MAC-24/29
| MAC-24/29 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| general information | |
| Civil name: | MG Châtellerault |
| Military designation: | fusil-mitrailleur Modèle 1924 Modifié 29 |
| Country of operation: | France |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Manufacture d'Armes de Châtellerault (MAC) |
| Manufacturer country: | France |
| Production time: | 1929 to 1940 |
| Model variants: | MAC-24, MAC-24/29 |
| Weapon Category: | Machine gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1070 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 9 kg |
| Barrel length : | 500 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 7.5 x 54 mm |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 25 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Bar magazine |
| Cadence : | 550 rounds / min |
| Number of trains : | 4th |
| Twist : | Left |
| Closure : | Block closure |
| Charging principle: | Gas pressure charger |
| Lists on the subject | |
The MAC-24/29 was a French machine gun. It is also known as the FM 24/29 ( fusil-mitrailleur Mle 1924/29 ) or the MG model Châtellerault .
history
After the First World War, the military in France was forced to modernize the machine gun equipment of the troops. In particular, the light MG Chauchat had proven to be inadequate. This was only partly due to the poorly robust construction of the Chauchat, but mainly to the completely outdated rim cartridge in caliber 8 mm Lebel. A contemporary portable automatic rifle only appeared on the battlefield in the last year of the war, in the form of the Browning Automatic Rifle used by the American Expeditionary Force. It fired the rimless cartridge .30-06 Springfield , which was much better suited for use in machine guns. The BAR met with approval and France considered recreating the weapon. Ultimately, the decision was made to develop their own machine gun along with modern rimless ammunition. The state armory in Châtellerault was awarded the contract .
Technology and commitment
The MG was not a completely new design, but took up many details of the BAR. Nevertheless, the development was accompanied by immense difficulties. The new model was delivered to the troops in 1924, but this turned out to be premature. The cartridge turned out to be too long and not very tapered, which caused problems with ammunition feed. Worse still was the use of an unsuitable type of steel. The Chamber could not withstand the pressure and heating; there were barrel explosions. Both weapon and ammunition had to be thoroughly revised. This happened with the 1929 model, older models were withdrawn or modernized. Only the new version was convincing and proved itself in troop service.
The MAC-24/29 is a self-locking gas pressure loader with a fixed barrel. The locking system is similar to that of the Browning BAR, but a one-piece toggle lock is used instead of a lock with a support flap. This is connected at its rear end to the control piece via a hinge, which tilts it upwards to lock it, whereupon it engages with its rear end in the lock housing. The firing pin sits firmly on the control piece and, in the last phase of its advance, ignites the cartridge through a hole in the now locked breech. The closing spring is located at the rear in a hole in the control piece. The buffer spring located in the stop piston ensures that the weapon does not shake when firing and is therefore easy to control even in series fire. The weapon has two triggers: the front for single fire , the rear for continuous fire.
The machine gun remained in use by the French armed forces until the 1950s , when it was replaced by the AA-52 .
