by
Support NRA American Rifleman
DONATE
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Ahead of SHOT Show 2020, SIG Sauer provided an in-depth look at the company's revolutionary new MG 338 machine gun, designed for U.S. Military use.
The SIG MG 338 is designed particularly to provide a platform that, in effect, splits the difference between the U.S. M240 machine gun and the .50-caliber M2 Browning. Compared to the current M240 (7.62 NATO) machine gun, the SIG MG 338 is noticeably lighter, weighing only 20 pounds, and is designed to provide enhanced capability over the 7.62 NATO M240.
In comparison to the M2, which has been in U.S. military service for nearly a century, the MG 338 is about 75 percent lighter, offering a man-portable solution with a similar effective-range to the .50 BMG. The guns are also outfitted with SIG Sauer Next Generation Suppressors, which drastically reduce the impact of harmful toxic fumes and signature. The SIG Sauer MG 338 machine gun is a belt-fed, lightweight medium machine gun weighing under 20 lbs., chambered in .338 Norma Mag.
The MG 338 features a short-stroke gas piston system and a proprietary recoil mitigation system, with a free-floating, quick-change barrel, ambidextrous controls, switchable feed tray, charging handle that can be alternated to either side, depending on user preference. As a multi-caliber, modular system, the new SIG MG 338 is easily convertible to 7.62 NATO.
For more information on the MG 338, check out our American Rifleman First Look video above.
The SIG MG 338 is designed particularly to provide a platform that, in effect, splits the difference between the U.S. M240 machine gun and the .50-caliber M2 Browning. Compared to the current M240 (7.62 NATO) machine gun, the SIG MG 338 is noticeably lighter, weighing only 20 pounds, and is designed to provide enhanced capability over the 7.62 NATO M240.
In comparison to the M2, which has been in U.S. military service for nearly a century, the MG 338 is about 75 percent lighter, offering a man-portable solution with a similar effective-range to the .50 BMG. The guns are also outfitted with SIG Sauer Next Generation Suppressors, which drastically reduce the impact of harmful toxic fumes and signature. The SIG Sauer MG 338 machine gun is a belt-fed, lightweight medium machine gun weighing under 20 lbs., chambered in .338 Norma Mag.
The MG 338 features a short-stroke gas piston system and a proprietary recoil mitigation system, with a free-floating, quick-change barrel, ambidextrous controls, switchable feed tray, charging handle that can be alternated to either side, depending on user preference. As a multi-caliber, modular system, the new SIG MG 338 is easily convertible to 7.62 NATO.
For more information on the MG 338, check out our American Rifleman First Look video above.
![Oconnor Small[67]](/media/bu2le2tp/oconnor-small-67.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=770&height=430&rnd=134126774953630000&quality=60)
![Oconnor Small[67]](/media/bu2le2tp/oconnor-small-67.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=150&height=150&rnd=134126774953630000&quality=60)
