FNH EVOLYS - first photos of a new machine gun.
The new FN product was presented at the British Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) fair.
We had already wrote about the new FNH product, which is to be the successor to the legendary Minimi (known more widely as the M249 SAW) in May, right after its official premiere. Meanwhile, at the recent DSEI fair, the Belgian company presented the product to a wide audience. During the presentation of the weapon, the representative of the manufacturer, Kristof Verjans has,first of all, emphasized the significant reduction in the weight of the new platform compared to the Minimi. EVOLYS is from weigh 5.5 kg (the 5.56mm version) to 6.2 kg (the 7.62mm version), which is about 2 kg less than its famous predecessor. One of the most interesting features of the new LMG is the way of feeding the ammo belt.
The feeder is located on the left side of the weapon, but loading it is done without lifting the top receiver cover as the LMG simply does not have one. Thanks to this design, the top mounting rail and the receiver are single piece, ensuring a stable platform for mounting the optics. Another interesting feature of EVOLYS is the system that eliminates the problem of feeding a poorly positioned ammunition belt based on the feeder and spring-adjustable lips, which cover the cartridges at the front and rear, correcting their position before loading.
An interesting fact is that the last link of the ammunition belt is automatically ejected when the last shot is fired, which speeds up the reloading of the LMG. The EVOLYS currently does not have a quick barrel change system, although the manufacturer claims that in military barracks conditions such an operation takes about two minutes.
The 5.56 EVOLYS version has a barrel length of 14 inches and has the option of being fed from box magazines with a capacity of 100 and 200 rounds. The 7.62 model is equipped with a 16-inch barrel and a box magazine with a capacity of 50 rounds. The weapon is still equipped with a SCAR stock.
Source: thefirearmblog.com
