FN Model D
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 500 mm
- Weight, empty
- 9.20 kg
- Introduced
- 1932
About
What it is, and why it matters
The FN Model D is a Belgian gas-operated, magazine-fed light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale as the final and most refined evolution of John M. Browning's Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). Introduced in 1932, the 'D' stands for 'Demontable', referring to its quick-change barrel that allowed sustained fire without overheating, a key improvement over earlier BAR models. It also featured a selectable rate of fire, a finned barrel for cooling, a pistol grip, and a simplified disassembly procedure. Chambered in a range of cartridges including 7.92x57mm Mauser, .30-06 Springfield, and later 7.62x51mm NATO, it served Belgium and several export customers for decades.
The FN Model D is widely regarded as the best and most refined of all the BAR derivatives, fixing the original rifle's biggest weakness, the fixed barrel, with a true quick-change barrel system that turned the automatic rifle into a more capable squad light machine gun.
The 'D' designation comes from the French 'Demontable' (detachable), referring to the quick-detachable barrel. Many FN D machine guns were converted to 7.62x51mm NATO from 1957 onward (FN DA1).
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- FN Herstal
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Belgium
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1932 to 1967
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 500 mm
- Overall length
- 1145 mm
- Weight, empty
- 9.20 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 732 m/s
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 3500 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 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.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Quick change barrel- Selectable rate of fire
Bipod
Pistol grip
Carrying handle
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 26 7.92x57mm Mauser machine guns | 9.20 kg | 11.60 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 26 7.92x57mm Mauser machine guns | 1145 mm | 1175 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 26 7.92x57mm Mauser machine guns | 500 mm | 677 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 25 7.92x57mm Mauser machine guns | 20 | 50 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the FN Model D
How much does the FN Model D weigh?
The FN Model D weighs 9.20 kg (20.28 lb) empty. It is the 3rd lightest of 26 7.92x57mm Mauser machine guns in the catalogue.
What caliber is the FN Model D?
The FN Model D is chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser.
How many rounds does the FN Model D hold?
The FN Model D holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the FN Model D?
The FN Model D is 1145 mm (45.1 in) long overall, with a 500 mm (19.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the FN Model D?
The FN Model D is made by FN Herstal (Belgium). It was designed by Fabrique Nationale (based on John M. Browning's BAR).
When was the FN Model D introduced?
The FN Model D was introduced in 1932 and discontinued in 1967.
How does the FN Model D operate?
The FN Model D uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
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
- 1932
- Egyptian Army
- Egypt
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-model-d' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "fn-model-d", "name": "FN Model D", "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": 1932, "barrel_length_mm": 500, "weight_empty_g": 9200, "action_type": "gas_operated"}