CETME Ameli

Infobox Weapon
name=Ameli


caption=
origin=flag|Spain
type=Light machine gun
is_ranged=yes
service=1982–present
used_by=Spain
wars=
designer=CETME
design_date=1974–1981
manufacturer=General Dynamics "Santa Bárbara Sistemas"
unit_cost=
production_date=1982–present
number=
variants=
spec_label=
weight=kg to lb|5.3|sp=us|abbr=on|precision=2|wiki=yes
length=mm to in|970|abbr=on|precision=1|wiki=yes
part_length=convert|400|mm|abbr=on|1
width=
height=
diameter=
crew=
cartridge=5.56x45mm NATO
caliber=
barrels=
action=Roller-delayed blowback
rate=800-1200 rounds/min
velocity=convert|875|m/s|0|lk=on|sp=us|abbr=on (SS109 cartridge)
range=300 to 1,000 m sight adjustments
max_range=1650 m
feed=100 or 200-round M27 belt
sights=Rear aperture sight and front post, convert|340|mm|abbr=on|1 sight radius

The Ameli (short for Spanish: "Ametralladora" "Ligera" or "light machine gun") is a Spanish 5.56 mm light machine gun. It was designed for the Spanish Army by the nationally-owned and operated "Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales" (CETME) research institute (founded by the Spanish government in 1950). Development of the weapon began in 1974 under the supervision of María Jiménez Alfaro (who would later become the director of CETME).Woźniak, Ryszard. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 1 A-F. Bellona. 2001. pp140-141.] The weapon was officially unveiled in 1981 and adopted into service in 1982 as the MG82;Woźniak, Ryszard. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 1 A-F. Bellona. 2001. pp140-141.] manufactured at the Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara (now General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas) factory in La Coruna. [ [http://www.gdsbs.com/web/frame.asp?lng=eng General Dynamics "Santa Bárbara Sistemas"] ]

Design details

The Ameli is an automatic weapon and externally resembles the 7.92 mm MG42 machine gun. However, unlike the MG42's roller-locked short recoil operating principle (where the barrel and bolt recoil together a short distance before they unlock), the Ameli uses the delayed blowback method of operation with a fixed barrel and rollers which retard the rearward movement of the bolt head.Woźniak, Ryszard. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 1 A-F. Bellona. 2001. pp140-141.] This operating system was employed in CETME’s Model A, B, C and Model L series of rifles, and also in the Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle, HK33 assault rifle and MP5 series of submachine guns.

The heart of this system is the bolt assembly, which consists of a bolt head, locking piece and two symmetrically distributed cylindrical rollers, which upon chambering a round, are displaced outwards by angled surfaces in the forward pressing locking piece and into recesses in the barrel extension. The geometry of the locking recess walls and the sliding angular locking piece ensure that once a shot is fired, the bolt head absorbs the recoil impulse from the ignited cartridge through the base of the empty casing and transmits this rearward pressure onto the rollers forcing them out of their sockets and inward, interacting with inclined planes on the locking piece and propelling it backwards at a speed that is approximately 1.5x greater than that of the bolt head thereby increasing the bolt's inertia and providing a delay.Woźniak, Ryszard. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 1 A-F. Bellona. 2001. pp140-141.] The relatively short initial rear displacement of the bolt head immediately after firing and the subsequent delay until the bullet has left the barrel and the gas pressures inside the bore have been reduced to a safe level eliminates the probability of a premature case extraction from the chamber (beyond the thick-walled base of the chamber) that would result in the spent casing bursting.Woźniak, Ryszard. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 1 A-F. Bellona. 2001. pp140-141.]

The Ameli fires from an open bolt and uses a striker firing mechanism (in which the bolt and internally-channeled firing pin perform the role of a striker) and a fire-control mechanism that enables fully-automatic fire only.Woźniak, Ryszard. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 1 A-F. Bellona. 2001. pp140-141.] The weapon features a cross bolt-type safety that disables the sear mechanism when pressed into the "safe" position. The machine gun is fed from an open-link disintegrating M27 ammunition belt that can be strung loosely from the feed tray or placed inside a 100 or 200-round plastic container, which is then attached to the left side of the receiver. This ammunition container has a transparent rear wall that allows the gunner to monitor ammunition levels visually. Feeding is carried out with a pawl-type feeding mechanism, which was modeled on the MG42’s feed system.Woźniak, Ryszard. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 1 A-F. Bellona. 2001. pp140-141.] Spent cartridge casings are ejected downward through a chute in the receiver.

The quick-change air-cooled barrel is equipped with a slotted flash suppressor. The barrel has a chrome-lined bore with 6 right-hand grooves and a 1 in 178 mm (1:7 in) rifling twist rate that is optimized for use with heavier SS109 5.56x45mm NATO rounds. A barrel with a 1 in 305 mm (1:12 in) twist rate designed specifically to stabilize the lightweight M193 cartridge was also available.Woźniak, Ryszard. Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 1 A-F. Bellona. 2001. pp140-141.] The chamber portion of the barrel has flutes that assist in the extraction sequence. A carrying handle is also fixed to the barrel and aids in its removal when it becomes too hot; the barrel can be changed out within 5 seconds.

The Ameli is fitted with a fixed polymer stock, bipod and iron sights that consist of a forward post and rear aperture contained in the carry handle assembly with 300, 600, 800 and 1,000 m range settings. The quick-detachable bipod has a height adjustment feature and is mounted to the barrel heat shroud at the muzzle end.

The light machine gun can be deployed with the bipod or from a stationary tripod mount.

ee also

*FN Minimi
*Stoner 63

Notes

References

*Gander, Terry J., and Ian Hogg. "Jane's Guns Recognition Guide", 4th Ed. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005. ISBN 0007183283.
*pl icon cite book|last = Woźniak|first = Ryszard|authorlink = |coauthors = |year = 2001|chapter = p. 140-141|title = Encyklopedia najnowszej broni palnej - tom 1 A-F|publisher = Bellona|location = Warsaw, Poland|id = ISBN 83-11-09149-8

External links

* [http://world.guns.ru/machine/mg25-e.htm Modern Firearms]