FM 24/29 light machine gun

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	Weapon: FM 24/29 light machine gun Type: Light Machine Gun Country of Origin: France Year Adopted: 1929 Caliber: 7.5mm French Action: Gas Operated Fully Automatic Overall Length (mm): 1080.0 Overall Length (in): 42.52 Weight (kg): 8.90 Weight (pounds): 19.62 Effective Range (m): 800 m Effective Range (yards): 874.89

The FM 24/29 (Fusil-Mitrailleur Modele 1924/29) was a French light machine gun designed in the aftermath of World War I as a replacement for the Chauchat and Hotchkiss M1914 machine guns. Developed by Manufacture d'armes de Chatellerault, it was chambered for the 7.5x54mm French cartridge and used a gas-operated system with a top-mounted 25-round magazine. The design was heavily influenced by the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) but incorporated improvements suited to French military doctrine, including a bipod for stability and a quick-change barrel for sustained fire. The FM 24/29 was a reliable and well-balanced weapon that provided accurate fire support for French infantry squads.

Production of the FM 24/29 began in 1929 and continued until the 1950s, with over 200,000 units manufactured. It was the standard light machine gun of the French Army during World War II and was widely used by Free French forces, the Vichy French military, and later by colonial and post-war French forces in conflicts such as the First Indochina War and the Algerian War. Despite the fall of France in 1940, the FM 24/29 remained in service, with many captured examples used by German forces under the designation MG 116(f). Its durability and ease of maintenance made it a favored weapon even in harsh combat environments.

The FM 24/29 earned a reputation as one of the most reliable light machine guns of its time, providing a significant improvement over its predecessors. It remained in French military service into the 1960s before being gradually replaced by the AA-52 general-purpose machine gun. However, its influence persisted, as the FM 24/29 played a crucial role in shaping French small arms development in the 20th century. Today, it is regarded as an iconic French firearm, with surviving examples found in museums, private collections, and occasionally in the arsenals of smaller military forces worldwide.