5.56×45mm NATO Conversion Kit for MG 42/59 (?)

[Christopher Wang]

According to McNab (2012), the Stabilimento Militare Armi Leggere Terni or SMALT had produced a conversion kit to adapt the MG 42/59 GPMG (Italy's license-produced version of the MG 42 / MG 3) to 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition (p. 25). Uncited entries on Wikipedia claimed that the conversion kit consists of a new barrel, bolt head, feed opening and cover, recoil-enhancing element, and a lighter bolt. It is also claimed that the weight of the modified 5.56×45mm MG 42/59 GPMG remains unchanged from the original version.


SOURCE: McNab, C. (2012). MG 34 and MG 42 Machine Guns. Osprey Publishing.

An online search on Google has yielded little to no information on such a conversion kit for the MG 42/59. Does anyone have any information and pictures about this conversion kit? Did such a conversion kit actually existed?

 

[riggerrob]

In Spain CETME (?) built a belt-fed 5.56mm machinegun that resembled an MG42 from a distance. Up close, it was significantly smaller than the original Nazi Germany MG42.

 

[TomS]

In Spain CETME (?) built a belt-fed 5.56mm machinegun that resembled an MG42 from a distance. Up close, it was significantly smaller than the original Nazi Germany MG42.

The Ameli. It's also quite different internally, being a roller-delayed blowback gun rather than a fully locked short-recoil design. Which means, especially, that the Ameli's barrel doesn't move. It's essentially an HK machine gun with MG 42 style furniture.

 

[Scott Kenny]

The Ameli. It's also quite different internally, being a roller-delayed blowback gun rather than a fully locked short-recoil design. Which means, especially, that the Ameli's barrel doesn't move. It's essentially an HK machine gun with MG 42 style furniture.

The Ameli is really a 5.56 MG45(v). The roller delayed mechanism was intended to replace the MG42 because it's simpler.

 

[Apophenia]

... Did such a conversion kit actually existed?

That SMALT 5.56 MG 42/59 conversion kit did exist. But the Esercito saw no advantage in it. The switch to 5.56 increased the ROF - which was already seen as a problem with the MG 42/59. After faffing about with the troublesome 5.56 mm Beretta AS70 LMG as a potential squad weapon and replacement for the MG 42/59, the Esercito finally alit upon a Beretta-licensed FN Minimi instead.

5.56 AMELI

Although CETME began development of the AMELI, the alphabet soup gets a little convoluted. By the time the AMELI emerged in 1981, CETME had been privatized as CETMESA (Compañía Tecnológica Materiales Especiales SA). When the Ejército adopted AMELI as its MG 82 section support weapon in 1982, production fell under the senior state-owned enterprise - ENSAB (Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara de Industrias Militares SA or the Santa Bárbara National Company of Military Industries). By 1984, ENSAB had absorbed CETMESA altogether.

ENSAB became ENSB (by which AMELI is now know) but, in another privatization drive, ENSB was gobbled up by US interests in 2001 to become the Santa Bárbara Sistemas SA division of General Dynamics - now GDELS SBS. IIRC, GD was primarily interested in the former Santa Bárbara Blindados (SBB). The La Coruña factory where was closed down shortly after the GD take-over, ending MG 82 production.

-- https://armourersbench.com/2018/11/30/the-cetme-ameli-light-machine-gun/
-- https://cetme.foroactivo.com/t394-h...entro-estudios-tecnicos-materiales-especiales
-- https://www.elradar.es/empresa-nacional-santa-barbara-historia-de-una-privatizacion/

 

[Scott Kenny]

That SMALT 5.56 MG 42/59 conversion kit did exist. But the Esercito saw no advantage in it. The switch to 5.56 increased the ROF - which was already seen as a problem with the MG 42/59. After faffing about with the troublesome 5.56 mm Beretta AS70 LMG as a potential squad weapon and replacement for the MG 42/59, the Esercito finally alit upon a Beretta-licensed FN Minimi instead.

Even higher ROF and not any lighter for the weapon proper.

5.56 AMELI

Although CETME began development of the AMELI, the alphabet soup gets a little convoluted. By the time the AMELI emerged in 1981, CETME had been privatized as CETMESA (Compañía Tecnológica Materiales Especiales SA). When the Ejército adopted AMELI as its MG 82 section support weapon in 1982, production fell under the senior state-owned enterprise - ENSAB (Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara de Industrias Militares SA or the Santa Bárbara National Company of Military Industries). By 1984, ENSAB had absorbed CETMESA altogether.

ENSAB became ENSB (by which AMELI is now know) but, in another privatization drive, ENSB was gobbled up by US interests in 2001 to become the Santa Bárbara Sistemas SA division of General Dynamics - now GDELS SBS. IIRC, GD was primarily interested in the former Santa Bárbara Blindados (SBB). The La Coruña factory where was closed down shortly after the GD take-over, ending MG 82 production.

-- https://armourersbench.com/2018/11/30/the-cetme-ameli-light-machine-gun/
-- https://cetme.foroactivo.com/t394-h...entro-estudios-tecnicos-materiales-especiales
-- https://www.elradar.es/empresa-nacional-santa-barbara-historia-de-una-privatizacion/

CETME AMELI: 11.7lb belt fed 5.56. The Minimi is 17lbs, 50% heavier.

 

[Christopher Wang]

That SMALT 5.56 MG 42/59 conversion kit did exist. But the Esercito saw no advantage in it. The switch to 5.56 increased the ROF - which was already seen as a problem with the MG 42/59. After faffing about with the troublesome 5.56 mm Beretta AS70 LMG as a potential squad weapon and replacement for the MG 42/59, the Esercito finally alit upon a Beretta-licensed FN Minimi instead.

I don't suppose you know any information sources about the SMALT MG 42/59 conversion kit?