the 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War.

A very famous machine gun made in the UK and used in the Second World War. It was very reliable.

Vickers Machine Gun The Vickers Machine Gun is a water-cooled .303 British machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army during the First World War.
DLV36
Sterling Submachine Gun The Sterling Submachine Gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994.
Breda 30 The Breda 30 was the standard light machine gun of the Royal Italian Army during World War II.
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