What is Machine gun?
{{more sources|date=February 2022}} [[File:U.S. Navy special warfare combatant-craft crewmen (SWCC), Special Boat Team 22 conducts training 16 AUG 09.jpg|thumb|250px|[[US Navy]] Boat Team crewman firing a heavy machine gun. Note defensive armor and ammo belt; spent [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridges]] dropping. Crewman in [[camouflage]]d outfit, radio equipment, [[camera]] on [[helmet]], submachine gun over his shoulder]] [[File:Gau 17 7.62mm minigun.jpg|thumb|250px|A U.S. Navy 7.62&nbsp;mm [[Minigun|GAU-17/A]] Minigun. It has an electric motor on top which does the loading, priming, and firing. Note the rapid cartridge case ejection]] A '''machine gun''' is a [[weapon]] that can fire one [[bullet]] after another as long as the trigger is pulled and there are bullets ready to fire. This is called [[wikt:automatic|automatic]] fire. A more general name for this type of weapon is an '''automatic weapon'''. Machine guns fire bullets delivered from a long chain of [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridges]] called an [[ammunition]] ('ammo') ''belt'', or use [[Spring (device)|spring]]-loaded boxes called ''magazines''. Machine guns are usually divided into heavy-duty machine guns, light machine guns, and sub-machine guns. [[Heavy machine gun]]s (HMG) are placed on the ground, supported on a [[tripod]], or on a [[vehicle]]. The vehicle would have a support for the gun with a rotating base or [[turret]]. Heavy machine guns often need two men to operate it, one to assist with loading ammunition, and one to aim and fire. It always takes two or more men to carry one. Famous examples include the [[M2 Browning machine gun]], the [[MG 42|MG42]], the [[M1919 Browning machine gun|M1919 Browning]], the [[Minigun|M134 minigun]], the [[Type 92 machine gun|Type 92 heavy machine gun]], and the [[Maxim gun]]. [[Light machine gun]]s (LMG) are usually carried and fired by one man. Despite the name, an LMG is almost always rested on a [[bipod]] or a tripod while firing since the gun is normally too heavy to fire while standing, although some L