L7A2 7.62 mm General Purpose Machine Gun, 1975 (c)

The British GPMG is a modified version of the Belgian FN MAG. The gun was accepted by the British Army in 1961 after four years of trials. The first 1,500 were produced by Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre in Herstal, Belgium and in 1963 the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield started production. The L7A1 was the first joint production model and the L7A2 incorporated some minor changes, the most important of which was the provision of a 50-round cartridge box on the left-hand side for close-quarter fighting. British troops nicknamed the weapon, the 'Gimpy'.