MG-710
Summary
| Country | 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
| Category | Light machine gun |
| Manufacturer | Sig Sauer |
Technical specifications
| MG-710 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 800 - 950 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 7.62 x 51 mm OTAN |
| Magazine | belt of 100 rounds |
| Length | 1143 mm (45.0 in) |
| Weight | 9.25 kg (20.4 lb) |
| Range | 1200 m (3937 ft) |
Description
The SIG MG 710-3 is a Swiss-made, 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed and manufactured by SIG (now Swiss Arms AG). Development began in 1955, with the initial designation Model 55 that was changed to SIG MG 710 in 1957. The design was influenced by the German MG 45, itself derived from the MG 42. The weapon was conceived as a commercial product intended for export.
The MG 710-3 is an automatic, air-cooled, belt-fed weapon that uses a roller-delayed blowback method, firing from an open bolt. The bolt assembly has a three-piece design:
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A bolt head with locking rollers
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A striker sleeve
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A telescopically connected bolt carrier
The firing mechanism is striker-based and allows fully automatic fire only, and a cross-bolt safety is present. Spent cartridges are ejected downwards. The quick-change barrel features both a slotted flash suppressor and a fixed handle for removal. The firearm is equipped with a fixed stock and a detachable bipod. Sighting is achieved via open sights with a rear tangent sight adjustable from 100 to 1200 meters, or an optical sight.
During development, the SIG MG 710 was produced in different prototype variants: the MG 710-1 (6.5×55mm cartridge), the MG 710-2 (7.92×57mm Mauser), and the final production version, the SIG MG 710-3 (7.62×51mm NATO caliber). Different barrel types are available, including light profile, heavy profile, and blank firing barrels. The MG 710-3 feeds using either NATO standard M13 or German DM1 belts, which requires a part swap in the feed block.
The SIG MG 710-3 was developed as a commercial venture focused on export. The Swiss Army did not adopt it, as they already used the 7.5 mm MG 51. As of 2010, the SIG MG 710-3 was used by the armed forces of Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, and Liberia.