The MG58, also known as the M-G58 or the FN MAG58 has been hailed as one of the greatest machine guns of all time. Originally designed by Ernst Vervier of Fabrique National (FN, which also designed and developed the FAL, the famous rifle of the free world), the MG58 has been adopted into service by many client states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It has been used by more than 80 militaries around the world.
In service since 1958, the MG58 has seen action in more than 20 conflicts over the course of the last half-century. Designed to fill the role of a general-purpose machine gun and developed around the extremely versatile, flat-shooting, and hard-hitting 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge (very similar in ballistic performance to the .308 Winchester), this platform is capable of rates of fire of up to 1,000 rounds per minute.
An extremely reliable platform, the MAG58 was designed to incorporate features that had hitherto been conspicuously absent on many predecessors. Belt-fed and easy to break down and transport, this general-purpose machine gun featured, among other things, one very distinct advantage: a quick change barrel. When the barrel became too hot due to prolonged periods of intense fire, the barrel could easily be removed (in the field, without tools) and replaced.
This platform also gained infamy due to its bombproof durability and reliability, further cementing its place in history. It was, in fact, so popular that the machine gun often found itself on different sides of the battlefield in the same conflicts. It can be called, without exaggeration, one of the most influential machine gun designs of all time.
Having held such an illustrious spotlight throughout recent history, it is also very popular in the hands of collectors. If you need parts for an MG58, check here first, and don’t be shy about reading out to our firearms experts at 610-250-3960.