FN EVOLYS
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Weight, empty
- 6.20 kg
- Introduced
- 2021
About
What it is, and why it matters
The FN EVOLYS is an ultralight, gas-operated, belt-fed machine gun introduced by FN Herstal in 2021 in both 5.56x45mm NATO and 7.62x51mm NATO. Weighing as little as around 5.5 kg (5.56) to 6.2 kg (7.62) - roughly the mass of an assault rifle - it uses a short-stroke gas piston and an innovative side-mounted belt feed with lateral ejection and an open-top receiver, allowing optics and accessories to be mounted along an uninterrupted full-length Picatinny rail. Its low weight and ambidextrous, single-operator-friendly controls let one soldier carry and fire it like a rifle.
FN designed the EVOLYS to break a decades-old machine-gun trade-off: by moving the belt feed to the side and keeping the receiver top open, it freed an entire Picatinny rail for optics while shaving the weapon down to assault-rifle weight, so a single soldier can carry and fight with belt-fed firepower.
The defining innovation is the lateral/side belt feed that keeps the top of the receiver clear for a continuous optics rail. The 5.56mm model weighs about 5.5 kg with a 355mm barrel and feeds from 100/200-round belts; the 7.62mm model weighs about 6.2 kg with a 406mm barrel and a 50-round belt. Specs here reflect the 7.62mm variant.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- FN Herstal
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Belgium
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2021
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Overall length
- 1025 mm
- Weight, empty
- 6.20 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated short stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 50
- Magazine
- Belt
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 1000 m
- Rate of fire
- 750 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Side belt feed
Lateral ejection
Open top receiver
Full length picatinny rail
Ambidextrous controls
Quick change barrel
Folding telescopic stock- Single operator friendly
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 32 7.62x51mm NATO machine guns | 6.20 kg | 10.51 kg | Among the lightest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 32 7.62x51mm NATO machine guns | 1025 mm | 1149 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 32 7.62x51mm NATO machine guns | 406 mm | 559 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 222 machine guns | 50 | 50 | Near the median |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the FN EVOLYS
How much does the FN EVOLYS weigh?
The FN EVOLYS weighs 6.20 kg (13.67 lb) empty. It is the 2nd lightest of 32 7.62x51mm NATO machine guns in the catalogue.
What caliber is the FN EVOLYS?
The FN EVOLYS is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the FN EVOLYS hold?
The FN EVOLYS holds 50 rounds, fed from a belt.
How long is the FN EVOLYS?
The FN EVOLYS is 1025 mm (40.4 in) long overall, with a 406 mm (16.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the FN EVOLYS?
The FN EVOLYS is made by FN Herstal (Belgium). It was designed by FN Herstal.
When was the FN EVOLYS introduced?
The FN EVOLYS was introduced in 2021.
How does the FN EVOLYS operate?
The FN EVOLYS uses a gas operated short stroke action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- French Special Forces
- France
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/fn-evolys' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "fn-evolys", "name": "FN EVOLYS", "manufacturer": { "id": "fn-herstal", "name": "FN Herstal", "countryCode": "BE", "foundedYear": 1889, "website": "https://www.fnherstal.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "868b12ac455d24b965edddf486bafb1892f606961311b1ab9907556e3a23b075" }, "category": { "id": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "BE", "year_introduced": 2021, "barrel_length_mm": 406, "weight_empty_g": 6200, "action_type": "gas_operated_short_stroke"}