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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Mendoza C-1934 and RM2 light machine gun (Mexico)

.30-06 (7.62x63mm) caliber Mendoza RM2 light machine gun

	Mendoza M1934	Mendoza RM-2
Caliber	7x57 Spanish Mauser	.30-06 (7.62x63)
Weight	8.4 kg	6.4 kg
Length	1170 mm	1110 mm
Barrel length	630 mm	610 mm
Feed	Box magazine, 20 or 30 rounds	Box magazine, 20 rounds
Rate of fire	450 rounds per minute	450 rounds per minute

Rafael Mendoza, an employee of the Mexican National Arms Company, designed this light machine gun between circa 1928 and 1933. After military trials, his design was officially approved for service with Mexican armed forces in 1934 as Fusil Ametrellador Systema Mendoza C-1934, chambered for the contemporary standard 7x57 Mauser ammunition. Later on, Mendoza improved his design several times, with the ultimate model being the RM-2, which was produced shortly after World War 2 and chambered for the .30-06 US (7.62x63) ammunition, which was adopted as the new standard by the Mexican army during the late 1940s. This weapon was rather light and dispensed with a quick-detachable barrel; thus, in theory, it was a serious competitor to the American BAR M1918 automatic rifle, although it never saw any significant use outside Mexico.

The Mendoza C-1934 light machine gun is a gas operated, air cooled weapon with a quick-detachable barrel. It uses a long-stroke gas system with a cup-shaped gas piston, located below the barrel. A manual gas regulator is provided on the front of the gas block. The barrel locking system uses a rotary bolt with eight radial lugs which lock into recesses cut into the receiver. Firing is from an open bolt, and the gun is capable of both semi- and automatic fire, selectable through a manual switch located on the left side of receiver, above the trigger guard. One unusual aspect of the Mendoza design is that it has a separate firing pin with similar points at both ends. The idea was that in case of firing pin breakage the operator could disassemble the gun and install the firing pin rearwards, thus resuming operation of the weapon.
The feed was from box magazines, inserted vertically from the top. The magazine housing was offset slightly to the right from the weapon axis to clear the centerline for the sights.
The gun is fitted into a single-piece rifle type stock, made of wood, with a separate pistol grip. The weapon is provided with a hinged shoulder rest and a folding bipod attached to the gas block.

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