BattleMech Weapons

Machine Gun:
Ancient Killer on the Battlefield

by Precentor Janos Abu Hassan

The machine guns of the 31st Century are direct descendants of the heavy machine guns first used in the world wars of the 20th Century, weapons which changed forever the shape and scope of warfare by their wholesale slaughter of unarmored troops emerging from the shelter of their trenches and landing craft. The design is simple, the weapon's bolt being repeatedly cycled by gas pressure "blowback" from the previous round. Heavy machine guns--those too large to be easily man-portable--are still common as vehicle-mounted weapons, as point-defense and anti-aircraft positions in a fixed defense, as primary or secondary weapons in bunkers, hardpoints, and atop city walls, and, of course, as back-up and anti-infantry weapons on 'Mechs.

Machine guns are powerful enough to cause damage to BattleMech armor but only at extremely close range-generally under 100 meters. There have been cases of lucky hits by infantry-crewed MGs on hovercraft bringing down a BattleMech by penetrating the cockpit, and MechWarriors emerging from their 'Mechs in a combat zone always dread the possibility that an unseen enemy lurking nearby has a machine gun trained on their main hatch, waiting. Some light BattleMechs--the Stinger and the Locust are examples--have a pair of heavy machine guns as their sole, secondary armament, and there are numerous stories of these light 'Mechs engaging a heavier enemy with their MGs and winning.

Infantry or vehicle-mounted weapons are belt or magazine fed. Those mounted on BattleMechs are usually heavier than infantry-portable weapons, and are fed by autoloaded cassettes similar to those developed for autocannons. Some 'Mechs, particularly those which have been many-times repaired and salvaged, mount machine guns which are belt fed by autoloader systems similar to those used aboard aircraft. Unfortunately, these are prone to jams, and without an operator immediately present, it is difficult to clear belt feed jams in combat.

While machine guns are useless against 'Mechs at ranges of more than about 90 meters, they are deadly against infantry and light vehicles at ranges out to 1000 meters and beyond. They are light, inexpensive, and useful weapons. Their chief disadvantages are their tendency to jam in dirt and overheating, and their weight when being carried by infantry on foot.

BattleMech Weapons Crisis of Range and Accuracy

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