FN Herstal introduced a new machine gun named FN EVOLYS during a digital product launch event in early May. According to the company, FN EVOLYS is an ultralight weapon that combines the firing capabilities of a belt-fed machine gun with ergonomics and balance similar to an assault rifle.
The gun has been developed in two calibres, namely 5.56×45 mm NATO and 7.62×51 mm NATO. The weapon has a weight of between 5.5 and 6.2 kilos depending on the calibre. Its ambidextrous fire selector has a semi-auto position to engage point targets as with a rifle while the full auto position allows suppressive fire as with a machine gun. The hydraulic buffer provides a steady rate of fire and is said to reduce recoil. EVOLYS has been designed for operation with a sound suppressor and allows for mounting a combination of various in-line optical sights. To avoid a failure while feeding the first round, cartridges are automatically repositioned when the feed cover is closed if the belt is not correctly placed on the feed tray. The last link is automatically ejected, thus enabling fast and reliable reload.
Juergen Hensel
