General Dymanics’ Lightweight Medium Machine Gun, .338 Norma Magnum

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Matthew Cox reports on the GD Lightweight Medium Machine Gun …
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OK, so we all know the Pentagon has no money. But if it did, General Dymanics’ Lightweight Medium Machine Gun, chambered in .338 Norma Magnum might be worth a look.
GD’s Ordnance and Tactical Systems division was showing off the 23-pound LWMMG at Modern Day Marine 2013, touting it as the needed bridge between the M240 and the M2 .50 caliber machine guns.
“We wanted a round that could provide capabilities to eliminate the gap between 7.62mm and .50 cal,” a GD official said. “We needed a round that could provide accurate, effective fire on target beyond 1,500 meters.”
The LWMMG fires a 300 grain .338 caliber bullet and is capable of effective fire out to 1,700 meters, compared to the M240 round which is effective out to 1,100 meters.
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The time to introduce this gun was early or mid-way through Operation Enduring Freedom. For better or worse, the military is not going to adopt a new machine gun cartridge in the immediate future.