Beretta AS70 LMG

History

When Beretta started developing their first 5.56mm assault rifles, they predicted that they would be used in other roles, eg: Beretta AS70 LMG was developed into a series of light machine guns that could be effectively used in squad automatic weapons (SAW) role that enables fire brigades to harness the power of a machine gun in a portable casing of an assault rifle frame. The AS70 LMG has the same gas-operated rotary bolt function as its AS70 assault rifle sister, but uses an open bolt arrangement instead. The AS70 LMG also features a heavier, fixed, detachable burst reel barrel system, as well as an optional carrying handle, plastic front end and foldable bipod.

The AS70 light machine gun was developed in response to the need for the Italian army to replace the aging MG42/59 machine guns, which were essentially locally licensed production versions of the German Rheinmetall MG3 series, themselves derived from the German wartime general purpose MG42 machine guns for the second time world war.

The AS70/78 debuted in 1979 but was not an immediate success - the open breech made handling rather tricky and led to jamming and other internal contamination issues. Several changes to the action of the machine gun further eliminate the commonality of parts between it and the assault rifle. Therefore, the improved AS70/80 was introduced as a modified but simpler form of production.

The AS70/84 later introduced a fixed heavy barrel assembly, and the action was modified to allow fully automatic firing from the open bolt position. An integrated adapter can now mount this new weapon on the vehicle, and the stock is "cut out" to lighten the load and double as another handle.

AS70/84 were available in limited quantities before being replaced by Beretta's AS70/90 in 1985. The AS70/90 is similar to the AS70/84 series, but is identified externally by a sharper line along the body. The stock has been further redesigned with a detachable carrying handle mounted on the rear sight base. The new production form is also equipped with a rail adapter system that can mount various infantry accessories such as thermal imaging, electro-optical or laser targeting systems.

A cleaning kit is installed in the pistol grip for field maintenance.

The AS70 LMG is designed to fire NATO standard 5.56x45mm cartridges and can be fed from a variety of STANAG magazines. Interestingly, the AS70 is not designed to support belt firing, another shortcoming in the eyes of the Italian army, which is seeking such a weapon system. The sight is one piece, consisting of a two-position rear flip port and an adjustable front post. Unloaded, the weapon system weighs approximately 11.8 lbs and has a barrel length of 1,000 mm (39.4 in) and a barrel length of 460 mm (18.3 in). The rate of fire is about 800 rounds per minute.

Fire selection is accomplished by operating a four-position switch, allowing standard safety settings, single-shot, triple-shot burst capability, or fully automatic fire.

Due to the shortcomings of the AS70, the Italian Army opted for the Belgian-born Fabrique-Nationale FN Minimi light machine gun. Ironically, it was produced in Italy under license by Beretta for the Italian Army. The Minimi developed such a range that it was even chosen by the Australian and US armies as their new squad automatic weapon.

Today, the AS70 LMG is a rare sight, and several examples are known to be in closed circulation. Needless to say, this gun never attracted foreign interest, so it was never sold outside of Italy.

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