A Machine Gun (commonly abbreviated MG) is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute. Machine guns are generally categorized as "light", "medium", or "heavy", and have been featured in every game in the Battlefield series to date.
A light machine gun (LMG) is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. They are the most common machine gun in the Battlefield series.
LMGs typically have much larger ammo capacity, especially when belt-fed. This allows for long periods of sustained fire, which may be counterbalanced by requiring the weapon to cool down after overheating.
LMGs gain increased accuracy when the player crouches or prones, sacrificing mobility for control. A well-placed machine gun can effectively control squads of enemy, making them invaluable in the defensive role. In games featuring the bipod as a usable weapon accessory, accuracy and stability are greatly increased, exceeding that of other automatic weapon classes. In some games, gain more accuracy during sustained fire.
LMGs suffer from lower than average accuracy compared to carbines and assault rifles when fired while standing. Also, recoil is generally higher compared to their assault rifle derivatives, with extreme rates of fire also lower. Belt-fed machine guns suffer from the longest reload times of any weapon, as well as the highest hipfire spread, making them highly disadvantaged in close quarters scenarios.
Note that LMG as used here is primarily a gameplay category. Some Battlefield games feature MMGs or even HMGs that are classified as LMGs for gameplay reasons.
A Medium Machine Gun (MMG) or General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) refers to a belt-fed automatic firearm firing a full-power rifle cartridge. It may be wielded by infantry or mounted on vehicles.
In the Battlefield series, MMGs used by infantry are often grouped together with light machine guns.
Appearances
M1919, an American medium machine gun that appears in Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam.
M60, an American general-purpose machine gun that appears in Battlefield: Bad Company and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, categorized as a light machine gun.
M60E4, an updated model appearing in Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4, categorized as a light machine gun.
M60-ULT, a variant appearing in Battlefield 4 as a battle pickup.
M240, an American general-purpose machine gun that appears in Battlefield 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as a coaxial machine gun, and in Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 as an infantry weapon, categorized as a light machine gun.
MG34, a German general-purpose machine gun that appears in Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam.
MG3, a German general-purpose machine gun that appears in Battlefield: Bad Company , Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and Battlefield Play4Free, categorized as a light machine gun.
MG42, a German general-purpose machine gun that appears in Battlefield 1942.
HK21, a German general-purpose machine gun that appears in Battlefield 2, categorized as a light machine gun.
MG 08, a German medium machine gun appearing as a mounted weapon in Battlefield 1.
MG 08/15, a variant available in the same game, being a general-purpose machine gun as part of a battle pickup kit.
Parabellum MG14/17, a German medium machine gun appearing in Battlefield 1, categorized as a light machine gun.
PKM, a Russian general-purpose machine gun that appears in Battlefield 2, Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Battlefield Play4Free, categorized as a light machine gun.
PKP Pecheneg, a Russian general-purpose machine gun that appears in Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4, categorized as a light machine gun.
Vickers machine gun, a British medium machine gun that appears in Battlefield 1.
Hotchkiss M1914, a French medium machine gun appearing in Battlefield 1.
Perino Model 1908, an Italian medium machine gun appearing in Battlefield 1, categorized as a light machine gun.
Heavy Machine Guns
A Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) refers to its superior power, range, and weight over other machine guns. They must be deployed on the field (with a nest often built around it) or mounted to a pedestal or carrier vehicle. Coaxial mounted weapons are aimed by use of the main gun control. Some are light enough to be carried by infantry, but typically not in a usable state.
The Ganz HMG and the M1917 MG are notable for being the only HMGs that are carried by infantry instead of being emplacements or mounted weapons.
Appearances
Ganz HMG, appearing in Battlefield 2142 as an infantry weapon, although termed a heavy machine gun.
KORD, a Russian heavy machine gun that appears in Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield 3, and Battlefield 4.
M2 Browning, an American heavy machine gun that appears in the Battlefield series.
Maxim MG, a British heavy machine gun featured in Battlefield 1.
MG 131, a German heavy machine gun that appears in Battlefield Heroes.
TuF HMG, a German heavy machine gun appearing in Battlefield 1.
Type 85 HMG, a Chinese heavy machine gun that appears in Battlefield 2.
XM312, an American heavy machine gun that appears in Battlefield: Bad Company and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
MG 08, a German heavy machine gun appearing in Battlefield 1 as a vehicle weapon.
M1917 MG, an American heavy machine gun that appears in Battlefield 1: Turning Tides, categorized as a light machine gun.
