FN M3P
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 1150 mm
- Weight, empty
- 35.00 kg
- Introduced
- 2009
About
What it is, and why it matters
The FN M3P is a .50 caliber (12.7x99mm NATO) heavy machine gun developed by FN Herstal as a high-rate-of-fire derivative of the Browning M2/M3 family, optimized for vehicle, naval and aircraft mountings. It feeds from a disintegrating-link belt, uses an electric trigger and fixed headspace and timing, and fires at around 1,025 rounds per minute. The M3P serves as the gun in FN's HMP-series helicopter podded armament systems (HMP250, HMP400) and the FN RMP rocket/machine-gun pod.
The M3P descends directly from John Browning's M2 'Ma Deuce' heavy machine gun via the faster-firing M3 aircraft variant, which FN Herstal modernized for the remote-weapon and helicopter-pod era.
The M3P combines the higher cyclic rate of the M3 with features tailored for remote and podded mounting, including an electric solenoid trigger. It is the core weapon of FN Herstal's airborne weapon pods, including HMP250 (250-round), HMP400 (400-round) and the RMP variant that adds underslung 2.75-inch rockets.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- FN Herstal
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Belgium
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2009
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 1150 mm
- Overall length
- 1650 mm
- Weight, empty
- 35.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Short recoil
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Capacity
- 250
- Magazine
- Belt
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 884 m/s
- Effective range
- 1830 m
- Maximum range
- 6800 m
- Rate of fire
- 1025 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.
Electric trigger
Dual feed- Fixed headspace and timing
Vehicle mounting- Aircraft pod mounting
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 261 machine guns | 35.00 kg | 10.50 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 260 machine guns | 1650 mm | 1156 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 257 machine guns | 1150 mm | 605 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 222 machine guns | 250 | 50 | Holds more rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the FN M3P
How much does the FN M3P weigh?
The FN M3P weighs 35.00 kg (77.16 lb) empty.
What caliber is the FN M3P?
The FN M3P is chambered in .50 BMG.
How many rounds does the FN M3P hold?
The FN M3P holds 250 rounds, fed from a belt.
How long is the FN M3P?
The FN M3P is 1650 mm (65.0 in) long overall, with a 1150 mm (45.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the FN M3P?
The FN M3P is made by FN Herstal (Belgium). It was designed by FN Herstal.
When was the FN M3P introduced?
The FN M3P was introduced in 2009.
How does the FN M3P operate?
The FN M3P uses a short recoil 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
- Belgian Armed Forces
- Belgium
- German Armed Forces
- Germany
- British Armed Forces
- United Kingdom
- United States Armed Forces
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
82%
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-m3p' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "fn-m3p", "name": "FN M3P", "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": 2009, "barrel_length_mm": 1150, "weight_empty_g": 35000, "action_type": "short_recoil"}