CETME Ameli (Ametralladora CETME Modelo Ameli )

History

Although similar in appearance to the German wartime MG42 general purpose machine gun, the CETME Ameli light auxiliary machine gun is clearly a Spanish end product. After a construction phase from 1974 to 1981, the weapon was officially issued to the Spanish army in 1982 and is still in use (and in production) today.

The barrel is housed in a case with various rectangular and round vents, which can be replaced by a latch that also serves as a carrying handle. A conical flash suppressor is mounted on the muzzle with different horizontal vents on top. The weapon uses a delayed recoil roller locking system, the same as the CETME assault rifle, while the sights are equipped with tritium dots for precise work in low light. The trigger is housed in an elongated trigger ring that is integrated as part of the angled pistol grip, and the ergonomic stock is sturdy for good positioning of the weapon over the shoulder.

Standard optical and electro-optical sights can be mounted on top of the receiver as required. The weight is a manageable 6.71 kg and the overall length is 38 inches.

Other accessories may include a collapsible bipod (complete with "foot" spikes) for light support action, a light tripod for heavy sustained fire (a tripod mount comes standard with the base machine gun kit), and a hoist Cords may improve personal portability - this accessory utilizes integrated loops - one on the left side of the front of the barrel and the other on the rear top of the gun where the stock meets the receiver.

The Ameli's chamber fires 5.56x45mm rimless cartridges and uses 100 or 200 rounds of metal chain link straps in a sealed cartridge case. Ammunition is fed from the left side of the receiver, and spent cartridges are ejected along the right side.

The rate of fire is between 800 and 1,200 rounds per minute, and the muzzle velocity is 2,871 feet per second. The effective range is said to be between 300 and 1,000 meters, with a maximum range of 1,650 meters.

The charging handle is also installed on the right side of the fuselage, which is a "T-bar" design.

Ameli was further developed into the "Ameli 5.56-L" variant. This production model attempted to reduce the operational weight of the original light Ameri machine gun by introducing synthetic materials into its construction.

The Ameli 5. 56-L also used a rifle-style M-16 flash suppressor on the original cone, and also had a folding front sight. The revised weapon is 5.2kg heavier than the original 6.71kg.

The production of the CETME Ameli series was initially carried out by Empresa Nacional Santa Barbara in Madrid, Spain, although today the machine gun belongs to the General Dynamics Santa Barbara Systemas brand. The official name of the weapon is "Ametralladora CETME Modelo Ameli".

Mexico is the only other notable operator of CETME Ameli.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes