Machine guns introduction
Austria
 Schwarzlose M07 M07/12
 Steyr-Solothurn MG 30
 Steyr AUG /Hbar
Belgium
 FN Model D
 FN Minimi
 FN MAG
 FN BRG-15
China, People's Republic
 Type 67 GPMG
 Type 88 GPMG
 Type 95 LMG
 Type 77 HMG
 Type 85 HMG
 W-85 HMG
 Type 89 HMG
 Type 02 / QJG 02 HMG
Czech Republic
 ZB 26
 ZB 53 / Vz.37
 ZB 60 new
 Vz.52, Vz.52/57 upd
 UK Vz.59 upd
Denmark
 Madsen LMG
 Madsen-Saetter
Finland
 L/S-26
 Valmet KvKK 62
France
 Chauchat CSRG M1915
 Hotchkiss Portative
 Hotchkiss M1914
 Hotchkiss M1922 LMG
 Hotchkiss M1930 HMG
 MAC M1924/29
 AAT Mod.52
Germany
 MG 08, MG 08/15, MG 08/18
 MG 13
 MG 34
 MG 35/36 Knorr-Bremse
 MG 42 and MG 3
 HK 21 and 23
 HK MG 4
Great Britain
 Vickers Mk.I
 Hotchkiss Portable Mk.I
 Lewis
 Vickers-Berthier
 Bren
 L86A1 SA-80 LSW
Israel
 Dror
 Negev
Italy
 Fiat-Revelli M1914 M1935
 Breda M1930
 Breda M1937
Japan
 Type 03 & Type 92
 Type 11
 Type 96 & Type 99
 Type 62
Mexico
 Mendoza
Russia / USSR
 Maxim M1910/30
 Degtyarov DP DPM RP-46
 Degtyarov DS-39
 Degtyarov RPD
 Kalashnikov RPK
 Kalashnikov RPK-74
 Gorjunov SG-43 SGM
 Kalashnikov PK / PKM
 Pecheneg
 DShK DShKM 12.7
 NSV 12.7 'Utes'
 Kord 12.7
 KPV 14.5
Singapore
 STK Ultimax 100
 CIS .50 MG
South Africa
 Vector SS-77 / Mini-SS
South Korea
 Daewoo K3
Spain
 CETME Ameli
Sweden
 Knorr-Bremse m/40
Switzerland
 W+F Lmg 25
 SIG KE-7
 Steyr-Solothurn MG 30
 SIG MG 50
 W+F MG 51
 SIG MG 710
USA
 Benet-Mercie M1909
 Lewis
 Browning M1917 M1919
 Browning M1918 BAR
 Johnson M1941 M1944
 M60
 M16 LSW / LMG
 M134 Minigun
 XM214 Microgun
 Stoner 63
 M249 SAW
 M240
 Mk.48 mod.0
 Browning M2HB .50 cal
 XM312 .50 cal
 LW50MG

 Gatling, Minigun, Vulcan

all texts and some pictures
copyright © 1999-2009
by Max R. Popenker
and can not be used without author permission

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Dror light machine gun (Israel)

Caliber	7.92x57 or 7.7x56R (.303 British)
Weight	10 kg
Length	1240 mm
Barrel length	680 mm
Feed	box magazine, 20 rounds
Rate of fire	rounds per minute

The earliest machine guns in Israeli service included both foreign and domestic weapons, as even before the foundation of Israel in 1948 several underground workshops produced a quantity of an indigenous light machine gun, known as the Dror, although they apparently weren’t used in the war of 1948. These light machine guns were broadly based on the US-made Johnson M1944 LMG, but with certain alterations in the feed system and dimensions. It is interesting to note that at least some Dror machine guns were produced in .303 British caliber, in an apparent attempt to utilize ammunition that was left behind by British forces. Some more Dror machine guns in 7.92mm were produced by the state-owned IMI company during the early 1950s, but in around 1952 the Dror lost the IDF trials to the Belgian-made FN Model D light machine gun.

The Dror light macine gun is a short-recoil operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed weapon. The barrel is locked using a rotary bolt with multiple radial lugs that engage the barrel extension. The barrel is enclosed within a long tubular jacket that runs for its entire length and has circular cooling holes. The barrel can be quickly removed for replacement if overheated or worn. The front (muzzle) part of the barrel jacket is separated from its main body, heat-insulated and serves as a handle for the removal of the hot barrel. The barrel lock is unusually located in the base of the front sight.
The Dror is a selective fire weapon, firing from an open bolt in the automatic mode (for better cooling), and from a closed bolt in the semi-automatic mode (for better accuracy). The fire mode is selected by the safety / selector switch located on the right side of the gun, above the pistol grip. The feed is via detachable box magazines, which are inserted vertically from the bottom. Magazines are based on those for the 7.92mm Browning BAR magazine, slightly modified. The magazine port is fitted with a side-opening dust cover. The Dror is fitted with a metal butt consisting of two parallel steel tubes with a sheet-steel buttplate. Furniture includes a wooden pistol grip, a folding bipod attached to the front of the barrel jacket, and a side-folding carrying handle, also attached to the barrel jacket close to the center of gravity. Both front and rear sights are mounted on folding bases

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